CITY OF DURHAM 



safe.'* The excellent precautions taken for 

 repressing the plague were largely effective, 

 though it was reported that one house at least 

 was infected in 1665.-' An interesting feature 

 of the post-Restoration period is the increasing 

 connexion of the members of the chapter with 

 ecclesiastical and political notabilities outside 

 Durham. Improving communication with the 

 south and the better type of prebendaries now 

 appointed, began to give the place a more 

 prominent position in the regard of the outer 

 world. Barwick, Bancroft, Brevint, Basire, all 

 prebendaries of Durham, and other important 

 men were good correspondents and well known 

 in the university and other circles. CosLn 

 himself was a strong connecting link between 

 the south and north. Within the city itself he 

 was no great favourite. Men remembered 

 ancient controversies. He kept a strong hand 

 on his rights. Though he was a good friend to 

 the neighbourhood in building almshouses, 

 founding and endowing his library, and so 

 bringing better trade to the city, he allowed 

 no concession of the independence which the cor- 

 poration lost at the Restoration. He strenuously 

 resisted the petition of city and county for 

 Parliaraentary representation.^' The question 

 came up again and again, and through the 

 bishop's pertinacity was constantly postponed 

 during his episcopate. 



Bishop Crewe resided largely at Durham. He 

 seems to have made much of the place, and to 

 have entertained widely during his long episco- 

 pate of nearly half a century. The more the 

 castle is inspected the more numerous are the 

 traces of his residence, e.g., the extension to the 

 chapel, the rooms placed within the Norman 

 Gallery, the fine spout-heads bearing Crewe's 

 arms, the addition of the house now used as the 

 master's lodge.-' Various pictures at present 

 hanging within the castle give a rough idea of 

 Durham in his day, e.g., his gondola on the 

 river, his coach with six black horses, the gardens 

 sloping to the Wear below Silver Street, the 

 treeless banks, FramweUgate bridge with turrets 

 and centre chapel. Crewe gave way almost at 

 the outset on the question of Parliamentary 

 representation, so that Durham was duly repre- 

 sented from that time forth, the freemen of the 

 city being the electors. On the first occasion 

 there were 838 electors, a number which in- 

 creased in 1761 to ijOSO.*" It was probably at 



2« S. P. Dom. Chas. II, c, no. 85. 



*' Ibid, cxxvii, no. 33. 



** Proceedings at Quarter Sessions 1666 in Allan 

 MSS. (Doc. of D. and C. of Dur.), \ii, fol. 34, and a 

 collection of documents in Hunter MSS. (ibid.), 24. 



^' The records are meagre, but the evidence of 

 stone and brick supplements it. 



'o A list of the burgesses returned is given in 

 Hutchinson, op. cit. ii, 60 or 45. 



3 



his instigation in 1681'^ that the city took its 

 share in the addresses which were pouring in 

 on the King.*2 It was the year of Absalom and 

 Achitophel and a wave of Toryism deluged the 

 country. The year 1684 saw Judge Jeffreys 

 going the Northern Circuit. London had sur- 

 rendered its charter to the King, and pressure 

 was being brought to bear upon corporations all 

 round the land to induce them to submit them- 

 selves to the King's right of veto." Of this 

 particular Assize, North said that Jeffreys ' made 

 all the charters like the walls of Jericho fall 

 dowm before him.' Durham was among the 

 number, surrendering Bishop Matthew's charter 

 to the bishop at the end of August. 



In March 1685 Crewe, being then in London, 

 delivered a new charter to the city. It so closely 

 followed the old charter of 1602 that it is not 

 easy to see at first sight what object was gained 

 by the trouble and expense of drawing up a 

 document which gives no new privileges and 

 reserves no rights granted by Bishop Matthew. 

 Probably the bishop had intended little more 

 than formal compHance with the fashion set by 

 King Charles in securing the surrender of the 

 charter, and was glad to bestow it afresh on the 

 first available opportunity.** Yet there is one 

 important clause in the new document which 

 prescribes that the Mayor and aldermen and 

 councillors are ' to be conformable to the Church 

 of England.' Whether this was to be pressed, 

 however, or not does not much matter, since 

 the new charter soon passed into oblivion and 

 was not quoted at any subsequent confirmation. 

 At all events Crewe was on good terms with the 

 corporation, and it is to his gift that most of 

 the corporation plate is due, a silver tankard, 

 six silver candlesticks, a silver loving cup and 

 cover, and a silver whistling pot with cover 

 attached. The dates of the hall-marks vary 

 from 1672-3 to 1694-5. The hall-marks on the 

 candlesticks are illegible.*^ 



A few miscellaneous matters connected with 

 the later years of the 17th century may be 

 mentioned here. Crewe entertained royalty at 

 Durham in 1677 when Monmouth, not yet a 

 rebel, came to the castle, and in 1679 when 

 the Duke and Duchess of York were received 

 with all possible honour. In 1685 the re- 

 building of St. Mary's in the North Bailey 

 was completed. It was largely the work of 

 George Davenport, formerly Cosin's chaplain 

 and rector of Houghton le Spring. The old 

 bells were sold off, but a new tower was 

 added in 1702. An interesting account of 



"^ Lodge, Political Hist, of Eng. 209-10. 

 ^- Addresses in Mickleton MSS. xlvi, fol. 245. 

 •" Examen, 626, quoted by Lodge, op. cit. 229. 

 ** James II succeeded 6 February 1685 and the 

 charter is dated 7 March. 



•* Jewitt and Hope, Corporation Plate, i, 185. 



41 6 



