History of Norfolk/Volume 4/Chapter 42

by Francis Blomefield

CHAPTER XLII

OF THE DEANERY OF THE CITY OF NORWICH; THE GREAT WARD OF CONISFORD, THE SMALL WARDS, AND THE SEVERAL PARISHES THEREIN

Having finished the description of the Close or Cathedral Precinct, I come now to that of the City in general, and therein shall follow its ancient division into four great or capital wards, and their subdivision into twelve small or petty wards: the whole ecclesiastical jurisdiction of which (except in the several peculiars belonging to the dean and chapter) was anciently under the Archdeacon of Norwich, in the Dean of the deanery of the city of Norwich, who was always collated by the Bishop, and had power to prove the wills of such persons dying in his deanery, as were not clerks or gentlemen of arms, (all such belonging to the Bishop only,) nor having any goods out of the jurisdiction of his deanery, (all such belonging to the Archdeacon.) He deputed also a sub-deacon, to collect the synodals, procurations, &c. for him; he being answerable to the archdeacon for 16s. synodals every Easter, and as much every Michaelmas; which he was to receive for him of the clergy of his deanery, which was estimated at 20s. but paid no Peter-pence or tax whatever.

Deans of the City of Norwich

• 1216, Richard the dean.
• 1233, Master Richard de Sipton.
• 1256, Master Gosceline or Josceline.
• 1278, Master Henry Sampson. He was put to great trouble for pretending to exercise his jurisdiction within the fee or bailiff wick of the castle, where it was proved he had nothing to do: in 1286, he was committed to custody by the itinerant justices for exacting hallidays toll by his sub-dean, John de Berstrete, in too high a manner; but on his proving that he took of every great boat that came up to the city on a holiday 1d. only, and of each small one a halfpenny, of every cart 1d. and of every horse or man laden, an halfpenny; and of all bakers, butchers, and fishmongers, that sold their commodities on a holiday, 1d. each; and that his predecessors always had immemorially taken it, he was discharged. See Pt. I. p. 48.
• 1297, Thomas Silvestre, chaplain; he held the deaneries of Norwich and Taverham, and the churches of St. Simon and Jude, St. Swithin and Crostweyt, and asserted that they were all perpetually united, and appendant to his deanery, but produced no instrument of union, and therefore at his death in 1329, Bishop William separated the deaneries from the churches, and united the two deaneries for ever.

Deans of Norwich City and Taverham

• 1329, Tho. Dallyng; he changed for South-Elmham All-Saints in
• 1331, with John de Wimbotsham.
• Will. de Hemenhale; he changed for the deanery of the chapel in the Field in
• 1340, with Master Sim. de Cley; who changed this for Norwich Thorp in
• 1342, with Mr. Tho. de Hiltoft.
• Tho. Cook, who changed for the free chapel of St. Margaret in London, in
  1371, with Simon de Erlham.
• 1371, Rob. de Derlington.
• 1386, John de Staunford.
• 1392, Walter Poule.
• 1437, John Thornham.
• 1421, Tho. Lane.

Mr. Ric. Petteworth.

• 1458, John Perse, buried in St. Martin's on the Plain.
• 1471, John Elmham, late Dean of Sudbury.
• 1475, Mr. John Wilton.
• 1477, Clement Gent.
• Tho. Rede, resigned.
• 1503, Lord Edmund Lytchfeld, suffragan.
• 1512, Rob. Browne.
• 1519, Tho. Bellamy.

At the Reformation, this, with the other rural deaneries, ceased, and their whole jurisdiction centered in the archdeacons.