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in St John's Churche Yarde to be cleane taken downe for the wydenyng of the strete; and, so far as the parishioners will bestowe the coste, so as it may be done and reedefyed ageyne before the Quene's Mats commyng, they shall have allowed and payed oute of the treasury, vli."

It will be observed that this order refers exclusively to the churchyard, and that no directions are given in it for the alteration of the Church itself to increase the width of the street, which runs at the East end of it; neither am I aware that there is any record elsewhere extant to that effect.

As regards the Church in general, I find the following notices in the hand-writing of that indefatigable antiquary, Mr. John Kirkpatrick, who died in 1728:

"It appears by the Coroner's Roll of 48 Hen. 3, that one Tho: Pratt, who had feloniously smote John the son of Will: de Hedersete and gave him 2 wounds on his head,. did thereupon put himself into this Church. It was ordered that he should be watched there; but he made his escape, so that the Baillives were to answer. -Rot. Coronat. in Gildhall."

Again: "A. D. 1504, Tho. Bowde, Clerk, willed to be buried within ye Churchyerde of this Chirche, in ye Alley at ye Weste ende of ye Stepille ther.-Reg. Popye, f. 554."

"N. B. ye Alley now runs under an arch directly beneath ye Steeple. Qu. therefore, if ye present Steeple were not built since A.D. 1504."

And again, in confirmation of my quotation from the Town books, Mr. Kirkpatrick writes: "Formerly, ye Churchyard came further Eastward than now, so yt ye street was too narrow there. But, A.D. 1577, against ye Queen's coming to Norwich, pt of it was taken away, by order of ye City, for inlarging ye street, and a new wall made as now: ye City pd pt of ye charge.-Vide Cur. 8 June, 19 Eliz.”

In its interior, the Church is full of interest: the heads that

support the corbel-table in the North aisle are both graceful and uncommon; an angel holding a book, in a similar situation in the nave, is singularly elegant; and those painted on the ceilings of the chapels, in both the North and South aisle, bearing scrolls with portions of the Te Deum between crowns of thorns encircled with flowers, are at once most uncommon in design and costume, and far from ordinary in execution. The whole building was truly the work of no inferior hands. The monuments in it to Layer and Sotherton, together with several sepulchral brasses,-among them the remarkable one to John Terry,-still remain uninjured. The palace of the Dukes of Norfolk, now quite destroyed, stood in this parish.

CURSORY NOTICES

or

THE REV. FRANCIS BLOMEFIELD,

The Norfolk Topographer;

CHIEFLY EXTRACTED

FROM HIS PARISH REGISTER-BOOK AND FROM HIS CORRESPONDENCE,

1733-7.

COMMUNICATED BY

S. WILTON RIX, ESQ.,

IN

A LETTER TO DAWSON TURNER, ESQ., V.P.

MY DEAR SIR,

On a former occasion I ventured to express the hope that some competent member of our Society would collect and communicate the unrecorded antiquities of Blomefield's own district; pursuing the inquiry with his persevering diligence and singleness of purpose. It affords me much pleasure to be enabled now to offer some particulars bearing upon the incidents of his life, and calculated to illustrate the value of his example.

All that relates to the father of Norfolk Topography, however imperfectly told, must be in some degree interesting to our members. To yourself, especially, I may appeal for a favourable reception of these notices. You will be prepared, not only to admire his industry and zeal, but to store up every incidental touch of his personal character : you will contemplate, with something akin to veneration,

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