CHAPTER X
OF THE CITY IN RICHARD THE FIRST'S TIME.
Richard the First, sirnamed Cæur de Lion, or the Lion's Heart, from his great valour, was not only a valiant, but a wise, liberal, just, merciful, and religious prince; he was crowned at Westminster, September 3, 1189, and not having the same value for the Jews that his predecessors had, gave strict commandment that no Jew, whether man or woman, should presume to be present at his coronation; notwithstanding which, the chief of them came to make him an honourable present, and declare their joy at his advancement, and to procure friendship to have the charters and liberties of his predecessors confirmed to them; but he commanded that none of them should enter the church during his coronation, nor the hall at dinner, which one of them attempting to do, was stricken by a Christian, and driven back, who declared he had the King's command for so doing, which was no sooner known by the populare, but they fell upon the Jews, and chased them to their houses, which they robbed and fired, burning and killing many of them; and though the King sent Ralf de Glanvil, his chief justice, to quell them, he could not do it till 2 o'clock the next day; and it being rumoured about the nation, that the King did not favour them, by this example, the populace of Bury, Linn, and Norwich, rose against them, and robbed and spoiled abundance of them.
On the 27th of November following, the King, by charter dated at Westminster, created Roger, son of Hugh Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, and Steward of his Household: who being in such favour as to be made Earl of the county, may be allowed to be constable of the castle, seeing history mention no other as constable at that time; earls in favour were mostly constables of the royal castles of their counties; and when they were not in favour, the sheriffs of the counties had the custody of such castles, along with their farm of the county; and by his means it was, he being always a great favourite of this King's, that the citizens afterwards obtained as ample a charter as the city of London then had: which city, upon his expedition for the Holy War, presented him with a large sum, in requital of which, he granted them many privileges, and ordained that they should be ruled by two head officers, called Boiliffs, which they should choose among themselves every year; and in like manner, in 1193, being the 5th year of his reign, in consideration of 200 marks to be paid into the Exchequer by the citizens of Norwich the year following, he granted the city in fee-farm to them and their heirs, paying into the Exchequer the fee-farm rent of 108l. a year, out of which, they had an annual discount of 25s. for lands and meadows in the suburbs, which King Stephen had granted to his nuns at Carrowe, and this fee-farm exceeded all profits that the Kings ever received annually from the city, by above 40l. a year; the tenour of which Charter here follows, as I transcribed it from the original in the gild-hall, which is very fair, and hath a perfect broad seal of red wax of this King's hanging to it.