The Historians and Histories, Chapter 1

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The Historians and Histories,

Chapter One, The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries:

Thomas Damet, and Henry Manship.

The earliest known historical writing in the town of Great Yarmouth dates from the sixteenth century. An unsigned manuscript was written that set out the town's history for the first time. Ever since then there has been an argument about who wrote it. For unknown reasons this work, called “The Foundation and Antiquitye of Great Yarmouthe” was ascribed to Manship the elder, a prominent merchant and councilman, a freeman of the Borough in 1545, who was elected to sit on the Corporation in 1550, and was largely instrumental in arranging the rebuilding of the harbour entrance. The river had silted up yet again, and Manship arranged for a Dutchman called Joas Johnson to come across to Yarmouth and redesign the entrance to the river. His design proved so successful that it has been effective to this day.^[1]

The document entitled “The Foundation and Antiquitye of Great Yarmouth”, in due course passed though the hands of later historians. Martin, Blomefield and Ives wrote comments in the border of the manuscript, ascribing it to Manship. Then, in 1965, Paul Rutledge, the Borough Archivist, wrote an article in which he sought to demolish the idea of Manship senior as author.^[2] The latest event referred to in the document occurred in 1599. Rutledge was led to believe that Thomas Damet was the author when he found an entry in the burial register of the parish for a Henry Manship in 1569, whom he assumed to be the same Manship, father of the author. Since then the original document has become available. It had been transcribed by Charles Palmer in 1847, and Rutledge worked from the transcript. Now that we have the original to compare with the book of charters and other documents compiled by Damet, it can be examined to see whether it was written in the same hand. Rutledge maintains that Damet had more than one secretary hand, and wrote documents in a different hand. He maintains that Manship senior was illiterate, and could not have written the “foundation”.

I can find no evidence as to whether Manship senior was literate or not. I have however examined documents by both authors. At first sight these indeed appear to be in two distinct hands. In 1569, Thomas Damet copied out all the town's charters into a book as a historical record, signing every page. The original book is on vellum, bound within parchment cut out of an illuminated manuscript. In 1847 Charles Palmer borrowed it from James Sparke of Bury St Edmunds (it was actually Sparke’s brother who had bought it).^[3] It seems probable that it had passed from Peter Le Neve to Tom Martin to Ives, and then to Sparke. It is now to be found in the Norfolk Record Office.^[4] Only by photocopying and enlarging the script with the letters enhanced in density, and studying individual letters and words with script treated likewise from Damet’s book of charters, is it possible to make sufficiently detailed comparisons. There can then be seen to be enough points that are identical, that Rutledge is shown to be correct and the “Foundation” is seen to have been written by one and the same hand as Damet’s book of charters (see my comparison of Damet’s writing, which do not convert satisfactorily to html, so needs to be opened preferably with Wordperfect, but other word processors may suffice. File is in damets writings wordperfect file

When Damet wrote, probably in 1599/1600, he was following the work of Hollinshed and Bale, but Camden’s Britannia was not translated and widely available until 1610, Spelman’s brief work was later, Dugdale not yet born. There was nevertheless a great interest in the writing of the histories of the towns and shires in Elizabethan times, and Damet was clearly caught up in this whirlwind of interest. Leland had been a great traveller and collector, and his material was used by those that followed him, but he was never able to complete the great historical work of his dreams, since he went mad in attempting it. It was Bale who used his material, and published the work that appears to have had its effect in moulding the prose of Damet. No-one could say that Damet was a plagiarist, he had to do all his own research, and failed to put his name to it when he finished. The prose is fluent, and the text has been considered accurate:

In the year of our Saviour 1306, the Market-Place of the saide Towne of Greate Yennouthe was paved, and a newe Crosse and Pillorye sette upp therein, and the Crosse covered with leade.

Moreover yt seemeth that in the year 1392 the Haven of Yermouthe was fallen agene into greate ruyne and decaye, which had been cutte and trenched newe into the Sea aboute thirtye yeres before, and therefore the Townesmen were sutors unto Kinge Richarde the Seconde, to have leave to digge and cutte a newe Haven, and yt seemeth this was a matter taken in hand by good advise and counsell of some skilfulle personnes, for the verye place was not onlye sette downe where it shuld be cutte, but the verye lengthe and breadthe also were prefixed. For the said Kinge graunted his License unto the said Towne, to make and cutte a newe Haven within the liberties of the same Town, in a certen place called the Horse Ferrye, and that the same shuld conteyne one hundrethe perches in lengthe, and ten perches in bredthe, which seemethe by the mencion of the old trenche yet remaineng, was performed accordinglie. And it is to be supposed that the said Kinge Richard the Second gave some benevolence to so good a peece of worke, at the begennenge thereof, but there is no manifeste recorde thereof. But thus it is to be gathered Kinge Henrye 4, whoe did succeede Kinge Richarde the Seconde, the tenthe yere of his reigne. ^[5]

In Yarmouth, Henry Manship junior was the son of a local merchant. Born in 1555, he became a freeman, teacher and alderman, and wrote a history of Yarmouth.^[8]. If Rutledge is correct, then Manship senior died when his son was only fourteen years old.^[9] Henry junior was soon active in council affairs himself, although very out-spoken and rude at times to his fellow councilmen. In 1604 this caused him to be dismissed, although later reinstated. If arrogant and disliked, at least Manship retained his sanity and his position, whilst others elsewhere were not so lucky. Manship was employed as schoolmaster and notary public. In the Bodleian library at Oxford, there is a book from the hospital school in the Market Place at Great Yarmouth, where Manship had transcribed and translated the original Latin, compiling a history of the hospital. He signed this work at the end, adding his title of “notary public”. The book is leather bound but attacked by woodworm. Brass plates fixed on it are inscribed “Great Yarmouth”.^[10]

Manship junior’s history of the town remained in manuscript form until printed by Charles Palmer in 1856.^[11] Manship started work on his text in 1612 and completed it in 1619.^[12] It seems surprising that the work could be completed in such a short period, but then Stow is likewise said to have completed the “Survey of London” in only eight years. He gathered material from the Yarmouth Church vestry, and the Guildhall, where all the local documents then resided, but also he travelled to London, and examined documents at the Tower. He also examined “his majesties records remayning at Westminster”.^[13] C. J. Palmer when he printed his transcript of Manship junior’s work, wrote “fortunately the book remains”, but neglected to make a description of it, such as the material on which it was written. This is strange, since in his earlier work on Damet’s “Foundacion” he describes the document quite carefully as “very neatly and carefully written in the calligraphy of the period, upon one side of foolscap paper, and is bound in a parchment cover; an illuminated missal having apparently been cut up to keep the leaves together”.^[14]

Manship’s work was completed in 1619, nearly 200 years after Leland and Matthew Parker, and he lived in a time when the nobility were great collectors of historical documents. It was usual to consult other works on a given subject, but as a schoolmaster and classical scholar, Manship is perhaps more likely than many to have kept abreast of the work of his contemporaries.

His more immediate predecessors include Sir Henry Sidney, who was the High Steward of Great Yarmouth, and had a significant library and collection. Matthew Parker certainly used Sidney's library, and borrowed works from it.^[15] Parker was master of Corpus Christi College Cambridge, having been born in Norwich in 1504. Parker, Leland and the historians of that age were very aware of the vulnerability of historical texts, and made great efforts to preserve them. On the other hand Leland was not against forging material, if he need it to suit his purposes.^[16] Much of the later work in publishing and editing the works of Leland and Spelman, was carried out by Thomas Tanner,^[17] and Tanner also has been accused of plagiarism and fraud.^[18] It was Parker who founded the Elizabethan Society of Antiquaries. Sir Henry Spelman wrote regarding the History of that Society in 1614.^[19] Spelman was a historian with local interest and influence, who used charters extensively in his work, indeed he wrote a treatise called “Of Antient Deeds and Charters”. Spelman was critical enough to reject the Charters of Ethelbert as forgeries and considered them worthless, but on the other hand, he was led into believing Ingulf's forged treatise regarding the early Norman history.^[20] There was, then, at the beginning of the 17^th century, the realisation that many old documents might be mere forgeries, and the beginnings of critical examination of sources. Manship however does not seem to have appreciated this possibility. It may well be that none of the documents that he used were forged, but there was no concern by Manship that the documents should scrutinised to see if they were.

Printed historical text had first appeared in England with The Chronicles of England, the rendition of the French “Brut”, printed by Caxton in 1480. The text was accepted as it was and unchallenged for two hundred years.^[21] It was in Manship's time that historians started to become more critical, whereas earlier authors had filled in gaps and altered texts to suit themselves, with no reference to allow others to detect the change. Whether or not Henry Manship thought his work might ever be printed, he used the margins of his manuscript to give comment and reference. Although many documents referred to are lost, there is no reason to think that they have been in any way corrupted.

Printers in the Elizabethan period had avoided contemporary works, and deliberately published works by deceased authors, enabling them to amend them as they wished. Printers obtained suitable texts wherever they might, such as the Chronicles of Jean Froissart, translated by Lord Beers, and published by Pynson in two volumes in 1523 and 1525.^[22] It was impossible to make a living as a writer. An author could only hope to have a wealthy patron, or to have his work published after death. Manship had no patron, but did have a secure income as a schoolmaster, which he supplemented further with his appointments to the town council, and as surveyor. He had no publisher, but the work was very much a finished one in the nineteenth century. Palmer was able to have it printed without alteration. It is clear that the work is unaltered in all but the minutest detail, since there is another copy to be found in the Bodleian Library.^[23] The latter copy is only different in a side note or two, and the fact that minor differences appear from the beginning, and that Palmer never made any reference to any work in the Bodleian, suggests that Palmer was never aware of the Yarmouth materials there, and secondly, that both works were direct copies of the original manuscript. A third copy of the manuscript kept in the Yarmouth central library is identical to Palmer’s copy in every word and detail.^[24] Multiple copies may have been made, as was common practice, but no others are known.

John Speed was a visitor to Yarmouth, wrote his history of Great Britain specifically for publication, and very much to attract the popular taste. The two volumes were published in 1611, and included many maps and engravings.^[25] This aspect leads one to the supposition that Manship was never anticipating a publication of his work, that might since there was no attempt to include any such material that might appeal to the popular reader. Nevertheless it is very polished, and supplementary maps and prints might well have been intended to be included at a later publication date. Separately Speed published a map of Yarmouth in London, a map which had been drawn up for Paston’s grand designs.^[26] Speed’s books were popular enough to be reprinted in 1623, 1627, 1631, and 1632,^[27] and he was a favourite of Manship. Manship wrote in similar style, attempting prose, which in general is quite excellent and entirely readable. For example, in a “prayer for Yarmouth”:

Manship uses side notes, and his writing is full of facts and figures. He refers to other sources clearly enough, though not always quoting page references. For instance he says that the priory of the White Friars was built in the days of Edward III “but, Mr Speed, in his said Theatre, saith (for he is my warrant) that it was built by Edward II, in anno 1278”^[29] In some instances he goes as far as giving a folio number “the tenor whereof as I find them in Neville, fol.1,030.”^[30] He creates tables of Captains, Constables and petty Constables and their respective wards^[31], and clearly sets out his quotations, even with complete references in many cases: “Published by John Speed in the year 1611, I rode fourteen miles to see and read it, whereout I have collected what there he hath written concerning Yermouth in chap.18, fol.35, of his book- ‘Yermouth, saith he, is the key of the coast,’”.^[32]

It is therefore apparent that local history was at first indistinguishable from history in general. The first writers were antiquarian collectors, and history writing slowly evolved. Yarmouth is remarkable in having the earliest town historians in England. Other town histories at such an early date are rare indeed. There are only a very few examples: John Hooker’s “Synopsis Chorographical”, and “Description” of Exeter date from around 1579.^[33] Lambarde published his Perambulation of Kent in 1576, but this was one of the first county histories, not a town history.^[34] In London, William Fitzstephen wrote a topographical account as early as 1170.^[35] It was John Stow, who was the first true historian of London, and in the 1590s he wote the Survey of London.^[36] For that town, nothing really superceded it, although Munday (1618) and Dyson (1633) expanded Stow’s work, as did John Strype in 1720. ^[37] In Warwickshire a “History of Warwick” was written by John Rous before 1491, but that history has been lost, and whether it was of any merit, was a true history, and what may have influenced its creation, is not known.^[38] Elsewhere, Robert Rogers of Chester completed the “History of Chester” between 1609 and 1620.^[39] It seems very unlikely that Hooker’s text will have been available to either Damet or Manship, and of town histories only Stow’s work on London is likely to have had any impact upon either. Of more general historians, Camden will have had an influence on Manship, and Bale’s version of Hollinshed’s work is the likely model for Damet.

The Historians and Histories chapter 2.htm

^[1]A. W.Ecclestone, Henry Manship’s Great Yarmouth, (J. Buckle, Gt. Yarmouth; 1971), p.85.

^[2]Paul Rutledge, “Thomas Damet and the Historiography of Great Yarmouth”, Norfolk Archaeology, vol.xxxiii, (1965) p.119.

^[3]Thomas Damet, “The Foundation and Antiquitye of Great Yarmouth”, Norfolk public record office, YD41/104.

^[4]Paul Rutledge, “Thomas Damet and the Historiography of Great Yarmouth”, Norfolk Archaeology, vol.xxxiii, (1965) p.119.

^[5]M. W. Greenslade, in English County Histories, A Guide, ed. C. R. J. Currie and C. P. Lewis, (1994), p.20.

^[6]West Suffolk R.O., Bosham Manor MSS. (Acc.939), III/14.

^[7]English County Histories, a Guide, Ed. C. J. Currie and C. P. Lewis, 1994, p.20;55.

^[8]A. W. Ecclestone, Henry Manship’s Great Yarmouth, (John Buckle, Theatre Plain, Great Yarmouth, 1971), p.17.

^[9] Paul Rutledge, Thomas Damet and the Historiography of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk Archaeology, vol.xxxiii, (1965) p.119.

^[10]Bodleian Library, MS Gough Norfolk 20, Henry Manship “A Register of the Hospital of St. Mary at Great Yarmouth”, written 1400, with translation by Manship, 1641.

^[11]C. J. Palmer, A Book of the Foundation and Antiquitye of Great Yarmouth, (Charles Sloman, King Street Great Yarmouth; 1874 ).

^[12]History of Great Yarmouth, as compiled by Henry Manship, about 1619, edited by C. J. Palmer, printed 1856.

^[13]History of Great Yarmouth, as compiled by Henry Manship, about 1619, edited by C. J. Palmer, printed 1856.p.ii.

^[14]C. J. Palmer, A Book of the Foundation and Antiquitye of Great Yarmouth, (Charles Sloman, King Street Great Yarmouth; 1874 ).preface, p.x.

^[15]May McKisack, Medieval History in the Tudor Age, (Clarendon Press, Oxford; 1971), p.50.

^[16]May McKisack, Medieval History in the Tudor Age, (Clarendon Press, Oxford; 1971), p.15.

^[17]Dr. Thomas Tanner, Archdeacon of Norfolk in 1721, and Cannon of Christ Church, Oxford, 1724.

^[18]David C. Douglas, English Scholars, (1939, reprinted 1943) p.202.

^[19]Linda Van Norden, “Sir Henry Spelman on the Chronology of the Elizabethan College of Antiquaries”, Huntingdon Library Quarterly xiii (1949-50), p.139.

^[20]Phillip Styles, “The Study and Use of Charters by English Scholars in the Seventeenth Century: Sir Henry Spelman and Sir William Dugdale”, in Studies in Seventeenth Century West Midlands History , (Roundwood Press, Warwick; 1978) p.80.

^[21]John Taylor, English Historical Literature in the Fourteenth Century, (Clarendon Press, Oxford; 1987)

^[22]H. S. Bennett, English Books and Readers, 1475-1557, (Cambridge University Press; 1969), p.132.

^[23]Bodleian Library, MS Gough Norfolk 20, Henry Manship, “History of Great Yarmouth”, manuscript copy by John Mosse.

^[24]Great Yarmouth Library, Henry Manship, “History of Great Yarmouth”, manuscript copy by Robert Cory, L713.

^[25]The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, and The History of Great Britaine, as related in H. S. Bennett, English Books and Readers, 1603-1640, (Cambridge University Press; 1970), p.173.

^[26] Perry Gauci, Politics and Society in Great Yarmouth 1660-1772, (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996), p.112.

^[27]H. S. Bennett, English Books and Readers, 1603-1640, (Cambridge University Press; 1970), p.174.

^[28]Manship’s history of Great Yarmouth, 1619, ed. C. J. Palmer, (printed 1856), p.102.

^[29]Manship’s history of Great Yarmouth, 1619, ed. C. J. Palmer, (printed 1856), p.39.

^[30]Manship’s history of Great Yarmouth, 1619, ed. C. J. Palmer, (printed 1856), p.146.

^[31] Manship’s history of Great Yarmouth, 1619, ed. C. J. Palmer, (printed 1856), p.156.

^[32]Manship’s history of Great Yarmouth, 1619, ed. C. J. Palmer, (printed 1856), p.6.

^[33]B.L. Harl. MS.5827.

^[34]English County Histories, A Guide, ed. C. R. J. Currie and C. P. Lewis, 1994, p.209.

^[35]English County Histories, A Guide, ed. C. R. J. Currie and C. P. Lewis, 1994, p.258.

^[36]J. Stowe, Survey of London, ed. C. L. Kingsford, (1908).

^[37]English County Histories, A Guide, ed. C. R. J. Currie and C. P. Lewis, 1994, p.260.

^[38]English County Histories, A Guide, ed. C. R. J. Currie and C. P. Lewis, 1994, p.396

^[39]English County Histories, A Guide, ed. C. R. J. Currie and C. P. Lewis, 1994, p.73.