A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



Norfolk money seems to have had a good deal to do with Fairfax's 

 successful siege of Colchester during this period, for the House passed a 

 special vote of thanks to the county, ' That this house doth take notice of 

 the good affections of the county of Norfolk in their ready compliance and 

 timely supply of monies to the army in the exigent of the siege before 

 Colchester ; and that a letter be prepared and signed by Mr. Speaker and 

 sent to them to take notice thereof ; and give them the thanks of this house/ 

 The Royalists seem at this time to have had designs upon Yarmouth, for, on 

 6 July, 1648, there is a letter, dated from ' Leaguer before Colchester,' from 

 General Fairfax to the bailiffs, aldermen, and common council of Great 

 Yarmouth, announcing that the revolted ships, who have declared against the 

 Parliament, are believed to have designs on Great Yarmouth, with a view to 

 making it a garrison and seat of war ; and that the writer has despatched a 

 considerable body of horse for the neighbourly protection of the said town, 

 but not to possess it and make it a garrison/ The people of Yarmouth, 

 though staunch supporters of the Parliament, appear to have been very 

 unwilling to admit a garrison and to have been quite confident of their 

 ability to defend themselves, for on 1 7 July Fairfax again wrote to the bailiffs. 



Gentlemen, I have by your severall letters received very good satisfaction concerning 

 your resolution to preserve and defend your Town from being made a garrison by any forces 

 against the Parliament. And I againe assure you that it is as much as I desire of you, it 

 being farr from my thoughts to have any of the forces I send that way to be in the least 

 putt into your Town (whiche hath hitherto approved itself so faithful to the Parliament). 

 Butonely that in regard of the designesupon it from foreigne partes (whereof there have been 

 very credible informations) those horse should be neere you to oppose the landing of the 

 foreigne forces, And to assist you against them as you shall neede and desire, for which 

 purpose they shall still be ready at hand when you shall call for them during the continuance 

 of the present danger.^ 



That the Royalist ships did appear before Yarmouth and with 

 what success is shown by a letter written in July, 1648, from Darby 

 House and signed Pembroke, in the name and by the warrant of the 

 committee of Lords and Commons, to the bailiffs, &c., of Great Yarmouth. 

 This letter expresses the committee's lively sense of the devotion of the 

 borough to the Parliament, and also the satisfaction of the committee at 

 ' your letter of the 24th inst., giving notice of the coming of the revolted 

 ships in the Roads before your Town, and of their departure thence.' The 

 letter proceeds, ' Wee thanke you for your care of the public in not admiting 

 the enemie there, and that you kept your town from giving entertainment to 

 the enemy.' Finally, that Yarmouth had its way in the question of the 

 garrison, and the strength of local feeling in the matter, are shown by another 

 letter' from the committee of the Lords and Commons to the Lord-General 

 Fairfax, dated i August, 1648, Darby House, announcing, in consideration of 

 assurances given by the letter's bearer, Mr. Alderman Cobbe, that the writers 

 have countermanded previous orders for troops to march into Great Yarmouth, 

 there being reason for ' fearing least the putting in of forces at this tyme 

 might breede some disturbance ' in the said town. 



There is a tale that the king was in hiding at the very end of his 

 career for four days at the Castle Inn, Downham, and also slept at Snore 

 Hall, near Ryston. There is no doubt that he reached Downham on 



' Hist. MSS. Com. Re/>. ix, App. i, 3 1 3, 3 14. ' Ibid. 314. » Ibid. 



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