Norwich has always been noted for its civic feasts and good cheer; and Bale, writing at this time (1549), in his “Continuation of Leland’s Antiquities,” says:—
“Oh, cytie of England, whose glory standeth more in belly chere than in the searche of wisdome godlye, how cometh it that neither you nor yet your ydell masmongers have regarded this most worthy commodytie of your countrye? I mean the conservacyon of your antiquyties, and of the worthy labours of your learned men. I thynke the renowne of such a notable act would have much longer endured than of all your belly banquettes and table triumphes, either yet of your newly purchased hawles, to keep St. George’s feast in.”
“I have been also at Norwyche, our second cytie of name, and there all the library monuments are turned to the use of their grossers, candelmakers, sope sellers, &c.”
Small credit is here given to the city for the patronage and promotion of intellectual pursuits.
In 1549 the city was the scene of an insurrection resembling that of the Jacquerie in France, and the War of the Peasants in Germany. The facts of this local rebellion were simple enough. The poor people objected to the enclosure of waste lands, in the neighbourhood of Attleborough and Wymondham, by the nobility and gentry, who had been put in possession of the abbey lands, which had been previously appropriated for the use of the poor, who still considered that they had a right of commonage on the waste lands and open pastures. The rebellion commenced at Eccles, Wilby, Attleborough, and the neighbouring villages, the inhabitants of which were enraged at Mr. John Green, lord of the manor of Wilby, who had enclosed that part of the common belonging to his manor, which had from time immemorial been open to the adjoining commons of Hargham and Attleborough, and in which the people had enjoyed all rights of intercommoning with each other. The people continued quiet till Wymondham fair, on July 7th, when they collected in large numbers. The leaders of the movement, accompanied by a large number of others, went to Morley, about a mile from Wymondham, and laid open the new enclosures; and on returning to Wymondham, they destroyed all the fences by which the commons and wastes were enclosed. John Flowerdew, of Hethersett, incensed at the destruction of his fences, gave forty pence to a number of the country people to throw down the fences of Robert Kett, alias Knight, whose pasture lay near Wymondham Fairstead. They carried out his wishes to the full, and on the following morning returned to Hethersett, where, at Kett’s instigation, they laid open other enclosures of Flowerdew’s. After this, the rioters appointed Robert Kett and his brother William, a butcher, to be their captains, and the movement soon assumed the form of an organized rebellion. The numbers of the rebels quickly increased, and marching on Mousehold Heath, they took possession of the mansion of the Earl of Surrey; and thence proceeded to lay siege to the city. They held courts of justice under a large tree, called the “Oak of Reformation:” and having augmented their numbers to 16,000 from the citizens, and strongly fortified their camp, they summoned the city to surrender. For months they maintained hostilities, and the country round was pillaged and laid waste, until at length they gained an entrance to the city, and took the mayor and several councillors prisoners to their camp. A strong force was thereupon sent down for the defence of the city, under the Marquis of Northampton, and a regular battle was fought at the base of the hill on St. Martin’s Palace Plain. In this engagement Lord Sheffield was slain; and the rebels, having forced the Marquis to retreat, plundered the city, and set fire to it in many parts. In short, all attempts to quell this violent insurrection were ineffectual, till a large army, which had been raised to proceed against the Scots, was ordered to march to the relief of Norwich, under the command of the Earl of Warwick, who arrived under the city walls on the 23rd of August. On the following day, after making an ineffectual offer of pardon to the insurgents, on the condition that they should lay down their arms, the king’s troops commenced their attack; and having made several breaches in the walls, and forced open some of the gates, they soon entered the city, and took possession of the Market Place. In the midst of this scene of blood, the king’s ammunition carriages, having entered apart from the main body of the army, were captured by the enemy, but were soon retaken by a detachment from the Market Place.