Crown Score
Current
CrownScore
Lowestoft
United Kingdom
History
Takes its name from the The Crown inn, on the opposite side of the road, and like most of the scores has seen changes in name over the years. It is not referred to in the Manor Roll of 1618, but it existed nevertheless. The messuage, or building-plot, on its southern side is found referred to in the manorial records as The Lyon [Lion], which suggests that the house abutting onto the High Street must have served as an inn or alehouse of some sort at one time - probably during the 17th century. And, in fact, at one point recorded - even as late as 1720 - it was known as Lyon Score. In a listing of town copyhold properties made by the Revd. John Tanner c. 1720-25, the description of it is “one house divided into separate tenements”, held by John Hayle (grocer). A grocer at that time was not quite the same as one of today, who deals mainly in food and drink items, but someone who traded in a wide range of products, in bulk - selling on to retailers. Hayle had entered the property in 1675 and it may have been him who used part of the premises as an inn. During the earlier part of the 17th century, a man called Thomas Ferney (shoemaker) had been occupant (1617-26), followed by his widow and children up until 1646 - during which time the footway became known as Ferney’s Score.
The earliest reference to it goes back to the late 16th-early 17th century, when a man called George Rugge had a shop of some kind facing onto the street (type unknown), which led to it being called George Rugge’s Score. The man himself seems to have been “a bit of a character”, since he features three times in the six-monthly manorial court for Lothingland half-hundred (known as the tourn), which adjudicated upon misdemeanour not dealt with in the annual leet courts held in each local individual community. In October 1589, he was fined 4d for being “a common drunkard”; in October the following year, he was fined an identical amount for allowing his servants to dump household sewage in the drainage-channel which ran along his side of the score; and, in April 1594, he incurred a penalty of 12d for being a “rayler and slanderer” [railer - meaning verbal abuser], thereby disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. Further references to the score named after him occur in two, later, following years when the Lowestoft churchwardens were fined 4d for not keeping both it and Swan Score clear of the rubbish being deposited there. This was a common and ongoing problem during the Early Modern period. People tended to dump their rubbish in whichever parts of the roadways or scores were nearest to them.
Both the walls and steps in this score are Grade II listed by Historic England for their historical significance and overall quality of build. The northern section is of 18th century date, consisting largely of brick and flint bond, with 19th century courses of brick only towards the High Street end. The southern one is largely of 18th century brickwork, with a length of cobbled flint only towards the bottom of the footway.
Architecture
Crown Score takes its name from that of the inn which stands on the opposite side of the High Street and is another of the Lowestoft scores to have had different names in the past. Prior to that particular title, it had been known as Lyon's Score for much of the 17th century and during the first part of the 18th - this, with reference to an inn called "The Lyon" [Lion] which had once stood on the passage's southern corner, on the site of what is now Nos. 51 & 51A High Street. Other than its name being referred to in manorial records, there is no other information which has come to light regarding the operation of the inn itself, but it must have been in operation at some point during the 17th century.
In 1720, the messuage was held by John Hayle (grocer) and is described as consisting of buildings, yards and gardens. The Manor Roll of 1618 names Thomas Ferney (cobbler) as tenant, with George Judge (al. Rugge) mentioned as a previous occupant. There is a certain amount of information relating to Rugge, as he appears as an offender in both the annual Lowestoft leet court records and those of the Lothingland Half-hundred tourn (a six-monthly court adjudicating on misdemeanour).
The leet court fined him in 1585 for fouling the score with muck (which would have included human sewage) and for selling illegal goods in his shop. These are not named, but the offence may have related to false measure. The tourn named him as common drunkard in 1589, of allowing his servants throw muck into the score in 1590, and of being "a railer and slanderer" to the detriment of the peace of the neighbourhood in 1594. Obviously, not the kind of person that anyone would want living next door!
In a tourn record of 1605, the Town of Lowestoft (i.e. the Churchwardens, as part of their civic duties) was fined for not maintaining Swan Score [Mariner's Score] and George Rugge's Score [Lyon's Score/Crown Score] and describing them both as "very noisome [noxious] to travel up and down". CREDIT:David Butcher
TM5593NW CROWN SCORE 914-1/8/2 Walls and Steps to Crown Score 03/10/77 (Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET Walls and steps to Crown Score)
GV II
Walls and steps to Crown Score. C18. Brick and flint. A flight of concrete steps with whole flint splays bounded to the south by late C18 brick wall. Towards the east end of the south wall the brick gives way to whole flint and brick construction. The north wall is of whole flint and brick, with C19 upper courses of brick towards the west end. CREDIT: Historic England
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