King’s Lynn 1095 – 1399
Unless otherwise stated, information originates from the Hall Books or Chamberlain’s accounts in the archives at King’s Lynn Town Hall. All mistakes, especially in the ham-fisted attempts at translation from the Latin, are entirely my own responsibility! Chris Gutteridge.
1095 Bishop Losinga of Norwich granted a market and fair to St Margaret’s Church and Priory, on the lenne, or stretch of water. PR
1146-1179 Bishops of Norwich established a new market and St Nicholas’ Church under direct control of the Bishopric. PR
1204 The two sites were united as Bishops Lynn. PR
Late 13th Cent. North Guannock Gate built PR
1327-1377 Eastgate built at some time in this period. PR
1331 Fire. PR
1331-1332 Item respondet de .xijd dat menstrallis Regis (12 pence given to the King’s minstrels). First mention of musicians in Town Records. Mal
1336-1337 Item respondet de .iiij.s dat Heraud & Trumpour domini Rege (four shillings given to the King’s Herald and Trumpeter. Mal
1337 onwards Minstrels and other entertainers and musicians, belonging to various lords, royalty and private individuals are paid sums by the town council, including the Earl of Suffolk’s, the Duke of Lancaster’s etc. Instruments mentioned include trumpet, harp, gittern, lute, fiddle, pipe (probably shawm) pipe and tabor and bagpipes. Mal
1337-1338 Floods PR
1346-1347 Item respondet de iiijs iijd dat nunce & ministrall Isabel Regine. (four shillings and threepence given to Queen Isabel’s minstrels) Mal
Isabella, daughter of Phillip IV of France, was married to Edward II in 1308. She was badly treated by her husband, and eventually left him for Roger Mortimer. She dabbled in politics, and was implicated in her husband’s murder, and when her son, Edward III, came to the throne, he had Mortimer seized and tried for various crimes, and executed. Heforgave his mother who, around 1330, retired to Castle Rising, just to the north of Lynn, where she lived quietly on a reduced income. AF
1348 Heavy rain destroyed crops PR
1348-1349 Black Death PR
1349 Edward III visited Lynn. Scene of banquet with attendant musicians on the tomb of the mayor of the time, Robert Braunche, thought to represent him feasting the King on peacocks. (Two Great Brasses – Famous memorials in St Margaret’s Lynn by John Webster) Instruments include 2 straight herald’s trumpets, 1 shawm (alto?) 1 fiddle or rebec, 1 lute. CG
1353 Drought PR
1358/9 Nunciis & Menestrallo Maiore iiij.li xiijs xjd
Item dat cuibusdon menestrallis dominorum Regis Principis Ducis & diorum dominorum in Lenn Stolas Mercantias xxs Mal
1361-1362 Plague PR
1362 Wind damage PR
1362-1363 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/39/25 (1362/3) ffeoda Solutis … Item de ____ xxxvjs viijd solutis solutis Johannem de Boys Wayte pro eodem. (36s 8d paid to Johannem de Boys, Wayte. First record of a Wait in Lynn.) JC
1364 15th October. Robert Braunche died. CG
1364-1365 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/26a (final draft) ffeoda Solutis …. Item de xlijs Johanni Wayte & Willelmo Wayte pro eodem … (13s paid to Johanni Wayte and Willelmo Wayte). KL/C/39/26b (rough draft of same document) ffeoda Solutis ….Item de ___ xls [^ijs] solute Johanni de Doys Wayte & Willelmo le Wayte videlicet dicto Johanni pro tempore/suo ____ xs & dicto Willelmo pro tribus quarteriis anni xxx[^ijs]s(13s paid to Johanni de Doys Wayte & Willelmo the Wayte). JC
1365-1366 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/27… ffeoda ….. __Item de / xls Johannem Wayte… (11s to Johannem Wayte) JC
1366-1367 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C39?28 ffeoda solutis ….____Item de ___ xls Johannem le Wayte pro eodem (11s to Johannem the Wayte as before). JC
1367 Floods PR
1368-1369 Plague PR
1369 Friar Nicholas of Lynn, Greyfriar, mathematician, astrologer and musician, died. PR
1369-1370 Item de xx.d. dat menestr Regis Scotie (twenty pence given to the King of Scotland’s minstrels). Mal
1370-1371 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/30 ….. ffeoda Solutis …. Item de xls solutis Petro Wayte pro eodem. JC
1371-1372 Thomas Lok purchased freedom. Cal
1372-1373 Ralph de Bedyngham, app. of Walter de Dunton, granted freedom. Cal
Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/32 … ffeoda Solutis …. Item de xls/solutis Petro Wayte pro eodem JC
1374 Floods PR
1373-1374 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/33 ….. ffeoda Solutis …. Et de xls Petro Whaite pro consuete feodo suo JC
1374-1375 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/34 … ffeoda Solutis …..Et xls consuete solutis Petro Whaite pro consuete feodo/suo JC
1375 Plague PR
1375-1376 Et de xliijs viijd consuete dat diversis Ministrallis per vices tan domini Regis & Principis quam aliorum dominorum venientibus vsque lenn Mal
Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/35 …. ffeoda Solucione Iidem Compotum de xls consuete solutis Thome Morton clerico pro feodo suo Et de xls consuete solutis Rogero Cailly / Ballio Comunitatis pro feodo suo Et de xls consuete solutis Petro Wayte Vigilatori ville pro feodo suo Et de xxs consuete solutis Ricardo Swafham janitori porte / orientales pro feodo suo Et de xiijs iiijd consuete solutis Johanni Lister janitori porte australes pro feodo suo Et de vjsviijd consuete sol Johanni Dyote janitori / porte Aquilones pro consuete feodo suo Et de viijs consuete Thome Bedemanno pro feodo suo …. JC (This entry is quoted at length because it refers to Peter the Wait as the ‘Vigilatori’ or watchman of the town, and lists his payment along with those of the town gatekeepers and the Bedeman.)
1376-1377 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/36 …. ffeoda Soluciones …. Et de xls consuete solutis Petro Wayte Vigilatore eusidem comunitatis pro consilio feodo suo … Et de viijs consuete solutis Thome Bedemanne pro consilio feodo suo JC
1377-1378 Chaimberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/37 …. ffeoda solucione .. Et de xls consuete solutis Petro Whaite pervigilatori ville pro feodo suo … JC
1379-1380 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/38 … [ffeoda] Solucione … Et de xls solutis Petro Whaite vigilatori ville pro consuete feodo suo … JC
1381 Earthquake damage PR
1381-1382 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/39 … ffeodrum Solucione … Et de xls solutis Petro Whaytte vigilatori ville pro consueto feodo suo … JC
1384-1385 Thomas Trussebut, app. of John Lokke, granted freedom. Cal
Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/40 ……Et de xls solutis Petro Wayte vigilatori ville pro consuete feodo. JC
1388-1389 Chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/41 ….. Et de xxijs solutis vigilatori ville usque festum Circumsicionis/ pro eodem & recerserut ab officio suo ….. JC
1390-1391 Plague PR
1391-1392 Et de ij.s. sol Ministrall societas Lenn de consueta dona causa eiusdem festuij (And two shillings given to the guild of minstrels of Lynn as the customary donation for the festival). (First mention of Lynn’s own minstrels. Although from now on the town has its own minstrels, others were still employed in large numbers. They mainly played for religious festivals.) Mal
1394-1395 Item solut mynstrallis xiijs iiijd (payment to minstrels thirteen shilling and fourpence). The two minstrels, William Wilde and John de Trumpington were admitted to the guild this year for the same 13s.4d. Mal (see below)
Accounts of the Guild of Saints Giles and Julian [Fol. 5v.] … Willelmo Wilde & Johanno de Trumpington mynstrallis intererut & ingressit suic condonatia / alterii eorum xiijs iiijd [^pro ingresso suo feodo] quod decentibus serventibus Gilde preaccepte annualis ad diem generalem / in officio suo & nichil capiantibus per annum pro labore suo parte cibam & potum & / caputia sua de libertate gilde predicte & quo libertatis anno iijsiiijd durant viij annis … JC
1398 Item Stipendia minstrallis iijs iiijd (minstrels wages three shillings and fourpence). Mal
1398-1399 chamberlain’s accounts KL/C/39/42 …Soluciones & ffeoda …… Item solutis Willelmo Wylde vigilatori ville pro feodo suo/per anni llljli (First mention of William Wylde, who was definitely a minstrel, a Wait and a vigilator, or watchman.) Custus Necessarius [j emptus j tuba] …. In j Trumpet emptum pro Willelmo Wylde/xiijs iiijd (purchase of a trumpet for William Wylde.) [dorso] …Item remitto in manu Willelmi Wylde de providentia comunitatis j claryon pretium l marcz (payment of 1 mark (13/4) to William Wylde for the trumpet) JC
1399-1400 Accounts of the Guild of Saints Giles and Julian [Fol. 10.] …Item in I ludo xijd Item Willelmo Wilde & sociis suis ministrallis vjsviijd / Item solutis ij harpers iijs iiijd. JC
Feast of Corpus Christi, paid 11/- to divers minstrels, 1/- to the sacristan of St Margaret’s church for playing the lute, 3/4d to the clerks of St Margaret’s for chanting. (unatributed quote in Lynn Central Library) CG