4 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF NOTTINGHAM AND DISTRICT 



veloped a more prosaic undertone of industry and trade. In 1155 

 Henry II granted the city a charter, and by 1448 it was a fully fledged 

 municipality with a mayor, a shire court of its own and seven aldermen 

 for life, who were also magistrates. From the military shell a mercan- 

 tile community had emerged — the County of the Town of Nottingham. 



Then followed in the 16th Century, the religious revolution of the 

 Tudors and the rise to local predominance of a wealthy commercial 

 class. An impressive symbol of their rise may be seen in the elaborate 

 mansion of Wollaton Hall, built by the Willughbys in 1588 of Ancaster 

 stone in exchange, it is said, for coal from their extensive mines. 



The foundations of society were shifting and it is not surprising that 

 in the seventeenth century the superstructure of Church and State had 

 to be remodelled in accordance with the new ground plan evolved in the 

 sixteenth. For religious reasons, the conflict came to open war, and 

 Nottingham was the chosen spot for opening the local campaign. But 

 Charles's standard waved in vain from Standard Hill; he fell back on 

 Shrewsbury and the Parliamentarians took their chance and seized the 

 ancient fortress — in disrepair but vitally important still. 



The prompt action of Sir John Hutchinson, who took the lead in 

 securing the town and castle for Parliament, and the stubborn defence 

 of the castle by himself and his remarkable wife, Lucy, against the 

 strenuous attacks of the Newarkers, were important factors in the suc- 

 cess of the cause. By this means the crossing of the Trent was kept 

 for Parhament throughout the war and communications between north 

 and south secured. It was fitting — but not entirely an accident — that 

 after the disaster of Naseby, the defeated King should haul down his 

 flag in the county from which he issued his challenge. In the hopes of 

 breaking the ring of his enemies, he opened negotiations with the Scottish 

 Commissioners whose army was taking part in the siege of that indomit- 

 able town, Newark. Early on 5th May 1646, the King in disguise 

 arrived at the Saracen's Head, Southwell, whence he was transferred, 

 later in the day, to the Scottish headquarters at Kelham. The King was 

 a prisoner and the war was virtually over. 



From now to the end of the 18th Century the history of the town was 

 relatively uneventful; but under the placid surface there was significant 

 movement which expressed itself in two main directions, in architecture 

 and in economic life. Both town and county were getting richer, and 

 under the influence of wealth and leisure, art and enterprise were free 

 to flourish. 



The architectural heritage of the town had already been enriched by 

 the rebuilding in perpendicular style of St. Mary's in the century 1380- 

 1480. This is not the place to comment on this last achievement of the 

 medieval spirit, but it offers an interesting example of the wealth of the 

 local wool merchants, since it was largely through their munificence that 

 the nave was rebuilt. 



From this time there is no more conspicuous church building, unless 

 we except the new St. Nicholas, until modern times; houses not 

 churches remain to attest the spirit of the age, a spirit grounded in classi- 

 cal studies and rounded off by the continental tour. In 1674 William 



