Encouragements to builders and planters of Little Yarmouth

Encouragements to Builders and Planters OF LITTLE YARMOUTH.

What Priviledges the Town of Little Yarmouth hath formerly enjoyed.

THe Town of Little Yarmouth hath formerly enjoyed the priviledges of lading and unlading Herrings, and other Merchandize, and of exporting and importing Goods, of all ſorts, in Veſſels of their own, for many years formerly; whereby it came to be in a very flouriſhing condition.

From what cauſe it is faln into Decay.

The Town of Great Yarmouth having by their much greater power procured ſeveral Grants and Letters-Patents from the Kings and Queens of this Nation, upon many plauſible and ſpecious pretences, whereby they appropriated to themſelves, and thoſe who are Free-men of Great Yarmouth, the Monopoly of lading and unlading all ſorts of Merchandize within ſeven miles of Great Yarmouth, whereby the Town of Little Yarmouth were neceſſitated to forſake their habitations for want of imployment; whereby the ſaid Town in a ſhort time fell into decay, and became almoſt forſaken by the Inhabitants.

By what Authority the Town of Little Yarmouth hath its former Rights and Priviledges reſtored and enlarged.

The Town of Little Yarmouth is not only incorporated with the Town of Great Yarmouth, to partake and enjoy equal Priviledges with them, by an Act of Parliament made in the ſixteenth and ſeventeenth year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord King Charles the Second, Entituled, An Act for ſetling of differences between the Towns of Great and Little Yarmouth, touching the lading and unlading Herrings, and other Merchandize; but alſo by Letters-Patents from the King, bearing date the tenth of February, in the twentieth year of this preſent King: and hath as well by the ſaid Act, as Letters-Patents, this priviledge above any other Corporation in England, that the Inhabitants of this place, from their firſt habitation, are intituled to all the priviledges of it, as much as if they had purchaſed their Freedome, for which in Great Yarmouth men pay thirty, forty, fifty pounds, or had ſerved an Apprenticeſhip.

The manner of the Scituation of Great Yarmouth, and of its Trade and Buildings.

Within a mile on the Eaſt of the Town, lies the Main Ocean; on the North-weſt is the River called Brayden, where three Rivers (Wavenee, which parts the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk; Yare, which runs through the City of Norwi • the 〈◊〉 which comes from the North-parts of Norfolk) meet; from whence this River falls Eaſt and by South; and before it runs into the Sea, continues its courſe on the Key of Yarmouth. By theſe three Rivers to the Landward, all ſorts of the growths and Manufactures of theſe Countries are with great eaſe and little charge brought to Yarmouth: And up theſe ſtreams, the Town of Yarmouth with like eaſe and ſmall charge, furniſhes thoſe Countries with all ſorts of Forreign and Domeſtick Commodities; and this done with much facility, by reaſon the Flux of the Sea doth make the Current into the Country, almoſt equal with the Current out of the Country.

As the Town is naturally ſeated with theſe advantages for the Trade of theſe Countries above any other of the Eaſtern Coaſt, ſo it lies in the ſame Latitude as Amsterdam; and by conſequence, more convenient then any other Town on the Eaſtern Coaſt of England, for the trade of the Ʋnited Netherlands, and Flanders; and almoſt equal with Hull and Newcaſtle, for the trade of Hambrough, the Haunce-Towns, the Baltick and Norway. It is moreover inriched above any Town in England, or perhaps in the world, with a yearly Revenue of the Fiſhing-trade; which if it were mannaged and improved to the beſt advantage, might equallize, if not be ſuperiour to the Dutch Fiſhing-trade. But this for many years, by reaſon of this Towns appropriating this trade to a few hands, hath both rendred this trade uſeleſs to the reſt of this Nation, beſides the Free-men of Yarmouth, who have not Veſſels enough to maintain the ſame; but hath alſo given the Dutch an opportunity of being the greateſt gainers by it, who have for many years laſt paſt brought over their Buſſes, and other Fiſhing Veſſels, and have taken the Herrings on this Coaſt, and brought the ſame into Yarmouth, and ſold the ſame to them for ready money; which money might as well have been got by our ſelves, and kept at home.

Though this place be thus naturally and advantagiouſly ſeated for trade, both abroad and at home, yet it is no way conveniently built for it: for the back-part thereof is ſo narrowly built in Lanes, or Rows, as no acceſs can be made to it but by Barrows, uſed no where in England but in this place, and for this reaſon only: beſides, the houſes are built ſo low, as alſo being ſtreightned for Ware-houſe-room, they cannot receive ſuch quantities of Merchandize as their trades are capable of. And though the houſes to the Key are fair and well built, yet they are not of ſufficient capacity to entertain the fourth part of ſuch Merchants as might trade upon the account of this Harbour; neither have they the conveniencies of freſh water.

Notwithſtanding which, by reaſon of the advantages aforeſaid, they have and do flouriſh and proſper in trade above any other Town in England, but London and Briſtow; which they are able to do upon their own account, without any dependency of any other place.

The Scituation of Little Yarmouth.

The Town of Little Yarmouth lies South and by Weſt of Great Yarmouth, on Suffolk ſide, upon the ſame River, oppoſite to the ſaid Town; and ſo is equally capable of all Forreign and Domeſtick trade, as Great Yarmouth; and capable of a farther improvement in theſe following particulars.

1. That the building may be built more commodious and convenient for trade.

2. Secondly, Theſe buildings may be continued further upon that River, then they can be in Great Yarmouth ſide.

3. The Channel runs deeper on this ſide then it doth on the other.

4. It hath the conveniency of freſh water.

5. The Priviledges are greater then the Town of Great Yarmouth: for if any Proprietor in any houſe already built, or to be built, ſhall be willing to let out his houſe to any under-Tenant, he ſhall ſooner have a Chapman for his houſe then thoſe of Great Yarmouth ſide; ſuch Tenant being by his Tenure a Free-man of Great Yarmouth, as well as Little Yarmouth.

This Town to be built is contrived with all imaginable conveniencies as to the Key, for lading and unlading Merchandize, convenient Warehouſe-room, Storehouſes and Cellerage, or any other conveniences whatſoever.

The Proprietors of the ſaid grounds of Little Yarmouth, do hereby publiſh and declare theſe Propoſals following, to ſuch as ſhall accept thereof in convenient time.

Propoſals as to the houſes which front the Key, and their conveniencies.

THat ſuch Undertakers may have from twenty to eighty foot front to the Key, or more, or leſs, as will ſuit his or their occaſions, the Key being to be fifty foot wide; ſuch Undertakers paying for every foot which he hath front, two ſhillings ſix pence per foot per annum, every foot front having one hundred foot deep: at which rate, a houſe twenty foot front, and a hundred foot deep, amounts unto two pound ten ſhillings per annum; and ſo in proportion, be the ſame more or leſs in front, on which he is to build a houſe ſuitable to the place, and uniform, according to the example of the houſes there a building.

And for his or their further direction, he ſhall, before he proceed in his building, have a printed paper directing him therein.

There is no further Obligation on the Undertaker, then his building even with his Neighbours in the front, and no higher: he may build backward as he pleaſes.

Theſe Undertakers alſo have the advantage of the Key of fifty foot wide, only for Wharfing and repairing the ſame, where they may have liberty to lay their goods.

Materials in this place for building are very reaſonable: as, Brick eleven ſhillings or twelve ſhillings a thouſand; Lyme made juſt upon the place; Oaken Timber brought down by the three Rivers at reaſonable rates; Firr-timber and Deal very reaſonable, being juſt againſt Denmark and Holland, Ships going daily from this Harbour thither. Any perſon by building according to the • are that houſes yield in the Town of Yarmouth, may have for every hundred pounds he ſhall expend, twelve or thirteen pounds in the hundred, beſides his conveniencies and priviledges.

The buildings here deſigned, and ſuitable to the place, are to be two Stories and a half high, beſides Cellars: ſo one hundred, or one hundred and twenty pounds, will build an indifferent large and convenient habitation.

The Proprietors in the ground will Leaſe out the ſame for the term of one hundred and forty years, or for ninety nine years, determinable upon the death of any five perſons as ſuch Undertakers ſhall nominate.

Propoſals for Undertakers that build in the ſtreet next the Key, to be called New-ſtreet.

The houſes, whoſe back-ſides joyn with the back-ſides fronting the Key, are to have what front the Undertaker will, and one hundred foot in depth allowed to each foot front, the front to be built as the front next the Key; for which each Undertaker is to pay two ſhillings per annum for every foot which he hath in the front, and a hundred foot in depth. It is contrived and propoſed, that every eighty, or one hundred foot front, ſhall have a free Key belonging to thoſe which build in this Street, as alſo a back-Row, or Lane, in every eighty or one hundred foot, which is to be ten foot wide; out of which Lane they may diſcharge their carriages of Merchandize into their Warehouſes, ſo that their houſes need not to be troubled therewith: by which means the greateſt part of the Town will be as commodious, as if it were all to be built on the Key.

The oppoſite buildings which are to front theſe on the other ſide, are to be built in this manner following:

The Street to be thirty eight foot wide, and to be built as the other ſide. Thoſe houſes which have the ſame dimenſions in front and depth, are to pay twenty pence per annum for every foot front, and a hundred foot deep.

The Proprietors in the ground are willing to erect a convenient Market and Chappel in the old place, at their own proper coſts and charges.

The place to be built ſo far as fronts the Town of Great Yarmouth to the Key, • s near a mile in length, and near a quarter in depth.

This place is convenient for Merchants of all ſorts, Coopers, Fiſher-men, Ship-Carpenters, Firkin-makers, Ship-Chandlers, Sail-makers, Curers of Red-Herrings, Curers of White-Herrings, Coal and Woodmongers, Pulley-makers, Cable-makers, Smiths, or any other Trades which do particularly belong to Navigation; as alſo for Drapers, Mercers, Grocers, and other Retailers, &c.

Thoſe perſons who would be Undertakers, are to repair to Mr. Stephen Primatt, late of Cliffords-Inne, but removed from thence to a Ground-Chamber, at the ſecond Stone-ſteps in Figg-tree-Court in the Inner Temple, who is authorized by the Proprietors to draw their Conveyances with ſuch ſuitable Covenants as are requiſite: Or may give in a particular of their deſires to Thomas Corry Eſquire, or Mr. Austin Bridges Alderman, at their houſes in the City of Norwich; or to Mr. Petitt, at the Griffen in Little Yarmouth; or to Mr. Joſeph Waller in the New-brand Roe in Great Yarm •••• Merchant, who will take an accompt, and return an anſwer thereof with cons 〈…〉 ent ſpeed.