CHAPTER XII
OF THE CITY IN HENRY THE THIRD'S TIME.
King John being dead, Henry, his eldest son, was proclaimed King, and was crowned at Gloucester the 28th of October following. Lewis and the Barons in the mean time being not able to win Dover castle, removed their seige, and came to London the 6th of Nov. following, determining to subdue the smaller castles first; and accordingly they went to Hartford castle, and beseiged it Nov. 12, and it was yielded to them Dec. 6, in the mean time, Lewis's men had won all Ely Isle, except one fortress, in which the King's people were enclosed, and so went from place to place, conquering all as they went, till after Christmas, and then the said Lewis called all his favourers to a council at Cambridge, and no peace being made there, he made a great cavalcade or military progress into Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, and miserably wasted those counties, taking the castles of Heningham and Orford: as soon as Hubert de Burgh found he marched this way, he sent to Thomas de Burgh, his brother, who was chatelain or keeper of this castle under him, to defend it as well as he could, but he was not in a condition to resist, for want of forces, and therefore upon the approach of the Frenchmen to the city, he fled out, in hope to escape, but was taken prisoner, and put under safe keeping; and Lewis seizing the castle, put a garrison into it, and made William de Bellomont or Beaumont, his Marshal, constable thereof, plundered the citizens, and reduced the city to a poor condition. But being afterwards forced to quit the realm, in 1217, Hubert de Burgh, who was constable of the castle, and sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk from the first to the ninth year of his reign, took possession of the castle upon Lewis's departure to France, and the King being reconciled, Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk, was then made constable thereof, and indeed the constables and lords of castles in the seignories or liberties thereto belonginging, exercised more arbitrary regality over their vassals, than the kings themselves, so that Mat. Paris and others say of them, "quot domini castellorum, tot tyranni, as many constables of castles as there were, there were so many tyrants.
In this year the King talliated or taxed his royal demeans, and the citizens paid a hundred pounds towards it, Yarmouth burgesses 60 marks, Dunwich 100 marks, which shows that town to have been in a most flourishing condition, Ipswich 30, and Orford 15 marks.
In 1220, died Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk, and constable of the castle, and
Hugh his son inherited all his lands and honours.
In 1221, Hubert de Burgh, the King's Chief Justice, Martin de Patteshul, Stephen de Segrave, Tho. de Heydon, Hugh Rufus or Rous, and Fulk Bainard, were justices itinerants here. And this year died Hugh Bigod Earl of Norfolk, and constable of the castle, and the King appointed.
Hubert de Burgh his Chief Justice, to have the custody of all his castles, lands, and honours: he left
Hugh Bigod, his son, his heir.
In 1223, the government of this city, was changed into four Bailiffs, instead of a Provost, by the King's Approbation, upon suit made for that purpose by the citizens, but the charter or license, if there was any granted this year, I have not seen.
In 1224, the Earl of Chester, and all the earls and barons of his faction, were forced to surrender up all their royal castles they had in their custody, into the King's hands, and then Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk, and constable of this castle, surrendered it up.
In 1226, the King sent his writ to Herbert de Alencun and Alex. de Bassingbourn, acquainting them, that though the tallage or tax of Norwich, which was now granted on all ancient royal demeans, amounted to 460 marks, yet for the value he had for the citizens, he had pardoned it down to 200 marks.
In 1228, the citizens petitioned the King for a new charter, with confirmation of all their old privileges, and addition of new ones, and in particular to have the power of trying all writs of novel disseisin, which was granted them for a fine of 80 marks, and six palfreys, paid to the King. This charter is still extant in the gild-hall, and hath a seal of green wax fixed to it; it is marked, Carta quarta, or the Fourth Charter, and is the same, word for word, as the preceeding charters of King Richard and King John, with this addition: