Pages from Volume One, Palmer's Perlustration, Chapter 5- Rows 67- 74 UNPDF

GREAT YARMOUTH.

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Row No. 67,from the Quay to Howard Street, called Star Tavern Row,

formerly Mr. Nicholas Cutting’s South Row. * This row is opposite the

north boundary of what was called the “Custom House Quay.”

At the north-west corner stands an old three-story house, now known as

the Star Hotel. It has a squared cut-ﬂint front, and was built towards the

close of the 16th century by William Crowe, a rich merchant, who ﬁlled

the ofﬁce of bailiff in 1596 and again in 1606. He was the second son

of William Crowe of Crowe’s hall, Suffolk (son of John Crowe of the

same place), by Alice his wife, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Parker of

Norwich, who bore the same arms as Archbishop Parker. Of this marriage

there was an elder son, Parker Crowe, of whom nothing is known; another

son, John Crowe, who settled inNorwich; and a daughter, Eleanor, who

in 1601 married Anthony Loveday, Esq., of Chediston in Suffolk. John

Crowe, who was bailiff of Yarmouth in 1547 and 1554, was probably

the eldest son of John Crowe of Crowe’s hall, and consequently uncle

to William Crowe the builder of this house. The family bore for their

arms gu., a cheveron between three cocks crowing, arg. William Crowe

was probably a member of the company of “Merchant Adventurers of

England,” invested by Queen Elizabeth with special

* Nicholas Cutting was bailiff in 1619, and in 1620 was summoned before the privy

council “for not aiding those who came down about starch making ;” but was justiﬁed by

a letter from the justices to the lord chancellor. Starch making, with its abuses, appears

to have given much trouble to government at this time. His son, Nicholas Cutting, was

one of the assessors of the hated ship-money in 1634. When, the civil war broke out

the latter sided with parliament, but afterwards not pleasing the ruling party he was

constrained to resign his alderman’s gown, which however was restored to him on the

6th of July, 1650, and on the 29th of August following, after the inquest had “continued

about ﬁve hours,” he was elected prime bailiff with James Symonds for his colleague;

and was chosen again in 1667. At the visitation in 1664 he disclaimed arms; and died

in 1669, aged 62. Leonard Cutting, his grandson, of Pembroke College, Cambridge,

emigrated to New York, and was a professor of languages there. F. B. Cutting, grandson

of the latter, was an eminent counsellor in New York. Joseph Cutting 1 of Yarmouth died

in 1704, aged 56. Rachel Holdrick, his daughter, died in 1767, aged 90. Of this family

was Henry Davis Cutting, commander of the steamer Denmark, who was washed from

the poop during a heavy gale of wind while crossing the Atlantic in 1869, aged 31.

1 Marie Long, grand-daughter of Horace Boyce the ﬁsh monger of Middlegate, married

Robert Cutting, but she died young. (See Row 112, RRH.)

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trading privileges, as the arms of that company, carved in high relief, still

remain over the ﬁre place in the principal apartment.* This room, on the

ﬁrst ﬂoor fronting the quay, is lined throughout with wainscot, which

has become black with age. Square panels, which reach to the height of

about ﬁve feet, are divided at regular intervals by ﬂuted pilasters which

support terminal ﬁgures, alternately male and female, between which are

a series of ornamental panels richly carved 1 . The open Elizabethan ﬁre

place had been ﬁlled up so as to ﬁt it for a small stove, but on removing

the modern woodwork in 1865 the original chimney piece of Caen stone

was discovered, it never having been removed but merely covered up. The

arrangement of the door, which opens from a small lobby cut out of the

north-east corner of the room, is very curious and unusual. f The pendant

ceiling is divided into six compartments enriched with mouldings, fruits,

and ﬂowers. This apartment presents a very perfect specimen of the

mode of decorating domestic houses in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

Approached by a short ﬂight of stairs immediately opposite the front

door is another apartment, which although now divided presents some

remarkable features of its former magniﬁcence. The huge chimney still

remains, but the carved mantel piece has disappeared, and the ample

hearth is ﬁlled by a modern stove. The ceiling however remains in a very

perfect state, and is rich with

* The arms granted to this company are as., in base a sea with a dolphin’s head appearing

in the. water, all ppr. On the sea a ship with three masts in full sail or., the sails and rigging

arg., on each sail a cross gu. ; in the dexter chief point the sun in splendour, and in the

sinister an etoile or.; on a chief arg. a cross gu., charged with a lion of England. For a

crest, on a wreath two arms embowed issuing out of clouds, all ppr., holding a globe or.

For supporters, two sea horses az., ﬁnned or. This company was intended to supercede

the Silyard 2 Company of foreign merchants. In 1554 Philip and Mary incorporated a

company by the name of “ The Merchant Adventurers for the Discoveries of Lands,

Countries, Isles, &c, not before known or frequented by the English.” In 1660 Queen

Elizabeth by charter conﬁrmed all former charters and privileges to “ The Company of

Merchant Adventurers of England.” See F . p. 138, and P. O . p. 105.

f There is a similar disposition at that ﬁne old Elizabethan house, Thaine Park,

Oxfordshire ; and also in the gallery at Pockingham Castle.

1 It is understood that the whole of this room when it was dismantled during the building

of the post ofﬁce, was boxed up and sold to the Metropolitan Museum of New York.,

where it safely remains to this day. I hope that at some future date, perhaps with the

aid of a lottery grant, this panelling and ceiling can be brought back to the town and

re-erected in a suitable old building such as the Merchant’s house at no.55 North Quay,

or in the former Liberal Club, Howard Street North.

2 A sile was a young herring, a name derived from the Icelandic. Alternatively, the sill

was an underneath part of a cart.

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359

pendants of unusual size and beauty. The original window still exists

entire, having fourteen lights in two tiers, the six centre lights being

larger than the others; and the substantial oaken frame is carved as below.

The chamber over this appartment also has a similar window of twelve

lights in two tiers. Behind the present kitchen and on the same ﬂoor was

another apartment, in which were discoveired in 1865 the stone jambs

of a ﬁre place of great size. This was probably the “Banquetting house”

described in the title deeds of this property as having extended into the

garden behind the house, and as being bounded towards the east by Blind

Middle street. Of this Banquetting house nothing remains. It was utterly

destroyed in 1740 to make room for a malthouse, afterwards converted

into stables, which have recently been demolished and additional rooms

added to the hotel. In pulling down an old wall adjoining the house when

these alterations were made, the workmen discovered three heads carved

in stone and several corbels, with fragments of stone courses, mouldings,

and other ornaments, all of which had been used as common building

materials when the wall was erected. Embedded in a wall on the north

side of Row No. 67 may still be seen the fragment of a beautiful open-

work stone screen. They had all probably been brought from one of the

religious houses then recently suppressed, and possibly from the cell of

the Augustine Friars in Blind Middle street, already mentioned. Beneath

the Star, and extending eastward, are extensive vaulted cellars.

William Crowe, who purchased Caister castle, is believed to have been

the son of William Crowe, the builder of this house. He was born in 1617,

and married Jane, daughter of Thomas Bransby of Great Yarmouth, by

Mary his wife, a daughter of Christopher Edmond Crowe of East Bilney.

He carried on the business of an upholsterer

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in London, and combined with that trade the lending of money ; and

he appears to have been well known, for Pepys in his diary under date

20th October, 1660, speaks of having, in going through London, “called

at Crowe’s the upholsterer in St. Bartholomew’s.” Sir William Paston

borrowed large sums of him, and eventually in 1659 sold to Crowe the

castle of his ancestors at Caister, which he had abandoned for his new

residence at Oxnead. This William Crowe died in 1668, aged 51 ; and by

his will desired to have a monument erected to his memory in Caister

church. His wish was complied with. It is surmounted by a marble bust of

Crowe, and it bears a long latin inscription stating that he had lived a long

time in London. The arms on this monument are those already mentioned.

He appointed his brothers-in-law, Thomas Bransby and Robert Bransby,

executors, and in his will he mentions his mother, Mrs. Bransby, and his

cousin, Roger Crowe, son of his uncle, John Crowe of Norwich, and his

cousin, Ann Bedingﬁeld, and John Crowe her brother. *

Thomas Bransby of Great Yarmouth, merchant, son of Robert Bransby

of Shottisham, f died in 1641, leaving (besides his daughter, Jane, already

mentioned) two sons, viz., Thomas Bransby of Caister and

* In 1667 Hamond Crow, “parson of the parish of Caister,” hanged himself at Mr.

Crow’s house in Yarmouth. S. P., p. 320. He had been presented in the same year by

William Crow, who on the above vacancy presented John Gibson, who had married

a Crowe; and her arma are impaled with those of Gibson—az., three storks arg. —on

their gravestone in Caister church. Roger Crowe of Yarmouth ﬁlled the ofﬁce of Sheriff

of Norfolk in 1702. He bore gyronny of eight or. and sa., on a chief of the second two

leopards’ heads of the ﬁrst. Dashwood’s Vicecomites Norfolcia.

f The name is supposed to he derived from Brandsby in Yorkshire. The Norfolk family

were seated at Shottisham at an early period. Brandsby hall in Yorkshire is the seat

of P. Cholmeley,Esq.., of whose family was Capt. Cholmeley, R.N., lately Inspecting

Commander at Great Yarmouth. Upon a sepulchral stone in Shottisham church, in

memory of Elizabeth Bransby, who died in 1718, aged 32, there is this epitaph. “ by

her spouse” —

“Quae Pia, quae Prudens, quae Provida, pulchra fuisti. Uxor, in Eternum, chara, beata;

V ALE .” The Bransbys of Suffolk had an estate at Mendham, belonging previously to

the Hobarts, which in 1736 passed to the Holmes family of Gawdy hall. Thomas

Bransby, a cousin of the above-named Thomas Bransby, was residing at Pakeﬁeld in

Suffolk in 1641.

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Great Yarmouth, High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1681, and Robert Bransby

of Great Yarmouth, who died in 1692, leaving considerable property. *

Thomas Bransby resided in the Yarmouth house, and died in 1683, aged

56, leaving an only child., Elizabeth (sole heir of her father and uncle),

who married Sir Philip Astley, Bart., of Melton Constable, and died in

1738, aged 67, leaving a son, Sir Jacob Astley, Bart., who sold the above-

mentioned house to Thomas Dawson of Great Yarmouth, merchant and

maltster. f He demolished the Banquetting room and erected a malthouse

on the site. Dawson conveyed the property in

* They bore arg. on a bend cotised sa., between two ﬂeur de lys gu., a lion passant arg.

A hatchment with these arms still remains in the chancel of St. Nicholas’ church. Dean

Davis in his diary makes frequent mention both of the Bransbys and the Crowes, with

whom he appears to have been very intimate. A branch of the above family of Crowe

settled at Norwich, where they became opulent manufacturers, chieﬂy engaged in the

export trade, in which business they were succeeded by William Taylor, the father of

William Taylor, the author of English Synonyms and an Historical Survey of German

Poetry, and translator of Goethe’s Iphgenia in Tauris, Burger’s Leonore, &c. He was one

of the ﬁrst of our countrymen to draw attention to German literature, which his relation,

Mrs. Austin, continued by her various translations. Taylor died in 1836, aged 68.

f By the above marriage the Astley family acquired an important addition of fortune.

They also obtained a number of portraits, which were arranged at Melton Constable, in

what was called “The Bransby Room.” The Yarmouth or junior branch of the Bransby

family is represented by the present Lord Hastings of Melton Constable. The senior

or Shottisham branch is represented by the Cooper family, the Rev. Dr. Cooper (p.

168), father of the ﬁrst Sir Astley Paston Cooper, Bart., having ma,rried one of the

two daughters and co-heirs of James Bransby, Esq., of Shottisham. In the annexed

shields—Cooper impales Bransby and Paston quarterly, and Astley impales Bransby.

The descent of the Coopers from the Paston family we shall have occasion to mention

farther on.

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1749 to Robert Wilson, Esq., of London, a wealthy corn merchant, who

died in 1765, leaving two daughters his co-heirs, one of whom, Dorothy,

married Anthony Chamier, Esq,, and died without issue, and the other,

Elizabeth, became the wife of Thomas Bradshaw, Esq., by whom she

had four sons (viz.), Robert Heldane Bradshaw, Esq., of Worsley hall,

Lancashire, and of Runcorn in Cheshire, agent for the Bridgewater

canals, and sometime M.P. for Braekley in Northamptonshire (now

disfranchised), who died in 1835, aged 75 ; Barrington Bradshaw, Esq.,

who died in the East Indies in 1804; Lawrence Bradshaw, Esq., a Lieut.-

Colonel in the Life Guards; and Augustine Hill Bradshaw, Esq., of Lower

Seymour street. * In 1806 the latter gentleman, in whom the Yarmouth

property of his family had centred, sold th e Star Tavern to Mr. “William

Woolverton, who in 1824 conveyed it to Mr. George Bennett, then a

comic actor attached to the Norwich Company of Comedians. By him it

was sold to Mr. William Holmes Diver, who in 1865 conveyed, it to Mr.

Shales, the present proprietor.

On the 29th of October, 1769, a “Society of Friends” was instituted, the

promoters being John Fisher, Robert Cory, Benjamin Norfor, William

Norfor, George Riches, and John Sayers, whose object was to found a

social club, the members of which should meet on a stated evening every

week in winter, and once a month in summer. Eventually it became known

as the F RIENDLY , and the numbers were increased to twenty-ﬁve, and

ultimately to thirty. A president was elected at each meeting in rotation,

and a treasurer and secretary annually. They

* There was a popular belief, aided by statements in guide books and mentioned in

White’s Eastern England, that this house had been the property and residence of

Bradshaw, the President of the High Court of Justice which sent King Charles I. to the

scaffold. Such certainly was not the fact. There is no evidence that President Bradshaw

was ever in Yarmouth; and, as we have seen, the house did not become the property

of a family of that name until the latter part of the 18th century. The Bradshaws of

Runcorn in Cheshire claim however to be of the same family as the Bradshaws of

Marple hall in Cheshire, which was the residence of the president. The house at Marple

is much decorated with coats of arms and mottoes; and contains some ﬁne old oak-

carved bedsteads, one of which tradition says was made expressly for the president.

This family of Bradshaw bore arg.; two bendlets betw. two martlets sa., for difference

an annulet gu.; and for a crest, a stag at gaze under a vine, a vine tree frucked, all ppr.

See Omerod’s Cheshire, v. iii., p. 408.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

363

adopted as a device an open hand upon which was the human heart.

Conviviality and good fellowship were principally cultivated, but

benevolence was not lost sight of, and at one time the club maintained a

school for ten boys. When ﬁrst formed the members met at the Old Half

Moon, then kept by Mr. Shreeve, whom they followed in 1788 to the

Tuns, and in the next year to the Star, where the society has ever since

remained. Absent members were ﬁned; and the mamage of any one of

them, or of their children, or “an increase in the family” was always

celebrated by a donation of wine. Thus on the marriage of Mr. Norfor,

their treasurer, “with Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Wright of London,” in

1789, he presented the club with a “ﬁve-pint bottle of wine;” and in 1798

Mr. William Palgrave, on a like occasion, “gave half-a-dozen of wine.” In

1794 Mr. Ferrier, in consequence of “an increase in his family,” presented

the club with a glass decanter, having their device engraved thereon,

ﬁlled with four bottles of wine. It was accidentally broken in 1802; but

was replaced. Sometimes the gift was varied to a bowl of punch. In 1795

Keymer, who had previously resided at Norwich but who had come to

Yarmouth and had joined the society, painted the portrait of Mr. Nathaniel

Symonds, who long ﬁlled the ofﬁce of treasurer; and in 1804 he did the

like for Mr. Norfor, an old and esteemed member; both pictures still

remaining in the club room. The victory of the Nile was celebrated by the

club, and Keymer was permitted when Nelson was in Yarmouth to paint

a portrait of the hero, which was “ esteemed a capital likeness;” * and in

1805, after the battle of Trafalgar, Keymer presented the picture to the

club with whom it still remains, and gives to the apartment in which the

club hold their meetings the name of the “Nelson Room.” At the annual

dinner strangers in the town might be introduced; and a naval ofﬁcer who

dined with the society in 1802 presented them with a 38lbs. shot, which

had been ﬁred into H.M.S. Polyphemus, and lodged in the bread room;

and also with a colour taken, from the Danish ﬂeet at Copenhagen. At

the centenary of this society a silver tankard was purchased, upon which

the names of all the then existing members were inscribed.

* This portrait was painted from the life at the Wrestlers; and the late Mr. S. H. Aldred

used to relate that he was present at the sittings 1 .

1 Nelson was only resident in Yarmouth for two days, so if true, this was a rapidly painted

work. Where it is now is not known.

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In 1788 a dinner took place at the Star to celebrate the completion of

the ﬁrst century after the “glorious revolution,” which placed the house

of Hanover on the throne of these realms. This dinner was attended by

Matthew Champion,* probably the only person then living who had

landed in England with William III.

The house at the south-west corner of Row No. 67, fronting the quay, was

prior to 1686 vested in John Warren of Burgh Castle, eldest son and heir

of William Warren of Ormesby, as trustee for Anne, the widow of John

Hall, Esq. (of whom hereafter), who then resided at Sheen in Surrey. f In

1686 Warren t conveyed this house to William Salter, Esq.,§ of Norwich,

from whom it descended to William Salter of Great Yarmouth, his son

and heir, who conveyed it in 1700 to John Risebrow, then an Alderman

of Norwich; p and he in 1723 sold it to Thomas Royal. It was then a

tavern called The Black Boys. || Royal

* This man, whose longevity is so remarkable, was born in French Flanders in 1681,

and when seven years old came over with his father who was a farrier in the army of the

Prince of Orange. For some years he was in the service of Capt* Legge Prendergrass,

a son of Sir Thomas Prendergrass. During the latter part of his life he resided in an

alms house, and was much respected as an honest, sober, and industrious man. He

died in 1793, having then attained the great age of 111 years. There is a portrait of him

etched by Archdeacon Gooch. He was buried at the expense of the mayor (Sir Edmund

Lacon), whose ofﬁcers in their cocked hats and gowns carried him to his grave in St.

Nicholas’ churchyard.

On the 14th July, 1790, a number of gentlemen assembled at the Star Tavern to celebrate

“ the ﬁrst anniversary of the glorious revolution in France.”

f A John Warren ﬁlled the ofﬁce of bailiff in 1615, 1627, and 1636. He was a Captain

of Local Militia.

t By his will made in 1699 he charged his houses in the Foreland with 40s. yearly, to

be paid for the use of the poor.

§ He bore gu., ten billets or. The Salters of Battisford in Suffolk bore the same arms

within a bordure eng. arg., charged with 16 hurts and torteauses alternately.

p He bore sa., on a fess betw. three cinquefoils or., a frette. Crest, a frette betw. two

wings arg.

|| This is a sign, of venerable antiquity now gone out of fashion. Early in the present

century the then Lord Chief Baron at Chelmsford assizes examined an ancient deed by

which it appeared that the principal Inn there had been called the Black Boys from the

time of Edward II. This old house was pulled down in 1857. An Inn of long standing at

Aylsham is also so called 1 . It has been conjectured that the word boy may be a corruption

of bois, and that illusion was intended to the black forests of Germany so celebrated

in the middle ages. The Black Boy, from the ﬁrst introduction of the “weed 2 ,” has been

adopted as a sign by tobacconists,

1 The Black Boys Pub is still going strong in Aylsham, facing onto the Market Place. A

good selection of real ales is on sale, and there is a popular meal served in the evening

in.2006.

2 Now “weed” refers to marijuana rather than tobacco, although in the 1960’s the word

was still used as in former times.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

365

had been elected town clerk in 1720, in succession to Mr. Turner. He

pulled down the Black Boys, which stood a little backward, and by leave

of the corporation erected a stately house which still remains. Royal died

in 1739, aged 55, leaving four daughters his co-heirs, namely, Elizabeth,

who married the Rev. Edward White, and died at Norwich in 1796, aged

84; Hester, who married Mr. Daniel Meek * of Cork; and Margaret and

Sarah who were unmarried 1 .

In 1747 the house so built by Royal was conveyed to J OHN R AMEY , Esq.,

one of the most remarkable men in our local history of the last century.

He was the son of John Barney, f a master mariner, by Margaret Fulteney

his wife. t The father was lost at sea in 1718 when the son was an infant.

He was brought up by his widowed mother; and on her death in 1758,

aged 64, Ramey erected a monument to her memory in the Parish church,

and recorded thereon that he had done so “in justice and gratitute to those

abilities of her mind” and that “goodness of her heart to which, under

Providence, he was chieﬂy indebted for his prosperity.” He commenced

Life as an attorney, and his shrewdness and sagacity soon enabled him to

take up a leading position. His great ambition was not only to acquire a

fortune, but to form a political party in the town which should own him

as leader. He married (as we have seen supra, p. 234) Abigail, one of the

two daughters and eventually co-heirs of William Browne 2 , Esq. ,§ and

his merits not being sufﬁciently appreciated, as he considered, by the

whigs, he aided his father-in-law in the attempt; made by him to wrest

the representation of the borough from the Walpole and Townshend

families; but eventually withdrawing his opposition he gave them his

warm support. This tergiversation caused much bitterness of feeling

among those who had been his former political friends, and was especially

annoying to Mr. Richard Fuller, who had been put forward

* There was a family of this name of long continuance in Yarmouth. In 1673 George

Meeke ﬁlled the ofﬁce of bailiff, and in 1580 he gave £10 to the corporation.

f The name was originally spelt Remy. John Remy, the father of the last-named John

Ramey, was a mariner living in 1678.

t Michael Pulteney, probably her father, died in 1736, aged 75.

§ She died in 1811, aged 85, and was buried in Ormesby church

.

1 Clearly unusual in those times, the opposite prevails in 2006, when around 60% of

couples co-habit instead of marrying, and the property laws have had to be amended

to reﬂect this.

2 The brewer, of 55 North Quay.

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to ﬁght the battle against the Walpole and Townshend party, and who

had been three times defeated in the contest. The controversy which

ensued between these quondam friends, sheds considerable light upon

the manner in which elections for boroughs were conducted in the

middle of the last century. Barney having been violently attacked by

Fuller, published a “Justiﬁcation” of his conduct in A Letter addressed

to R. F., Esq., which the latter designated as “a virulent invective,” and

published a “vindication” which he calls “A proper reply to the Letter

to R. F. Esq. in a letter to a Friend. Both productions are very bitter, but

Barney, who is the more concise writer, ridicules “the elegant ﬂowers,

similes, and allusions contained in Mr. Fuller’s pamphlet, interspersed

with such coarse language” as to lead to the supposition that the writer had

“quitted the seat of religion, learning, and decency, before he had ﬁnished

his studies,” insinuating that Fuller had hastily left the university. Fuller

accuses his adversary of “confounding all dates, falsifying all facts, and

forging private conversations,” matters, which “like the disguise of the

original deceiver in Milton, will not abide the touch of Ithuriel’s spear.”

Barney always designates his adversary as the Letter signer, because he

says it would be too great a compliment to suppose him to be the author.

Who the latter was, Barney says he knew very well, but will not name

him as he has not “strict evidence.” “The little sleek animal, who betrays

himself by the heap of dirt he throws up, may defy the watchful gardener

to convict him judicially, as he never sees him openly at the work; but the

errantest novice of a ploughboy, who views the production, will not be at

a moment’s loss as to what species of vermin it is owing.” Fuller admits

that having been served twice in his election contests by Barney, he had

no right to quarrel with him for not serving him a third time; but yet he

could not help feeling the indignity of being “made a kind of Shrovetide

cock by this great man, “to be set up only to be knocked down again

for his emolument and diversion.” Barney having repeatedly stated that

Fuller was under personal obligations to him, the latter quotes—

“ To John I ow’d great obligation,”

“But John unhappily thought ﬁt”

“ To publish it to all the nation,”

“Sure John and I are more than quit”

GREAT YARMOUTH.

367

The writer then descends to facts, and we catch an amusing insight as

to the working of political parties at that time. Fuller says that at the

Michaelmas feast of 1753, Sir Edward Walpole and the Right Hon.

Charles Townshend, the sitting members, who attended the dinner

according to custom, were coolly received by Ramey and his friends,

in consequence of the latter not having obtained a place in the customs

for which Ramey had applied. * This incident raised the hopes of Fuller

and his party, and shortly afterwards Mr. Love and Mr. Benjamin Cooke

called upon Fuller and urged him to declare himself. He therefore waited

upon Ramey, who referred him to Mr. Browne his father-in-law, who

received him with much civility and many assurances of support, and on

the 9th of November he was nominated a candidate at a general meeting

of freemen held at the Town hall. At this meeting Fuller declared “that

if the election was only to be carried by the methods too long practised

at this place, he declined to employ them. If, said he, the votes of the

electors were freely bestowed he would accept them with thanks, but if

they were to be sold he declared himself not a purchaser.” Afterwards

he found himself committed to his friends, who “enjoyed perhaps the

unrivalled and honorable distinction of being at that time the only electors

of England who supported, for their candidate, the expense of a contest in

his favor”, f Fuller boasts that when he ﬁrst “came over” to him, Ramey

was “a little understrapper in the cause of corruption,” and that it was he,

Fuller, who ﬁrst introduced Ramey “ to the notice and acquaintance of

many gentlemen of the ﬁrst rank and character in the county; whom at

that time Ramey had no other chance or pretence of knowing.” Ramey

at this contest subscribed towards the expenses; but Fuller denies that

any pecuniary loss was sustained. At the general election in 1754 the

return of the Right Hon. Chas. Townshend and Sir Edward Walpole was

unsuccessfully opposed by Fuller and Browne; and Ramey

* See a letter from Mr. Townshend, stating how impossible it was for him to comply

with the request made to him. P. C, p. 219.

f Ramey having asserted that Fuller was not so pure as he pretended, the latter challenged

the former to produce a single instance of corruption; whereupon Ramey mentioned

the payment by Fuller of £4 for a suit of colours stipulated for by a ship-master as the

price of his vote.

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THE PERLUSTRATION OF

then exerted himself to form a party in the corporation called the

“Steadies,” with the view of bringing about a different result at a future

time. To obtain the ascendency there were “frequent struggles in the

King’s Bench and mandamuses on both sides,” to the no small proﬁt of

Ramey, says Fuller, upon whom the legal business naturally devolved;

and having at last obtained a majority in the corporation Ramey, as Fuller

asserts, propounded a scheme for creating such a number of freemen

among the friends of the latter as would ensure his return, and that

this project was only defeated by Fuller’s refusal to sanction it. In 1756

Mr. Townshend vacated his seat by accepting the ofﬁce of Treasurer of

His Majesty’s Chamber; and Mr. Charles Townshend (only son of the

Hon. William Townshend, a former member), afterwards Lord Bayning,

who was then Secretary to the Embassy at Madrid, was nominated to

succeed him. Fuller was put up in opposition, and was only defeated, by

thirty-two votes. Undismayed by this result, Ramey recommended “that

the only way was to tire our opponents out with expense, and never to

suffer them to have an election or re-election without a contest.” The ﬁrst

disagreement between these two worthies was caused by the election

of Mr. Bracey Taylor, another solicitor, into the corporation contrary

to the wishes of Ramey. The latter, says Fuller, soon after entered into

a negotiation with some persons of rank and inﬂuence connected with

administration, and having ﬁxed a frivolous quarrel upon Fuller, went over

with his friends to the Townshend party. Three days after the publication

of the Proper Reply, Ramey addressed An Appeal to the Public, preﬁxed

to which was an advertisement signed by Browne, in which he expressed

the opinion that Ramey was “justiﬁed in withdrawing from the support

of Mr. Fuller’s interest.” Ramey asserted that Fuller’s only ambition was

gratiﬁed, because “his opposition raised him to a level with the persons

he opposed,” and he declined to aid any further in gratifying this little

vanity at the expense of inﬂaming the minds of thousands for no other

purpose than to lift up one man above his natural size, and that only or the

space of a single day.” He therefore deserted him, and gave his support “

to the two great families, who had furnished representatives to the town

for many years past, and were distinguished in this

GREAT YARMOUTH.

369

“county for their rank, fortune, and public merit.” After the inter-change

of these amenities the literary duel ended, Fuller having declared that he

would not be provoked to renew the contest; and the result appears to

have been that Ramey obtained the substance, and Fuller the shadow; for

Browne received the lucrative appointment of Receiver General for the

county, to which on his death Ramey succeeded. Ramey ﬁlled the ofﬁce

of mayor in 1760, and again in 1773. By this time he had acquired great

wealth, and was possessed of considerable landed estates in Ormesby

and Scratby, which gave him so much inﬂuence that he was popularly

called “ The King of Flegg.” Sylas Neville styles him “one of the mighty

men of these parts.” On the 10th of February, 1768, his ambition was

gratiﬁed by the marriage (at Yarmouth church) of his eldest daughter,

Abigail Browne, with Alexander, 9th Earl of Home, and she became

the mother of Alexander, 10th Earl of Home, the direct ancestor of the

present earl. * In 1778

* It is not to be supposed that a man who had carved such a fortune for himself should

escape the envy of those less prosperous. Sayers, the caricaturist, who had been his

articled clerk, makes him say—

“ My well-known character, and station high,

“Bid me Mundungus’ pointed shafts defy ;

“To gain that station, merit paved the road,

“And what I blush’d to ask t my friends bestow‘d.

“I never offered incense to a peer,

“Or talk’d of places in a courtier’s ear ;

“Who says I did ? — l e t him aloud declare it;

“ ’Tis false by heaven ‘ — and Spurgeon, you can sware it.”

Spurgeon, of whom hereafter, was town clerk, and a great supporter of Ramey.

Under a direction contained in his maternal grandfather’s will, Lord Home in 1814

assumed by royal sign manual the name of Ramey; and thus the poor widow’s son

and the country attorney was enabled to impose his name upon one of the oldest and

proudest families in Scotland. By the same authority Lord Home likewise quartered

the arms of Ramey— or., on a bend sa., cotised indented of the second, three eagles

displayed or. They appear upon a hatchment remaining in the chancel of Yarmouth

church, and upon the monument already mentioned. The Earl of Homes, Ramey’ a

son-in-law, died in 1786. The Lady Caroline Home, their eldest daughter, died at the

above-mentioned house on the quay in 1794, and was buried in the chancel of Ormesby

church, where there is a mural monument to her memory. Lady Charlotte Home, the

second daughter, married the

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Ramey was exposed to some obliquy for having taken out “an extent

in aid” for the recovery of a considerable sum of money which he had

privately lent, at heavy interest, upon a note of hand, and he endeavoured

to justify himself in the public papers; and about the same time a reward

of £300 and a free pardon were offered for the discovery of some person

who had threatened to assassinate him and the Rev. Edward Holden.*

Having dropped the attorney, Ramey was admitted to the higher dignity

of the bar, but never practised at it. During the latter years of his life he

resided principally at Scratby hall 1 , where he died in 1794, aged 75 , f being

then the oldest member, or, as it was termed, “father of the corporation.”

t He was buried at Ormesby, with which parish Scratby is consolidated,

there being no church remaining in the latter place .§

Rev. Charles Baillie Hamilton, Archdeacon of Cleveland, second son

of the Hon. George Baillie of Jerviswood. Their son, George Gerald

Hamilton, Esq., was Receiver General of Droits of Admiralty, and held

that ofﬁce until its abolition. He resided for many years at Bedford.

Alexander Barney, 10th Earl of Home, died in 1842, aged 73. He was

for many years one of the representative peers of Scotland. In the diary

of Sir John Hope, Bart., of Craighall, there are these entries. “17 Aug.,

1643.—The Countess of Home took journey to Berwick, and their takkis

schip to “Yarmouth, neir to guhilk the lady her mother remayns;” and

30 Aug.— “This samyne day the Countess of Home tuck journey in the

samyne schip with the Commissioners for Yarmouth to meit thairabout

with the lady her mother, guhois place is within some 7 myles of

Yarmouth.”

* See ante. p. 284. He died in 1797.

f His death seems to have been expected some years previously, for in 1778 Martineau,

the eminent surgeon at Norwich, writing to Sylas Neville, says, “ Barney “ is yet

living, but many are wishing his departure, as he cannot carry with him the “revenue

of Receiver General.” And a, few months later he writes, “Ramey has resigned the

receivership to William Fisher. The former continues in a very precarious state, in spite

of all the endeavours of Macqueen to give him health.” Macqueen was at that time a

practising physician in Yarmouth. He afterwards went to Norwich. He married in 1791

the daughter of Thomas Potter, Esq., of Harley street; took up his residence in London;

and had a very considerable fortune bequeathed to him.

t Barney introduced the rush brocaded crimson-satin gown still worn by the Mayors

of Yarmouth instead of the former robe. Those aldermen who had not passed the chair

wore robes of scarlet cloth edged with black velvet.

§ There is a mural monument to his memory in the chancel of Ormesby church, which

is surmounted by the arms of Barney impaling Browne.

1 Scratby Hall housed Duncan Hall School for forty years or so, then was converted to

ﬂats in 2001.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

371

S CRATBY H ALL , the country house of Ramey, five miles north of Yarmouth,

was occupied by his daughter, the Dowager Countess of Home, until her

death in 1814, aged 68. The house was originally built by John Fisher,

Esq., and was by him sold to Ramey at a time when it was occupied by

Sylas Neville; and as we have had, and shall have, occasion to quote

from, the very minute and amusing M.S. diary of the latter, it may be

well to state here who he was. Sylas Neville, as he asserts, was “born

of a good family and bred up in afﬂuence and in all the ideas of elegant

life.” * Where he was educated does not appear; but he was an excellent

classical scholar and a man of reﬁned taste. At an early age he inherited

a considerable fortune; but his habits were expensive, and he appears to

have soon dissipated a considerable portion of it. Tired of an idle life in

London, he determined to retire into the country; and coming down to

Yarmouth, was so pleased with the situation of Scratby hall that he took

a lease of it from Christmas, 1768, for twelve years. Wearying, however,

of a country life, and alarmed at the rapid diminution of his fortune, for

his expenditure appears to have always greatly exceeded his income, f he

determined to study medicine, and for this purpose passed three winters

at the University of Edinburgh, returning to Scratby for the summer

months. Having in 1776 taken his degree with considerable credit, he

went to London to “walk the hospitals;” and in the following year he

accompanied his friend, Mr. Gifford, on a continental tour. They visited

Holland, France, and Italy; but when at Rome Mr. Gifford died. Neville

however lingered on the continent for some years longer. At Rome he

made the acquaintance of Mr. Patteson of Norwich, who was then on his

travels; and at Naples he was introduced to Sir William Hamiliton. The

ambassador’s ﬁrst wife was then alive, and Sylas Neville says “her good

sense, benevolent disposition, “amiable manners, and polite attention to

all who had the honor of

* He says very little about his relations, but it appears that he had an uncle, from whom

he received a gold watch (with the family arms engraved upon it), who commanded

a man of war.

f He makes this extraordinary confession, in his diary,—Settled my last year’s account

(1768) and found that I had spent very near four times my income.”

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he says, “4 Nov., 1767, with Barron. He tells me that Cumberland “ is

even more haughty, insolent, and wicked than the rest of the royal “

family, and despises the people;—that he drew an insult

on himself “ at York Races;—thinks that we cannot be saved but by a

general “ rising. This is my opinion., though I express

it at present to true “ friends of liberty only.” “14 Dec, 1767.—Dined at

St. Clement’s “ chophouse. Did not go to see Garriek that I might avoid

the abhorred “ sight of George III. and his family ;” but in the following

year he says, “Bore the abhorrecl. sight of Q-eorge and Charlotte, to

have the pleasure of seeing Garrick.” “Many,” he adds, “would not

remove their hats.” He met Mrs. Macaulay in society, and was informed

by her that there was then (1767) “ a great spirit of liberty beginning in

France.” It chanced one day that he and this lady walked past an open

grave when Mrs. Maoaulay exclaimed, “I would gladly leap in if I could

take monarchy with me.” He thus describes a visit to her house in 1768.

“We got to Mrs. Macaulay’s in St. James’ place about 11 o’clock. “

She received us with great civility in her study, where we drank

“ chocolate. She is a charming creature. Her penetration, her judg-”

ment, her knowledge, her virtue, her love of liberty, her greatness of ‘’

soul which shines with lustre in her truly free and benevolentprinciples,

“ are amazing in this age of corruption and dissipation. In the course of

“ conversation she made some excellent remarks—that the opinion of “

there being an obligation of morality or religion to submit to govern-”

ment is productive of the greatest evils and absurdities; and that it is a

“ mere human institution of convenience, and approved by God, where

it “ is mentioned in His word, only as such. It is surprising with what “

readiness the Tories, many of whom do not believe a word of scripture,

“ quote it in support of tyranny. “What St. Paul said was calculated for

“ the christians of that time. She thinks the only article all should be “

obliged to subscribe to is., that all men who act according to conscience

“ and the light of nature, may be saved. This excellent person cannot

“help being such an enthusiast as to entertain the idea that Providence “

will not longer suffer its ends to be frustrated; and that mankind by the

“ diffusion of knowledge will soon arrive at a state of such perfection as

“ their nature requires. She thinks it will be better if the people suffer

GREAT YARMOUTH.

373

“a little more oppression before they rise; they may then act with the

greater spirit; and that if a revolution were then to happen, knowledge

was not sufﬁciently diffused for the settlement of liberty on a solid basis.

She heard that a great spirit of liberty was beginning in France.” “How

much does the cause of liberty owe to this lady,” exclaims Neville,

“who has reduced herself to a diet of milk and vegetables on account

of a bilious complaint, and forbears to go out of town this season in

order to ﬁnish the fourth volume of her history.” Neville and his friends

sympathized with the North American colonists in their contention

with the mother country; and ardently desired that the States might “

become free and independent, so that they might be an asylum to those

Englishmen who had spirit and virtue enough to leave their country

when it submitted to domestic or foreign tyranny.” When at Scratby,

Neville kept up a correspondence with the Rev. O. Fleming, an eminent

dissenting minister in London, who advised him upon politieal affairs.

Writing in 1769 he says, “The Thane (Lord Bute) has the full grasp of the

sceptre of majesty, and he and Mansﬁeld are the two ﬁends that control

the system.” The king’s answer to the “City Remonstrance” caused a

great stir at that time; and Fleming says that when his majesty spoke

acrimoniously of the “Patriots” to the queen, she replied “Remember,

Sir, you are king of a nation which is to be governed rather by love

than authority; the English are not a people who obey because they

must, but because they will; and you have sufﬁcient examples in the

annals of your ancestors, that when once the person of a king falls into

contempt, his dignity is little regarded. Fleming said “he was obliged to

pray for George Guelph lest his mouth should be stopt.” Sylas Neville

propounded his revolutionary opinions in all places and on all occasions

—at taverns and on stage coaches, as often as in private society; and it

speaks well for the “despotism” of which he so much complained, that

he never received the slightest molestation. Neville not only lived to

moderate his political and religious opinions, but to veer round to the

opposite extreme.

After the death of the Dowager Countess of Home, Scratby hall was let

to Mr. Isaac Everitt, who resided there for many years; and on

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THE PERLUSTRATION OF

He says, “4th Nov., 1767, with Barron. He tells me that Cumberland is

even more haughty, insolent, and wicked than the rest of the royal family,

and despises the people; - that he drew an insult on himself at York races;

- thinks that we cannot be savedbut by a general rising. This is my opinion

though I express it present to ‘true friends of liberty’ only”. 14th Dec.

1767 - dined at St.Clements chophouse. Did not go to see Garrick that I

might that I might avoid the abhorred sight of George III and his family,

but in the following yearhe says “Bore the abhorred sight of George

and Charlotte, to have the pleasure of seeing Garrick” “Many,” he adds,

“would not remove their hats”. He met Mrs.Macaulay in society, and

was informed by her that there was then (1767) “a great spirit of liberty

beginning in France”.It chanced one day that he and this lady one day

walked past an open grave, when Mrs.Macaulay exclaimed “I would

gladly leap in if I could take monarchy with me”. He thus describes a

visit to her house in 1768. “We got to Mrs.Macaulay’s in St James place

about 11 o’clock. She received us with great civility in her study, where

we drank chocolate. She is a charming creature. Her penetration, her

judgement, her knowledge, her virtue, her love of liberty, her greatness of

soul which shines with lustre in her truly free and benevolent principles

are amazing in this age of corruption and dissipation.In the course of

conversation she made some excellent remarks - that in the opinion of

there being an obligation of morality or religion to submit to government

is productive of the greatest evils and absurdities; and that it is a mere

human institution of convenience, and approved by God, where it is

mentioned in His word, only as such.It is surprising with what readiness

the Tories, many of whom do not believe a word of scripture, quote it in

support of tyranny.What St.Paul said, was calculated for the Christians

at that time. She thinks the only article (that) all should subscibe to is

that all men who act according to conscience and the light of nature, may

be saved. This excellent person cannot help being such an enthusiast as

to entertain the idea that providence will not longer suffer its end to be

frustrated; and that mankind, by the diffusion of knowledge, will soon

arrive at such a state of perfection as their nature requires 1 . She thinks it

will be better if the people suffer

1Unfortunately the increase of knowledge and consequent technological

advances have merely made politicians more powerful and ever more

corrupt.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

375

a little more oppression before they rise; that they may act with the

greater spirit; and if a revolution were then to happen 1 , knowledge was

not sufﬁciently diffused for settlement of liberty on a solid basis. “She

heard that a great spirit of liberty was beginning in France”. “How much

does the cause of liberty owe to this lady?” exclaims Neville, who has

reduced herself to a diet of milk and vegetables, on account of a bilious

complaint, and forebears to go out of the town this season in order to ﬁnish

the fourth volume of her history.” Neville and his friends sympathised

with the North American colonists in their contention with the mother

country; and ardently desired that the states might become free and

independant, so that they might become an asylum to those Englishmen

who had spirit and virtueenough to leave their country when it submitted

to domestic or foreign tyranny.” When at Scratby, Neville kept up a

correspondence with the Rev. C.Fleming, an eminent dissenting minister

in London, who advised him on political affairs.Writing in 1769, he says:

“the Thane(Lord Bute) has full grasp of the sceptre of majesty, and he

and Mansﬁld are the two ﬁends that control the system.”The King’s

answer to the “city remonstrance”, caused a great stir at that time.; and

Fleming says that when his Majesty spoke acrimoniously of patriots to

the Queen, she replied “Remember Sir, you are King of a nation which is

to be governed rather by love than authority; the English are not a people

to obey because they must , but because they will , and you have sufﬁcient

example in the annals of you ancestors , that when once the person of a

king falls into contempt , “his dignity is little regarded”. Fleming said “he

was obliged to pray for George Guelph, lest his mouth should be stopt.”

Sylas Neville propounded his revolutionary opinions in all places and

on all occasions, - at taverns and on stage coaches, as often as in private

society; and it speaks well for the “despotism” of which he so much

complained, that he never received the slightest molestation. Neville not

only lived to moderate his religious and political opinions, but to veer

round to the opposite extreme. After the death of the dowager Dutchess

of Home, Scratby Hall was let to Mr. Isaac Everitt, who resided there

for many years, and on

1 A revolution in Britain was very likely at that time. Perhaps we didn’t

have one simply because we wouldn’t have wanted to follow any example

of the French, and equally the horror of revolution must have been then

very apparent by example, fully reported in the press.

376

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

his death it was sold to the Rev, Richard Forster, who had been presented

by the Dean and Chapter of Norwich to the Vicarage of Ormesby with

Scratby annexed in 1886, in succession to the Rev. Richard Turner. There

was then no Parsonage house, and Mr. Forster resided at Scratby hall

until his death in 1866, when the hall, with some land, was purchased

by Robert Shingles Watling, Esq., the present proprietor. *

Ramey purchased all the property lying eastward of his Yarmouth

house as far as Howard street, and converted a considerable portion of it

into a garden attached to his house, and devised the whole to his widow,

who occupied the same until her death in 1799. f She left the property

to her daughter, the Countess Dowager of Home, who occupied it as

a town house until 1811 when she sold it to John Watson, Esq., at that

time town clerk. The name of Watson had been of some continuance in

Yarmouth. Stephen Watson was one of the committee appointed to draw

up the ordinances in 1491. William Watson was bailiff in 1486. Henry

Watson was a witness in the cause between the town and Sir William

Paston. Thomas Watson was named a corporator in the charter of Charles

II. Robert Watson died in 1724, aged 76. John Watson was a member of

the corporation in 1734. Thomas Watson, the father of the town clerk,

died in 1775, aged 53, and Rosamond his wife in 1778, aged 51. John

Watson, the purchaser of the above-mentioned house, was chosen town

clerk in 1799, and held that ofﬁce until 1822. He married Mary, daughter

of William Fisher, Esq., and died in 1828, aged 78; his wife dying in the

same year, aged 77.

* This name is probably derived from Watlington, Norfolk.

t Mrs. Ramey was a great proﬁcient in the art of drawing with a poker, and the rooms

of this house were adorned with copies by her of paintings by Panini, Gisolphi, and

others, in this, peculiar style of art. The author of the Norfolk Tour, published in 1772,

notices these“ very elegant and extraordinary performances,” and says that “ the neatness

and minute accuracy with which they were done, was wonderful.” The back drawing

room in this house was, down to a late period, lined with stamped-gilt leather, a very

handsome and costly decoration prevalent before the introduction of paper hangings.

Much information regarding poker-drawings may be obtained by reference to Notes

and Queries.

X During the last few years of his life, Mr. John Watson resided at No. 14, Regent

street, where, after his death, his books and paintings were sold in 1829. Among the

latter was a “View of Yarmouth Harbour,” by Butcher. Probably this is as

GREAT YARMOUTH.

377

They left an only son, the Rev. Fisher Watson,* and an only daughter,

who married Samuel Tolver, Esq.

In 1835 the above-mentioned house was purchased by William

Travers Cox, Esq., M.D., who resided in it for some years. Subsequently

a Corn hall was erected on a portion of the garden, having an entrance to

it from Regent street. The house when sold by Dr. Cox was ﬁtted up as a

Commercial Club-house, but after a few years the club was broken up.

The ground ﬂoor was occupied by the Young Men’s Institute, founded

by the Rev. Henry Mackenzie (now Bishop Suffragan of Nottingham),

then Incumbent of the Parish, and was formally opened in 1840 by Dr.

Stanley, Bishop of Norwich, and here his distinguished son, the present

Dean of Westminster, lectured. After a few years dissensions broke out

and the Institute was remodelled; but it soon came to an end, and then

this house was purchased ﬁnd let as ofﬁces, one being occupied by the

Electric International Telegraph Company, f On the plain, opposite this

house, a ﬂag staff was erected by government in 1860 for the purpose

of displaying cautionary storm signals, according

interesting a picture as those in the Town hall. What has become of it? The arms borne

by the Watsons of Yarmouth were - Barry of four arg. and gu., three crescents erm.,

on a chief or., two tilting spears broken in saltire gu; and for a crest, on a mount vert,

a demi-dragon ramp., being the same arms as the Watsons of Woolpit and Bingshall in

Suffolk, except that the latter bore barry of six.

* He was chosen one of the ministers of St. George’s chapel in 1816, which

preferment he resigned in 1821 on being presented to the Vicarage of Lancing near

Shoreham. He married Louisa Sarah, daughter of Sir Edmund Lacon, Bart., by whom

he had a numerous family. He now resides at Brighton.

f As soon as the railway from Yarmouth to Norwich was formed, the electric

telegraph was laid down under the personal inspection of Mr. Cooke, and during the

progress of the work he resided in Yarmouth. Cooke had been an ofﬁcer in the Indian

army. In 1837 he ﬁrst met Professor Wheatstone, who was a native of Gloucester.

They became partners, and took out a patent. Their respective claims to the merit of

the invention were in 1841 referred to Sir Isambard Brunel and Professor Daniel, who

decided that while Cooke stood alone as the person to whom the country was indebted

for having practically introduced and carried out this wonderful invention,Wheatstone

was the scientiﬁc man whose profound researches had been instrumental in bringing it

to perfection. Wheatstone was knighted in 1868, and Cooke in 1869.

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to the code ﬁrst projected by the late Admiral Fitzroy. * Close to the ﬂag

staff are two Russian guns, part of the spoils at the capture of Sebastopol;

sent to the town by Lord Palmerston, when prime minister. The adjoining

house to the south was called D OBBS , and was in 1660 conveyed by

Thomas Utber of Beccles to James King, merchant, whose son and

heir, Henry King, in 1683 brought it into settlement on his marriage

with Rebecca Atkin; and dying in 1694 devised it to his widow, who

married Thomas Moore. She left it to her step-daughter, Eliza Moore,

who married Robert Atkin; and from her the property descended to her

eldest son and heir, Thomas Atkin, who sold it in 1738. The above-

mentioned house was subsequently occupied by the Rev. Edward White

(p. 365), who was one of the Ministers of St. George’s chapel for nearly

sixty years (1732 to 1791), f after whose death it became the property

and residence of Thomas Ridge, surgeon, who in 1788 married Sarah,

daughter of John Baker, merchant, and died in 1822, aged 61, J leaving

daughters only, his only son having been drowned while bathing in the

sea in 1811, aged 16.

Row No. 68 led from the Quay to Howard Street, and is now absorbed

by Regent Street. Early in the 17th century there stood an old house

* The Board of Trade being in daily, and indeed if necessary hourly, communication with

all parts of the world by means of the electric telegraph, is able to collect information as

to the state of the barometer, and the direction and force of the wind in various quarters!;

and can therefore give timely warning to our shipping to “look out for squalls.”

In 1783 the corporation, taking into consideration the then great age of Mr. White, and

that he had for upwards of half a century constantly performed the duties of his ofﬁce

greatly to the satisfaction of the inhabitants, granted him an additional allowance of

£50 a year to enable him to employ a curate. He held the small Rectories of Bayﬁeld

and Thrigby, and died in 1791, aged 85, “reverenced for “ his understanding and piety,

and esteemed and beloved by all who knew him for “his amiableness, cheerfulness, and

benignity of manner.” He was, says the Norfolk Chronicle, “ an Israelite in whom there

was no guile.” The Rev. Henry Gostling White (second son of Dr. White, a physician

at Bury) was born at Yarmouth in 1769. He graduated at Clare hall, Cambridge, and

became a fellow of that college, and, after being curate at Eye, settled in London, where

he died in 1846. There is an engraved portrait of him.

His widow survived him and died in 1831, aged 71.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

379

at the north-west corner belonging to Giles Call, who was bailiff in 1632,

by whom it was sold to Thomas Lucas, merchant, who ﬁlled that ofﬁce

in 1658, and hence this row was called Mr. Thomas Lucas’ Row. L UCAS

has been a name of long continuance in Yarmouth. “Warren Lucas was

named one of the twenty-four jurats in the “articles” conﬁrmed by Henry

III., and he ﬁlled the ofﬁce of bailiff in 1369. John Lucas was bailiff in

1636, and his pedigree was recorded in the Herald’s Visitation for 1664,

with his coat of arms— arg>, a fess gu. between six annulets gu., being

the arms borne by the present family of Lucas, of whom we shall have

occasion to speak; and he also used the annexed merchant’s mark. He

took an active part in municipal affairs, and on the breaking out of the

civil war brought in money and plate for the use of the parliament. * In

1647 he was at his own request dismissed from his place as alderman,

by reason of his bodily inﬁrmities whereby he was unable to do any

service for the town; and Anthony Parmenter was elected in his stead,

f He married Mary, daughter of Mr. Norgate of Aylsham, who bore gu.,

two gauntlets in saltier arg. garnished or., by whom he had a son, the

ﬁrst-named Thomas Lucas, who married Elizabeth, daughter of John

Cooper, Esq. He followed in the political footsteps of his father, and on

the death of Oliver Cromwell, being then one of the bailiffs he signed

the address to Richard Cromwell, congratulating him on his accession

to the Protectorate. He seems to have been a man of a hot temperament.,

and to have been at enmity with those who favored a restoration. J He

left a son, Thomas Lucas, who in 1712

* William Lucas was bailiff when Charles I. was beheaded.

f This is a name which has been of long continuance both in Yarmouth and in the

county of Norfolk. Anthony Parmenter was a supporter of Brinsley, and signed the

solemn league and covenant.

J In 1669 the corporation requested the churchwardens to command the beadle to

stand at the stairs at the end of the aldermen’s seat, and to forbid and hinder Mr. Lucas

from coming into the aldermen’s seat, and to keep him from, coming up there. This

odd request was in consequence of a violent dispute which continued between Mr.

Thomas Lucas and the corporation for many years, until at last in 1678 a committee

was appointed “to compose their differences.”

380

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

sold the above-mentioned house to John Cooper, Esq., by whom it was

devised to Anthony Cooper Gray, son of Andrew Gray.

The house at the south-west corner was the residence of Henry Gooch,

Esq., who served the ofﬁce of mayor in 1772. He was not of the old

Yarmouth family of that name. His mother was Alice, daughter of

Daniel Manning, secondson of the Rev. William. Manning(see p. 219.)

He married a daughter of Mr. Killett of Gorleston. The above house had

extensive premises at the back; and in front was a “great fore yard” or

paved court. At the general election in 1774 the Hon. Richard Walpole

and Mr. Charles Townshend came down for re-election, expecting to

ﬁnd no opposition, but on the morning of the nomination day Mr. Henry

Gooch, then deputy-mayor, proposed Admiral Sir Charles Saunders,

K.B., then residing at Gunton hall, and William Beckford, Esq.,* then

the tenant of Somerleyton hall; and although defeated he made a, rather

good ﬁght for them.

It had been customary for the corporation to proceed to church every

30th of January, and to take part in the service appointed for that day,

being the anniversary of the “Martyrdom of the Blessed King Charles

I.;” and therein “to implore the mercy of God, that neither the guilt of

that “sacred and innocent blood, nor those other sins by which God was

“provoked to deliver up both us and our king into the hands of cruel

and “unreasonable men, may at any time hereafter be visited upon us

or our “posterity.” It seems that Gooch when mayor abstained from this

observance, for which he obtained the commendation of Sylas Neville,

who in writing to Mr. Barber, says, “I was much pleased with the account

of the conduct of your mayor, Mr. Gooch, on the 30th of January. I hope

it proceeded from a conviction of the impiety and absurdity of the usual

observance of that day.” It was a practice

* He was a cousin of William Beckford of Fonthill 1 celebrity. When a young man he

travelled with Mr. Patrick Brydone, who was his preceptor and who addressed to him

the letters of which his Tour through Sicily and Malta consists, and dedicated the work

to him (third edition, 1776). Beckford afterwards settled in Jamaica, where he had a

considerable estate. After a residence there of twelve years he returned to England and

rented Somerleyton hall. He died of an apoplectic ﬁt at the Earl of Efﬁngham’s house in

Wimpole Street, London, in 1799. He wrote Remarks upon the Negroes, A Description

of Jamaica, and a History of France. There is an engraved portrait of him.

1 Of Fonthill Abbey, only a small portion of the servant’s wing remains in 2006. The

whole fell down one night, since Beckford had insisted on the hall being built higher

and higher, yet although archaeology has now revealed good foundations, the walls were

built of rubble, cemented over to look like stone. Only stone would have been capable

of carrying the height of the great tower in particular, but Beckford, despite inheriting

huge wealth from the sugar trade in the Indies, overstretched himself. Furthermore, the

cement allowed water to penetrate. Beckford must have known it was unstable, as he

sold just before the collapse of the building, thus saving the fabulous contents. Beckford

was almost a recluse, but held one fabulous dinner with an extraordinarily unpalatable

menu, for Nelson and Emma. Nelson never went there again.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

381

among those who opposed monarchical government to dine, on the 30th

of January, off calf’s head, in derision of Charles I.; and afterwards to

drink toasts to the memory of the regicide judges, and to those who had

been instrumental in bringing about the commonwealth. Silas Neville

followed this observance of the day, as appears by several entries-in his

journal. Writing in 1770 he says, “Jan. 30.—This being the anniversary

of the deserved death of Charles I., Messrs. Whitesides, Robert Barber,

and John Bell 1 dined with me on calf’s head. Doubted whether Whitesides

would come on this occasion as he is rather of what are called moderate

principles. I gave the following, with other toasts, The majesty of the

people of this nation, and may the example of this day be followed on

all like occasions. Mr. Barber gave that generous friend of liberty, *

Thomas Hollis. I made an observation that was much liked. It was that

the two universities were like the government, very expensive and very

useless. In the evening I let off some ﬁreworks in the south garden and

on the pond. The serpents ran well on the ice. Sykes, a portrait painter

and picture dealer then in Yarmouth, was invited but was not present.

He died a few months later at his lodgings in Yarmouth. This man is

said to have enjoyed an hereditary pension of £100 a year, because his

ancestor had been instrumental in effecting the escape of “the fellow up

the tree,” as Neville termed Charles II. Mr. Walker, Mr. Mayes, and Mr.

Deverson* were sometimes of these parties. The latter was a dealer in

curiosities, and resided for some years in Yarmouth. “He is a republican,”

says Sylas Neville, “to his honor be it spoken.” Being in Edinburgh in

1772, Neville says in a letter to Mr. Robert Barber of Yarmouth, “I ate

calf’s head with some friends on the 30th of January. Even in this

country, inhospitable as it is

* Mr. Thomas Deverson was collector of the salt duties, and died in 1785, aged 76. His

“collection of shells, fossils, petrifactions, and other curiosities” was purchased by Mr.

Bartlett Gurney. He had a ﬁne collection of medals. When Deverson’s friends solicited

the place for him, they were asked both by the then Duke of Grafton 2 and (what is more

surprising) by the Archbishop of Canterbury, “ Has he a vote in the corporation?” “

Church and State were then equally corrupt,” says Sylas Neville. He was succeeded

in his salt collectorship by Thomas Carman, who died in 1792, aged 71. The duty and

the ofﬁce are now abolished.

1 For John Bell and the Bell family, see Row 97 and Hopton Hall.

2 The Duke of Grafton resides at Euston Hall, in Suffolk, near Bury St Edmunds. His

wife, the Dutchess of Grafton, is Lady in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II. I visited there

for a concert and supper in July, 1997, in aid of the British Heart Foundation. The buffet

meal was taken outside in the grounds, and the concert included soloists from the Royal

School of Music. Euston Hall was built 1666-70 for the ﬁrst Duke of Arlington. His

heiress daughter married the bastard son of Charles II, by Barbara Villiers, his mistress.

This son was created 1st Duke of Grafton. The only remnants of the original are the

staircase and the gate pillars, since a disastrous ﬁre in 1900.

382

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Thought to be the principles of freedom, I hope the morning star of

liberty begins to dawn.At a club held here to celebrate the aniversary of

the revolution, toasts, which I could hardly have expected, were given*.

On another occasion he says “yesterday being the anniversary of the

death of the tyrant Charles I., celebrated it with some friends at a tavern

where I had previously ordered calf’s head.We drank only champagne

and claret, the one representing the serum and the other the red blood

of the pretended martyr. On the other hand the Royalists at Yarmouth

celebrated the anniversary of the restoration by the appointed church

service, and afterwards with public rejoicings. Bower the secret agent

of the government, at Yarmouth, in a letter to secretary Williamson,

(remaining among the state papers) informed him that on 29th May1667,

the Bailiffs, Aldermen and common councilmen went to church in their

gowns. horse and foot were drawn up who gave three volleys; and by

the guards. Guns were ﬁred from the battlements and forts, and Bailiff

Thaxter invited Major Wyndham and his ofﬁcers to dinner. Happily

at the present time calves heads are not put to such a disloyal use and

political state prayers are abolished. Mr Gooch died in 1813 in very

reduced circumstances so much so that in 1800 he addressed a letter to

the corporation stating that after he had been a member of that body for

over forty years and never having asked a favour, he now applied to be

appointed parish clerk, but if it were thought a disgrace that a justice of

the peace should ﬁll that staion, then he would decline it, but would be

thankful for something else.

During the latter part of the past century and the beginning of the present,

the above-mentioned house 1 was occupied by Mr Samuel Bream f. Hence

this row was latterly called Bream’s Row. He let what

* ”May all statesmen that would raise the King’s prerogative upon the ruins of public

liberty meet the fate of Lord Strafford”. “May all priests that would advance church

power upon the belly of conscience go to the block like Archbishop Laud”. “May all

Kings that would harken to such statesmen, and all priests have their heads chop’d

off like Charles I”. These toasts it is said, (were) composed by Hollis, of whom Sylas

Neville was a great admirer.

f He was a man of considerable itelligence. In 1772, the corporation presented him with

20 guineas for a scheme to remove Yarmouth bar. Subsequently he

1 Palmer’s Addenda: Bream’s House - At the house of Mr Bream on the Quay are

convenient hot and tepid baths, says the Guide of 1801.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

383

were then considered the best lodgings in the town. Consequently they

were frequently occupied by the Port Admiral, or by the Admiral in

command of the North-sea ﬂeet. Sir Richard Onslow lodged there; as

did also Admiral Lord Duncan.

The next house, which was also absorbed by Regent Street, was in 1773

in the occupation of Anthony Cooper Gray, Esq., and afterwards of

Thomas Utting, Esq., who in 1775 sold it to Robert Cory, Esq., mayor in

1803. Between this house and the next there was formerly a row running

from the Quay to Blind Middle Street, which was stopped up in 1761

and added to the adjoining house to the north. When Regent Street was

made in 1813, the site of this old row was added to the adjoining house

to the south, and now the north front of the London and Provincial Bank

is built upon it.

Row No. 69 led from Howard Street to King Street, and was absorbed by

Regent Street. On the south side, near the east end, stood an old house,

which in the early part of the last century was the residence of the Rev.

John Welham, of Caius College, Cambridge, who was one of the two

ﬁrst ministers appointed to St. George’s Chapel, which preferment he

resigned in 1724. He was also head master of the Grammar School. * It

was next occupied by Musgrove Heightington, Doctor of Music, who in

1733 was appointed organist of St.. Nicholas’ Church, f The next tenant

was William Burton, Esq., M.D., who died in 1756, aged 53; and whose

immediate ancestors played a distinguished part in local politics. He

published a Parody on Pope’s Homer, and other poems.

designed a bridge, which was not adopted. An engraving of it, with a description, was

given in the Gentleman’s Magazine.

* He was presented to the Rectory of Cantley, Norfolk, in 1720, by Sir Harbord Harbord;

and held it for six years.

t He was an eminent musician and a member of the Gentlemen’s Society at Spalding,

as appears by the correspondence of Sir Martin Ffolkes, Bart., President of the Royal

Society; and in 1738, on the anniversary of the society, the doctor, his wife, and son sang

an ode. Nichol’s Lit. Anec. 5, p. II. It may here be mentioned that John Christian

Mantel 1 was appointed organist in 1718. He had been organist at the church of South

Beerﬂeet near Rochester. “ Poor blind Chicheley “ was appointed in 1762. “He had the

soul as well as the hand of a master;” and when placed before the instrument brought

out the ﬁnest music in the most expressive manner.

1 For a brief biography of Mantel, see The New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth, 1994.

vol 2, issue 5, p.180.

384

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

Herman Burton was returned to parliament for the borough in 1312, when

none but burgesses could be elected; but we hear no more of the name

until the breaking out of the civil war, when “W ILLIAM B URTON came

forward with money and plate in support of the parliament. So zealous

was he that he contributed one of his “best spoons” and also “a silver

bodkin;” and from that time took a leading part in municipal affairs. In

1647 he signed the solemn league and covenant; and in the following

year he was one of the “Cannoniers,” had charge of the great ordnance

at the bridge 1 , and kept a store of gunpowder at his own house. What

could man do more to show his patriotism? In 1649 he was chosen an

alderman in the place of George England, whose politics had not kept

pace with the times, and who had therefore been dismissed; and in this

the ﬁrst year of the commonwealth, Burton was elected bailiff. The evil

consequences of civil strife were then severely felt; and a petition was

presented to parliament “acknowledging with thankfulness the great

and unspeakable goodness of God in raising that honorable house to

repair the “ breaches of many generations, and to recover our almost

lost liberties and religion out; of the hands of those that studied nothing

more than “to enslave both souls and bodies of the whole nation; but,”

say the petitioners, “our God, by you, hath broken the snare, and we are

delivered, to praise his name who hath gathered together this honorable

house, as so many choice arrows into his quiver to smite through the

hearts and loins of his and his people’s enemies, all along owning you.

in your owning of him, his cause and people, having ever had a tender

regard to your lowest estate, hath pulled down the mighty from their seats

and exalted you. “We, having now good cause to from what you have

already done, that the good hand of God with you, will still lead you

further to advance, and countenance piety, and to settle the foundations

that were so much out of course, upon their true basis of righteousness,

do humbly crave the boldness to present the sad condition of this poor

town, yet under the miseries and depredations of war* (whilst the land

is at peace), unto your pious

* Alluding to the depredations committed on their commerce at sea, by pirates who

pretended to be royalists.

1 Guarding the bridge in 1942, there was in perhaps the very same spot, a Bofors gun,

used against aircraft attack. Jim Twine came as a gunner from Sussex to man the gun,

which was positioned at the north-east corner of the bridge. He met Eva Newark, the

daughter of the baker at no.5, Row 3, and they subsequently married.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

385

and serious consideration; the charge of the poor of this place through

the enemies’ cruelty at sea, being increased far beyond the monthly

taxations, and the inhabitants which bear both burdens thereby much

more disenabled to bear either; and the charge of maintaining the piers,

almost as much as either of the former, both counties of Norfolk and

Suffolk having beneﬁt thereby but not charged therewithal; which

pressing more and more upon us by the daily increase of losses, makes

us humbly pray that this honorable house would be pleased to take the

premises into serious and speedy consideration, and to order us such an

abatement of our proportion constantly charged upon us in the monthly

rates of this county as shall seem to your honours both just and equal.

And then they prefer this modest request, that you will be pleased to

grant to us such a part of the lead and other useful materials of that vast

and altogether useless cathedral in Norwich, towards the building of a

workhouse to employ our almost starved poor, and repairing our piers,

or otherwise as you shall think ﬁt and sufﬁcient.”* The prayer was not

granted; and in 1656 Burton was sent to London with a petition to the

lord protector setting forth the sad condition of the town. He got no

money; but Oliver granted him a commission to raise 300 men with the

rank of major; and found the arms. In this year Cromwell endeavoured

to consolidate his power by means of a parliament, and great exertions

were made throughout the country to secure one favorable to the protector.

Burton, who was connected with Cromwell by the marriage of his son

with the daughter of General Desbrowe, f was returned for Yarmouth;

and he was one of seventy members who in the following year offered

the crown to Oliver.

* This petition is printed in extenso “by Swinden, p. 473.

f John Desbrowe, a major-general and one of the protector’s lords, married Jane, sister

of Oliver Cromwell. He, according to Gwillim, bore arg., a fesse betw. three bears’

heads coupled sa., muzzled or. Jane, daughter of Valentine Desbrowe, son of the general,

married John Walford, and had a son, William Walford, who married Mary Bacon, and

died in 1766, leaving William Walford his son, who married Anne Buggies, by whom

he had a son, the Rev. Win. Walford of Terling in Essex, who married Sarah Tweed.

Jane, only daughter of John Walford and Jane Desbrowe, married Robert Tweed of

Halstead, Essex, and died in 1781, leaving a daughter Jane, who married J. B. Whalley,

Esq”., of Colchester, and had issue a daughter, Jane, who married the Rev. W. Poley

of Boxsted Hall, Suffolk,

386

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

In 1659 Burton was again elected to the ofﬁce of bailiff, but the master

mind, of Cromwell no longer guided the destinies of the nation; the reins

of power were falling from the feeble hands of Richard, and a restoration

began to be openly discussed. What must have been the feelings of Burton

when, on the 23rd of May, 1660, he had to preside at an assembly of

the corporation at which it was ordered that in case “the king’s majesty”

should happen to come into Yarmouth Roads with the Dukes of York

and Gloucester, they should, with their retinue, be invited to accept such

entertainment as could be afforded. The corporation determined to wait

upon the king for this purpose on his majesty’s coming near the town,

arrayed in their ofﬁcial robes j and, on his landing, to accompany the king

to Mr. Bailiff Burton’s house, which was appointed for his majesty’s

reception, where the keys of the gates and all commissions held in the

militia were to be delivered into the king’s hands. The committee of

bailiffs’ assistants were also requested to devise some present for his

majesty. These loyal demonstrations were unavailing as. far as Burton

was concerned, for an act of parliament was passed disabling him

from exercising the functions of a bailiff; he was dismissed from the

corporation and his name ordered to be defaced wherever it appeared.*

Being specially exempted from the act of indemnity he retired to Holland,

where he is accused of having plotted with other exiles to bring about a

counter revolution in England. In 1663 the government agent reported that

Burton was then at Rotterdam, and in communication with malecontents

in England. In 1666 Burton sent a petition to Charles II., in which he

states that he conceived himself included in the proclamation for the

return of certain persons to England, but being in debt, on public account,

to hundreds of people at Yarmouth before the restoration, and being

sued by some of them in 1661, was forced to retire into Holland, where

he had continued ever since, merchandizing, but not interfering in the

differences between the king and the Hollanders; that having come down

to Ostend with Desbrowe to embark for England, was there informed

that Lord Arlington had

* See the engraving of the fragment of the Crowmer monument, mentioned at p. 205,

which is still in St. Nicholas’ Church, and upon which Burton’s name has been nearly

obliterated.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

387

procured leave for his continuance at Rotterdam if he would pay £400,

and that relying on this, and being unable to satisfy the demands of the

Yarmouth people he had returned to Rotterdam, and now the time limited

by the proclamation being over he begs a license to remain beyond seas,

being ready to remove from Rotterdam to some place in amity with his

majesty. Ultimately Burton returned to Yarmouth, where he died in 1673,

aged 65, and was buried in St. Nicholas’ church, and on his sepulchral

stone appears— He liv’d to Christ, he died in Christ, and must appear with

Christ; disturbe not then his dust.” John Burton, his son, was returned to

parliament for Yarmouth in 1701. He had married, as we have seen; Jane,

daughter of General Desbrowe, Cromwell’s brother-in-law. He died in

1703, and his widow in 1729, leaving the above-named William Burton,

their only surviving son. They are all buried in St. Nicholas’ church, as is

also William Burton, Esq., son of William and Martha Burton, who died

in 1689, aged 22, having married Sarah, daughter of Sir George England.

On his sepulchral slab are his arms—quarterly 1st and 4th semee of

estoiles, 2nd an eagle displayed; and for a crest, an eagle displayed. * The

last owner of the above-mentioned house was George Hurry, Esq., who

purchased it in 1783, and died in 1797, aged 58. f His widow resided in

it until her death in 1811, when the house was sold to the commissioners

for making the new street, by whom it was taken down.

* Another William Burton, an alderman of Yarmouth (but of a different family, for he

bore sa., a chev. betw. three owls arg.), died in 1686, aged 39. He was the son of the

Rev. William Burton, by Elizabeth his wife, who died in 1682, aged 59; and who by

her will gave to the town of Stalham £5 13s. 4d. for ever. The alderman and his mother

are both buried in Stalham church. Amy Goates “ twin born “ with the former died in

1734, aged 88, “a woman of a generous spirit, remarkably charitable to the poor, whose

praise is not of man but of God,” as her epitaph informs us.

f He was the eighth and youngest son of Thomas Hurry, merchant; and in 1762 married

Caroline, one of the two daughters and co-heirs of Francis Parson, merchant, “an

agreeable young lady with a handsome fortune,” as the Norfolk Chronicle informs

ns. They had an only child, Ellen, who married Thomas Wilkinson, Esq., of Oswald

house and Brancepeth in Durham, and they had issue George Wilkinson, Esq., of

Oswald house, born in 1809. John Parson ﬁlled the ofﬁce of mayor in 1736. He was

a solicitor.

388

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

Regent Street was formed by the Paving Commissioners appointed by

an act of parliament, passed in 1809, entitled “An act for better paving,

lighting, cleansing, and watching the Town of Great Yarmouth in the

County of Norfolk, and for removing nuisances and annoyances therein,

and for making other improvements in the said Town,” which authorized

the making of one or more street or streets from the Quay not further

north than Row no. 67. This was to prevent any injury to the trafﬁc then

existing through Old Broad Row and Market Row; and as a further

protection to the owners of property there, no shop or public house was

to be permitted. If these considerations had not prevailed, the proper

site for the ﬁrst new street would have been from the Quay opposite the

Southtown Bridge direct to the Market Place. Regent Street is not straight,

but follows the curve which, as already mentioned, may be observed in

many of the rows. This street was formally opened to the public on the

29th of September, 1813, by Jacob Preston, Esq., the then new-elected

mayor, on his way from St. Nicholas’ church to the Town hall, it being

the custom in those days for the mayor who had been elected on the Feast

day of the Decollation of St. John the Baptist to be sworn into ofﬁce at

the Guild hall on the Feast of St. Michael, and after attending divine

service at the Parish church to proceed in procession, accompanied by the

members of the corporation and preceded by a band and colours and all

the insignia of ofﬁce, to the Town hall, there to preside at the “mayor’s

feast,” the day being concluded by squibs and ﬁreworks on the quay by

the populace.

On the north side of Regent street was the entrance to the Corn Exchange,

already mentioned, erected in 1842, from a design by Brown. The building

was used for its intended purpose for several years, until the buyers and

sellers of corn reverted to the old custom of an open-air meeting. In early

times they assembled at the Market Cross; and after that in front of the

Angel Inn. They next removed to the quay opposite

* In 1865 a proposal was submitted to the town council for making a second street from

the Quay to King Street, by demolishing the houses between Rows No. 129 and 130,

the opening thus obtained being continued eastward by St. Peter’s road, and forming

a continuous street from the river to the sea; but the project was rejected on account

of the expense.

Never mind! the rows were knocked down soon enough, and many more, Nottingham

Way was formed almost as described above, in 1947/8.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

389

the Star Hotel, and lastly assembled in front of the Dukes Head; * at the

back of which hotel a new Corn hall 1 , having an entrance to Howard

street, has been erected by Mr. J. Davey, the proprietor of the Dukes

Head, which hall, designed by Mr. J. W. Pearce of Norwich, was opened

for business in 1871.

The Corn hall, adjoining Regent street, was purchased by government

in 1870, and converted into a Post Ofﬁce; and has now a lofty front next

Regent street, designed by Mr. Williams, the government surveyor. In

this building provision has been made for the Telegraph and Savings-

Bank Departments, and rooms provided for the Ofﬁcers of the Inland

Revenue. The Corn hall remains in its original state, except being divided

for the convenience of business. Since the removal of the post ofﬁce from

Row No. 63, the postmasters have been David Hogarth, Jun., who died

in 1862, aged 68 ; John Stuart Coxen, died in 1863, aged 32; Charles

O. Newcombe, died in 1868, aged 49; and William Richard Geake. For

a long period the ofﬁcial salary was very small, the postmaster being

obliged to make it up by pickings. In 1667 he was allowed only £30 a

year, and was expected to pay all expenses, and keep a couple of horses

to ride the stage three times a week in all weathers and hours, and to sit

up and receive letters, “burning coals and candles.” Truly, said Bower,

the government spy, the place was “unﬁt for any but those who were

unﬁt, and were tempted

* Among those who constantly attended the Yarmouth Corn Market, in the latter part

of the last century, was Edward Kerrison, the only son of Matthias Kerrison, Esq,,

of Bungay, a large seller of corn, who was sent here by his father to act as his agent.

Disgusted with a life so imsuited to his inclinations lie enlisted as a private soldier. A

Cornetcy in the 6th Dragoon Guards was soon afterwards purchased for him; he was

rapidly promoted; and his gallant services in the Peninsula as Colonel of the 7th Hussars

are matters of history. He succeeded to the great wealth of his father; was created a

baronet; and died in 1853, aged 78, a General in the army, and Colonel of the 14th Light

Dragoons. Matthias Kerrison, the father, was for many years a haven commissioner,

and constant in his attendance. He died in 1827, aged 85. There is an engraved portrait

of him. Sir Edward Kerrison was presented with the freedom of the borough. There is

a portrait of him by Shee; and he is the subject of one of Dighton’s engravings.

f A critic having asked what order of architecture was intended to be represented on

the capitals of the pilasters in front, was told the “ Post ofﬁce order.”

1 The corn Hall in Howard Street was demolished for no particular reason, in 1971,

having remained an entirely empty site ever since, except for its use as a temporary

car park.

390

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

in the postage to make up the salary.” When in that year John Baals,

pulley master, was appointed, Bower says he would have applied for it

himself “had he thought it just to undermine him who had it;” but if it

were to become vacant, he asks Lord Arlington for it, telling his lordship

that he had put his own wife into a coffee shop, “ to obtain intelligence”

to communicate to the minister. Some account of the rise and progress

of the Post Ofﬁce at Great Yarmouth has already been given (p. 338),

but of late years the increase of business has been very rapid. The editor

has the authority of the present energetic postmaster for stating that the

number of letters, &c, which passed through it in the year 1871 was about

4,170,000; the money-order transactions 51,180; the revenue from stamps

sold £6,213 9s.; and savings-bank transactions 3,460. There are two

branch telegraph ofﬁces, ﬁve receiving ofﬁces (at two of which money

orders and savings-bank business can be transacted), and twelve pillar

and wall boxes. The number of persons employed is forty.

At the south-east corner of Regent street is a house which, when that street

was formed, was in the occupation of Mr. Coleman, woollen draper. It was

subsequently purchased by Mr. S. C. Marsh, who established the business

of a wine and spirit merchant, under the ﬁrm of Marsh and Barnes, and

shortly before his death sold the property to Messrs. Seaman, Grimmer,

and Co., the present owners.

At No. 23 is the ofﬁce of the distributor of stamps. The raising a

public revenue by requiring all legal documents to be impressed with a

government stamp was introduced into this country in the reign of William

and Mary, in imitation of a similar impost which had previously existed

in Holland. In every considerable town an ofﬁcer was appointed whose

duty it was to distribute such stamps as were required, on being paid for

the same. Mr. John Hurry ﬁlled this ofﬁce in 1781; and was succeeded by

Mr. Thomas Symonds, who had his place of business in the Market row.,

and died in 1806, aged 48. He was followed by Mr. Nathaniel Palmer,

who had a house on the north side of Regent street, with an ofﬁce in Row

No. 66. * On the next vacancy in 1824

* He died in 1825, aged 58. He had been a shipbuilder, and launched several sloops

of war for the use of the royal navy. Sarah his widow, daughter of Robert

GREAT YARMOUTH.

391

Mr. James Hurry Palmer was appointed, and held this ofﬁce ‘till his death

in 1857, aged 69,* when he was succeeded by his son, Mr. Daniel Ely

Palmer. At the same place (No. 23) is the ofﬁce of the Great Yarmouth

Amicable Shipping Insurance Association, supported by shipowners

upon the mutual principle.)

At the south-west corner of Regent street is a house which was erected in

1765 by John Cotman, Esq., of whose family we shall have occasion to

speak. He devised it to his son-in-law, James Turner, Esq., (see p. 305).

It was afterwards the property of Travel Fuller, “one of the people called

quakers,” who died in 1795, leaving “a character as an honest man worthy

of imitation,” says the Norwich In 1827 this property was purchased

by T. F. Steward, Esq., who sold it in 1835 to the East of England Joint

Stock Banking Company, who altered the premises for the purposes of

their business and erected the north front. After the disastrous stoppage of

that company in 1864, the property passed to the London and Provincial

Bank (limited).

Row No. 70 is at the back of the houses fronting Regent Street, between

Howard Street and King Street.

Barrett, died in 1852, aged 84. They had two children: (1) Nathaniel

Palmer who was called to the bar in 1827, and in 1836 was appointed

Judge of the Norwich Court of Record and Recorder of Great Yarmouth.

In 1819 he was presented with a piece of plate of the value of 100 guineas

for his electioneering services in the liberal interest. (2) Edmund Reeve

Palmer who died in 1863, aged 61, leaving an only surviving child, Ellen,

who married the Rev. Francis Conway Steward, Rector of Runham.

Mr. E. R. Palmer was an Alderman of the Borough and Registrar of the

County Court.

* Mary, his widow, daughter of Thomas Fryer Garwood, died in 1870, aged 81.

f Marine Insurances were known in Queen Elizabeth’s reign, for we ﬁnd Lord Keeper

Bacon, in opening her ﬁrst parliament in 1533, saying, “ Doth not the wise merchant

in every adventure of danger, give part to have the rest assured.” Ives, sen., in his

diary, mentions instances of his father underwriting risks on his neighbour’s vessels. A

Mercantile Marine “ Insurance Society,” upon the mutual principle, was established at

Yarmouth in the last century, but at what precise date cannot be stated, as there are no

records of it. In 1797 this Society met at the Black Swan for the transaction of business,

and a book commencing at that time mentions the payment of many losses occasioned

by the capture of Yarmouth vessels by French privateers.

X Travel Fuller, in 1797, married Phoebe, daughter of Isaac Sharplesa of Hitchin, “ a

young lady with a fortune of £15,000,” said the same paper.

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THE PERLUSTRATION OF

Row N O . 71 is at the back of the houses facing Regent Street, between

the Quay and Howard Street. At the north-west corner of this row is a

house formerly the property of Nathaniel Symonds, merchant, who died

in 1793, aged 69. He was the son of Joseph Symonds (by Jane Jordan

his wife), who was a son of Nathaniel Symonds and Mary Harper his

wife. The ﬁrst-named Nathaniel Symonds, by Mary Witton his wife, had

a son, Nathaniel Symonds, whose portrait hangs in the Nelson room at

the Star Hotel, died in 1808, aged 54. By Mary Warner of Chelmsford,

his ﬁrst wife, he had a son, Nathaniel Warner Symonds, with whom this

branch of the family became extinct. The above-mentioned house was

afterwards occupied by Mr. Boardman, cornfactor.*

At the south-west corner is a large house, now divided, which for many

years, in the early part of the present century, was occupied by Robert

Cubitt, plumber and glazier. It was in respect of a mortgage upon this

house that the right of the corporation to E SCHEATS was raised in 1857,

in a suit entitled Thompson v. Tolver. f The accounts of the chamberlains

prove that from a very early period they debited themselves with monies

received as escheats from aliens, pirates, bastards, felons, and persons

unknown or dying within the borough without heirs. Among goods taken

possession of and not claimed within a year and a day, we ﬁnd in 1586

“a cope of velvet” which sold for 30s., and in

* Boardmen were persons allowed to occupy a hord or cottage with a small parcel of

land on the borders of. a manor, on condition of supplying the lord with poultry, eggs,

and such small things. Some however were required to perform the disagreeable duties

of an executioner or hangman.

f A mortgage of the house above-mentioned had become vested in Mr. Samuel Tolver

as the legal personal representative of a testator who had bequeathed £500 to a natural

daughter after the death of her mother, hut which .legatee had died unmarried and under

the age of 21 years in her mother’s life time. On the death of the latter in 1852, the

town clerk claimed the money on behalf of the town council, alleging that under the

charters of Charles II. and Queen Anne, or by prescriptive right, they were entitled to

it as bona vacantia within the borough. A case having been submitted to the Attorney

General (Sir Richard Bethell, afterwards Lord Westbury) and the Solicitor General

(Sir Henry Keatinge), they advised the crown not to contest the right; and a limited

administration having been granted to Thomas Thompson, as the nominee of the town

council, a bill in chancery in his name was ﬁled, the result of which was that the money

was obtained for the town.

1 Palmer’s Addenda:

GREAT YARMOUTH.

393

1592 “ certain apparel” which fetched £4 19s. In 1595 there escheated

to the town, without challenge of any proprietary, one gray nagge

worth 30s. In 1599 the corporation took the goods of one John Hilton,

executed in London for piracy. In 1604 the value of goods seized from

pirates amounted to £48. 12s., 5d. In 1613 certain goods being clothes

blown up in Richard Taylor’s ship were seized, and in 1615 the goods

escheating from pirates brought in £83. 17s. In 1681 the corporation

took possession of a house in Middle street as having escheated to them;

and in 1714 they seized and sold a house which had “escheated to the

town for want of heirs.” The corporation claimed and took the goods and

chattels of all persons dying felo-de-se but they frequently gave up the

same to the family of the deceased, as they did to the sisters of Samuel

Berryman in 1648.

Row No. 72 from Hall Quay to Howard Street. At the north-west corner

is a house which in the early part of the last century was the property of

William Haynes, who here pursued the then ﬂourishing trade of a peruke

maker. * In 1759 he conveyed this property to

* Wigs were then in general use; but in 1765 the peruke (wig) makers petitioned the

king, setting forth the distress to which they were reduced by the decline of trade

“occasioned by the preposterous fashion then introduced of men wearing their own

hair!” and they prayed for relief. In ridicule of this petition another was drawn up,

purporting to come from the carpenters, praying his majesty to set the fashion of using

a wooden leg ! During his mayoralty in 1795, Mr. Taylor issued a handbill urging the

“disuse of hair powder,” by which means a great quantity of wheat, in that season of

scarcity, might he saved to the nation; and as “appearances” ought to be sacriﬁced to

the public want, recommended the military to set the example. It was calculated that

every soldier consigned one lb. of ﬂour per week in powdering his head, and in 1795

an order was issued in Norwich to discontinue its use except when on duty. Fancy

the absurdity of a man powdering his head to enable him to go upon guard or march

against an enemy!

The following “standing order,” extracted from a M.S. General Order Book, sounds

very strange at the present day : —

Queen Charlotte at Sea, 2nd February, 1800. Parliament having thought proper to exempt

ofﬁcers under certain ranks from the tax imposed on wearing hair powder, implies that

powder was understood to be part of an ofﬁcer’s dress. It is therefore directed that all

ofﬁcers on duty wear hair powder, except at sea or in bad weather; and they are not

on any account to go on shore in foreign parts without that article of dress, the want

of which gives serious

394

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

Samuel Moore, whitesmith, who died in 1764, leaving it to his son,

Samuel Moore, who dying in 1815 left it to his son, the late Samuel

Velzi Moore, anchor smith. Families named More, Moor, or Moore have

been of long continuance in Yarmouth. Nicholas Moore was one of the

committee who in 1491 drew up the new ordinances for the government

of the borough. Simon Moore took a leading part in municipal affairs, and

served the ofﬁce of bailiff in 1541, 1548, and 1561. In his second year

of ofﬁce two important events occurred, namely, the cutting of the sixth

haven and the destruction of those works by the insurgents under Kett.

“Cunningly unawares,” as Manship says, “they surprised the two bailiffs”

(William Bishop and Simon Moore), and conveyed them to their camp at

Mousehold, from which the bailiffs soon afterwards escaped, and having

reached the town they fortiﬁed it against the rebels; for which service

they were commended by the Lord Protector Somerset and the privy

council. * In 1554 Abraham Ellys conveyed to Simon Moore a garden

and a cartilage called le Glotton, the site of which is not known. He was

in 1553 one of those selected to ride to Kenninghall to see the Lady

offence to the inhabitants, and has occasioned great danger to some of his majesty’s,

ofﬁcers in the streets of Naples and Palermo.

By command of the vice-admiral to the respective captains.

A. TOD.

In 1808 pigtails, which, up to that time had been worn in the army, were ordered to be

cut off, to the great delight of the soldiers. The disuse of powder was accelerated by the

tax put upon it; and in 1869, when worn only by serving men, the tax was abolished.

* The Yarmouth bailiffs were better off than the Mayor of Norwich who was also taken

prisoner and detained for a considerable time by the insurgents, who thereupon, with

a grim kind of humour, issued a proclamation, stating that such was their store of ﬁsh

they had a cod’s head and shoulders to dispose of for one halfpenny—the unhappy

mayor’s name being Codd; and when the Yarmouth bailiffs were also prisoners, they

boasted having a Bishop in their camp, and even More. Lord Shefﬁeld was killed in

the streets of Norwich when contesting with the insurgents. His son, being a minor and

ward of the king, was, says Strype, as a particular mark of favor in consideration of

his father’s services, allowed “to bestow himself in marriage at his own free election

and choice, without any ﬁne or payments.” The evil consequences of the privilege of

wardship in forcing ill-assorted marriages, was one of the grievances which parliament

was called upon to suppress.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

395

Mary’s Grace;” and to report to the corporation whether it were safe

to proclaim her queen. In 1555 he obtained a feoffment of one of the

Lazar houses out of the north gate; and in 1558 it was agreed in council

that he should have the Barge house, provided he built a chapel for the

Lazar house,

The house standing between Rows No. 72 and 73 was in 1750 the

property of Mr. John Fowler, and sold by the executors of his will in 1790

to Mr. John Eager, * who in 1805 conveyed it to Mr. Samuel Crowther,

who died in 1841. It is now occupied by the Free Press Company as an

ofﬁce for their paper, the Independent.

The ﬁrst daily newspaper published in England was the Daily Courant,

which appeared on the accession of Queen Anne. A Perfect Diurnal

had been however published for a short time in 1660, but it consisted

exclusively of the orders of parliament and notices of bills and petitions,

resembling in its contents the ordinary diurnals of the civil war. In 1649

a newspaper called the Impartiall Intelligencer was started, but it was

not a daily one. The ﬁrst advertisement appeared in what was the ﬁrst of

English periodicals, the Weekly News of Nathaniel Butler. This paper also

contained the ﬁrst engraved illustration of the text. The Daily Courant

was at ﬁrst printed on one side of a small sheet of paper, leaving the other

side plain; which however it was soon discovered it would be proﬁtable

to ﬁll with advertisements.

The ﬁrst newspaper published in Norfolk was the Norwich Postman, from

which sprung the Norwich Mercury. The former was printed on a small

sheet of four pages; and is believed to have ﬁrst appeared in 1697. This

paper was enlarged in 1707 to eight pages 4to, of two columns each; but

in 1725 in consequence of the stamp duty the size was reduced to demy

quarto of four pages. In 1706 another newspaper was

* He was a teacher of music, and kept what is termed a music warehouse. His son,

the organist, has already been mentioned (ante. -p. 215). The latter died in 1853, aged

70, and was consequently only eleven years of age when he attracted the notice of the

Duke of Dorset.

f Anthony de Solen, “ a stranger from the Low Countries,” introduced printing into

Norwich in 1570. Francis Burgess in 1701 published his Observations on the Noble Art

of Printing an 8vo. of seventeen pages; being the ﬁrst book ever printed at Norwich.

He died in 1706, aged 30.

396

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

printed at Norwich called the Yarmouth Gazette or Loyal Packet,

which soon merged into the Norwich Gazette and the Loyal Packet;

and ultimately became the Norfolk Chronicle. It was printed by Henry

Cosgrove at his house near St. Giles’ Gate, at ﬁrst on a small sheet of

four pages in double columns, and was headed by the arms of the city on

one side, and those of Yarmouth on the other. * Cosgrove was assisted by

Edward Cave who, under the name of Sylvanus Urban, established the

Gentleman’s Magazine in 1731. The Weekly Mercury or Protestant Packet

was ﬁrst published by William Case, bookseller in Cockey lane, now

London street, Norwich, in 1721. It was printed on two sheets of port folio,

embellished at the top with a ship on one side, and a newsman blowing

a horn on the other. In 1726 the title was changed to that of the Norwich

Mercury, which it has ever since retained. It became the supporter of

Townshend and Walpole, the then recognised leaders of the whigs; and

has ever since steadily adhered to the same political party. William Case,

son of the former proprietor, sold the Norwich Mercury to Mr. Richard

Bacon, a native of Yarmouth, who had settled in Norwich, f

J OHN B ACON filled the office of Bailiff of Yarmouth in 1573 ; and also

represented the borough in parliament. Arthur Bacon took an active part

when the civil war broke out; siding with parliament and subscribing to

the national league and covenant. When, in 1648, parliament agreed not

to send a garrison into the town, if the inhabitants would raise among

themselves sufﬁcient forces for its defence, the trained bands were

augmented by an additional company of which Bacon was appointed

captain (Swinden p. 572). At the restoration he was named in the charter

granted by Charles II., and ﬁlled the ofﬁce of bailiff in 1662; and in 1675

he gave £50 to the Children’s hospital. John Bacon of Yarmouth married

Frances Turner, and voted at the

* It was intended to be a Yarmouth paper as well as a Norwich one. A copy for 13 April,

1717, No. 549, vol. xi, with a sight of which the editor has been favoured, is so widely

printed that there are not above 150 words in a column.

t A copy dated 29 July, 1727, which ia still preserved, is headed “by an engraved view

of the city; above which, on one side are the arms of Norwich and of the Diocese ; and

on the other the shield of St. George and a representation of St. George and the Dragon;

and above the name is the motto Fama volat.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

397

contested election for Norfolk in 1715 in favor of Astley and De Grey.

They had a son, the above-named Richard Bacon, born in 1745, who was

admitted a freeman in 1782, and who in his “ Burgess Letter” which is

still preserved, is described as “late the apprentice, of John Hurry.” In

the Yarmouth Poll-book for 1795 he is entered as of the city of Norwich,

“printer;” and his vote is recorded for Stephens Howe, Esq. He died

in 1812; and by Katherine his wife, daughter of the Rev. John Kirkby

of Trowse, left a son, Richard Mackenzie Bacon, for many years the

able editor of the Norwich Mercury. He was educated at the Norwich

Grammar School, then under the head-mastership of Dr. Forster; where

at 17 he became the head boy, and was “Orator” in 1782. * In the course

of a few years the ability with which the leading articles in the Norwich

Mercury were written, attracted attention to that paper. Mr. B. M. Bacon

also became a very proliﬁc author; but the limits of the present work will

not permit of an enumeration of the productions of his pen. He was the

promoter and editor of the Musical Review, the author of the Elements

of Vocal Science, and of numerous essays and articles, principally

on music and agriculture, contributed to periodical publications. He

invented a rotatory printing machine, and in conjunction with the late

Mr. Bryant Donkin, O.E., took out a patent, and one was set to work at

Cambridge, f Although never largely brought into use, it led the way

to the improvements of Applegarth and others. Mr. E. M.. Bacon was

Major-Commandant of the Norwich Riﬂe Corps during and to the end

of the “old war ;” by whose members he was presented with a valuable

sword and two handsome glass goblets. He also, in 1841, received from

the Liberal party

* Mr. R. M. Bacon was born “ before his father took up his freedom,” and was therefore

not in strictness the Hon of a Freeman; but a (special order of assembly was made under

which he was notwithstanding admitted to the freedom of the borough.

f An engraving and description of this machine will be found in Rees’ Encyclopedia.

X It is related that when Koenig, who had perfected a printing machine for the Times,

ﬁrst saw the rotatory one a work at Donkin’s factory, he burst into tears, saying he was

a ruined man. It was not long before the Times machine became a rotatory one; since

which the art of newspaper printing has attained to the greatest perfection in the Walter

machine, now used by the Times newspaper.

398

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

at Norwich, the gift of an epergne and silver service in

acknowledgment

of his services. He died in 1844, in bis 69th year. He married in

1797 Louisa Mary, daughter of Mr. Augustine Noverre of London

(afterwards of Norwich), and niece of the Chevalier George John

Noverre, Maitre de Ballet at the courts of Paris and Vienna, the friend

of Mozart and Garrick, whose introduction in London, according to

Fitzgerald’s Life of Garricle , gave great offence to a prejudiced portion

of the audience. Mr. Richard Noverre Bacon, their eldest son, who

had for many years been sub-editor, became at his father’s death sole

proprietor of the Norwich Mercury, which at the commencement of the

Crimean war in 1854 was made a bi-weekly paper. He is the author

of several publications, especially a Report on Norfolk Agriculture,

which

won the prize offered by the “Royal Agricultural Society of England”

in 1844. He also designed the monument at Holkham, in memory of

the late Earl of Leicester, f At the close of 1871 Mr. E. N. Bacon,

having been joined by gentlemen of business inﬂuence, retired from

active work, and took up his residence in Yarmouth, retaining however

a considerable interest in the Mercury and Journal, which still

advocate

the same political views they have always maintained.

The ﬁrst newspaper printed in Yarmouth was called the Yarmouth

Herald; and was published in 1804 by Black (ante, p. 347), who

afterwards was engaged as a writer for the Norwich Mercury. Its

poetical prologue commenced with—

Ye who are inclined to read,

To the Herald give good heed;

Whether you are gay or grave,

Whether on the land or wave,

In its columns you will ﬁnd -

Something that will suit your mind;

and so on for many verses, setting forth the topics upon which the

paper

intended to treat,

* In 1864 Mr. E. N. Bacon ﬁrst published the People’s Weekly Journal, designed

GREAT YARMOUTH.

399

The reduction of the stamp duty on newspapers in 1836 from 4d. to Id.,

led to the establishment of local papers in many places where none had

previously existed. At Yarmouth a Joint Stock Company was formed,

called the Free Press Company, which started a weekly paper under that

name, subsequently changed to the Independent ; since which period

several other weekly papers have from time to time been published with

varied success.

Row No. 74 from Howard Street to King Street,* anciently called

Fasset’s Row. At the north-east corner of this row, and occupying the

space between it and Row No. 73, is a large house (now divided into

two occupations), which in the latter part of the last and beginning of

the present century was the property and residence of Samuel Barker,

Esq. While ﬁlling the ofﬁce of mayor (to which he was elected in 1800),

Mr. Barker had the honor of entertaining at dinner in this house Lord

Nelson, on his landing in England for the ﬁrst time after the battle of the

Nile. Nelson was not unmindful of the attentions which on this occasion

were paid him at Yarmouth, and wheu his ﬂag was ﬂying on board the

St. George in Kioge bay, he, on the 27 th of April, 1801, addressed the

following letter to Mr. Barker.

“ My dear Sir,—I feel truly sensible of your kind congratulations on the

success of his majesty’s arms. The zeal and spirit of the navy I never

saw higher than in this ﬂeet. The French have always, in ridicule, called

us a nation of shopkeepers; so I hope we shall always remain, and, like

other shopkeepers, if our goods are better than those of any other country,

and we can afford to sell them cheaper, we may depend upon our shop

being well resorted to. If I land at Yarmouth I shall most assuredly pay

my personal respects to you, not only as a gentleman who has shown me

great civilities, but also as the chief magistrate of a borough of which

I have the honor to be a freeman. I beg you will have the goodness to

present my best respects and good wishes to every individual of the

corporate body.”

* This Row and Row No. 75 divide Regent ward from St. George’s ward. The division

is carried from Row No. 74 to Dene side, and thence down St. George”s road and the

end of York road to the sea; and from Row No. 75 across Hall quay to the river. This

was the north boundary of the second south mid. ward.

400

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

Two months later, in a letter to Mr. Commissioner Ball, he says you

will be sorry to hear that I have been at death’s door, apparently in a

consumption. I have now rallied a little; but the disorder is in itself so

ﬂattering that I know not whether I am really better, and no one will tell

me. Becoming worse, Nelson resigned his command, and on the 1st of

July, 1801, landed at the jetty from the Rite gunbrig, and after remaining

in the town for a short time he proceeded to Merton, from which place he

again wrote to Mr. Barker, saying, I never shall forget all your goodness

to me; and if ever I am placed in a situation to show my gratitude, I trust

I shall not be found wanting. *

In the 17th. century the site of the above-mentioned house was occupied

by a messuage the property and residence of Roger Thompson, beer

brewer, who had purchased the same partly of Mitchell Mew and partly

of Elizabeth Cobb, daughter of Philip Palmer of Acle. In 1702 he settled

the property upon his son, Roger Thompson, on the occasion of his

marriage with Mary, daughter of John Curtis of Aylsham. f He became

an alderman, and a freeholder for Norfolk, voting in 1714 for Hare and

Earle, and died in 1726, aged 54, when the property devolved on his son,

Roger Thompson, who left an only child, Mary Bouell, who married John

Dodd, and died in 1766, aged 34. In 1779 the above-mentioned property

was purchased by Samuel Barker, Esq., who probably rebuilt the house,

in which he continued to reside until his death in 1812. He was the son of

Samuel Barker of Lowestoft, an eminent merchant, and a great friend of

the poor, descended from a family long resident in that town. In 1643 Sir

Edward Barker was, with others, taken prisoner at Lowestoft by Oliver

Cromwell and carried to Somerleyton. John Barker, ﬁshing merchant,

was a great sufferer by an extensive ﬁre which occurred at Lowestoft

in 1644. John Barker, brother of the above-named Samuel Barker of

Lowestoft, was one of the

* In acknowledgment of the hospitality rendered by Mr. Barker to naval ofﬁcers, Captain

Hardy sent him a present of a very beautifully-carved model of the admiral’s barge,

manned by the jolly tars of that day with their pigtails complete, Nelson himself being

seated with an ofﬁcer at the stern. This model was much prized by Mr. Barker, and on

his death he bequeathed it to his eldest son.

f There was a good family in Suffolk of this name who bore paly of eight as. and or, a

fesa cheque sa, and or. See ante. p. 218.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

401

elder brethren of the Trinity house and a director of Greenwich hospital.

He died in London in 1787, aged 80, and his body was brought to

Lowestoft and, after lying in state, was buried with much funereal pomp,

he having left by his will £500 for the purpose of erecting a mausoleum

and £1,000 to be invested for keeping the same in repair. * Elizabeth,

his wife, died in 1755, aged 48. She bore arg., three piles engrailed sa.,

with three crosses ﬁtchy, one on each. Another brother, Robert Barker

(brewer), was the father of the Rev. William Bell Barker, Rector of

Frostenden and Rushmere in Suffolk. Jane, their sister, married John

Moxon of Yarmouth. Samuel Barker, who settled in Yarmouth, before

the purchase of the above house resided in the Market place.

He was much liked by the naval and military ofﬁcers, by whom

towards the close of the century the town was crowded; and he himself

commanded a company of volunteers. f He married a daughter of Mr. S.

Lewis, C. C. man, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. Samuel

Laney Barker, the eldest son, took holy orders; J and was killed in the

streets of London by being run over by a cab. He married Jane, daughter

of Samuel Ray, Esq., of Tannington, Suffolk. § John Barker, the second

son, resided for many years at

* He is said to have distributed for many years previous to his death £250 annually

among poor and inﬁrm sailors, their widows and children. There is a portrait of him

by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which has heen engraved. It represents this worthy seated,

with a self-satisﬁed and jovial air, at a table upon which is displayed a map, and in the

back ground is an entrance to a harbour. This picture was long in the possession of Mr.

John Barker 1 of Norwich.

f On Michaelmas day, when Captain Barker was inaugurated as mayor, his company

of volunteers had a dinner provided for them in the Hall parlour ; and when a sufﬁcient

number of guests had left the assembly room where the principal dinner was given, the

volunteers marched into it, proceeded by their band, “ and caroused till three or four

o’clock in the morning,”

J In 1815 he published a few copies, for private distribution, of two sermons preached

by him, the ﬁrst on the occasion of the National Jubilee, which he dedicated “In

remembrance of the splendid triumphs and numerous virtues, and as a grateful “record

for personal condescension, to the pious and glorious memory of that, “immortal hero,

Lord Viscount Nelson;” the other on the day appointed for a general thanksgiving in

1814, which he dedicated to Lord Liverpool: adding a poem “ On the “Worship and

Majesty of the Godhead, and the coming Judgment.”

§ She died in 1820, aged 27. Her portrait by Davis is engraved.

1 Palmer’s Addenda: The portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, is now in the possession of

Samuel Nightingale of Shadingﬁeld Lodge.

402

THE PERLUSTRATION OF

Norwich, where he was killed in 1855 by being violently ran against by

a footman in a dark night. Elizabeth, the only daughter, married William

Palgrave, Esq., collector of customs, of whom mention will be made in

another place. Nelson, in writing to Mr. Barker in 1801, says, “I beg

my respects to Mrs. Palgrave.” The arms borne by this family of Barker

were—Barry of ten or. and sa., over all a bend gu. Motto— In coelo quies.

The family is now extinct both in Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Mr. O. W. Beart, wine merchant, subsequently occupied this house until

1831, when it was purchased by Mr. Simon Cobb, who ﬁlled the ofﬁce

of mayor in 1838, and resided there till his death in 1849, after which

the house was sold and divided. *

Different families of the name of C OBB have lived in Yarmouth from

an early period. On the breaking out of the civil war, Jeffery Cobbe

contributed nineteen pieces of plate; and in 1648 he signed the solemn

league and covenant. In 1648 he was sent to General Lord Fairfax, then at

Colchester, “with a letter containing reasons why the town should not be

made a garrison.” Alderman Cobbe made so spirited a remonstrance that

the general sent him to the committee then sitting at Darby house, London,

with a letter recommending that no forces should be sent to Yarmouth,

“least thereby some great inconveniency and disturbance should arise

in that town.” In the following year he was sent to the committee of

indemnity with all the letters and papers, between the town and the lord

general and the committee of Darby house, which documents were never

returned. The name is also found in Norfolk. Cob is a word of many

meanings; among others it signiﬁes a young ﬁsh, as a herring-cob. William

Cobb, grandson of William Cobb of Sandringham, Norfolk, died circa

1493. William, his eldest son, was the ancestor of the Cobbs of Gayton.

Jeffery, the second son, was father of Peter Cobb of Peterbridge, Norfolk,

whose son, Stephen, became a citizen and haberhasher in London, and

died circa 1566,

* He was the proprietor of a large tannery, which, then stood on the Denes out of the

Market gate. He was a man of considerable energy and a ﬂuent speaker. He was one

of the ﬁrst councillors chosen after the passing of the Municipal Corporation Act; and

was also among the ﬁrst magistrates appointed by Lord Chancellor Brougham.

1 Palmer’s Addenda: James Cobb, solicitor, died 11th January, 1875, aged 84.

GREAT YARMOUTH.

403

leaving issue. Geoffrey Cobb of Sandringham, about the year 1686,

sold that estate (now possessed by the Prince of Wales) to Sir Edmund

Atkins, Knt., of Feltwell, Norfolk. Edmund, third son of Jeffery Cobb

last-named, was seated at Snettisham, Norfolk, and was the common

ancestor of the Cobbs of Norwich, Lynn, Burnham-Norton, Burnha

Deepdale, and Caister. Edmund Cobb of Snettisham was collector of

customs at Wisbech, and died in 1753, aged 53, leaving an only child,

Mary, who married Robert Foster, Esq., of Newark in Nottinghamshire.

Edmund Cobb, son of Edmund Cobb of East Somerton, who died in

1585, had a son, John Cobb of Somerton, and a daughter, Frances, who

married Thomas Wagman of Yarmouth, merchant. The Cobbs of Caister

and Yarmouth were a branch of the Snettisham family, for Martin Cobb

of Burnham-Norton, by his will made in 1680, gave a legacy to his

kinsman, Martin Cobb, son of Thomas Cobb of Great Yarmouth; and

in 1682 Elizabeth Cobb of Norwich, widow, desired by her will to be

buried in her then late husband’s grave in the chancel of the church of

Caister next Yarmouth. *

* The Cobbs of Sandringham bore set., a chev. arg. between three cod-ﬁsh naiant

or., a chief of the last. The Cobbs of Snettisham bore party per chev. sa. and org.) in

chief two sea-cobs respecting each other, and in base a herring naiant or. The Cobbs

of Wisbech bore gu., a chev. sa., in chief two ducks vis-a-vis or., in base a ﬁsh naiant

arg. Another coat is sa,., two swans in chief ppr. respecting each other, and in base a

herring or.; and the Yarmouth family appear to have borne party per chev. gu. and sa.,

in chief two ducks regarding each other, and in base a herring naiant arg.; and for a

crest, a duck’s head on, holding in its beak a herring-cob arg.

Sarah, widow of Joseph Cobb of Yarmouth, died in 1795, aged 96.

END OF VOL. I.

Originally printed by subscription 1872.

Printer, George Nall, 182 King Street Great Yarmouth.