1200s

When Henry III died in November 1272, his son and successor Edward (thirty-three years old) was in Sicily, on the way home from fighting in the Seventh – and last – Crusade. A hardened warrior of many years experience, it wasn’t until the year 1274 that he finally reached England to take up his throne, with the coronation being held in Westminster Abbey on 19 August. He went on to subjugate Wales, invade Scotland (becoming known as “the Hammer of the Scots”) and generally impose his presence on all around him – his impressive height of 6’ 2” gaining him the nickname of “Longshanks”.

“All Because of the Herring”

Great Yarmouth’s disputes with its near-neighbours in Suffolk, during the Late Medieval and Early Modern periods, are generally well known in outline – if not in detail. The following series of notes (summarised, by the writer, from the sources cited) relates to the long-running conflict between the Norfolk borough and its Suffolk neighbours, regarding the former’s legally granted ommercial rights and its control of the local herring-trade.

Lothingland

The original grant of a market in Lothingland Half-hundred was made by King John in the year 1211 – three years after Great Yarmouth had received its charter of incorporation (March 1208) with specifically stated preferential trading rights in its own local area. With Crown income solely in mind, the monarch either had no idea of the contention and strife these opposing privileges would cause or was not concerned about them in any way.

ACHIEVEMENTS: established Balliol College, one of the oldest colleges at the University of Oxford

(c. 1210-1290) She was one of the great women of the Late Medieval period. She became Lord of the Manor of both Lothingland and Lowestoft in 1228, doing a large swap of her family lands in Cheshire, with Henry III, for many royal manors in various parts of England. This, because the King wanted a buffer zone against the Welsh. She would never have visited Lowestoft, but collected the annual rents due from Lowestoft tenants via the manor’s steward.

This is a chronological account of Lowestoft's Triangle Market, which has been in existence for over 700 years. 

1208 King John issued Charter to Great Yarmouth creating Great Yarmouth as a free Burgh and other useful things, but were “...not being allowed to receive any custom of goods bought or sold in the market in Lothingland at any time of the year.” (Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft A reprint: with a chapter of more recent events by AE Murton 1897)

1251 Kessingland Market Charter granted in the reign of Henry 111