Part 2 (1/2)
The City Gaol, till the year 1597, occupied the east end of Guild-hall, at which time it was removed to its present situation, opposite the Guild-hall in the market, and had, until that time been a public inn, called the Lamb, which was purchased by St. George's company, to be converted to its present use.
The Guild-hall was originally a small thatched building, and in Edward the third's time, was called a toll-booth; about the same time, a small room was added, from which it acquired the name of the Guild-hall, and continued in this state till Henry the Fourth in 1406, granted the city, a charter for electing a Mayor, &c., at which time, a committee was formed, and a warrant granted them to raise money, and press all workmen for the erecting of a new Guild-hall, which business was so vigorously pursued, that in 1409, the roof was raised; in 1511 part of the roof at the east end fell down, and in 1635 it was near being demolished by the deputes' servants undermining its foundation in digging for saltpetre.
The windows of the Council chamber were formerly of painted and stained gla.s.s, which have been miserably mutilated.-This room is ornamented with portraits of various eminent persons, and also the arms of the great Norfolk hero, the late Lord Nelson, with the sword of the Spanish Admiral, taken by his Lords.h.i.+p in 1797, and presented by him to the Corporation.
The Common-council-chamber underwent a complete repair in 1806, at which time it was considerably enlarged: in this Hall the a.s.sizes, and quarter Sessions, for the city, are held. It contains also the Mayor's office for transacting daily business, the Town-clerk's and Chamberlain's offices; and all elections for Majors and other officers, and all questions of moment relative to the city, are here determined.
St. Andrew's hall, is a n.o.ble fabric, and was formerly a conventual church of Benedictine friars, it was founded in 1415, consists of a nave and two aisles, which remain nearly perfect; it had formerly a handsome steeple, which fell down in 1712; the aisles are separated from the nave by six elegant slender colomns which support the roof, they are half the width of the nave, and the same length, the whole is 120 feet long, and seventy wide; within the walls there are 45 windows, most of which were formerly ornamented with painted gla.s.s, which is chiefly removed or demolished. In the time of Henry the Eighth, through the interest of the Duke of Norfolk, the citizens obtained leave to make of the church, a fair and large hall for the Mayor, &c. to repair unto at a common a.s.sembly, &c.
The St. George's Company formerly held their feasts and meetings here.
This fraternity took its rise in 1385, and at one time amounted to 240 members; in 1416, they received a charter of incorporation: in 1731, the company resigned their charter into the hands of the Corporation; their plate and paraphernalia were sold, their debts paid, and their meetings entirely ceased. In 1544, the first Mayor's feast was held here, and in 1561, a sumptuous dinner, was given to the Duke of Norfolk, and a numerous a.s.sembly of n.o.bility and gentry, at which the Mayor's portion of the expence, amounted to l. 12s. 9d. The bill of fare exhibits a striking difference between the price of provisions at that period and the present, beef being 1s. 6d. per stone, flour 6d. per bushel, and double strong beer 2s. 6d. per barrel. King Charles the Second, and many of the n.o.bility, were entertained here in 1671. In 1774, this building, underwent alterations, and received some additions, among which were the present porch, and the room over it, fitted up as the City Library, in which the Court of Requests for the recovery of small debts, is held. In 1796, the hall was opened as a Corn-Exchange for which purpose it is used every Sat.u.r.day. It was new painted, and the pictures cleaned in 1806.
The walls are decorated with numerous portraits of those who from official situations or otherwise, have contributed to the welfare of the city, among which, at the upper end is an admirable portrait of the immortal Nelson, being the last, and it is considered the best for which he ever sat. It was painted by Sir Wm. Beechey, in 1801. Also, two fine historical paintings by Wm. Martin, of Edward and Eleanora, and the death of Lady Jane Gray, which he presented to his native city. At the lower end over the window is displayed, the ensign of the French s.h.i.+p, La Genereux, captured by Sir Edward Berry, in 1800. Every satisfactory particular, relative to this place, the pictures, artists, &c. may be learned from a late publication, ”A Companion to St. Andrew's Hall, Price, 1s.”
There is also a Jew's synagogue in St. Peter's Mancroft; two Catholic meetings, one in St. John's Maddermarket, erected within the last thirty years, the other in St. Swithins lane, of longer standing, and much smaller. A French church in Queen-street, near Tombland, and the Dutch church, so called, from having been formerly used by a Dutch congregation adjoining St. Andrew's hall, but which is now used for the poor belonging to the workhouse. Two Quakers' meetings, one of which is in St.
Augustine's Parish, on the south side the Gildencraft, which is a strong brick building with a large burying-ground; the other in the Goat-lane, near the market-place, which is much smaller and more generally attended.
There are several other places of wors.h.i.+p, used by the Protestant Dissenters, of which, that belonging to the Unitarians is by far the most elegant. It is an octangular building supported within-side by eight elegant Corinthian Pillars. The pews are wainscot, the cieling is an ornamented dome, and the effect of the whole, is remarkably striking.
The first stone of the Building was laid, by the celebrated Dr. Taylor, on the 25th of February, 1754. The expence of the building which was near 5000. was defrayed by the congregation, who can number among their Ministers, several of great literay celebrity, in particular Dr. John Taylor, Dr. Enfieid, Mr. Bourne, and Mr. George Morgan.
The Independents' meeting-house, stands a little to the east of the foregoing, in the parish of St. Clement's: it is a large handsome square building, and was finished about 1693. The limits of this design will not admit of a particular enumeration of all the places of wors.h.i.+p, belonging to the various congregations of Anabaptists, Methodists, &c. of which there are many, chiefly in the northern part of the city.
The Excise-office, is at the Bull, in Magdalen-street. The Permit-office, in St. Peter's Hungate, opposite the Church. The Stamp-office, St. Giles's Broad street, I. H. Cole, Esq. Receiver.
The Post-office is in the Tuns' court, near the market-place, where the Mails arrive from London, every forenoon, (Monday excepted), between and 12 o'clock, and are dispatched every afternoon, (Sat.u.r.day excepted), at four o'clock; the Mails from all the intermediate places branching upon the London road, arrive and are dispatched at the same time every day.
The Mail to Yarmouth, is dispatched immediately after the arrival of the Mails from London, and the Mail from Yarmouth, arrives here every day at four o'clock. The Mails from Cromer, Aylsham, North-Walsham, &c. arrive here every day, early in the forenoon, and are dispatched from twelve to one. G. Litchfield, Esq. Post-master.
Post-horse duty office, Rampant-horse street, St. Stephen's, Mr. J. M.
Murry, Collector.
Surveyor of a.s.sessed Taxes, Mr. C. Lay. St. Giles's, broad street.
Norwich market has for a long series of years, been held in the highest estimation, for the quant.i.ty and quality of provisions, with which it has been supplied, particularly for poultry, which are sent from hence, in considerable quant.i.ties to London, and various other parts of the kingdom. The market is under the regulation of a Committee from the Court of Aldermen, and Commons. Market-days, Wednesday and Sat.u.r.day.
Collector of the market, Mr. R. Harmar. The Fish-market, adjoining, is generally well supplied (from Yarmouth) daily, as is the butchery, with beef and mutton.
The Norwich cattle-market, held on the castle meadow, every Sat.u.r.day, has for many years been increasing, and is considered at this time, the first cattle-market in the kingdom, out of the metropolis. The Corporation, at an a.s.sembly held in September, 1809, ordered pens to be erected for pigs and sheep, more convenient places to be a.s.signed for beasts, horses, stalls, waggons, carts, &c.; and tolls were ordered to be collected, viz.
for pigs and sheep, 8d. per score; beasts, when sold 2d. each, by the purchaser; for horses, 6d. each; for waggons, brought for sale, 1s. each; for stalls, 6d. each; for every auction, 1s.; for calves and mules, 1d.
each. Here also is the weighbridge for Hay, &c., Mr. C. Hubbard, hay-weigher, and collector of the cattle-market.
Norwich Public Library, was inst.i.tuted in 1784, and was held in the City Library-room adjoining St. Andrew's hall, till 1794, when it was removed to the building formerly the catholic chapel, Wymer-street, where books are delivered by the librarian to the subscribers, every day, between the hours of eleven and two, Sundays and a few holidays excepted. It contains upwards of 7000 volumes. Every subscriber pays two guineas and a half, on his admission, and an additional half-guinea, annually. There are about 500 subscribers, under the regulation of a President, Vice-president, and a Committee of 24, chosen from their body, half at each of their annual meetings for two years. A meeting of the Committee, is held on the second Monday of every month, and the annual meeting, the first week in September.
The a.s.sembly-rooms, usually called Chapel-field-house, where a.s.semblies, &c. are held, built in 1754. The rooms are s.p.a.cious and brilliant.
The Theatre was built in 1757, and much enlarged, and improved by the present Patentee, W. Wilkins, Esq. in 1800, at which time, distinct entrances were made to each part of the house; it is convenient, and tastefully fitted up. It contains two circles of boxes, besides those above which range with the gallery. The box-lobbies are commodious, and at the back of the upper-circle, is a bar-room, where refreshments of every kind may be procured. The stage is large, and the house has every necessary convenience of green-room, dressings-rooms, scene-rooms, painters-room, property-rooms, music-room, carpenter's shop, several rooms occupied by the person who keeps the house, &c. It will conveniently hold 130. and has been a nursery for many performers of celebrity, who have afterwards become favorites in the metropolitan theatres, among whom where Mr. Murray, Harley, C. Bannister, Powell, Townshend, Waddy, Blanchard, &c. The house when well filled, appears to the best advantage, and then any person who has a taste for theatrical amus.e.m.e.nts, neatness and elegance, cannot fail being agreeably entertained with the appearance of the audience, the performers and the house.
The princ.i.p.al place of Summer-amus.e.m.e.nt and resort, is Ranelagh garden, just without side the City walls, on the London road. Here is a large octangular building, the Pantheon, which is 70 feet in diameter and is fitted up with two tier of boxes, for the reception of company, and an orchestra with rooms behind, for the accommodation of the musicians, leaving a large area in the middle; it is capable of conveniently holding 1200 persons, and here on some public occasions, and annually in the a.s.size week, which in the regular way commences on the Monday, eight weeks after Trinity Sunday; the proprietor entertains the public with some of the princ.i.p.al vocal performers from the London theatres, and a suitable band. In the garden is also a bowling-green and an orchestra for the reception of a military band, and the garden and pantheon on this occasion is elegantly lighted up with thirty thousand lamps, in a style superior to any thing of the kind out of the metropolis; the pantheon is at other times occasionally used for very large dinner parties, and for the exhibition of performances, for which the theatre is not adapted.
The area is sometimes fitted up as a circus for equestrian exhibitions, for which it is better calculated than any place in the kingdom, out of London.
A garden and bowling-green, called Norwich Vauxhall, in Barrack-street, Pockthorpe, very pleasantly situated against the navigable river from Yarmouth; it is on a smaller scale than Ranelagh, is well furnished with boxes for company, and was tolerably frequented for two or three seasons after it was enlarged and fitted up in its present manner, but has been gradually falling in public estimation since, notwithstanding the proprietor has at several times brought forward a variety of amus.e.m.e.nts: and indeed it is not probable his exertions can be productive, its situation precluding it from a share of public favor.
The bowling-green near chapel-field, is much the largest in or near Norwich, and is well frequented by the tradesmen in the neighbourhood, and strangers, during the summer season.