Chapter 10, Church Plain, univol, p389-428.indd

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Chapter Ten

Church Plain

The Saracen’s Head public house on the corner

of Church Plain and Northgate Street, belonged

to Lacon’s brewery until Whitbread’s

took them over. Whitbread wanted

the license for another pub. and so

transferred it and sold the Saracen’s

Head. The house then still had 19

letting rooms, and a club room on the

first floor, that they used as a dining

room for transport drivers. The drivers

then were able to park on Brewery

Plain. Likewise the coach drivers

stayed here at the weekends.

Saracen’s Head, proprietor Robert Myall.

Lewis Gales was the landlord here from

1963 to 1969. The cafe next door was

empty, so they took it over as a dining-

room for the pub. The cellar under the Saracen’s

Head had an ancient passage leading off it that

was thought to lead towards the church, and to be

part of some very ancient

buildings. This passage

is no longer visible, since

the board room and two

offices for John Critoph

insurance are now in the

basement and the ancient

walls are boarded over.

The archway in the cellar

had been bricked up, but

was set quite low in the

flint wall, as though the

wall and doorway were

part of a structure on

a lower ground level,

like the Friend’s meeting

house and the Tolhouse.

Often in the bar could

1987, above. Critoph Insurance, was previously the

Saracen’s Head, north side of Church Plain.

East side, 100 years earlier, 1907, below.

389

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

be heard footsteps as though someone was walking

across the floors above, yet no-one was there. On

another occasion, Mrs. Gales was in the first floor

toilet and the door opened and closed again of its

own accord, together with the bolt being withdrawn.

The dog steadfastly refused to enter the cellar, as

would the cat. Its hackles would rise and it ran away.

One day Lewis Gales set up three beer barrels in the

cellar, but shortly after, one had moved to the other

end of the cellar, and again, no-one had entered in

the interim.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Detail of roof, 5th December 2007.

Above and bottom, taken 5th December 2007, compare below, in 1987.

Arnold Son and

Hockley, solicitors

Antiques

19

18

20

21

22

390

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Top picture shows the view from

Church Plain into Fuller’s Hill and

Northgate Street, 5th December 2007.

Centre, shows Church Plain and the

Market Place, as lithographed by

T.J.Rawhne, 1885.

These small

cards (c.1965)

were lent me

for copying, by

Lewis Gales,

who kept the

Saracen’s Head,

1963-1969.

Lewis and his

wife are seen

in the bar in the

photo. bottom

right. Later,

they fell out in

a big way and

were divorced.

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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The Guildhall

At the Church gate stood the Guildhall. The merchants

of Yarmouth had paid 100 marks and a last of herrings

for a charter from King John, and erected a guild hall.

The main chamber of this hall was evidently on the first

floor, and there were archways underneath permitting

access to the church. Four of the freemen of this guild

were elected each year as Burgesses, and were the first

town council, the guildhall being effectively the town

hall. They paid an annual fee to the crown of £55. In

1428 the bailiffs were reduced from four to two. All

the men who had served out an apprenticeship became

eligible to participate in the legislative assembly,

which then became too large. There were after 1485 an

assembly of aldermen who were elected. Their number

decreased over the years but remained the form of

local government until 1848. The guild at first was a

religious body and was called “The Great Guild of the

Holy Trinity”. It was suppressed as a religious body

at the reformation. Dinners were held on Sundays and

Mondays at the Guildhall, having at first been religious

on Trinity Sunday, the original purpose of these feasts

was eventually forgotten and they evidently got out of

hand, and were stopped eventually in 1569.

Much altered, this could actually be the same building as

now is “Top Style”, see previous pictures.

The Guildhall , erected c.1710, demolished

1849.

and the Lord Chancellor, when they attended to settle

the dispute with the Lord of Gorleston, and In1588

Sir Thomas Leighton, knights and captains sent by

Queen Elizabeth I to inspect the fortifications prepared

to defend the town against the armada. The original

Guildhall was demolished at the beginning of the 18 th

century. This was replaced by the first town hall on the

Quayside. There was then a second Guildhall erected

at the west side of the church gate. This is the building

depicted on Corbridge’s map and other prints. This was

in turn demolished in 1849. In 1870, when the main

path to the church was for some reason, lowered, the

foundations of the Guildhall were discovered, some of

which quite likely still remain today.

The first Guildhall had, as stated, been erected on arches,

the underneath being completely open, I suppose to keep

vermin out, when grain was stored there. Also it once

covered the whole of this entrance way to the church,

about twice the size or area of the second Guildhall

that is depicted above.

1 Current Archaeology no.129, May 1992.

2 We are indebted to Charles John Palmer, 1805-1888

for most of the information here, extracted from his

“Perlustration of Great Yarmouth”, 1874.

3 All in a book remaining in the Great Yarmouth Central

library.

4 Memoirs Illustrative of History and Antiquities of

Norfolk and the City of Norwich. Archaeological

Institute of Gt.Britain and Ireland, 1847.

5 There is an early plan of the church showing it before

the aisles were enlarged. Kerrick’s collections, msss

6751 and 6759.

The guild itself had been granted by a charter of King

John. Merchant guilds had been introduced by the

Normans. The first hall was a ruin in 1544, and then

had to be rebuilt. The new roof was brought from the

suppressed college at Mettingham, and was covered with

lead, which also presumably came from Mettingham.

The hall was 76 feet by 22 feet, hung with tapestries

and expensively furnished. Functions and grand dinners

were held here. Important visitors to the town were

entertained. Any visitor of distinction was entertained

at the Guildhall, such as in 1332, the King’s justices

392

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

The Parish Church of Saint Nicholas

Arms of John Symonds, 1657, as was on

the wall of the north aisle and copied by

C.J.W.Winter, 1846.

Saint Nicholas was a 4th. Century minor bishop in

Asia Minor (Turkey). He is the patron saint of sailors,

pawnbrokers and of children. His emblem is three

golden balls, from the legend that Nicholas helped three

girls by giving them three round bags of gold. Saint

Nicholas Church was completed in 1119. There had

been a previous church- that of Saint Bennet. Whether

St.Nicholas’ church was built on the same site or not

is unknown. It is likely though that Saint Nicholas’

is not the first building on its site. Archaeological

investigation has not been undertaken on this site, but

recent investigations elsewhere have usually revealed

previous structures much earlier than ever anticipated,

such as St. Paul in the Bail at Lincoln. 1

The original Norman Church of St.Nicholas is thought

to have been considerably smaller than the present one,

which would have been even larger than it is, but for

the plague, which interrupted work upon a considerable

extension towards the west. This extension had been

started in 1330, and would have been 107 feet north to

south, and 47 feet east to west . The structure was never

completed. Some of the stone from this extension was

later used to repair the piers at the harbour entrance.

Other parts of it were used to strengthen the town’s

fortifications, and in 1714, what remained was used

to build St.George’s Chapel.

Palmer 2 thought that the church would have been at its

absolute best late in the 15th. century, at which time it

was covered with intricate wall paintings. All the walls

were stained glass, and the monuments were of brass.

There was a richly carved stone reredos at the back

of the high alter, and the church was rich with silver

plate and jewelled religious objects. There was a richly

carved rood loft across the west end of the middle isle

of the chancel. Candles burned day and night in front

of statues of the saints, situated throughout the church.

At that time there were Benedictine monks in their

costumes, and the services were performed by priests

and chaplains in magnificent robes.

The arms of Fastolf. These hatchments were on the

roof until the German ﬁre-bomb of 1942.

Medieval wall painting (text 7 pages on).

As early as 1465, there was an organ in the church,

and in 1485, there were both the “old organ” and a

“new organ”.

Parliament in 1644 decreed that there would be no

organs to remain, hymn books were to be torn up, and

the glass windows broken. The brass inscriptions were

to be defaced and removed, and services abolished.

Nevertheless, the organ in the Yarmouth Church was

not destroyed until 1650. Its replacement in 1733 was

said to be the best in England. There was in the church

a very unusual revolving library table, with six shelves

for books. This was preserved until the second world

war, when it was destroyed along with the other contents

of the church, the spire and the roof, by an incendiary

bomb, 24th June, 1942 (photo, right).

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ChapterTen

St Nicholas Church was completely burned out

during an air raid in 1942. It was painstakingly

rebuilt and the tower hung with new bells. Fifty

three Yarmouth men were among the team that

rebuilt the church. It had been rebuilt before in

1847-1880, when the walls that divided it internally

were removed. The new bells were blessed and

named at a service of thanksgiving held on 21st.

June 1959. The service was taken by the Dean of

Norwich, and attended by 3,000 people. The bells

were named after saints patron of the churches in the

parish, and other important persons in its history,

as follows: 1. Herbert (De Losinga, founder of the

church); 2. Walter (Bishop Walter was responsible

for enlarging the church in 1250); 3. Felix (the

saint who brought Christianity to East Anglia); 4.

Luke; 5. John; 6. James; 7.Gabriel; 8. Peter; 9.

Paul; 10. George; 11. Andrew 12. Thomas and 13.

Nicholas . In 1960 the whole church was ready to

be consecrated. At this service, Launcelot Fleming

the new Bishop of Norwich preached the sermon.

In the congregation, the Mayor and Corporation sat

upon seats acquired from St. Georges. The pulpit

also was brought from St. Georges, and the tester

from it was erected as a canopy for the font. The

tester and pulpit are Georgian. A Norman font was

acquired from a deserted village church at Highway

in Wiltshire.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Medieval wall painting (lost in bombing),

lithographed by Kell Brothers, London,

for the Transactions of the Royal Institute of

British Architects, and reproduced in P.P. Two

others, see commencement of this description, and

also Church Plain.

The wall decorations of medieval times were

uncovered in the south aisle at the west end, in

1869, when the organ was moved. These were

copied. On the north wall of the north aisle of

the chancel there was found in 1848 to be a small

fresco depicting armed men entering a church.

In medieval times the floor had many brasses on

the graves, and behind the high alter was a richly

carved stone raredos. Relics then kept and highly

prized included some holy oil said to have been

blessed by Saint Nicholas himself. There was also

a holy thorn, set in silver. The Benedictine monks

would attend the church, and the clergy had fine

robes of gold. Twelve tunics had been presented by

Sir John Fastolf, the famous knight whose castle

still stands in West Caister, and who had a house

also at Hall Quay. He had become rich from his

part in the battles at Crecy and Agincourt. At that

time the church also had a richly carved wooden

394

On the porch are the ancient arms of France, and the arms of Thomas De Brotherton,

ﬁrst Royal Duke of Norfolk. Also see hatchment copied by C.J.W.Winter in 1846.

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

This stone bust of Edward Ist was high up

near the roof. Painted by C.J.Winter.

The revolving reading desk could also

be re-created. (C.J.Winter)

The roof of the church was replaced in the mid

19th. century, under instruction of the architect Mr.

J. P. Seddon. The ceiling was replaced with oak

panels, divided by ribs, and the ancient original

carved bosses, with figures, emblems, and coats

of arms, were replaced upon it. Fortunately these

were painted in a series of fine watercolours by

C. J. Winter 3 , who also painstakingly recorded

such other features as the old west gate to the

churchyard, and important memorials inside the

church, all of which were lost to posterity because

of the destruction in 1940. Notable were a bust in

stone of Edward I, and on the ceiling, the arms

of his son Thomas de Brotherton, whose arms

remain on the outside of the south porch to this

day. Also up in the roof were depicted the arms of

Edward III, and of his sons, the Black Prince, and

rood loft across the west end of the middle aisle of the

chancel. On this there was a cross, and candles burned

day and night.

This fabulous pulpit was lost in the air raid

and ought to be reproduced and replaced.

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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

the Dukes of Lancaster, York, and Gloucester.

Thomas De Brotherton was the first son of

Edward I by his second wife, Margaret, born in

1300, became Earl of Norfolk. 1313, died 1338.

His arms were on the roof of the church before

1846, when the church was restored.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The Rev. Robert Aitken was vicar in the early war

years, having been installed in 1920, serving the

parish until his death in 1941. His wife served until

1962, and therefore witnessed the re-consecration

of the church that took place in 1961, following

the enormous works involved in total restoration.

Before the war Mrs Aitken was active in the

St.Andrews Association for young girls and boys

who ran a servant training programme, and

accommodated disadvantaged youngsters at 56

North Quay, then called “Breydon House”

Now there is a new memorial to the Rev. Aitken,

installed at the east end of the aisle, see photo.

two pages on.

More repairs, 1993.

Centre-

The

roof was

repaired

from a

temporary

ﬂoor in

1958.

(Photo

A.Wilson.)

Lower

photo.,

1987.

The arms of

Brotherton, a

hatchment on

the ceiling of

the church,

copied by

C.J.W.Winter

in 1847.

396

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

The Priory lies to the south of

the church, and first built at the

same time as that church. Then

there were three monks, and one

chaplain to the priory. They were

Benedictine monks. The Dean

of Yarmouth held his court at

the Priory, for granting probate,

letters of administration, and

matrimonial cases

National congress of churchmen, in the

Mark et Place (1907). Below, West door,

1987. In 1989 the drainage was improved!

The priory was enlarged in 1260,

and sometime after the Great Hall

was built, which still stands but is

now used as a “primary” or “first”

school. Previously it took more

senior pupils. A report written

in 1847 mentions the priory, and

describes the building as being

stables, with a proposal to turn

them into a school. 4 In ancient

times the priory was used for

the accommodation of important

visitors. Richard II was one such

visitor, entertained here in 1382,

when viewing the fortifications.

Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry

VII, at that time wife of the Duke of

Suffolk, stayed here for three days

in 1514. Queen Elizabeth planned

to stay here in 1578, preparations

were made, but due to an outbreak

of plague in Norwich, she returned

hastily to London instead.

In Charles Palmer’s time, he describes

five rows of lime trees leading to the Church across

Church Plain. Then, the locals made a special effort to

preserve them and replace any that decayed. Now the

incessant traffic takes precedence, and the fine steeple

that could be seen for many miles both from the sea and

inland, has not been replaced.

The original church of 1119 was much smaller, with

only part of the current nave. There were small aisles

with lean-to roofs, a central tower, small transepts and

a chancel.

In 1330, work was started on a large extension to the west

end. It would have extended the already large building by

47 feet. The foundations were laid and the walls were up

to sixty feet from the ground when the plague broke out

and the work never resumed. Some of the stone was used

to repair the piers at the harbour mouth in 1650, some

stone was used for fortifications unspecified in 1658. The

last remains of this extension, which was known as the

“Batchelor’s Aisle” was removed by permission of the

Bishop in 1714. The stone that they took then was used

to build St George’s Chapel. It seems that the foundations

of this structure are still present, and were exposed in

1860 and again in 1870.

397

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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

In 1485 there was an organ referred to as “Our Lady’s

Organ”, and in 1485 there seem to have been at least

one other new organ. An Act of Parliament of 1644

decreed that organs, stained glass and brasses were all

to be removed, as well as the choral books, and the

service totally abolished. The parishioners managed

to keep an organ in the church here until 1650 when it

was destroyed. A new organ was installed in 1733. This

instrument was considered the best in England, built by

Jordan, Byfield and Bridge. There is a description of

all the pipes in Palmer’s book. The organists inevitably

varied in talent over the years, the best were said to be

Heighington, Eager and Warne. Mr Warne was blind;

however there was another organist, not named, who,

took no notice of the congregation whatever, and just

played whenever and however he wished.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The Nave, 5th December 2007.

Above, nave, altar and east window, 5.12.07.

Above,

memorial to

Rev Robert

Aubrey Aitken

and his wife

Reine. See

detail, right.

Left, decaying

stonework.

398

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

In 1544 the Sunday service was interrupted by the

news that two French warships had made off with

two English grain ships that had been laying up in the

Yarmouth “roads”. The men of Yarmouth took off in

pursuit and recaptured the two grain carriers, bringing

back six French prisoners.

The sermon given at St Nicholas’ by Dr Camil, rector

of Bradwell in 1724, so offended the mayor, that he

called a special meeting of the council and told one

of the councilmen to tell the reverent doctor that he

must never preach there again. Dr Camil published

his sermon to show it was justified and refused to be

muzzled.

Photo. A Wilson, 1958

Above, another of Augustus Wilson (junior)’s

photographs, taken whilst he was working on

the new church roof and ceiling.

Right, south aisle, 1988.

June 1940, nothing but a shell. Twenty years would pass before the church was restored.

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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

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Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The west gate, 5.12.2007, and as painted by C.J.W.Winter in 1846. Below, much has been done

to beautify the interior over the last twenty years. In 1987, some of the interior was in a sad state.

Photographed 5.12.2007.

400

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Left the pulpit, 5.12.2007.

Below, the Fastolf memorial,

1. 1843; 2. 1987; 3. 2007

3

2

1

Below left, Winter’s

painting of the Fastolf

memorial, 1846. The

Crowmer altar tomb had

been removed for insertion

of a new door when the

church was divided in

three for the independant

use of the Anglicans,

Presbyterians, and Puritans

in 1649. The windows were

bricked up, and even the

font removed two years

earlier, by order of the

corporation, in 1647.

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ChapterTen

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Internally the church is now in ﬁne order, but

outside much of the stone is still crumbling; poor

quality stone having been unfortunately used in

the repairs of 1859-64. Heating remains severely

inadequate, with a slab concrete ﬂoor, and

some radiators in the choir stalls. These choir

stalls were given from the lagacy of Russell

James Colman, 1865-1946. Underﬂoor

heating was laid in 1957, but is now useless.

A modern underﬂoor plastic pipe system is

needed, with a heat pump and heat extracting

pipes laid outside in the churchyard

402

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Note the pump, also the spire. Surely the

spire should be replaced?

The spire of the church was 186 feet high. It was struck

by lightning in 1683 and caught fire. John Grice was

rewarded by the corporation for extinguishing the fire;

he was presented with a silver tankard. Later he was

paid £4 for replacing the weathercock at the top. In

1732 an unnamed man was recorded as having slid

down from the steeple on a rope.

Same aisle, opposite directions, 1987 and 2007

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ChapterTen

On the left is the “Bell-

ringer’s jug” This is

Sunderland Lustreware,

presented May 2nd

1808, after the ten new

bells were rung that

day.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The outside of the church has suffered from severe erosion of the

soft sand stone used in the 1859-64 restoration. A huge proportion of

the external stonework needs complete replacement.

View from south porch,

5.12.07

404

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Photos of roof repairs 1958, A.Wilson

Bells used to be cast in Yarmouth in the 17th.

century. One bell in Martham Church had a date

on it of 1674, and bore the name “Thomas Doo,

bell founder of Yarmouth”

Although all of the brasses were removed from the

church and cast (at London) into weights, there

still are a few of the old carved stone memorial

slabs upon the floor of the church. These include

memorials to: William and Martha Burton (1659);

Sam Fuller, who died in 1742; James Symonds,

who died in 1688, aged 59, and Elizabeth his wife;

Benjamin Errington, died 12/12/1730; Johnathan

Symonds, died 9/8/1803, and Phyllis his wife.

There is also a new memorial on the wall, to the

Fisher Family, delineating-

William Fisher, 1725-1811, Mayor in 1766 and

1780

John Fisher, 1719-1775, Mayor in 1767

James Fisher, 1735-182-, Mayor in 1774, 1809

(three brothers) then sons of William above-

William Fisher, 1755-1835, Mayor 1786, 1799,

and 1806

James Fisher, 1756-1837, Mayor 1788 and 1797

also, relationships not stated- John Fisher, 1752-

1835, Mayor in 1802 and 1811

John Goate Fisher, 1778-1861, Mayor in 1820.

Sadly never reinstated, after the war, although re-built in 1887, the spire had always been a conspicuous feature

in the town; a landmark for sailors. It is to be hoped that one day it will be replaced. It was 186 feet tall, and

had caught fire in 1683 from a lightning strike. A man called John Grice put the fire out, and was presented

with a silver tankard. In 1798, when an invasion from France was anticipated, the churchwardens kept a red

flag ready to be hoisted up the spire to give warning.

Only the cars and the “road furniture”, spoil the scene. 18.10.2006

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ChapterTen

References:

1 Current Archaeology no.129, May 1992.

2 We are indebted to Charles John Palmer, 1805-

1888 for most of the information here, extracted

from his “Perlustration of Great Yarmouth”,

1874.

3 All in a book remaining in the Great Yarmouth

Central library.

4 Memoirs Illustrative of History and Antiquities of

Norfolk and the City of Norwich. Archaeological

Institute of Gt.Britain and Ireland, 1847.

5 There is an early plan of the church showing

it before the aisles were enlarged. Kerrick’s

collections, msss 6751 and 6759.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The Vicarage was built by the corporation in

1718, although there had been a much older

vicarage here since the reformation. The then

new building is shown on Corbridge’s map, and

the large rooms on the north side were built

on in Dr. Cooper’s time. The first occupant of

the house was Dr. Macro (died 1743), who

collected a wonderful library, in which Swinden

listed 175 books, and which included a Hebrew

book of Esther, illuminated, on vellum.

The Vicarage was the residence

of the vicar until sold in 1978.

Later bought by Paul Robinson,

(Architectural services)

previously at 42a King Street.

Here we see the vicarage, as described on the next page, and

also the very narrow row, the only one running east of the

Market Place, and which leads to the small unnamed square

that fronts the Priory. The Priory is now used as a school,

and was described in detail in Volume One, and so will not

be mentioned further here. On the south side of the row is

the former Parish Clerk’s house, now painted pink, to be

described in some detail over the next few pages.

The Parish Clerk’s House stands

beside a short un-numbered row

seen on the next page, known as the

Priory Row, which runs between it

and the Vicarage. The Parish Clerk

had apartments in the Guildhall until

it was demolished in 1717, so this

is when the house started in that

use, although when it was built is

another matter. In 1964 the house

was “modernised” by the council

at a cost of £1000, but sold off in

1978. The house was owned in 1988

by Philip D’Arsenian, who wanted

permission for a restaurant, but was

unable to obtain it. At this time the

old fire-places were pulled out. My

photographs, taken when the building,

resold, was being restored, show an

interesting beam in the front ground-

floor room that can be seen to have

come from a ship and still has the

coloured lettering upon it. This was

revealed when the ceiling was taken

down. At the back of the house was

the most original white-washed wash-

house with copper, photographed

1987.

406

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

The parish clerk beneﬁted from a

bequest by Anselm De Fordele in

1349 when the Bailiff died of the

plague. Hopefully the clerk didn’t

die of the same plague, but Fordele

was a rich man, and the clerks

were among the beneﬁciaries of his

considerable property. Following

the reformation, and the clerk was

appointed by the Corporation, who

also had rights over the tenancy of

the vicarage, which in general was

not a problem, but became so when

Rev. Manclarke was vicar in the

18th century. (see PP. V.i. p.167.)

The old wash-house at the rear of the Parish Clerk’s

house, 1988.

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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The Parish Clerk’s house, 1988.

Below is the attic room with the

1960’s style windows removed, but

also the ancient ﬁreplace hacked

away.

408

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

The rear Yard and wash

house of the clerk’s house

were untouched and

original when I gained

access to photograph them

in 1988. The entrance

to the wash house is

seen here, and inside

the copper remained

and looked still useable.

Probably it would have

been in use until the

second world War, and

since many dwellings had

no such facilities, it is

likely that a servant to the

Clerk’s wife and family

took in washing from

surrounding neighbours

in order to make a

supplementary income for

the clerk, whose wages

from the council were

surely never great.

Until 1717, when it was demolished, the

apartments of the clerk, were in the Guildhall,

at the church gate. The ﬁrst, or perhaps second

clerk to occupy the house described, was John

Holden, a common councilman, appointed

in 1719. John Nash, a common councilman,

in 1760, who resigned in 1785, then 87 years

of age, he was allowed to occupy the clerk’s

house for the rest of his life. He was succeeded

by Richard Pitt, son of Thomas Pitt, Esq.,

who had been mayor. When Richard Miller,

an alderman, was appointed he resigned his

gown. David Absolon, a common councilman,

was elected Clerk in 1811. The corporation

paid an annual salary to the parish clerk until

1827; but in that year economies were made in

consequence of the debt incurred in opposing

the Lowestoft Navigation Bill, and it was then

abolished ( P.P. Vi. P.173 ). David Absolon the

linen draper, was clerk from 1815 until his

death in 1831, aged 75 ( PP.Vi., p.244) . Henry

Gooch was deputy mayor in 1774, but became

so impoverished by 1800, that he pleaded to be

given the post of parish clerk. ( PP.Vi.p.380 . )

In 1988, Philip D’Arsenian acquired the

house, and wanted to convert it into a

restaurant. In this aim he was thwarted, since

the council would not grant him permission.

At that time there was no particular policy still

concerning conservation, and a conservation

ofﬁcer not yet appointed. Thus it was that

no-one seemed to care less what was done

to the house, in which there remained some

notable historic features. I was fortunately

allowed in to take some photographs, but the

ﬁre places had already been ripped out before

I gained admittance. Thus I can not say if

any were special, and it may well be that not

only were Victorian ﬁre grates most likely

there, but almost certainly there were earlier

ﬁreplaces behind, preserved within the brick

work. As it was, only the backs of the ﬂues

remained when I ﬁrst saw them. The wash

house and copper were then untouched, and

the rear yard and ﬂag stones. Inside the house

the most notable feature uncovered was the

ceiling beam that had come from some ancient

Swedish or Norse vessel. I do not have a

409

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Above, part of an inscription on a ceiling beam holding up the ﬁrst ﬂoor in the Parish Clerk’s

House, as photographed in 1988.

translation of what is written, but am led to believe

that it came from a ship. Whether or not this

important relic still remains intact I do not know.

Detail of former attic ﬁreplace, hearth

and ﬁreplace wantonly removed.

Detail of the washing copper, 1988.

This is the other end of the same beam, above (1988).

410

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Detail of pantile roof of wash-house. Detail of the remains of the ﬁreplace in

the ﬁrst ﬂoor room , shows that it was once

substantial and of an early date.

411

Detail of the roof of the wash-house, tiled,

never felted. All photographs taken in 1988.

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Inside the front (south-west) downstairs window.

Stud partition wall, midway across the house

internally (north-south).

Detail of brickwork above. Below:Second ﬂoor

landing, old lath and plaster, lurid colours.

Detail of inappropriate modern brickwork:

why take out the old?

412

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

has its original oak beam intact across it.

There was a small recess near the stairs,

where a candle would have been kept

for ascending them. The north wall is

four feet thick, and of flint construction.

Thought to be about 800 years old, it has

been identified as a former part of the

priory that was subsequently incorporated

into this building. In the first floor

room, once used by Mary Sewell and

her husband Isaac, wood panelling was

rediscovered after removing a false wall

and twenty layers of wall paper. Through

this panelling is a small door only five

feet high, leading into a second bedroom.

A second flight of stairs led to two tiny

attic rooms, divided by a stud partition

now removed. One of these rooms was

Anna Sewell’s bedroom, and the other

it is said, was used as a study for her

mother’s writing. The exposed roof

timbers are pegged together and thought

to be around 350 years old. Behind the

main building, crossing a small yard, was

a scullery/kitchen, above which a ladder

and trap-door led to a tiny bedroom for a

maid.

Photo of Anna Sewell House, 1970

Anna Sewell, author of “Black Beauty”,

was born in the first-floor room on

March 30th. 1820. She dislocated her

ankle at the age of nine, and it seems

that treatments (blood letting) not only

failed to cure her but in fact made her

weak and sickly thereafter. Her mother

Mary was famous for her poetic ballads,

and apparently was very dominant. Anna

died only six months after publication

of her book, which has sold about 40

million copies. Mainly now sold as

a children’s classic, it was originally

written for adults. Its purpose was to bring attention

to the cruel treatment of the working horse. In this

aim, she, rather like Charles Dickens when he wrote

about cruelty in Yorkshire boarding schools, was

eminently successful. Her mother’s book of ballads

had itself sold over a million copies. The original

copyright for Anna’s book was sold for a mere £20,

and the family never received a penny more.

Anna Sewell House in its present form dates

back to 1641, but many parts of the building are

much older. The cottage was once part of a larger

dwelling, combining it with the house on its south

side, but new deeds were issued in the mid 17th.

century, when the house was divided. Harry Johnson

restored the northern house in 1932, building the

small extension on the front, and using some very

ancient multi-paned leaded windows that he rescued

from an old row house nearby. In the early 1970’s

the building was in such a bad state that the council

scheduled it for demolition, and it was again saved

only by private enterprise, completed 1978. The

house was full of death watch beetle and dry rot. In

the downstairs living-room, three fireplaces were

removed that had been built within the inglenook

which was then uncovered. The inglenook is

constructed of hand-made bricks of about 1600, and

Mary Wright came to Yarmouth in 1810 with her

Quaker parents, who had apparently been quite

weathy but becoming impoverished, settled in the

bustling seaport. Mary married Isaac Sewell, the son

of a grocer who kept shop in the Market Place, and

it was then, in 1819, that they moved into the house

in Church Plain. Isaac’s business though was poor,

and not long after Anna’s birth in 1820, the family

left for London. Isaac opened a shop in Bishopsgate,

selling Quaker dresses, but it was a failure. Moving

around, Isaac was for a while, the manager of a

413

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

private bank in Brighton, but they later moved to Old Catton, and it was there that the book

“Black Beauty” was written.*3a

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Sewell House has been restored several

times, and below is Arthur Patterson, (left)

talking to Harry Johnson (right), who had

restored and owned the house in 1932. Harry

Beale Johnson lived there until his death in

1934. There clearly was no downstairs front

extension then, and yet by 1970, as on the last

page, not only was it extended, but also the

house had fallen into a state of sad neglect.

Percy Trett’s daughter Rebecca (Rebecca

Marshall)

lived here for

a while, and

the house has

frequently

been a

restaurant,

and even

more

frequently

not!

Top photo.

5.12.07

bottom left,

1932.

414

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Top, 1907, and below,

100 years later, 5.12.2007

Here we can easily see how this house, seen on

the opposite page, and above, was all one house

with Anna Sewell house prior to 1641. This house

has also been extended to the pavement, which is

a recent addition. The original building line was

the same for the entire row of houses. Again the

ﬁnal three in this row, have been much altered,

and show Victorian porticos and relatively new,

Georgian style windows.

415

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Priory Plain

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Priory Plain had once been

called “Hog Hill” because

it had been the site of a

Saturday cattle market, general

livestock, cattle pigs, sheep

etc., being sold here, until

the livestock market was

transferred to Station Road, on

the current site of “Homebase”

(2007). (See RRH, vol. 1,

Row 27. ) The upper, or eastern

part, was formerly called

Pudding Yard; and on the north

side, adjoining the boundary

wall of the priory, there were some wretched alms houses demolished before 1872. Formerly,

adjoining the plain on the north side, there was a public house called the Maid’s Head. It was

subsequently called the Neptune, and was purchased in 1757 by Mr. William Browne from

William Fodder, maltster. In 1872 there remained only a small beer shop called the Pig and

Whistle. ( See PP.V.i., p.173 .)

Top right, photo of Priory Plain by Percy Trett, March 18 th. 1971, shows astonishing alterations

to nos. 1 & 2. , Nos 3 & 4, are relatively original. Bottom, no. 11 and ancient pavement, 6 th. May

1971, this cottage to the rear right of the Temple.

416

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

The Temple , was built 1875. First there was a

hayloft, then two new tabernacles, see overleaf.

Rear of no. 4 Priory

Plain

Rev J Smith,

1851

Rev T Swindell

Rev Robert

Eaglen

Rev J Smith

List of Preachers

417

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

The Temple. * Ref, A. H.

Patterson, “from Hayloft

to Temple”, (1903).

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

The Primitive Methodists

were a group derived

from the Methodists

by Hugh Bourne and

William Clowes amongst

others. Expelled by

Wesley from the main

sect, they set up a

place for their open

air preaching at a spot

outside the town wall

near to the hospital

(Market Place), called Hog’s Hill. Their very first

service was apparently held amongst the trees

that grew in an avenue between the Fishermen’s

Hospital and St. Nicholas Church. When too

wet, they would adjourn to a gig shed in row 8,

the property of a Mr. Fryer. This was Mr. Robert

Fryer, wheelwright, also blacksmith of Northgate

Street (see photo.,next page) . In time they acquired

premises which were a stable, and conducted their

meetings in the Hayloft. Later, on the same site, a

small religious building was erected, and it was on

that same site that they erected the long lamented,

that distinguished building standing on Priory Plain,

on ground 130 years or so later, cleared for the new

inner relief road. The temple was described to me in

an interview with May Tuck in 1992, as being “like

something out of Gone with the Wind ”!

Above, the second “Tabernacle” 1855-1874.

The ﬁrst “Tabernacle”, erected 1829, could

then hold 5-600 persons, a number that would

be prohibited now by ﬁre regulations as

overcrowding.

36). The Tabernacle held five or six hundred persons.

The pulpit had its back to the front of the building,

and Hugh Bourne preached from the gallery instead,

so as to be better heard.

A public meeting was held on July 3rd. 1849, at

which it was resolved to build a new temple. David

Gourley, Mayor and founder of the Wesleyan day

The hayloft was a simple building, some 20 or so

feet long. Its entrance was through a pair of stable

doors, and inside, a flight of steps to the right, led

along the inside of the front wall, and upwards into

a hall, in which a number of wooden seats sufficient

for 50 or so persons had been fixed. Light was

admitted into this chamber on one side only, by

three windows with many small panes. The entrance

to the area, on which the hayloft stood, was between

some old almshouses. There were other stables

on one side, a saw-pit the other, and then a large

open space in front of the hayloft itself (see map).

Although the upper floor was used by the Primitive

Methodists, the ground floor was still used to stable

horses for persons attending the market.

The first purpose built structure they had was

called the “Tabernacle”. A collection was started by

Samuel Atterby in 1827, and the structure erected in

1829. Hugh Bourne and John Smith then appeared

as preachers, and lodged in Split Gutter Row (Row

5). Later the preacher resided at no.13 Fuller’s

hill, and towards the end of the century there was a

parsonage in Paget Road. Sunday schools then were

held in an upstairs room in the Garden Row (Row

Park Road Methodist Church.

418

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

The very ﬁrst temple was a

hayloft (right).

schools (British Home Stores site) was

in the chair at a public meeting on the

same subject, held at the Masonic Hall

in December the same year. The cost of

the subsequent rebuilding was £433.6s.

This building was supplemented by a

chapel in Queens Road in 1866. The

second tabernacle at Priory Plain was

built of red brick, with a cobbled yard

in front. Inside were lobbies of plain

white painted match boarding, with

green baize covered doors. Running

either side from the lobbies were rather

wide staircases. Upstairs were very

small straight backed cubicles. The gallery

formed a complete square, and later an

organ occupied one side. The pews were

very plain, and there were free seats yjat

measured only seven inches by three,

which had no backs. Any sleeping during

the sermon, and you fell off! Arches at the

back of the chapel were actually the arches

of the old town wall.

Centre right, yard and doorway

within the tabernacle. A delightful

doorway and window, long gone.

Building the Temple began in 1875. During

the building, falling coping stones killed two

men.(Mr. Thompson, a workman, walked on

an unsecured coping stone, which fell with

him and fatally injured Mr. Kirk also. Mr.

Freeman of Hull was the first minister of the

new Temple. A stone laying ceremony was

held on 22nd. June, 1875. The dimensions

of the Temple were 72 feet and 3 inches by

52 feet and 2 inches. In the basement were committee and

class rooms, and an area for the heating boilers. On the

ground floor were two spacious vestibules and lobbies,

and at the back were two vestries

and some offices. The height of the

ceiling in the main chamber was 35

feet, and it held some eleven hundred

people. It was re-opened after the

second war on May 25th. 1950.

“Structural improvements” had been

made to the entrance. The building

had been rewired and redecorated. A

new ceiling had been provided.That

it should succumb but a few years

later to the building of a new road for

motor traffic seems typical enough of

this modern age. Demolition started

in May 1972.

Rev. F.B. Paston, Arthur

Patterson’s brother-in-law

Bob Fryer, the Blacksmith of

Row 8 and Northgate Street.

419

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

The school was

dated 1855, and the

Temple built 1881,

the ﬁrst bricks laid

on 22nd June 1875.

The lower right

photo was taken by

Percy Trett on 28th

May 1971, when the

school, which had

been used to store

furniture by Futters,

was half demolished,

the Temple shortly to

follow.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Below, some lady members of the

congregation, about 1900.

Mrs Salmon

Mrs Hill

420

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Mrs Buddery

Mrs Dufﬁeld

Wesley ﬁrst came to preach at Yarmouth in

1761, and returned in 1767. He evidently

didn’t like the place at all, but was here

in 1774 and 1776. In 1762, Whitﬁeld had

preached in the open air in Priory Plain,

attracting a very large crowd. He had been on

his way to preach at Rotterdam, presumably

embarking here after his sermon. Apparently

the audience was quiet and attentive, despite

a light drizzle of rain. When Wesley preached

in the old “Dutch” church, in 1776, it is said

that there were only 8 persons in the society

of Methodists to attend his sermon. All services

were suspended, but in due course Samuel

King held Sunday services in his kitchen, and

in 1780 a house was hired near Fuller’s Hill,

where visiting preachers would attend. This

is similar to the arrangement whereby City

Church of Norwich has a presence in Yarmouth

using St Andrew’s Primary School for services

on Sundays, and from October 2007, having

evening meetings at 43 King Street. David

Weeks is the local minister, and alternative

preachers from Norwich attend monthly.

421

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Number 4 Priory Plain was occupied by vagrants during 1986/7. It had water

pouring in, and was semi-derelict. Permission was gained to convert it into flats.

When the outbuilding was demolished, the wall was seen to be constructed of

flint and brick, and to have a small vertical window in it. The whole appeared

to be an eighteenth century building, and the wall would have presented a very

interesting appearance if preserved in that state, but it was soon rendered over,

and a new breeze block wing added upon it.

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Work commencing, 1988.

Number 2, next door, was also occupied by drug addicts and other

squatters, and during the next year or so remained in that state. In

due course, it also was converted into flats. The broken windows can

be seen in the photo. It became almost unreachable due to debris and

rubbish for a while after this photo was taken.

Photographs of Priory Plain in 1988, show that nos. 1 and 2 had recently been restored.

The south side of Priory Plain, 1988.

422

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

No.4 Priory Plain was in a state of

almost total dereliction, only excepting

that the roof was intact. The fact that

all the glass was missing, made it

inhospitable to the vagrants who had

been ﬁnding shelter there previously.

There were no interesting features inside

this particular building. The architectural

interest was the external east wall,

which was of old brick and ﬂint, and

disgracefully was simply rendered over,

when the building was somewhat over-

modernised the following year.

Right: detail of old brick and ﬂint wall ,

east end of no.4 Priory Plain, 1988.

Below: No 4 Priory Plain, window-less

and forlorn, awaiting restoration, 1988.

It was converted into featureless and

“modern” ﬂats the next year.

423

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Great Yarmouth, Rural Dean and Surrogate)

(The Vicarage)

.....Here is Priory Row.....

Parish Clerk’s Ofﬁce, (Richard C. Speare,

Parish Clerk)

26. Sharman, John Leslie

27. Wells, Mrs.

28. Cresswell, Harry George

28. Pink, Miss R., upholstress

29. Dashwood, Charles Victor

30. Chambers, Frederick William

.....Here is Priory Plain.....

Fisherman’s Hospital (Alms Houses)

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Detail of no.3 in 1988, also shows the effects

of vagrancy and severe neglect.

The Occupants, Church Plain, 1938

from Market Place to St Nicholas Road,

South Side:

1. Everett, Arthur W.

3. Watling, C., carriers

4. Eastern Counties Omnibus Co. (booking

ofﬁce)

5 & 6. Yerrell, David, wood supplies

7. Wrestlers Inn

..... Here is Howard Street North.....

West Side:

Lacon & Co., brewers and wine and spirits

merchants tel nos. 2461 & 2462

.....Here is Row 14.....

10 & 11. Smith, Thomas, harness maker

.....Here is Row 12.....

12. George and Dragon public house, Mrs

Dora M. Spilling

.....Here is Row 10.....

15. Bean, Henry Walter

15. Brett, F. & son Ltd., house furnishers

16. Norton Bros., tobacconists

.....Here are Fuller’s Hill and Northgate

Street.....

North Side:

18. Saracen’s Head public house, Leonard E.

Giles

19. Benns, William John, seedsman

20. Benns, Mrs

21. Jackman, Herbert

22. Cooper, Horace, Alfred

23. Ceiley and Kidman, herbalists

23. Kidman, Charles

St. Nicholas Church (Parish Church of Great

Yarmouth)

West Side:

Rev Canon Robert Aubrey Aitken, (Vicar of

Church Plain, 1965

from Market Place to St Nicholas Road

South Side:

Burroughs, wine and spirits merchants (retail

department) telephone 4709

(note no building in-between here and)

Wrestlers Inn

.....Here is Howard St North....

West Side:

Lacon, E. & Co. (Head Ofﬁce), Brewers, Wine

and Spirit Merchants

telephone, 2461, 2462, & 2463

13. Keys, surplus clothing store

.....Here is Row 10.....

16. Folkes, E.D., furniture dealer

.....Here are Fuller’s Hill and Northgate Street..

North Side:

18. Saracen’s Head, P.H.,

19. Perry, W., cafe

20. Benns, Donald F.,

22. Cooper, Horace, A.

23. Folkes, E.D., house furnisher

23. Folkes, Edward Daniel

St Nicholas Church

East Side:

24. Holt, Rev. Donald, B.A., (Vicar of Great

Yarmouth and Surrogate) (The Vicarage)

.....Here is Priory Row.....

25. Parish Clerk’s Ofﬁce

27. Porteous Mrs. D.E. (what happened to 26?)

28. Crosswell, Hy. Geo.

29. Dawson, William F.

30. Orwin, Mrs. E.A.

.....Here is Priory Plain.....

Fisherman’s Hospital (alms houses)

424

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

Priory Plain, the occupants, 1938

from 30. Church Plain, to St Nicholas Road

North Side:

Shreeve, T., hay merchant

2. Hunt, Miss

3. Philpott, Sidney, H.

5. Mancini, Mrs.

6. Roberts, Charles John

7. Burgess, Harry

8. Lane, Arthur Timothy

East Side:

.....Here are Priory Gardens.....

Methodist School

Methodist Temple

10. Read, Richard

11. Turner, Mrs

12. Thurtle, Richard Charles

13. Stolworthy, Albert Victor

14. Smowton, James Samuel

15. Julier, Herbert

16. Annison, Samuel

17. Woods, William

West Side:

18. Ulph Mrs

19. Folkes Albert

20. Pearce, Mrs

21. Morley, Herbert

22. Ulph, Mrs

South Side:

23. Scurll, Frederick

24. Milne, Alfred

25. Leggett, Albert Thomas

26. Leggett, Percy

Priory Plain, 1965

from 30 Church Plain to St Nicholas Road

North Side:

2. Jackson, R., (Ipswich) Ltd.,wholesale fruit

merchants

2. Wragg, John A.

3. Nash, William F., senior

4. Tye, V.L.

5. Mancini, Miss

8. Chapman, John A.

East Side:

.....Here are Priory Gardens.....

10. Moughton, Alfred A.

11. Read, Alfred H.

14. Hewett, Anthony

15. Julier, Mrs E.

16. Annison, Miss

18. Cutting, Frank

West side:

18. Cutting, Frank (obviously one entry is

wrong, but this is as per the directory)

19. Satchell, Jack

20. Prime, Mrs L.

21. Morley, Miss J.E.

22. Ulph, Mrs

South Side:

23. Scurll, Frederick

24. Painter, Vernon

25. Leggett Mrs

26. Larn, F.E.

(No Methodist Temple or school now listed)

Below, south side of Priory Plain, 5.12.07.

North side, 1988.

See also photos (p.202) , prior to this house being demolished.

425

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

1-4 Priory Plain, 5.12.07, compare to photos 20

years earlier, in 1988, also Percy Trett’s picture

of 1971.

426

A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth

school

Temple

Part of Laing’s Map (1855), above.

Cottages photographed by

Percy Trett in 1971.

Church Plain (1738/58)

Vicarage

Part of the Priory,

now gone

In Church Plain,

only the Vicarage,

The clerk’s and

Sewell House remain

intact

Numbers 3 and 4 are

the only houses that

remain the same in

Priory Plain now.

Alms

Houses

Fisherman’s

Hospital

Possibly the

hayloft

427

The Revised History of Great Yarmouth

ChapterTen

Church Plain

and

Priory Plain

Without the beneﬁt of close examination,

the rear of this house actually suggests that

it was of some antiquity, but rather than any

possibility of restoration, this and several

streets off St Nicholas Road, were swept away

for a car-park for the beneﬁt of the customers

of Sainsbury’s supermarket. See photograph

on page 199 , to understand the relationship to

Priory Plain (it stood at the junction of Priory

Plain and St Nicholas Road). Photo. 1989.

428