Bloody British History: Norwich E-Book

Mark Mower

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Serie: Bloody British History
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 158

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Danish death! Vikings sack and burn the city. Medieval murder mysteries! The dead body of a young boy was one third of Norwich's residents caught the Black Death! Victorian horrors! In 1851, body parts began to appear across the city – but who had left them, and why? This book contains the amazing and dramatic history of Norwich. Beginning with the all-out Viking assault on the city and roaring through to the falling bombs of the Blitz, hundreds of years of incredible history are crammed into this volume. You'll never look at the city in the same way again!

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Title Page

Introduction and Acknowledgements

1004 Viking Bloodlust – Norwich Plays Host to Migrant Warmongers

1075 The Norman Rebellion

Norwich Castle: Its Long and Dark History

1144 Bound, Tortured and Killed – William of Norwich and the ‘Blood Libel’

1349 Disease, Death and Devastation – A Plague on all your Houses

1549 The Peasants are Revolting!

1557 The Burning of Cicely Ormes

1645 ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’

1688 Inglorious Revolution: Anti-Catholic Persecution in Norwich

1787 Henry Kable – The Convict Who Prospered

1797 Fire! – Why the Blazes Does Norwich Love the Insurance Industry?

1823 A Grave Concern: Bodysnatching in Norwich

1851 The Incredible Confession of William Sheward

1853 Terror on the Highway

1855 Mrs Fisher Escapes the Noose

1874 The Great Railway Disaster

1915 Death by Firing Squad

1942 The Baedeker Blitz

Bibliography

Copyright

INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

NORWICH IS INDEED a fine and remarkable city. In George Borrow’s 1851 novel Lavengro, the character Jasper Petulengro stands on Mousehold Heath and reflects on the vista before him:

A fine old city, truly, is that, view it from whatever side you will; but it shows best from the east, where the ground, bold and elevated, overlooks the fair and fertile valley in which it stands. Gazing from those heights, the eye beholds a scene which cannot fail to awaken, even in the least sensitive bosom, feelings of pleasure and admiration.

In the thousand years of its history as an inhabited community, little has diminished that panoramic and uplifting view of Norwich. And through all of the crises and challenges of English history, it has shown itself to be resilient – from Viking torchbearers to Nazi incendiaries, the city has not only survived, but has continued to flourish.

Norwich is the largest walled medieval city in England and has the greatest number of medieval churches in Northern Europe. Following a riot in 1274, it had the dubious distinction of being the only city to have its citizens excommunicated by a Pope – a general absolution came from Rome two years later, when the spat between the clergy and city-dwellers was finally resolved.

Norwich is often noted for its pioneering and radical history. It launched the first English provincial newspaper in 1701 and was the first location in the UK to have a postcode. Its council was also the first local authority in the country to install a computer.

It would be wrong to suggest, however, that Norwich has not had its darker moments – periods of history defined more by grisly deaths, grim diseases and gruesome destruction than any of its more positive achievements. In this climate has festered religious intolerance, murderous intent and lusts for power that might be said to have tarnished the city’s reputation as a sophisticated, enlightened and urbane conurbation.

Such, then, is the nature of this condensed volume. It does not pretend to be a comprehensive or overly academic account of Norwich’s past. The English historian Edward Gibbon once suggested that: ‘History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind.’ If that is the case, this book can be said to present a fair slice of the city’s history, without all of the long-winded passages of an educational text. Either way, I hope that my lasting affection for the city’s past comes through loud and clear.

The view from Mousehold Heath in 1818.

A number of people helped me in researching and writing this book and I would like to express my thanks to the following for their kind assistance and invaluable support: Jonathan Plunkett, for use of some of the marvellous photographs of old Norwich taken by his father in the early part of the twentieth century; Clare Everitt, Picture Norfolk Administrator, for providing me with access to some of the unique images contained in Norfolk County Council’s online database; and staff of the Norfolk Public Record Office of the Norwich Millennium Library for their knowledge and guidance on aspects of the research. Those photographs and illustrations that appear in the book uncredited are from my own camera or collection.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife Jacqueline and daughter Rosie for their continued encouragement and support.

Mark Mower, 2014

1004

VIKING BLOODLUST

Norwich Plays Host to Migrant Warmongers

IN THE AFTERMATH of the Roman invasion of Britain, it was to be the Germanic tribes of the Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes that became the lifeblood of the East Anglian population, colonising large areas, establishing new settlements and cultivating the land. In their wake, the Vikings brought further influences to the cultural diversity of the ‘East Angles’, but not without fierce hostility from the incumbent tribes. This turbulent period of British history would see Norwich experiencing both the highs and lows of what the Scandinavians had to offer.

PERIODIC VIKING RAIDS

The Vikings may have been peace-loving in their Scandinavian heartlands, but were one of many wandering tribes that were unable to curb their bloodlust when travelling overseas. In the late ninth century, the heathen warriors wreaked havoc on the Christian population of East Anglia, destroying churches and monasteries and levelling homes and villages.

Like earlier foreign invaders, the Norsemen from Sweden, Denmark and Norway used the easily navigable rivers like the Yare and Wensum to attack local settlements. And while the early raids were often isolated attacks by a single longship, larger Viking raids began in the year 866, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recording that: ‘the same year came a large heathen army into England, and fixed their winter-quarters in East-Anglia, where they were soon horsed; and the inhabitants made peace with them.’

A Viking longship attacking England. (Victor R. Lambdin, from Viking Tales by Jennie Hall, 1902)

Viking warriors in battle. (Victor R. Lambdin, from Viking Tales by Jennie Hall, 1902)

THE BLOODY VIKINGS

The peace was short-lived. As an independent kingdom, East Anglia was ruled at this time by the young King Edmund. He fought a brave, but ultimately unsuccessful, campaign to oust the invaders, who had consolidated their position in Thetford by the autumn of 869. Led by the fearsome Ivarr ‘the Boneless’, the large Viking army fought a pitched battle against Edmund’s smaller band of followers, which left both sides with heavy losses but no immediate victory.

It is thought that King Edmund and his followers re-established their dishevelled army in the village of Hoxne in Suffolk, where they were later surrounded and slaughtered by the Norsemen. Edmund himself was taken prisoner and, when he refused to capitulate, Ivarr had his archers execute the Anglo-Saxon leader. Given the scarcity of historical records for the period, it is by no means certain that Hoxne was the place where Edmund died, and some have suggested that Hellesdon, on the outskirts of Norwich, may really have been the place of his demise.

A PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT AND PROSPERITY

In the aftermath of the Treaty of Wedmore in 878, England experienced a period of relative peace for the next 100 years. Under the agreement between Alfred the Great of Wessex and King Guthrum of Denmark, the Vikings were able to share out the lands that they held in England – known as the Danelaw – which were still populated mainly by Anglo-Saxons. Guthrum also adopted the Christian faith.

It was during this time that the Scandinavian settlement of East Anglia began in earnest, with Vikings marrying into local Anglo-Saxon communities and becoming merchants, artisans and farmers in the rapidly growing and prosperous towns of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. One of these was Norwich, which by the early ninth century had achieved the status of a large urban burgh – or fortified town – with strong trading connections across Europe. By the end of the Viking era, it would have a population of between 5,000 and 10,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest town in England.

A modern plaque in the Fishergate area of Norwich commemorating the death of St Edmund.

THE IMPACT OF THE VIKINGS – INVASION OR SETTLEMENT?

Much of what we know about the incursions and settlement of the Vikings in East Anglia comes from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This is a collection of annals, written in Old English, which tell the history of the Anglo-Saxons. Although incomplete, the documents which have survived give us periodic glimpses into the remarkable story of the Norsemen from the ninth to the twelfth centuries.

We know that Vikings settled in Norwich, but physical evidence of their occupation is scant. There are no buildings surviving from the era, although modern excavations on the site of the Anglia TV studios did unearth the remains of a small Scandinavian timber church. That said, over the years there have been tantalising finds which hint at their residency: a Viking sword recovered from the River Wensum; bone combs, soapstone and metalwork from Norway; and a Scandinavian burial cross unearthed in Rose Lane.

There are no references to Norwich in the early part of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, although the name does appear on the silver coins of King Athelstan in the period 924 to 939 – suggesting that they were minted within the city. Many historians and archaeologists now believe that while the numbers of Vikings which settled in Norwich may have been relatively small, their economic and cultural impact was extremely significant. A glance at a Norwich map provides clear evidence of this, with street names like Colegate and Fishergate (from the Old Norse ‘gata’, meaning street) and Tombland (‘tom’ meaning the ‘open land’ used as a marketplace).

The Fishergate area of the city where the Vikings first settled.

The original Anglo-Saxon settlement north of the Wensum became a much larger conurbation under Viking control. The Tombland area of the modern city was also developed as the main administrative centre, housing the Earl’s Palace and playing host to a weekly market.

THE SACKING OF THE CITY

England’s period of relative peace came to an end in the late tenth century with the death of King Edgar. His 10-year-old son, Ethelred, succeeded to the throne in 978 and Viking raids along the coast of England began afresh, dominating his reign until 1013. In an early attempt to prevent further incursions by the Vikings, the young king agreed to pay them Danegeld – sums of money to secure the peace. It was an ultimately fruitless exercise that failed to prevent the attacks and which earned him his nickname ‘Ethelred the Unready’ (from ‘un-raed’, meaning ‘lack of council’).

Every year from 997 to 1014, England was besieged by Norse raiders, but it was in the year 1004 that Norwich felt the full force of the Vikings’ savagery. As part of an unsuccessful campaign to secure control of the country in 1002, Ethelred ordered a general massacre of the Danes living in England. One victim of the atrocities was the sister of King Swein of Denmark. Within a year, Swein ‘Fork-Beard’ raided south-west England to avenge his sibling’s death and in 1004 returned again to invade East Anglia.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the attack on Norwich: ‘This year came Sweyne with his fleet to Norwich, plundering and burning the whole town.’ It was a decisive and devastating attack which razed the wooden and thatched buildings of the city to the ground. The Danish-born nobleman charged with defending Norfolk – Ealdorman (Earl) Ulfketel – sought to agree a truce with Swein in the days following the attack, but Swein was in no mood to relent. Three weeks later, his army attacked and burned Thetford.

THE LEGACY OF THE VIKINGS

By the time of its sacking, Norwich had replaced Thetford as the main trading centre of Viking Norfolk. With better access to the sea and a strong local economy, the city was also able to rebuild quickly and re-establish its dominance in the region. By the time of the Norman Conquest it had undergone something of a renaissance, just in time to greet the new influx of invaders.

1075

THE NORMAN REBELLION

NORWICH’S IMPOSING CASTLE has a long and turbulent past. Even in the early years of its construction, it was at the centre of the conflicts being played out between the ruling barons of the new Norman order. This erupted into a full-scale rebellion in 1075 while William the Conqueror was away from the country and back in his Normandy homelands. What followed was the last serious challenge to his rule as the first Norman king of England.

THE DECISION TO BUILD A CASTLE

When Edward the Confessor died without offspring in January 1066, it was clear that there would be trouble among England’s ruling elite. With no clear heir to the throne, a number of claimants would emerge, at home and abroad, all intent on underlining their claim with violence if necessary. After pitched battles at Fulford, Stamford Bridge and Hastings – where the last Anglo-Saxon king of England was slain – it was Duke William of Normandy, better known to his contemporaries as ‘William the Bastard’, who finally took the throne in October 1066. His coronation occurred later that year, on Christmas Day.

William the Conqueror’s consolidation of power took some years to come to fruition. His initial concern was to crush the resistance of the Scots and secure the border between England and Scotland. This he completed in 1072, by invading Scotland and agreeing a truce with the Scottish king.

In England, William looked to build a network of castles to strengthen the Norman grip on power and establish fortresses for his trusted barons and those Saxon lords that could be trusted to operate in allegiance with the king.

Norwich was an obvious choice for one of the new Norman castles. It was now one of the largest cities in the country, where Norman control was substantial. Many of the wealthiest Saxon occupants had left or had seen their land ownership and status reduced. The Normans had also cleared a large swathe of Saxon homes in the city to enable the construction of both a castle and a new cathedral. The construction of the castle began in about 1067, with the earthworks required to create a timber fortification, surrounded by deep, defensive ditches. With its garrison of soldiers installed, the castle was at last defensible and Norwich looked to have become one of the strongholds of William’s kingdom.

William the Conqueror.

THE REBELLION KICKS OFF

The rebellion of 1075 was led by two prominent Norman barons and one of the last Saxon earls of England. For that reason it is often known as the ‘Rebellion of the Three Earls’. The three were Roger de Breteuil (Earl of Hereford), Ralph Guader (Earl of East Anglia) and the Saxon Waltheof (Earl of Northumbria).

Ralph was the main protagonist in the East of England and was the son of Ralph the Staller, a French supporter of King Edward the Confessor. In 1069, he inherited his father’s title of Earl of East Anglia and in the following year was made Constable of Norwich Castle. In 1075 he married Emma, daughter of Earl William FitzOsbern (the previous constable of the castle, who died in 1071) and sister of Roger, Earl of Hereford.

The plans for the rebellion were formed during the wedding feast of Ralph and Emma in Exning (then in Cambridgeshire) at which the three earls were present. Ralph and Roger were disgruntled about the division of power and land under King William I’s rule, having inherited only a proportion of what they believed their fathers had owned before them. They invited Waltheof to join them.

RALPH GUADER MAKES A STAND

While powerful allies, the warring earls led an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to unseat William, and were thwarted in their attempts to gain the support of other English nobles. As part of the rebellion they asked the Danes to send a fleet of ships to assist them, to which the Danes consented. In the event, while the ships were launched, they never landed in England.

Archbishop Lanfranc was regent for William while the king was absent in Normandy. It appears that the plotters were betrayed by Waltheof, who had reservations about the rebellion from the outset. He informed the archbishop about the earls’ plans and Lanfranc was able to mobilise opposition to the rebellion from an early stage. Although Waltheof was eventually beheaded by William for his part in the rebellion, he was later venerated as ‘Saint Waltheof’.

Roger de Breteuil’s army mobilised in Herefordshire and was attacked and held at the River Severn by the combined forces of Bishop Wulfstan of Worcester, the Sheriff of Worcester and the Abbot of Evesham. For his part, Ralph attempted to lead the uprising in East Anglia and mobilised his soldiers to march from Norwich to join Roger. He found his way blocked by Archbishop Lanfranc’s forces and, in a battle at his manor in Fawdon, near Cambridge, he was defeated by William of Warenne and Richard of Bienfait, both loyal to the king.

Ralph’s bedraggled army retreated across his lands to the stronghold of Norwich Castle. Forces loyal to the king then laid siege to the fort, led by William of Warenne and Odo of Bayeux. Recognising that he was overwhelmed, Ralph fled the castle and managed to escape from England, making his way over to France and the security of his lands in Brittany. Behind him, in Norwich, he left his wife Emma to defend the castle.

EMMA MAKES A BETTER STAND

Emma proved to be an effective military leader, maintaining the discipline and morale of Ralph’s soldiers and holding out against the forces besieging Norwich. From start to finish, the onslaught was to last for three long months. She also proved to be a skilful negotiator, ultimately striking a deal with Archbishop Lanfranc for a safe passage for herself, her retinue and soldiers to be reunited with Ralph in Brittany.

While the siege was underway, Roger de Breteuil’s Herefordshire army was ultimately defeated and the rebellion finally crushed.

Norwich Castle, held by Emma after her husband fled to Brittany.

THE LASTING IMPACT

Lanfranc secured Norwich Castle with a garrison of 300 of his soldiers, effectively preventing any return by Ralph Guader. For their treachery, William seized the lands previously owned by the rebels and moved other nobles into the area to prevent any further revolts. He encouraged them to build further fortifications to protect East Anglia.

While stripped of his English lands, Ralph went on to prosper in Brittany, a region outside William’s control. In 1076, he joined a Breton revolt against the king, achieving some military success. Years later he was to join other nobles in the First Crusade, surviving an often treacherous journey to fight in the Holy Land with his wife and sons. He eventually died before the fall of Jerusalem in July 1099.

A slightly later siege in action – this shows Crusaders, including William the Conqueror’s son Robert Curthose, attacking Jerusalem in 1099. (Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-58245)