To these, and to a recorder, with an indefinite number of magistrates appointed by the crown, the government of the city is entrusted. King Stephen, on his accession, granted the custody of the castle to his favourite, Hugh Bigod, who was a principal instrument in advancing him to the crown, by coming directly from Normandy where Henry I. died, and averring that he on his deathbed had disinherited his daughter Maud, the empress, and appointed Stephen, Earl of Bolyne, his heir. The citizens, therefore, taking this opportunity, used what interest they could with the king to obtain a new charter, vesting the government of the city in coroners and bailiffs instead of provosts; but the affair took a different turn to what they expected, for the king, upon a distrust of Bigod favouring the cause of the Empress Maud, seized the castle and all the liberties of the city into his own hands, and soon afterwards granted to his natural son William, for an appanage or increase of inheritance, the town and burgh of the city of Norwich, in which were 1238 burgesses who held of the king in burgage tenure; and also the castle and burgh thereof, in which were 123 burgesses that held of the king in burgage, and also the royal revenue of the whole county of Norfolk, excepting what belonged to the bishopric, &c. The whole rent of the city, including the fee farm, was then about £700 per annum. The king restored the city liberties for a fine in 1139. During the reign of King Stephen more Flemings came over; and these successive immigrations were a real blessing to the land. England had not been a manufacturing country at all till the arrival of the Flemings, who introduced the preparation and weaving of wool, so that, in process of time, not only the home market was abundantly supplied with woollen cloth, but a large surplus was made for exportation. The Flemings were kinsmen of the Anglo-Saxon race, and were distinguished for that probity in their commercial dealings which afterwards became the characteristic of the English merchants at large. Henry II., in the first year of his reign, 1155, took the city, castle, and liberties from William, the natural son of Stephen; but, as a recompense, restored to him all those lands which his father held in the reign of Henry I. He also prevailed upon Hugh Bigod to yield up all his castles, whereby the whole right became vested in the crown; the king governing the city by the sheriff, who paid the profits arising therefrom into the exchequer. About the year 1163 Hugh Bigod was restored to the title of the Earl of Norfolk, and at the same time appointed Constable of Norwich Castle, by which means he became sole governor of the city. In 1182, the citizens recovered the liberties of the city on paying a fine of 80 marks to the king.