NORWICH, the capital of the county of Norfolk in England, situated in E. Long. 1. 26. N. Lat. 52. 40. It is supposed to have had its name, which signifies "a castle to the north," from its situation in respect of Caistor, the ancient Venta leonorum, three or four miles to the south of it, out of whose ruins it seems to have risen. In its infancy, in the reign of Etheldred, it was plundered and burnt by Sueno the Dane, when he invaded England with a great army. Afterwards it recovered; and in the reign of Edward
Norwich. the Confeſſor was a conſiderable place, having 1320 burghers. But it ſuffered again much in the reign of William I. by being the ſeat of a civil war, which Ralph earl of the Eaſt Angles raſed againſt that king. So much was it impaired by the ſiege it then underwent, that there were ſcarce 560 burghers left in it, as appears from Doomſday-book. From that time forward it began by little and little to recover, eſpecially after Biſhop Herbert tranſlated the epico-pal ſee hither from Thetford in the reign of William Rufus in 1096; and built a beautiful cathedral, of which he himſelf laid the firſt ſtone, with this inſcription, Dominus Herbertus poſuit primum lapidem, in nomine Patris, Filii, & Spiritus Sancti, Amen, i. e. "Lord (Biſhop) Herbert laid the firſt ſtone, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt;" and by a licence from Pope Paſchal, declared it the mother-church of Norfolk and Suffolk. After this, as Malmſbury has it, it became a town famous for merchandize and the number of inhabitants. Yet it was miſerably haraſſed in the reign of Henry II. by Hugh Bigod earl of Norfolk, who was an adherent of Henry's ſon, called the junior king. In the time of Edward I. it was walled round by the citizens, who had preſented a petition to parliament for liberty to do it. Henry IV. allowed them, inſtead of bailiffs, which they had before, to elect a mayor yearly, and made the city a county of itſelf. In the year 1348, near 58,000 perſons were carried off by the plague; and in 1505, the city was almoſt conſumed by fire. For the flourishing ſtate to which the city is now arrived, they are much indebted to the Flemings, who fled hither from the tyranny of the duke of Alba and the iniquition, and taught them the manufacture of thoſe ſtriped and flowered damafks, camblets, druggets, black and white crape, for which the place is now ſo noted, and which have been computed to yield ſometimes 200,000. a-year. In the year 1583, the citizens, by the help of an engine, conveyed water through pipes to the higheſt parts of the city, which is pleaſantly ſeated along the ſide of a hill, extending a mile and a half in length from north to ſouth; but the breadth is much leſs, and it contracts itſelf by degrees towards the ſouth. It is now one of the moſt conſiderable cities in Britain for wealth, populousneſs, neat buildings, beautiful churches (of which it had once 58, but now only 36), and the induſtry and civility of the inhabitants. The cathedral is a very venerable ſtructure, with a curious roof, adorned with the hiſtory of the Bible in little images, carved to the life, and a lofty ſteeple 105 yards high. The wall of ſint ſtone, beautified with 40 towers and 12 gates, finiſhed in 1309, is now much decayed. The city, though there is a great deal of waſte ground within the walls, was computed, about 60 years ago, to contain 8000 houſes and 50,000 inhabitants. Beſides the cathedral already mentioned, the moſt remarkable buildings are, the duke of Norfolk's houſe, one of the largeſt in England; the caſtle, which is now the county-gaol, and ſtands in the heart of the city, with a deep moat round it, over which is a bridge of one very large arch; the Town-hall; the Guild-hall, formerly the church belonging to the monaſtery of Black-Friars; the houſe of correction; the ſhire-houſe, where the aſſizes are held; a lofty mar-
ket-croſs, built after the manner of a piazza; the bi- shop's palace; the king's ſchool, founded by Edward VI. the boys of which are nominated by the mayor for the time being, with the conſent of the majority of aldermen. There having been formerly many thatched houſes, an order was made, that all houſes that ſhould hereafter be built ſhould be covered with tiles. The city is interſperſed with gardens, orchards, and trees, which make it both pleaſant and healthful. It has four hospitals, in which a great number of old men and women, boys and girls, are maintained; and a dozen charity ſchools. Here are two churches for the Dutch and French Flemings; who have particular privileges, and are very numerous. Some of the churches are thatched, and all of them cruſted with ſint ſtone curiouſly cut; which is the more wonderful, as Nor-wich ſtands in a clay country, and has no ſint within 20 miles of it. It is now governed by a mayor, recorder, ſteward, two ſheriffs, 24 aldermen, 60 common-council, with a town-clerk, ſword-bearer, and other inferior officers. The mayor is choſen on May-day by the freemen, and ſworn in on the Tueſday before Midſummer-eve. The ſheriffs are alſo choſen annually, on the firſt Tueſday in Auguſt, one by the freemen, the other by the aldermen, and ſworn in on Michaelmas-day. The freemen of the ſeveral wards chooſe each their alderman. The common-council is choſen in Midlent. The mayor is a juſtice of the peace and quorum, during his year (as are alſo the recorder and ſteward) within the city and liberties; and after his mayoralty, he is a juſtice during life. The trade and manuſactures of the city are very conſiderable. At Yarmouth they export large quantities of their manuſactures, moſt of which are ſent to London, and import a great deal of wine, coal, fiſh, oil, &c. All the city and country round are employed in the worſted manuſecture, brought hither, as already obſerved, by the Flemings, in which they not only conſume the wool of their own county, in ſpinning, weaving, &c. but uſe many thouſand packs of yarn, which they receive from other parts of England, as far as Yorkſhire and Weſtmoreland. There are eight wardens of the weavers choſen annually, and ſworn to take care that there be no frauds committed in ſpinning, weaving, or dying the ſtuffs. It is computed that there are not leſs than 120,000 people employed in and about the city in the ſilk and woollen manuſactures. Their markets are thought to be the greateſt in England, and furniſhed with a ſurpriſing plenty and variety of goods and proviſions. At a ſmall village to the north of the city, called St Faith's, not leſs than 40,000 head of Scotch cattle are ſaid to be yearly bought up by the Norfolk graziers, and fattened in their meadows and marſhes. Its markets are on Wedneſday, Friday, and Saturday. It has a great number of fairs, ſends two members to parliament, and gives the title of earl to the duke of Gordon. Few cities or towns ſeem to have ſuffered more than Nor-wich has done at various periods, and few ſeem to have felt it leſs; for tho' quite burnt down by Sueno as above, it was of conſiderable conſequence in Edward the Confeſſor's time: nor did it long feel the evils of the inſurrection and ſiege in William the Conqueror's time, for it was rebuilt in Stephen's reign, and made a corporation; beſides other deſtinations already mentioned.
The city of Norwich has long been famous for its manufactures; which are not, in the opinion of some, at present in so flourishing a state as formerly. In addition to the manufacture of camblets, druggets, and crapes, it is also remarkable for haize, serges, shal-loons, stockings, and woollen cloths.
The inhabitants of Norwich are generally so employed in their manufactures within doors, that the city has the appearance of being deserted, except on Sundays and holidays, when the streets swarm with people.
Castor, near Norwich, was the Venta Icenorum, or capital city of the Iceni, the broken walls of which contain a square of about 30 acres. In those walls may still be perceived the remains of four gates and a tower. Several Roman urns, coins, and other relics of antiquity, have been found at this place.