POLITICAL HISTORY 



king. Blomefield states that he was greatly beloved at Norwich, and that his 

 execution caused much sorrow among the citizens. During her progress in 

 1578 Elizabeth came to the county from Suffolk, and the city of Norwich, 

 which she honoured with a visit, welcomed her with great pomp. Here 

 she stayed at the bishop's and visited at ' Mount Surrey' (St. Leonard's Priory) 

 Philip earl of Surrey, the melancholy religious devotee, whose father and 

 grandfather had been beheaded by her father and herself, and who was after- 

 wards himself attainted for having a mass said for the success of the Spanish 

 Armada. She was to have gone on to the bishop's house at Ludham, to 

 Yarmouth, to Thomas Woodhouse at Wroxham (Yaxham?), the Pastons at 

 Paston, Heydons at Baconsthorpe, Butts at Thornage, Sydney at Walsing- 

 ham, Bedingfield at Oxburgh, Huggyns at Bradenham, Lord Paget's at 

 Woodrising, and the earl of Surrey at Kenninghall ; but the progress was 

 altogether changed, for she is said to have gone to Sir Roger Wood- 

 house at Kimberley, and then on to Woodrising and back by Hengrave 

 into Essex. 



While all this feasting and rejoicing was going on mischief was brewing 

 abroad, and it may be that the queen's coming down was to see for her- 

 self the ability of the county to resist the Spanish invasion which had been 

 threatened since 1571. The preparations made in Norfolk and all over the 

 rest of England from 1572 to 1588 to resist such an invasion would surprise 

 those who have not studied the subject, and the returns and documents would 

 fill a volume. Norfolk, from the fact that for many centuries its coasts had 

 been happy hunting grounds for foreign pirates, was felt to be exceptionally 

 open to invasion, and for this very reason the readiness to answer the call to 

 arms was great, while the ' foreigners ' who were making our eastern 

 counties so prosperous by their new industries had suffered from the religious 

 persecution of the Spanish, and were heartily willing. A few notes on the 

 military resources of the county can alone be given here. 



During the reign of Elizabeth considerable attention had been given by 

 the central government to the promotion of efficiency among the county 

 levies, the relations of England with foreign states, and especially Spain, 

 making this matter one of immediate and vital importance. A return ' of 

 * able and chosen men ' for the county towards the end of the preceding reign 

 (April, 1557) gives a total of 2,670.^ The proportions of the various arms 

 are worth notice, ' hagbutters ' 40, archers 250, billmen 2,380. Early in the 

 following year the duke of Norfolk ' was levying troops in the eastern 

 counties, and some of the proceeds of the forced loan was used to pay for 

 their ' cotes and conduct.' This military activity would seem to have been 

 unacceptable to certain of the country gentry, and the Council rated John 

 Colby, esq., for his unwillingness to accept a command in the newly raised 

 force, ' signifying unto him that it cannot but seme very straunge and very 

 small consideracion of himself that beinge appointed by the Duke of 

 Norfolk he refused the same.' He is therefore ' required in the Quenes 

 Majesties name to put himself in redynes out of hande to serve with the 

 saide nomber as he is appointed.' Some six months after, other East Anglian 



' S. P. Dom. Mary, xi, 19. 



' Norwich may not be included. The Norwich contingent was sometimes reckoned with the county, 

 but as often separately. Much the same remark applies to Yarmouth, and occasionally to King's Lynn. 

 ' Jets, P. C. vi, 249. 



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