*NORWICH, (Norfolk) 90 cm. 108 mm. from London, near the conflux of the Yare, and another r. called Bariden, or Winsber,
30 m. from the sea by water, and 16 by land, is a famous ancient city, which had a castle so long ago as in the 7th
century. It was even in Camden's time reckoned among the most considerable cities in Britain, for the industry of its
citizens, their loyalty to their prince, and civility to foreigners, as well as for its wealth, number of people, and the
neatness of their buildings. It stands on the side of a hill, 1 m. and half from N. to S. but scarce half as broad. It was
first destroyed by Sweno the Dane; but recovered so soon, that in the R. of Edw. the Conf. it had 1320 burghers; but in
the R. of William the Conq. it being the seat of a civil war raised against him by the Earl of the East-Angles, it was so
impaired as to be reduced at most to 560. The cathedral was founded here 1096, on the translation of the Bp's See hither
from Thetford, by Bp. Herbert, who laid the first stone. This place was built a-new, and first made a corp. by K. Stephen,
who granted it to his son for an appanage; but Hen. II. took it from him, though Henry his son, then aspiring to the
crown, had fully promised it to Hugh Bigod Earl of Norfolk, who miserably harassed the city, and is thought to have
rebuilt that castle on the hill, near the cathedral, which is incompassed with a very deep trench, over which there is a
strong bridge with a very large arch; but Lewis of France, under whom the barons confederated against K. John, besieged
and soon took it. This city having been all along governed by bailiffs, Hen. IV. made it a Co. of itself, and gave the
inh. leave to chuse a mayor and a sheriffs; and they built a very beautiful T.-house near the Mt.-place. In 1348, near
58000 people died here of a pestilence; and in 1505, it was almost intirely consumed by fire. Though, as it has been said,
it is a populous city, yet there is void enough in it for another colony; and from the intermixture of its houses with
trees, it is called a city in an orchard. It adds much to the trade of Yarmouth, by the vast cargoes of coal, wine, fish,
oil, and all other heavy goods which come to it from thence by the r. Yare. Its mfs. are generally sent to London, though
considerable quantities are exported from Yarmouth to Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, &c. It had a flint stone wall, now
much decayed, 3 m. in compass, which was finished in 1309, and had 40 towers. The city is now reckoned 6 m. in compass. It
has 12 gates, and 6 bridges over the Yare, above 7500 houses, and 45000 inh. out of whom is formed a regiment of trained-
bands, besides an artillery-company. It had 58 parochial Chs. and chapels formerly, besides mons. and now has 36 Chs.
besides the cathedral, chapels, and 4 dissenting meeting-houses. The roof of the cathedral, whose steeple is higher than
Grantham's, is adorn'd with historical passages of the Bible, expressed in little images carved to the life. St. Peter's
of Mancroft is reckoned one of the chief p.-Chs. in England. There are 2 Chs. for the Dutch and French Flemings, who have
singular privileges, which are strictly preserved. Some of the Chs. are thatched, and all of them crusted with flints
curiously cut, though the T. stands in a clay soil, 20 m. from any flints or chalk. The castle is the common gaol for the
Co. Its guild-hall was formerly a mon. Here is a lofty Mt.-cross of free-stone, and a bridewell, which is a beautiful
building of square flint-stone. Here is that called the king's sc. founded by Edw. VI. for teaching grammar learning to
boys, that are nominated by the mayor and ald. Here are 4 hos. one of them, St. Helen's, founded originally for the
entertainment of strangers, was by Hen. VIII. appropriated to the poor of the city; and here are maintained 80 poor men
and women, who are all cloathed in grey, and must be 60 years old. There is another for 16 poor men and 8 women, whose
livery is purple. The boys and girls hos. founded by two several mayors, contain 30 of each, and the boys are from hence
put out apprentices. Here are besides 12 ch. scs. where 210 bots and 144 girls are taught, cloathed, and supplied with
books. It is governed by a mayor, recorder, steward, two sheriffs, 24 ald. and 60 C. C. with a T. clerk, sword bearer, &c.
The mayor, who is always chosen by the freemen on May-day, out of 2 ald. whom they then return to their court, is sworn
into his office with great pomp, on the Tu. before Midsummer-eve. He is, during his year, a justice of the peace and of
the quorum, (as are also the recorder and steward) within the city and its liberties; and after his mayoralty, he is
justice of the peace during life. A silver mace is always borne before the mayor, gilt and finely enchased, the gift of
Sir Rob. Walpole in 1734. The sherifts are also annually elected, one by the ald. the other by the freemen, on the last
Tu. in August, and sworn September 29. The C. C. are chosen in Mid-Lent. The sheriffs are obliged by their charter to
present the K. 12 herring pyes yearly, on the 23d of October, this city being possessed of the manor of Carleton, whose
Ld. holds it by that tenure. The worsted mf. for which this city has long been famous, and in which even children earn
their bread, was first brought hither by the Flemings in the R. of Edw. III. and afterwards very much improved by the
Dutch, who fled from the D. of Alva's persecution, and being settled here by Q. Eliz. taught the inh. to make says, bays,
serges, shaloons, &c. in which they carry on a vast trade, both at home and abroad, and are lately come to weave camlets,
druggets, crapes, and other curious stuffs, of which it is said this city vends to the value of 200,000 l. a year. Four
wardens of the worsted weavers are chosen yearly out of the city, and four out of the neighbourhood, who are sworn to take
care that there be no frauds committed in the mf. Here is another body of woollen manufacturers, called the Russia
company, who have a seat in the T.-hall with this inscription, Fidelitas artes alit. The weavers here employ spinsters all
the country round, and also use many thousand packs of yarn spun in other countries, even as far as Yorkshire and
Westmorland. By a late calculation from the number of looms, then at work in this city only, it appeared there were no
less than 120,000 people employed in their mf. of wooll, silk, &c. in and about the T. including those employed in
spinning the yarn used for such goods as are all made in this city. There is a stocking mf. also here, which has been
computed at 60,000 l. a year. The inh. are generally so employed in their mfs. within-doors, that this appears a
melancholy place, except on Sundays and publick days, when the streets swarm with them. By an act of Pt. in 1726, certain
duties are laid on goods brought into this city, for the repair of its bridges, walls, gates, the stathes, wharfs, and
roads. The D. of Norfolk has a palace in the middle of the city, which gives him one of his titles of Earl. The Mts. are
W. F. and S. and the Fairs on Maunday-Th. Whitson and Trinity-eves, and Lammas-day. The Yare, which runs through the city,
is navigable so far, without the help of locks. Here are 2 printing houses, where the Norwich Gazette and Mercury are
printed, and circulated hence all round the country. The shire-house of the Co. that stood on the hill near the castle,
having been burnt down by accident some time ago, an act of Pt. passed in 1746-7, for holding the summer assizes and
general quarter sessions in the city, till a new shire-house can be rebuilt, and for raising money to defray the charge of
it. Two houses and gardens are lately opened on the brink of the Yare, called Spring-Gardens; and on a hill on the other
side of the r. are the remains of the castle of Kett the tanner of Windham, by whose rebellion in the R. of Edw. VI. this
city was reduced to a ruinous state. There is now but one parochial Ch. in the suburbs, which formerly had 3, besides 3
chapels, a nunnery with its Ch. a priory and Ch. an hos. and chapel, and 5 leper-houses at the gates, with their chapels;
and the Jews had once a synagogue here.