Chapter VI.
OF THE CITY IN WILLIAM RUFUS'S TIME.
Upon William Rufus's succession to the crown, Roger Bigod,
who held the castle under the Conqueror, seized it, or rather retained
it, which, as it happened, was unfortunate for the city, he being in the
interest of Rob. Curthose Duke of Normandy, elder brother to Rufus,
whom he assisted to the utmost of his power by garrisoning the castle,
wasting the city and adjacent country, and spoiling such as would
not join with him. The Essay on the Antiquity of the Castle, p. 21,
says, that Roger Bigot had the custody of it committed to him; and
quotes the Baronage, fo. 132, for this purpose; but there we find
nothing of its being committed to his custody, but on the contrary,
that "adhering to those great men, who put themselves in arms
against the King, he fortified the castle of Norwich, on the behalf
of Robert Curthose, and wasted the country thereabouts." Sure I
am, that Roger was of them (meaning that favoured Curthose) who
seized or garrisoned the castle at Norwich, and wasted all that land or
country: (fn. 1) and accordingly Holingshed tells us, in the reign of this
King, that in the year 1088, "Roger de Bigod departing from Norwich, with great forreys (or foragers) over-rode and robbed all the
countreys about, and conveyed such riches as he had gotten, into
the said city." But these troubles being appeased by the King's
making large promises to the English, that he would restore them such
favourable lawes as they wished and desired, and upon his commanding all unjust imposts, tolls, and tollages, to be laid down, and granting
freehunting in the woods, chases, and forests, to his subjects, which he
knew was a thing very agreeable, and much desired, he had respite
from the insurrections, but yet the whole was not settled till 1091,
when there was peace made between the King and his brother Robert
Duke of Normandy, one article of which was, that the lands and
inheritances of all such as had assisted Robert should be restored; by
virtue of which, this castle, &c. was in the custody of Roger Bygot,
by the King's consent, who it seems dwelt peaceably the rest of this
King's reign, and answered the King his part of the profits, of the
castle, city, &c. as is evident by his never being complained of for want
of so doing; and from this time the city began to recover itself, which
Herbert Losinga, then Bishop of Thetford, perceiving, having been
quite disappointed, as well as his predecessors, as to settling the see at
Bury, he determined to translate it hither, and that contributed very
much to raise the city to that degree that it soon rose unto in these
times; and it is plain that Roger had a great hand in this translation,
it being said in the King's charters and grants made to the Bishop,
that he did it at Roger's request, who seemingly had a mind to bring
the see to his chief mansion, which was the Castle here; and so the
see, as all agree, was by Herbert translated and fixed here Apr. 9,
Ao. 1094, and in the year 1096, he laid the first stone of the cathedral
church. And this confirmed the flourishing state of the city, which
from this time daily increased in wealth, trade, and buildings.
At this time Alsi, Abbot of Ramsey, owned several tenements here,
for the King directed his writ to Bishop Herbert, to let him have soc,
sac, toll, theam, infangenthef, and all customs that his ancestors had.
Speed, fo. 437, exhibits a coin of this King coined here, round the
head is [w]illem rex anglorum, and on the reverse godric MOnetarius nor[thwi]c. i.e. William King of the Englishmen, and Godric
Mintmaster of Norwich.
More I find not of this King, nor any thing in reference to this
place in his time, only make no doubt but that the number of Jews
here much increased, as well as elsewhere, he being such a favourer
of that people, who (we are not to imagine) had it for nothing. He
died in the year 1100, being accidentally killed as he hunted in NewForest, by Sir Walter Tirrell, who shot at a stag, and the arrow
glanced from a tree into the King's breast, so deep that he died immediately.