The interior of the hall is decorated with portraits, some interesting trophies of the battle of St. Vincent, presented by Nelson, the city regalia, and the buskins of a famous dancer, who danced from London to Norwich in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. When that Queen visited the city in 1578, there was a magnificent banquet given in the Council Chamber, and a pageant devised for her amusement was exhibited. In one of the cells at the bottom of the building, the martyr Thomas Bilney was confined, and there tested his powers of endurance by holding his finger in the lighted flame of a candle, to prove his willingness to suffer his approaching doom. In 1660, the lower court at the west end, now used as an assize court, was set apart as a cloth hall, and the room above as a place for the sale of yarn. During the present century the hall has been much improved on the south side. New windows should be inserted on the north side.
St. Andrew’s Hall.
St. Andrew’s Hall stands in the centre of the city, in the parish of St. Andrew. It was originally the Church of the Convent of the Blackfriars, the building of which was begun about the year 1415, by Sir Thomas Erpingham, who died in 1428, before it was finished. It was completed by his son, Sir Robert Erpingham, who was rector of Bracon Ash, in Norfolk, a friar of the order of St. Dominic, and a member of this convent. This convent extended from St. Andrew’s Street to the river from south to north, and as far as Elm Hill on the east. The cloister was on the north side of the church, with a burial place in the middle. The convent kitchen was at the north-west corner. Between the nave and choir of the church there was a neat sexangular steeple, which had three large bells in it and a clock. It was built about 1462, and fell down on November 6th, 1712. A turret was afterwards erected in its place, in which a clock bell hung. At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, the citizens applied to Henry VIII., through the interest of the Duke of Norfolk, for a grant of the convent for the use of the city, and requested that he would allow them to make the church into “a large hall, for the mayor and his brethren, with all the citizens to repair unto at common assemblies,” to make a chapel of the choir, and to appropriate the rest of the building to other purposes. This was complied with, and the petition is dated June 25th, 1540. After this, the guilds of the several companies in the city, twenty in number, used to hear mass in the choir, and make their offerings in that place; and most of them held their feasts in the hall.
In 1544, Henry Fuller, Esq., being then mayor, kept the first mayor’s feast in grand style in the new hall. In 1561, the Earls of Northumberland and Huntingdon, the Lord Thomas Howard, and Lord Willoughby, with many other lords and knights, came to Norwich to visit the Duke of Norfolk, and they lodged at the Duke’s palace. At that very time the mayor’s feast was held; and William Mingay, then mayor, invited the noble lords and their ladies to the banquet. They accepted the invitation, and were entertained in princely style; and they expressed great satisfaction with their reception. After dinner, Mr. John Martin, a wealthy citizen, delivered the following characteristic speech:—
“Maister Mayor of Norwich, and it please your Worship, you have feasted us like a King. God bless the Queen’s Grace. We have fed plentifully; and now, whilom I can speak plain English, I heartily thank you Maister Mayor; and so do we all. Answer, Boys, Answer. Your Beer is pleasant & potent, and will soon catch us by the caput, and stop our manners: And so Huzza for the Queen’s Majesty’s Grace, and all her bonny-brow’d Dames of Honour. Huzza for Maister Mayor and our good Dame Mayoress. His noble grace, there he is, [53] God bless him, and all this jolly company. To all our friends round county, who have a penny in their purse, and an English heart in their bodies, to keep out Spanish Dons, and Papists with their faggots to burn our whiskers. Shove it about, twirl your cap cases, handle your jugs, and Huzza for Maister Mayor, and his brethren, their Worships.”
On many subsequent occasions, the hall was the scene of grand civic festivities, to which we shall have to allude hereafter.
The Triennial Musical Festivals are held here. And, formerly, the assizes for the city; the nomination of candidates to represent the city in Parliament; and the mayor’s feasts, which were generally given on the day when he was sworn into office, were also all held in this spacious building; and on some festive occasions, nearly 1000 ladies and gentlemen have dined here, including most of the principal families of the city. Several times between 1650 and 1700 the hall was proclaimed “a public exchange for the despatch of business between merchants and tradesmen.” The last time was in 1725, when it was used only one year. It was opened in October, 1796, as a corn exchange and continued to be used as such every Saturday till 1828. Under the superintendance of Mr. Barry, the City Surveyor, a complete restoration of the hall was effected in 1863.
The exterior of the hall, as seen from the plain, presents an imposing appearance, chiefly owing to the fine effect of its long range of clerestory windows, of which there are fourteen on each side. The five westernmost windows on the south side are each of three lights, of decorated character, being of earlier date than any of the other windows. The sixth or easternmost window is of four lights, perpendicular in style. On the north side are six beautiful perpendicular windows of four lights, probably the most elegant in style in the eastern counties. The principal entrance is through the new porch on the south-west, which is similar in style to the original building. A large entrance door is provided in the centre of the west front, and above this there is a large and beautiful five-light window, producing a fine effect in the interior of the hall. The interior consists of a nave, 124 feet by 32 feet; and north and south aisles, 124 feet by 16 feet, each being divided from the nave by six lofty and handsomely-moulded stone columns, supporting seven elegant stone arches. Above these arches are the clerestory windows, fourteen on each side, perpendicular in style, and somewhat later in character than the other windows. The roof, which is of chestnut, is of hammer-beam construction, with moulded spandrel brackets and circular shafts. From the hammer-beams spring moulded arch ribs. The rafters, which were originally visible, are plastered on the underside, giving the effect of panelling; the ground-work being intense blue with gilded stars. The hollows in the whole of the timber are coloured vermillion, and gilded pateræ are inserted within these hollows at stated distances. The circular ribs are finished with a bead on the underside, which is decorated by spiral bands, alternately drab and oak colours. The intersection of the main timbers at the apex of the roof is distinguished by carved bosses, richly gilt. The aisle roofs are similarly decorated, but without the gilded pateræ. At the east end the orchestra is placed within a recess, under a fine deeply-moulded stone arch, of large size.
The nave and aisles are lighted at night by nine polished brass coronæ, of characteristic design, pendant from the centres of the arched ribs of the roof. When lighted up at night, during the Choral Society and Festival Concerts, the interior presents a very brilliant appearance. Amongst the principal attractions of the hall are the portraits of city worthies and some historical paintings. A fine work of art, Queen Eleonora sucking the poison from her husband’s wound; and another, the Death of Lady Jane Grey, by Martin, a native of this city; may be seen at the west end. Large sums have been offered for them. The two oldest portraits in the hall are Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark. A fine portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson, painted by Sir William Beechey, was the last for which the illustrious “Norfolk Hero” sat after his return to England in 1801. It is allowed to be an admirable likeness. He is standing on the quarter deck of a man of war; the tri-coloured flag of France is lying at his feet; and the flag of Spain lies on a cannon; leaning against which is the sword of the Spanish Admiral, Don Xavier Winthysen, surrendered to him on