LYNN-REGIS, (Norfolk) or KING'S-LYNN, 80 cm. 98 mm. from London, was a Bor. by prescription before K. John; who, because
it adhered to him against the Barons, made it a free Bor. with large privileges, appointed it a provost, and gave it a
silver cup of about 30 ounces, doubly gilt and enamelled, and four large silver maces that are carried before the mayor;
as is K. Hen. VIII's sword, which he gave to the T. when it came into his hands by exchange with the Bp. of Norwich; after
which it was called King's-Lynn, whereas before it was Bishop's-Lynn. K. Hen. III. made it a mayor-T. for its serving him
against the Barons. It has had 15 royal charters, and is governed by a mayor, high-steward,under-steward, recorder, 12
ald. and 18 C. C. It has 2 Chs. besides St. Nicholas, a chapel of ease to St. Margaret's, a presbyterian and a quaker's
meeting-house; with a bridewell or workhouse, and several almshs. a fr. sc. a good custom-house, with a convenient quay,
and warehouses. In All-Saints p. is a small hos. where 4 poor men live rent-free; and another, called St. Mary Magdalen's,
which was a priory founded in the R. of K. Stephen; but rebuilt in 1649, and is now under the care of two of the senior
ald. chosen by the other governors. In 1681 a ruinous old chapel here was turned into a workhouse, where 50 poor children
are taught both to read, and spin wool, and when at fit age are put out apprentices. By act of Pt. it is settled in the
guardians of the poor. In Sept. 1741 the spires of its 2 Chs. were both blown down by a storm of wind; and that of St.
Margaret's, which was 193 foot in heighth, having beat in the body of the Ch. it has been since rebuilt; towards which his
present Majesty K. Geo. II. gave 1000 l. and the late E. of Orford, then Sir Rob. Walpole, 500 l. This Ch. was formerly an
abbey, and afterwards one of the largest p.-Chs. in England. All-Saints Ch. was built on the ruins of a mon. of White-
Fryars. The T.-house, called Trinity-Hall, is a noble old fabrick; and so is the exchange, which is of free-stone, with
two orders of columns, and built at the expence of Sir John Turner. St. Nicholas chapel, is very ancient, and reckoned one
of the fairest and largest of the kind in England. It has a bell tower of free-stone, and an eight-square spire over it;
both which together are 170 foot from the ground. There is a library in it, that was erected by subscription; to which the
late Ld. Visc. Townshend (who took his title of Baron from this T. as did his father Horatio, so created in 1661) the late
Sir Cha. Turner, and Robt. Britiffe, Esq; and the late Sir Robert Walpole, were considerable benefactors. There is another
library also at St. Margaret's. Here have been formerly several mons. but the only fabrick remaining here, that bel. to
any religious order, is the Gray-Fryar's steeple, a noted sea-mark. The situation of this T. near the fall of the Ouse
into the sea, after having received several other rs. of which some are navigable, gives it an opportunity of extending
its trade into eight different Cos. by which many considerable cities and Ts. viz Peterborough, Ely, Stamford, Bedford,
St. Ives, Huntington; St. Neots, Northampton, Cambridge, St. Edmundsbury, and the N. part of Bucks, as well as the inland
parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, are supplied with heavy goods, not only of our own produce, as coals and salt from
Newcastle, but also of merchandize imported from abroad, especially wine; of which two articles, viz, coals and wine, this
is the greatest port for importation of any place on all the eastern coast of England; and those wherein the Lynn
merchants deal more largely than any T. in England, except London, Bristol, and Newcastle. In return for this, Lynn
receives back all the corn, which the Cos. just mentioned produce, for exportation; and therefore sends more of it abroad
than any port, except Hull. The foreign trade of the merchants here is very considerable, especially to Holland, Norway,
and the Baltick, and also to Spain and Portugal; and formerly they drove a good trade to France, till it was turned off,
by treaties on one hand, and by prohibitions, high duties, &c. on the other, to Spain and Portugal. The harbour is safe
when ships are in it, but difficult to enter, by reason of the many flats and shoals in the passage; but they are well
buoyed, and good pilots are always ready. The T. consists of about 2400 houses, and appears to have been very strong, by
the ruins of the works demolished in the civil wars; which, however, are easy to be restored, and the T. might be made
defensible, at least, in a very few days. St. Ann's platform at the N. end mounts 12 great guns, and commands all the
ships sailing near the harbour; and towards the land, besides the wall, are 9 regular bastions, and a ditch. Four rivulets
run through the T. and the tide of the Ouse, which is about as broad here as the Thames at London-Bridge, rises 20 feet
perpendicular. The T. is supplied with fresh-water by conduits and pipes from the neighbourhood, In the great Mt.-place a
statue was erected in 1686, to the honour of K. James II. There is another spacious fine Mt.-place, adorned with a statue
of K .Will. III. and a fine cross, with a dome and gallery round it supported by 16 pillars. The Mt.-house is of free-
stone, supported by 16 columns, and 70 foot high, erected on 4 steps, neatly adorned with statues, &c, Every first M. in
the month, the mayor, ald. preachers, &c, meet to hear and determine all controversies amicably, for preventing law-suits.
This was first established anno 1588, and is called The Feast of Reconciliation. The Mts. are Tu. and S. the Fairs Feb. 2,
for a fortnight, and a cheese-fair on Oct. 6. The former is called Lynn-Mart. The adherence of this T. to K. John and K.
Henry III. as above-mentioned are not the only instances of its loyalty to its sovereigns; for, in the late civil wars, it
held out for K. Charles I. and sustained a formal siege of above 18,000 men of the parliament army, for above three weeks;
but, for want of relief, was obliged to surrender, and submit to the terms of paying 10 s. a head for every inh. and a
month's pay to the soldiers, to save the T. from plunder. There are more gentry, and consequently more gaiety in this T.
than in Yarmouth, or even Norwich; here being such plenty of eatables and drinables, that Spelman says Ceres, and Bacchus
seem to have established their magazines here; the E. side of the T. abounding with corn, sheep, rabbets, hares, &c. the
W. side with cheese, butter, black cattle, swans, and the wild-fowl common to marshes, besides the abundance of sea and
river fish; so that he thinks there is no place in Great-Britain, if in Europe, has such a variety in so small a com. of
ground. At a small distance from the T. stands that, called the Lady's Mount, or Red-Mount, where was once a chapel
dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was a resting place for pilgrims on their way towards her convent at Walsingham. The
K's. staith-yard, or quay, where the greatest part of the imported wines is landed, and put into large vaults, is a
handsome square, with brick buildings; in the centre whereof is a statue of K. James I. People pass from hence in boats
into the fen country, and over the famous washes into Lincolnshire in boats, which are often lost by venturing out at an
improper season, and without guides, At NORTH-LYNN, which lies at the very mouth of the Ouse open to the sea, was a Ch.
called St. Edmond's, which was long ago entirely swallowed up by it. At the S. end of Lynn-Regis stood an oil-mill framed
in Holland, that was brought from thence 100 years ago; but in the year 1737 it was consumed by fire. OLD, which is called
also WEST-LYNN, from its situation on the W. side of the r. over-against it, has a Ch. in that called Marsh-Land.