Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft: a reprint: with a chapter of more recent eventsGillingwater, Edmund
History
Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft: a reprint: with a chapter of more recent events
Gillingwater, Edmund
Lothingland (England); Lowestoft (England)
The ill success of this application did not deter the Earl from making
another, which had the same great end in view, the wresting from the
burgesses their great Charter of Incorporation; but, after many pleadings
and decisions, before the king and council, the parliament and the
judges, the Earl had no better success than before; for in the end it
only served to strengthen the designs of the men of Yarmouth, by the
entire overthrow of the adverse party; the affair being at length finally
determined in favour of the burgesses, 5th Edward 3rd, anno 1332.
The men of Lothingland, who had, probably, formed the highest
expectations of success, from the great power and credit of their patron,
the Earl of Richmond now saw themselves left entirely to the mercy of the
elated burgesses, who, on all occasions, exerted their power over them
with a malevolence considerably inflamed by the late dissensions; they
had also the mortification to see that power fixed upon the strongest and
most unalterable basis, by an extensive charter, confirming all their
former rights, and adding many valuable liberties to those they already
enjoyed.
Thus ended this litigious and destructive controversy, in which the
inhabitants of Lothingland had been engaged for more than one hundred
years. The motives which actuated each party were strictly the same; the
one strove for the continuance of those liberties which Henry’s charter
had deprived them of; the other, to retain the rights they had acquired,
so beneficial to themselves, at the expense of their neighbours. It is
not to be doubted, that this was considered by the men of Yarmouth as an
object of the highest importance. A grant which gave a restrictive
trading power to one place, in prejudice to another, must, of course,
draw within its gates all those who wished to advance their interest, or
enlarge their property.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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