King’s Lynn has never been a town of quiet religious uniformity. Behind the great parish church, beyond the formal world of bishops and parish order, […]
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Half 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 moreMice, Mellow Men, and Candlewives: The Strange Names of Medieval Lynn
What sort of man acquired the name Richard Skin-the-Cat? Why was another Lynn resident known as William the Mellow? Was Agnes the Candlewife a candle seller, a candle maker, […]
Read moreCandles, Broken Windows, and Radical Words: John Wilkes and John Thelwall in King’s Lynn
A town that loved liberty, until liberty became dangerous In February 1771, John Wilkes came to King’s Lynn as one of the most famous political […]
Read moreThe Falling Stones and the Medieval Miracles
Stone has a special force in medieval miracle stories. It is heavy, visible, and public. A fever may leave little for witnesses to inspect; a […]
Read moreBooks Above the Porch: King’s Lynn’s Long Library Story
King’s Lynn did not begin with a public library. It began with books in churches, records in counting houses, papers in civic chests, and learned […]
Read moreThe King’s Lynn Cottages That Were Once Part of a Priory
A quiet row with a deeper history Priory Cottages in King’s Lynn are easy to underestimate. They stand in Priory Lane, close to the churchyard […]
Read moreRichard Clampe and the Fortress of King’s Lynn
A forgotten figure in Lynn’s Civil War story The siege of King’s Lynn in 1643 is usually remembered through blockade, bombardment, divided loyalties and surrender. […]
Read moreBridges at Lynn: The Carpenters Behind Edward I’s Scottish Campaign
In 1303 some men from Lynn went to war in an unusual way. Bridges at Lynn: How Carpenters in Lynn Helped Edward I’s 1303 Campaign […]
Read moreArchitecture, Trade, and Civic Ambition: The Custom House, King’s Lynn
The Custom House, King’s Lynn: The Building That Announced a Port Few buildings in King’s Lynn declare the town’s old confidence more clearly than the […]
Read moreRefugee in King’s Lynn Minster: Naomi Blake’s Quiet Monument
Refugee in King’s Lynn Minster: Naomi Blake’s Quiet Monument in the Holy Trinity Chapel Finding the sculpture If you make your way beyond the choir stalls […]
Read moreThe Lost Market Cross of King’s Lynn: Henry Bell’s Tuesday Market Missing Centrepiece
A market monument at the heart of King’s Lynn At the northern end of King’s Lynn’s Tuesday Market Place there once stood one of the […]
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