Transcribed from the 1812 W. G. Whittingham edition by DavidPrice,
THE
HISTORY
OF
LYNN,
Civil,Ecclesiastical, Political, Commercial,Biographical,
Municipal, and Military,
FROM
THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE PRESENT TIME;
INTERSPERSED
With occasional remarks on such national occurrences as may serveto
elucidate the real state of the town, or the manners,character,
and condition of the inhabitants at different periods.
TO WHICH ISPREFIXED
A COPIOUS INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT
OF ITS
Situation, Harbour, Rivers, Inland Tradeand Navigation,
the Ancient and Modern State
OF
Marshland, Wisbeach, and the Fens,
AND
Whatever is most remarkable, memorable, or interesting, inother
parts of the adjacent country.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
BY WILLIAM RICHARDS,M.A.
Honorary member of thePennsylvania Society, for promoting the Abolition
of Slavery, and the relief of free Negroes unlawfullyheld in bondage.
VOL. I.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LYNN:
PRINTED BY W. G. WHITTINGHAM,
AND SOLD BY R. BALDWIN; PATERNOSTER ROW;LONDON.
1812.
p.iiiPREFACE.
Materials for a history of Lynn have been collected as longago as the reign of Charles II. by Guybon Goddard, thenrecorder of this town, and brother-in-law of Sir WilliamDugdale. At his death, which happened, if we are notmistaken, about 1677, those materials came into the possession ofhis son Tho. Goddard Esq; from whom our corporation soon afterendeavoured to obtain them; but we cannot learn that they thensucceeded; nor does it appear that they ever came into theirhands. What became of them, whether still in being or not,we have never been able to learn: and it is presumed that all thepresent members of our body Corporate are equallyuninformed. See p. 831.
About forty years after the death of Guybon Goddard, anotherattempt was made to produce or compile a history of this town, bya nameless person, but evidently a learned, ingenious, andindustrious man. Unfortunately his attention was chieflyengaged about the churches, and especially p. ivthe monumentsand monumental inscriptions which they contained. These hetook no small pains with, and made fair drawings of most ofthem. This work he carefully arranged, and fairly wroteout. It forms a moderate folio volume, and is now in thepossession, or at least in the hands, of Mr. Thomas Kingof this town, for we are informed that Dr. Adams is thereal owner of it. There are at the end of it some curiousdocuments relating to divers ancient customs and occurrences, ofwhich the compiler of the present history has in some