542 
JN' O R W I C H. 
pital, a large brick-building, (lands without Gt. Stephen’s 
Gate, and was erected, in 1772, by voluntary contribu¬ 
tion, at the expenfe of 13,323b 8s. nd. a new wing was 
added in 1802.—Bethlehem Hofpital was founded, agree¬ 
ably to the requeft of her hufband, by the widow of the 
Rev. Samuel Chapman, reftor of Thorpe, Norwich, in 
the year 1713, “ for the convenient reception and habi¬ 
tation of lunatics, and not for natural-born fools or idiots.” 
For its endowment (lie fettled by will all her eftates on a 
body of truftees, who were to have the management of 
the houfe for ever. 
We dial 1 mention a few more benevolent and ufeful 
inftitutions, of a late date.—The Society for the Difcharge 
and Relief of Perfons imprifoned for Small Debts, infti- 
tuted at Norwich on the ill of January, 1774..—The Ami¬ 
cable Society of Attorneys, for railing and eftablilhing a 
Fund for the Relief and Benefit of the Widows and 
Children of Attorneys, refident in Norwich and Norfolk, 
iubfcribers to the fund, was inftituted in January, 1784-.— 
The Norwich Public Library was inftituted in the year 
1784. The fubfcription is 2I. 2s. admiflion, and 7s. per 
annum. The library at prefent confifts of near 5000 vo¬ 
lumes, and the number of fubfcribers is above 500.—The 
Norfolk Benevolent Medical Society, for the Relief of 
Widows and Children of Surgeons and Apothecaries in 
the County of Norfolk and City of Norwich, was infti¬ 
tuted in April 1786.—The Benevolent Aft'ociation, for 
the Relief of decayed Tradefmen, Widows, and Orphans, 
was inftituted November 16,1790.—The Charity for Cler¬ 
gymen’s Widows, &c. in Norwich and Norfolk.— The 
Society of Univerfal Goodwill. 
The following very confiderable legacies have been re¬ 
cently left to the different parifhes and charitable inftitu¬ 
tions in and near this city, by the late Mr. Thomas Clab- 
burn, of All-Saints : 
To the parifti of All-Saints - - - ^400 
St. Paul with St. James - 400 
Tafburgh, in this county - 400 
Parifhes of St. Michael at Thorn, St. Michael Coflany, ? ^ oq 
and St. John Sepulchre, each - - i 2 
Villages of Tharfton, Florden, and Newton Flot -7 
man, each - - - - 5 
The above fums are inverted in the public funds, in the 
names of four truftees in each parifti ; the intereft to be 
given to the poor, in bread or coals, the firfl Monday in 
February every year. 
To the Norfolk and Norwich Hofpital - of 800 
To the treafurer of Cook's Hofpital - - 800 
And to the fame hofpital, upon trull, that the poor! 
women in the faid hofpital might receive one > 800 
(hilling each, every Monday, for ever - J 
To Bethel 200 
To the Charity for Clergymen’s Widows - 500 
To the Charity Schools - - - 200 
To the Benevolent Aft'ociation - - 200 
Charity for Attorneys’ Widows - 200 
To the Hofpital and School for the Blind - 300 
To the Benevolent Medical Society - - 200 
And to the Difpenfary ... 200 
This city may be faid to pofiefs two civic theatres, or 
public places defigned for the meetings of the municipa¬ 
lity, the Guildhall and St. Andrew’s Hall ; the former 
was originally a fmall thatched building, erefted for the 
purpofe of colledting the market-tolls, whence it took the 
name of the toll-booth. In the time of Edward III. “ a 
room built of find, and covered with ftraw,” was added ; 
and it was then dignified with the appellation of the 
Guildhall, though it contained only l'ufficient fitting- 
room for the firfl magiflrate and fix other perfons. In 
Henry IV’s time, A.D. 1407, a committee was formed, 
and a warrant granted them to raife money, and “ prefs 
all carpenters, carters, and other workmen,” for the erec¬ 
tion of a new guildhall ; and the fame year the arched 
vaults defigned for the city-prifon were railed 3 but the 
whole building was not completed till the year 1453, when 
the windows of the council-chamber were glazed. In this 
were various hiitoric and emblematic paintings, allufive 
to the adminiftration of juflice ; but they have been mi- 
ferably mutilated, two fmall windows at the eaft end being 
all that remain perfedl. St. Andrew’s Hall, called-in fome 
inftances the New Hall, is a noble fabric, and was formerly 
the conventual church of the Benedidline monaftery of 
Black Friars. It was begun, in 1415, by fir Thomas Er- 
pingham, and finifhed by his l'on, fir Robert Erpingham, 
who was reftor of Bracon, and a monk of the fraternity. 
It confifts of a nave and two aides, which remain nearly 
perfect. Formerly it had a handfome fteeple, which flood 
in the centre, between the nave and the choir; but, for 
want of repairing attention, it fell down November 6, 
1712. At the diffolution, the city, through the intereft 
of the duke of Norfolk, obtained a grant of it from king 
Henry VIII. in the thirty-fecond year of his reign, “ to 
make of the church a fair and large hall for the mayor 
and his brethren, with all the citizens, to repair unto at a 
common aflembly, &c.” At that period the choir was 
converted into a chapel for the corporation and feveral 
guilds to hear mafs performed morning and evening, and 
make their relpeftive offerings. The ancient and nume¬ 
rous guild of St. George ufually held their meetings at a 
done, lately removed, which was placed in the fouth aide, 
over the grave of Robert Bernard, efq. This guild-com¬ 
pany, firfl affociated in 1385, was a fociety of brothers and 
lifters, formed in honour of St. George the Martyr, for 
the purpofes of charity and pollhumous prayer. In 1416 
they received a charter of incorporation. From that time 
the guild was in great repute; and it reckoned among its 
members fome of the nrft perfons of ability, rank, and 
fortune; and at one period their annual feafls were held 
in the grand hall of the bifliop’s palace. I11 1550, they 
granted all their temporals to the hofpital called God’s 
Houfe, in Holme-ftreet. 
The towerin the Hofpital-meadow, called the Dungeon, 
or Cow Tower, is a circular building, about 52 feet in 
height, and 24 feet diameter, with, around fpiral (taircafe 
reaching to the top. It is fituated at the eaftern extremity 
of the city, on the weflern bank of the Wenfum, where 
the dream forms a confiderable angle. There can be little 
doubt but it was originally an advanced poll and watch- 
tower to the caflle, for the defence of the river-pafs. 
Blomefield thinks it was built “ in order to levy the tolls 
then belonging to the prior and church,” and fays it was 
ufed as a prifon for the jurifdiblion of the cathedral. The 
prefent tower is Hated to have been built in the year 1390, 
at the expenfe of the city. The dukes of Norfolk for¬ 
merly had a magnificent palace in this city. It was made 
a ducal refidence in the time of Henry VIII. but pulled 
down in the year 1602, when a more ilately pile was 
erefted on its fite by Henry duke of Norfolk. This was 
loon afterwards defaced by his grandfon, out of umbrage 
taken at the condubl of the mayor, who refilled the duke’s 
company of comedians permiflion to enter the city with 
trumpets, Sec. From that time it was entirely neglebled ; 
part of the fite was ufed as a common (lathe, and the re¬ 
maining buildings hired of the duke for the city work- 
houfe ; but, fince the poor-houfe in St. Andrew’s parifh 
was enlarged, the whole fite has been fold, and built-on 
by different proprietors. Fuller fays this parifti was the 
largeft he had ever feen out of London. Among its va¬ 
rious accommodations for amufement, were a theatre, 
tennis-court, and bowling-alley. The latter was the firfl 
of the kind in England ; and, when Thomas duke of Nor¬ 
folk was accufed of afpiring to the throne of Scotland, by 
his intended marriage with Mary queen of Scots, he pro- 
tefled to Elizabeth, that, when in his bowling-alley at 
Norwich, he confidered himfelf equal to a king of Scot¬ 
land. On the north fide of Newgate Hands Surry-houfe, 
a curious fpecimen of domeflic architedlure; in the win¬ 
dows of which were emblazoned, on gl'af's, many armorial 
bearings. 
Coftefley 
