Chronological Timeline of King’s Lynn 1100 Years of King’s Lynn History Before 1100 – Lynn’s Saxon Beginnings c. 9th–11th centuries: A small coastal community forms […]
Read moreCategory: Documents & Laws
Bound to the Borough: Freemen and Apprentices in Old Lynn
The names in the books The old civic records of Lynn are not quiet books. They are full of boys sent into service, craftsmen taking […]
Read moreThe Ship Nicholas: When Edward I’s Scottish War Reached Bishop’s Lynn
A medieval king’s war could arrive in a town in several ways. It might arrive as a royal command, a tax demand, a requisitioned cargo, […]
Read moreWhen Lynn Became One Town: John de Gray and the Great Exchange of 1205
In May 1205, the monks of Norwich gave up a town. That sounds dramatic, but the truth is more interesting. The monks did not abandon […]
Read moreHalf of Lynn? The d’Aubigny Family and a Medieval Myth
For centuries, one of England’s most powerful aristocratic families is said to have owned half of Lynn. It is a memorable claim. The bishop of […]
Read moreMoney, Mayors, and Mistrust in Bishop’s Lynn
Who watched the Mayor? Who controlled Lynn’s money? And who had the right to check the men who governed it? The unrest that shook Lynn […]
Read moreThe King Punishes Lynn
How a Medieval Port Lost, and Regained, Its Freedom In the first years of the thirteenth century Bishop’s Lynn looked like a town with a […]
Read moreHow King’s Lynn Cleaned Up Its Act: The Town’s First Paving Laws
The paving of King’s Lynn was neither simple nor swift. It was a civic adventure that spanned decades, uniting merchants, ministers, and mayors in one […]
Read moreA Political Revolution in Tudor Lynn
A Political Revolution in Tudor Lynn: The Rise of the Merchant Class and the Decline of Episcopal Power The story of King’s Lynn in the […]
Read moreKing’s Lynn’s Charters
Charters A royal charter gave a community certain privileges, exemptions, and powers. And these usually related to charging or avoiding taxes and tolls, and to […]
Read more