The Gate That Stood in the Way: A History of King’s Lynn’s East Gate
According to one of King’s Lynn’s most persistent stories, the East Gate met its fate because Catherine the Great bought too much art. In 1779, […]
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 moreFighting The Spanish From King’s Lynn
In 1588, England stood on the edge of crisis. The Spanish Armada – a fleet of over 130 ships – was on its way, aiming […]
Read moreSir Hamon L’Estrange: The Hunstanton Royalist Who Shaped The Fate Of King’s Lynn
Sir Hamon L’Estrange: Background and Family Sir Hamon L’Estrange (1583–1654) was the head of the L’Estrange family, one of Norfolk’s oldest gentry lineages, with deep […]
Read moreLynn Before 1066: A Re-evaluation
The Simple Story Lynn is situated on an estuarine lake. The name probably comes from the Celtic word “lyn” meaning pool reflecting its proximity to […]
Read moreCharles Burney: The Scholar Who Learned To Like King’s Lynn
I Greatly Dislike This Place (King’s Lynn) After only a few days living in King’s Lynn, a young man wrote to his wife complaining that […]
Read moreThe Lover From Norfolk And The 5 Women Left Behind
Lord Horatio Nelson was born on 29 September 1758 in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, England (approximately 25 miles north-east of King’s Lynn). He was the sixth of eleven children […]
Read moreHarriet Fox: Saved By The False Hair In King’s Lynn
Saved by the False Hair: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, and Survival in King’s Lynn Victorian England, often romanticized for its elegance and propriety, […]
Read moreThe Bishop of Norwich, the Sheep, and the Unholy War
The Fighting Bishop: Henry Despenser’s 1383 Crusade Henry Despenser: A Holy War with Unholy Motives? In 1383, an English bishop led an army across the […]
Read moreKing’s Lynn’s Medieval Street Names
It is noticeable that many of Lynn’s medieval street names were associated with the textile industry, reflecting its major contribution to the wealth of the […]
Read moreThe Drowning of Lizzie Green in King’s Lynn
A Tragic Tale of Love, Death, and Victorian Justice A chilling drama unfolded on a cold January night in 1889 in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. This […]
Read moreThe Mesmerising Mr Clarke from King’s Lynn
The Mesmerising Tale of Joe Clarke: From King’s Lynn to the Liverpool Gallows Joe Clarke’s story is a captivating tale of deception, hypnotism, and ultimately, […]
Read moreRoger From Hunstanton And His Battles For The Kings
The secret meeting with the seaman at the Pastons’ in Appleton was nearly fatal for Roger from Hunstanton. The seaman (perhaps sensibly) and his friend […]
Read more1953 King’s Lynn Flood – The Bungalow and the Steam Train
The Bungalow and the Steam Train to King’s Lynn Train drivers are unfortunately used to seeing hazards on the line – timber, random objects thrown […]
Read moreThe Tragic Tale of Mary Taylor from King’s Lynn
The Woman Who Was Burned Alive For Unlocking A Door In the bustling streets of King’s Lynn in 1730, a young servant named Mary Taylor […]
Read moreSpells, Suspicion, and Sentences: English Witchcraft Laws
Introduction There may have been others, but according to the records we have, eight women were executed in King’s Lynn for being a witch. 1583 […]
Read moreHanging in Chains
Hanging in Chains (Gibbeting): Unravelling the Dark Legacy of Britain’s Spectacular Justice System From 1751 to 1834, Britain employed one of the most macabre punishments […]
Read moreCopper Shortage In King’s Lynn
King’s Lynn Farthing, 1668: A Token of Resilience in a Time of Need When the copper runs out, local traders find a creative solution. In […]
Read moreLynn Man’s Body Covered In Pitch
Have you ever heard the tale of Joseph Beeton, the dandy highwayman? His story is a mix of youthful charm, crime, and tragedy that captivated […]
Read moreMargaret and the Dragons of Lynn
Margaret of Antioch: A Closer Look at a Legendary Christian Martyr Who Left Her Mark on King’s Lynn Margaret of Antioch: Introduction Margaret of Antioch, […]
Read moreCapturing the King: the First Battle of Lincoln
The First Battle of Lincoln (February 2, 1141) The First Battle of Lincoln, fought on February 2, 1141, was a critical event during the period […]
Read moreKing’s Lynn’s Special Windmill
Ok. Technically it is a post mill. Medieval post mills were a remarkable feat of engineering and played a crucial role in the agricultural landscape […]
Read moreHerbert de Losinga
The Life and Legacy of Bishop Herbert de Losinga: Architect of Ecclesiastical Power in Norman England Herbert de Losinga: Introduction Herbert de Losinga (1050-1119), is […]
Read moreA Lot of Digging: Eau Brink Cut
In June 1818 it was agreed that the contractors, Joliffe and Banks, would be paid to evacuate 25,000 floors of earth at 13 shillings and […]
Read moreHorses, Pubs, and King’s Lynn Races
Thousands attend King’s Lynn Races in the mud. King’s Lynn Races: The Welcome Diversion In 1850 the King’s Lynn newspaper claimed that 20,000 – 30,000 […]
Read moreThe Walks, King’s Lynn: Pilgrims, Promenade, and Parkour
The Walks is an historic urban park located in the heart of King’s Lynn, Norfolk. It is the only surviving 18th-century town walk in Norfolk. […]
Read moreThe Perpetual Prison of Lynn’s White Martyrs
Some flee the world and shut themselves within walls, Enclose themselves in stone, and speak but little, To avoid those sins that human weakness is […]
Read moreCastle Rising Castle
Fortress and hotel for royalty near King’s Lynn Castle Rising Castle: The Beginning Around 1138, construction work was started at Rising on firm ground near […]
Read moreThree Women And A Castle
In 1138 William D’Aubigny II removed the wooden fort built by his father and started to construct the impressive Norman castle at Rising, the remains […]
Read moreThe Fight And The King’s Lynn Treasure: St Nicholas’
Saint Nicholas Chapel, King’s Lynn: The Fight Over Services Can you imagine a religious building not being allowed to conduct certain religious services? That’s what […]
Read moreYes, Minster
Many of the King’s Lynn Guides (who take people on walks around Historic Lynn) will tell you that people are often interested in finding out […]
Read moreFanny, The King’s Lynn Bench, And A Place In The London Corner
In 1778, at the age of 26, a woman from King’s Lynn published her first novel, “Evelina”. It was an immediate success, captivating readers with […]
Read moreThe Man, The Galloper, And The Ice Cream Cone
Frederick Savage was a true visionary of his time, whose innovative spirit and engineering prowess transformed the landscape of fairground entertainment in 19th century England. […]
Read moreThe Wars of the Roses: A Summary and Study Guide
On this page: A Summary of the Wars of the Roses A Cast of Characters A Helpful Timeline A Comprehensive Study Guide A Glossary of […]
Read moreDistant Ideas In Lynn Part Two: Thomas Thoresby
Any therapist worth their salt will tell you that what we believe will largely influence what we do. If you want to understand actions, talk […]
Read moreDistant Ideas In Lynn Part One: William Sawtry
Any therapist worth their salt will tell you that what we believe will largely influence what we do. If you want to understand actions, talk […]
Read moreJohn Brandon – Was he, or wasn’t he?
Did the King choose a Lynn pirate to accompany his daughter across the North Sea? I’ve heard it argued that John Brandon (a renowned Lynn […]
Read morePirates Threaten Lynn
People listening to the news in modern times about pirate raids on vessels may be shocked to learn that at various times in the past, […]
Read moreThe Wicked Farmer And Other Errors
A little knowledge can often be a dangerous thing. In telling stories historians can emphasise parts that seem important to them, or miss bits out […]
Read moreJohn Wesley: Reluctant Revolutionary Enriches Lynn
John Wesley: Travels to King’s Lynn Near The End At the age of 87, only three months before his death, a reluctant revolutionary made the […]
Read moreThe Civilian Cost of French Liberation
The Civilian Cost of French Liberation: Non-combatant Lives Lost in the Battle of Normandy The Battle of Normandy is usually remembered for the scale of […]
Read moreThomas Of Lynn
Thomas Thoresby: The Beginning Thomas Thoresby was born in Lynn Episcopi (Bishop’s Lynn later King’s Lynn) some time in 1450, though the exact date is […]
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 moreThe Lynn Man, The Pub, and The Ruptured Spleen
There are many ways of categorising death. There are both natural deaths (from old age, for example) and unnatural deaths (such as murder). And there […]
Read moreSaving the King: the Second Battle of Lincoln
The Battle of Lincoln Fair, 1217 King John’s Death When King John left Bishop’s Lynn (now King’s Lynn) on 11 October 1216, little did he […]
Read moreThe Alleged Witches Of Lynn
Are You A Witch? Let me ask you some personal questions. Do you live in East Anglia? Do you have any moles on your skin […]
Read moreDid the King’s Lynn Sailor Witness Cannibalism?
George Vancouver: The Certainty By the time George Vancouver from King’s Lynn left Hawaii in 1779, he had experienced two things that were beyond doubt. […]
Read moreThe Cry, The Murder, Lynn And The Bard
“Oh! my husband, my husband … At which shrill and unexpected outcry, the people about her moov’d to a strange amazement, inquired the reason of […]
Read moreThe Princess, The Folly, And The Train
The Traumatised Royal Princess: Victoria In September 1835, two years before she was to become queen, a fifteen year old princess came to King’s Lynn. […]
Read moreThe Poor Person’s Anglican Church: St John’s
The Silk Man and the Box Many people are familiar with the fact that the British royal family traditionally spend Christmas on their estate at […]
Read moreSouth Gate, King’s Lynn
The South Gate: The Need For A Big Statement At the beginning of the C15th Bishop’s Lynn (what was to become King’s Lynn in 1537) […]
Read moreThe Angels Of King’s Lynn
Angelic beings were important in late medieval life. They are often represented in English parish church art, especially in open timber roofs. You can see […]
Read moreThe Man Who Opened Books In Lynn
On 18 May 1905 a billionaire philanthropist came to King’s Lynn and was given a key to open an impressive new building which he had […]
Read moreSea Salt and Sin – The Beginning of King’s Lynn
There have doubtless been people visiting and living at the southern corner of the Wash throughout human history, but the town of King’s Lynn itself […]
Read moreThe Leaning Tower of Lynn
One Not Four King’s Lynn has a famous leaning tower. And it’s quite safe. The twenty-eight metre tower of the Franciscan (Greyfriars) Friary leans just […]
Read moreSt George’s Guildhall, King’s Lynn
The Buttresses, the Extended Building, the Bard, and the Button Factory The Guildhall of St George in King’s Lynn is a Grade 1 listed building […]
Read moreKing’s Lynn Teacher Hanged
Eugene Aram – possible philandery (sex), definite philology (words), plunder, murder, and the King’s Lynn Grammar School. On 16 August, 1759, Eugene Aram, a former […]
Read moreMade From Whales in King’s Lynn
Most people walking along the quayside in King’s Lynn would be astonished to learn that the town once had a whaling industry. The port, which […]
Read moreThe Red Mount Chapel In King’s Lynn
The Red Mount Chapel in The Walks is one of King’s Lynn’s most iconic buildings. However, despite surviving over five and a quarter centuries it […]
Read moreWhy Is King’s Lynn Called “King’s Lynn”?
If they think about it for a second, people are often puzzled by the name King’s Lynn. Most inhabitants of the town have no idea […]
Read moreKing’s Killers in King’s Lynn
Not many people know that for several years King’s Lynn produced two regicides (killers of a king). The Civil War: Promotion And Pain When the […]
Read moreJohn Capgrave
John Capgrave – the Lynn historian, hagiographer, theologian, and church leader who saw the princess with his own eyes. In 1406 the twelve year-old Princess […]
Read moreLynn Man Gets Away With Two Murders
Even the father-in-law of the murdered Customs Officer was persuaded to provide Kemball with a spurious alibi for the time the murders were committed. William […]
Read moreLynn Man Buys An Alibi
There were so many people willing to commit perjury in support of Franklyn that the trial took seven hours. Thomas Franklyn – King’s Lynn Smuggler […]
Read moreLynn Mayor Cheats Customs For Years
Francis Shaxton – King’s Lynn Smuggler Francis Shaxton was a respected alderman in the respectable prosperous town of King’s Lynn. But when he was first […]
Read moreCastle Rising: National Figures
Castle Rising is a small village five miles to the northeast of King’s Lynn, and the Castle today is a ruin. Yet, despite the village’s […]
Read moreThe Hanging and the Two Survivors
The Tragedy In 1808 William Wildblood entered St Margaret’s Church in King’s Lynn, climbed the stairs to the belfry, and using the strong rope attached […]
Read moreThe Jews of King’s Lynn
Prior to 1066, no Jews were recorded as living in the England. However, William the Conqueror wanted government dues to be paid in coin rather […]
Read moreKing’s Lynn’s Compass
The Compass Plaques on Purfleet Quay, King’s Lynn. Explorers and Adventurers. On the Purfleet Quay there is a compass rose with plaques commemorating eight significant […]
Read moreLynn Lost A Chantry
The purification offset scheme that failed In the heart of medieval King’s Lynn, chantries once shaped the town’s religious and social life – until they […]
Read moreKing’s Lynn’s Contradictory Window
St Margaret’s Church, King’s Lynn (since 2011 designated The Minster) has a very imposing west window above the main entrance. The church was originally built […]
Read moreThrough Lynn to Walsingham
The second most popular place to visit in England between about 1200 and 1537 During the Middle Ages the shrine at Walsingham was the second […]
Read moreMargery Kempe’s Horses and Cries
”His death to me is as if he had died this same day …” Margery Kempe’s Business Failures In Lynn After the failure of one […]
Read moreHostage Taking in Lynn
The French Are Coming Ironically, although King John had proved himself very capable of hostage taking and demanding ransom, it was not King John who […]
Read moreSt James’: The Clock That Killed
It was the clock on the St James’ Workhouse, given by Thomas Tue of King’s Lynn almost 200 years earlier, that was to inadvertently kill […]
Read moreLynn Priest Makes National History
One-time Lynn priest at St Margaret’s, William Sawtry, was the first person in England to be officially burned alive for heresy. He was executed at […]
Read moreThe Road to the 1688 Revolution: James, Duke of York
Summary of main events and background factors up to the death of Charles II in 1685 The 1688 Revolution marked an important milestone in the […]
Read moreThe Custom House That Originally Wasn’t
The Original Purpose Wasn’t A Custom House The Custom House in King’s Lynn is one of the town’s most iconic buildings. However, few people know […]
Read moreLynn MP’s Netflix Conversation
Introduction Unfortunately, we are not able to be a fly on the wall when we might want to be. And there are many, many occasions […]
Read moreSome King Street Secrets
Can you guess what you might find if you do a bit of digging into the history of King Street in King’s Lynn? The Crossroads, […]
Read moreThe House, The Bank, And The Arctic Ice
Who were the two men who lived in Bank House, King’s Lynn? And what were their very different achievements? The House Bank House on King’s […]
Read moreMansion in Queen Street, King’s Lynn
The Lynn Mansion That Was Briefly A Prison Clifton House is an exceptionally fine early eighteenth century house that in its history has briefly served […]
Read moreExecutions in King’s Lynn
Many people in King’s Lynn were hanged or burned or quartered, but who were they, and what had they done? And why were their deaths […]
Read moreGeorge Vancouver: The Overshadowed Achiever
Innocent King’s Lynn hero attacked with a cane on a London street. Captain George Vancouver: The Caning in Conduit Street In September 1796 a 39 […]
Read moreTime for Edith and Thomas
If you were a merchant sailor in the port in King’s Lynn in the seventeenth century and wanted to know both the time and height […]
Read moreNapoleon’s Soldiers in King’s Lynn
Book a Walk with a Trained and Qualified King’s Lynn Guide During the Napoleonic Wars King’s Lynn was designated as one of the ports to receive […]
Read moreSir Benjamin Keene
For an updated version, see HERE. King’s Lynn man goes to Spain and helps save thousands of lives Sir Benjamin Keene 1697 – 1757 Introduction […]
Read moreThe Biscuits and the Cannon Ball
Hampton Court (14th – C17th) in King’s Lynn is a very interesting series of buildings. The complex was finished by biscuits and finally saved by […]
Read moreKing’s Lynn’s Half Fathoms
Visitors to King’s Lynn who park on the South Quay are often mystified by the thin, bendy shape that reaches over six metres towards the […]
Read moreBig Changes to the River and to the Town of Lynn
How the River Great Ouse Found Lynn – and Left Wisbech Behind During the Middle Ages, King’s Lynn became one of England’s busiest and most […]
Read moreKing John Had At Least Three Very Cunning Plans
The leader, commemorated locally for giving Lynn a Charter in 1204, was infamous nationally for taxing certain mistresses – a trick he had adapted from […]
Read moreThe Languages Left Behind in Place-Names
A Variety of Language Sources British place names contain elements that can be traced back to the languages spoken by at least five quite distinct […]
Read moreCastle Rising’s She-Wolf Revisited (1 of 2)
Queen Isabella – the woman who declared herself a widow while her husband still lived History isn’t always kind to people, especially if the writers […]
Read moreCastle Rising’s She-Wolf Revisited (2 of 2)
Queen Isabella – the only woman to successfully invade the country and depose an English king See Castle Rising’s She-Wolf Revisited (1 of 2) for […]
Read moreThe Riot when Bishop Henry Despenser came to Lynn
This wasn’t an afternoon for cucumber sandwiches and tea on the lawn. The bishop was running. His horse had bolted, and he was wounded. He […]
Read moreHanseatic League and King’s Lynn (3 of 3)
What happened to the Hanseatic Buildings in Lynn after the 1474 Peace Settlement? After permission was granted to build on the site (see Hanseatic League […]
Read moreHanseatic League and King’s Lynn (2 of 3)
What was the Hanseatic League? The Hanseatic League was an organization founded by the Northern European Baltic and German trading towns and cities to protect […]
Read moreHanseatic League and King’s Lynn (1 of 3)
Why did trade disputes miles away at sea end up leaving such a mark on a Norfolk Market Town? The Bay Fleet Attacks In the […]
Read moreThree Peoples on the Road
Who was the Viking who decided to stay near the Norfolk coast on the road from King’s Lynn to Hunstanton? Although people in Britain like […]
Read moreThe Siege of King’s Lynn 1643 (4) – Afterwards
(4 of 4) Local aristocrat convicted of spying and treachery. Execution date fixed for 2 January. “Sir, God hath taken away your son by cannonshot […]
Read moreThe Siege of King’s Lynn 1643 (3) – Ending
(3 of 4) Lynn’s complete legal establishment enter tough negotiations. “In our passage through the towne, not one man appeared, only women, who for the […]
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