Norwich in 100 Dates E-Book

Kindra Jones

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

Seitenzahl: 118

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Experience 100 key dates that shaped Norwich's history, highlighted its people's genius (or silliness) and embraced the unexpected. Featuring an amazing mix of pivotal, social, criminal and sporting events, this book reveals a past that will fascinate, delight and even shock residents and visitors alike.

Leseprobe

NORWICH IN 100 DATES

KINDRA JONES

To my parents, who imparted to me a love of learning and taught me to listen to the lessons of the past.

First published 2016

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

© Kindra Jones 2016

The right of Kindra Jones to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7509 6964 2

Typesetting and origination by The History Press

Printed in Great Britain

eBook converted by Geethik Technologies

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Norwich in 100 Dates

Endnotes

Bibliography

About the Author

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to my partner, Martin, for his support and patience, especially during moments of exasperation when a particular date I was after eluded me.

I consider myself very lucky to count amongst my friends some very fine historians, to whom I am grateful for helping to show a London girl the beauty of Norwich and the county of Norfolk. Some readers may already know of Neil Storey, a first-class academic with an ability to bring the past to life in a uniquely inspiring fashion. And Dave Tonge, the Yarnsmith of Norwich, whose skill at weaving a tale captures both the young and old alike, holding them in awe and surreptitiously imparting nuggets of historical fact wrapped in ancient knowledge.

With special thanks to Adam Jones and Jason Mayfield-Lewis for their help and support.

In seeking out specific dates I would like to extend my thanks to the staff at the Norfolk Record Office, Norfolk Museum Service and Norwich HEART for their detailed research and assistance with my enquiries.

My gratitude also goes to Matilda Richards for taking a risk and giving me this opportunity, and all at The History Press for their help and support.

Introduction

‘What a grand, higgledy-piggledy, sensible old place Norwich is!’

J.B. Priestley

Norwich has a fascinating history filled with remarkable events and people. During its past Norwich has produced best-selling writers, stood up against kings and for human rights. As a pioneering city it saw the first provincial newspaper published, was the first local authority to install a computer, had the first female Lord Mayor, and continues with its writing tradition as the first English City of Literature. Of course, there have been darker moments in Norwich’s past too. Its people have survived plagues, raids, fire and floods. The power struggle between the city and Church saw people die, property damaged and even resulted in the Pope excommunicating the city.

But when did it all begin?

The very first evidence of people in Norwich dates back to Palaeolithic finds at Carrow Road, and the earliest structures found indicate a settlement of some type in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age. Although people may have occupied the site of Norwich, it was only after the Romans that the area really began to thrive.

Just south of modern Norwich can be found Caistor St Edmunds. First an Iceni stronghold, it became the Roman capital of East Anglia following the defeat of Boudicca’s tribe. The Roman ruins are remarkably intact since the area diminished in importance following the Roman occupation. It seems the Romans weren’t so interested in the area where the city is based now, but if the popular rhyme is true, then Caistor’s demise led to the development of Norwich: ‘Caistor was a city when Norwich was none, Norwich was built from Caistor stone.’

It was during the Anglo-Saxon period that Norwich came into its own. The existence of pottery from the continent points to long-distance trade right near the beginning. However, being close to the sea came with its own dangers and the area was subject to Viking raids. To begin with, the King of East Anglia, Edmund, led the resistance, but his death marked the beginning of Dane rule in a large part of England. After some struggle the rule returned to the Saxons, and those remaining in the city settled alongside the native inhabitants. Their presence can still be seen in Norwich today in Danish street names. Coins from the time of King Æthelstan have been found marked ‘Norvic’, indicating the presence of a mint and showing Norwich’s growing importance.

The arrival of the Normans not only saw the building of the castle and cathedral, but also the city wall. With twelve main gates and forty towers, the city walls enclosed an area larger than any other town in England, or even the City of London. Originally built for taxation and defensive purposes, they were also a testament to the proudly defended self-governance of Norwich and a foreboding greeting to any visitor. The medieval period saw huge economic growth in the area and this was demonstrated most obviously in the building of churches. At one point Norwich could boast one church for every week of the year (and perhaps rather more tellingly one pub for every day!). Norwich continued to flourish, mainly on the success of the textile trade and with help from the Strangers, immigrants to the area from the Low Countries.

‘Either a city in an orchard or an orchard in a city, so equally are houses and trees blended in it.’

Thomas Fuller, Worthies of England, 1662

Although Norwich for much of its history was the second city of England, it was also known as a city of gardens. Following the fashions of London, Norwich developed a series of pleasure gardens, most likely the earliest being My Lord’s Garden in the 1660s. A modest entrance fee would give the visitor an escape from city life and access to a variety of entertainments from music and exotic animals to the latest popular novelty. At the end of the eighteenth century these were the flights of the ‘aerostatic globe’ (hot-air balloons) and Norwich had a spate of them, with tickets priced to suit a range of pockets. In 1785 Major John Money, in an attempt to raise funds for the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, took off from Ranelagh Gardens but a rogue wind took him out to sea and it was many hours before he was at last rescued.

It is often joked that Norwich missed the Industrial Revolution, and although it is true that textile production flourished elsewhere as Norwich’s waned, other industries and companies emerged over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to become household names: Colman’s Mustard, Bernard Matthew’s ‘bootiful’ turkeys and Norwich Union are a few examples.

Norwich continues to be a celebration of individuality, creativity and eccentricity. What follows is just a sample of these from sporting victories to the peculiarities of mundane life to the local impact of national and international events.

Kindra Jones, 2016

1066

14 October

On this day Gyrth Godwinson, Earl of East Anglia and younger brother of King Harold II, fought and died at the Battle of Hastings. His death is recorded on the Bayeux Tapestry.

Originally Norwic (or Northwic) referred to just one area of several based on the banks of the river Wensum, but as the areas grew and merged the name dominated, referring to the borough as a whole. In 1004 Sweyn Forkbeard, the King of Denmark, sacked Norwich and when the town re-emerged the area south of the river became the new centre. The earl’s palace was based in the centre of the borough at Tombland (meaning open space in Old English), where the crossroads made it an easy focal point for the Saxon town. It was here that the principal market thrived, and by the time of the conquest there were about thirty churches in the city.

The Normans were quick to assert their power and the market was moved to be closer to the new power centre of the city: the castle. A few years later, the palace was demolished to make way for the cathedral.

1086

1 August

When King William the Conqueror met on this day with the principal tenants of his great feudal magnates at Salisbury it seems that Little Domesday was complete. This was meant to be the draft covering Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk to later be added to the Great Domesday Book. Although the project was abandoned before these counties could be, that’s rather lucky really because the draft has information the final copy would have omitted. The Little Domesday has 475 parchment pages and took 9–12 weeks to write up by about six scribes, which is an incredible speed and achievement when considering the times. A survey of the boroughs and manors of England, this was a way for the new king to not only control his subjects, but also know how much to tax them. Norwic (as it appeared) was recorded as having approximately 665 burgesses, 41 French burgesses, 2,100 sheep and 1 goshawk.1 Herring also appears to have been of significance, and later in the thirteenth century Norwich had an obligation to provide the Crown with twenty-five herring pies annually. Nearby Great Yarmouth’s coat of arms featured three herrings, a sure sign of their local importance to the economy.

1101

24 September

This day saw the dedication of Norwich Cathedral to the Holy Trinity and 24 September has been annually celebrated ever since. The building of Norwich Cathedral began with the laying of the foundation stone in 1096 under the first Bishop of Norwich, Herbert de Losinga, essentially as penance for buying the diocese of Thetford in a blatant act of Simony. At the time it was the largest building in East Anglia.

Retaining most of the original ground plan with minimal alterations, today it is the most complete Norman place of worship to visit in the UK. This doesn’t mean that over the years it hasn’t had its disasters; lightning strike, fire, riot and war have all left their mark over time, but repairs and remodelling has left Norwich with a beautiful mix of Norman, Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Walking through the city, the spire atop the Norman tower (whose history reads a little like that of The Three Little Pigs, the first incarnation being made of wood, the second of stone and the final of brick) dominates the skyline and is the second highest in England after Salisbury Cathedral. An amazing array of carved stone bosses are found throughout, many of them retaining their colour, and totalling over 1,000. The precinct, originally built to provide support for the Benedictine Priory, also survives in excellent condition. It is now possible to see six scheduled Ancient Monuments and sixty-five Listed buildings in this one close!

1121

25 December

On this day Henry I celebrated Christmas in Norwich Castle. Despite being originally built by the Norman kings as a royal residence, it was never used as such. At the time of the conquest, Norwich was the third largest city in England; when William the Conquerer invaded he was quick to order the construction of a new fortress. Raising a mound some 21m high and demolishing at least ninety-eight Saxon homes, the new motte and bailey covered 93,000m2 and moved the main focus of Norwich from Tombland, the old Saxon market place.

Norwich Castle was put to the test in 1075, but rather than defending the castle William’s forces were besieging it! An alliance between three Norman barons, the Saxon Earl of Northumbria and Danes saw rebellion break while William the Conquerer was abroad. The rebel Ralph de Guader, the Norman Earl of East Anglia, was forced to flee to his home in Brittany, leaving his wife Emma behind to defend Norwich Castle. She put up a remarkable fight and successfully held out for three months, before finally striking a deal that guaranteed her safe passage to join her husband.

The year Henry I came to stay, the new stone keep had just been finished. The limestone was brought in from Caen, France at great expense and was built to withstand attack, with walls 3m thick at the base and over 21m high. This new castle was put to the test by another rebellion in 1136. Possibly due to it being used by rebels more than royalty, from the fourteenth century the keep was used as a prison and remained so for over 500 years.

1144

25 March

Henry de Sprowston, the forester for the Norwich bishop and monks, was patrolling Thorpe Wood when a peasant led him to the corpse of a local apprentice, William. The body had already been discovered once by a well-born nun, but reluctant to entangle herself in the matter she had apparently ensured prayers were said before retreating to her convent. Not much more was thought about the incident and with little ceremony the boy was laid to rest. It would be several years before Brother Thomas of Monmouth investigated the story further and took up the crusade against the local Jews, accusing them of making William a martyr through ritualised crucifixion. He published his account of the investigation and the medieval murder mystery soon gathered a significant following, although it never really gained widespread popularity.

The story of William of Norwich is the first of a series of medieval accusations against Jews of ritual murder during Passover. The Jewish community of Norwich was very new and most lived in the Jewish quarter in the Haymarket and White Lion Street, located near Norwich Castle. Speaking Norman-French like the recently established aristocracy, there were frequent accusations of collusion between the ruling class and Jews, leading to rising tensions between the indigenous Anglo-Saxon population and the ‘foreigners’. In 1190 widespread attacks on the Jewish population spread throughout England and on 6 February all Jews in Norwich outside the protection of the castle were slaughtered. A hundred years later Jews were expelled from England and were not officially allowed to settle again for over 300 years.

1174

18 June