Row Twenty, from Charlotte Street to the Market
Place, now Brewery Plain to the Market Place, was named Swan Row, because at the south‑east
corner is the Public House called The
"Swan with Two
Necks".
In the seventeenth century it was the property of William Cosh, a wealthy
brewer, and then called the "Three Flower Deluces". He died in 1681
aged 63, having been Bailiff in 1679.
The house was left to his nephews and then to Francis Morse, who sold
it in 1740 to William Browne Esq.
The row was called Barrett's so
far back as 1485, Barrett being Bailiff in 1488.
At the north‑east corner in Palmer's time
was a Chemist and Druggist shop in an old house partially rebuilt. The next houses
to the north were in the seventeenth century the property of Joseph Cotman. House number three was at that time a Public House
called The "White Bear", and the back premises abutted in part upon
those of the Wrestler's and "The Duck". The Chemist and Druggist's
shop was rebuilt again subsequent to the war, having been bomb damaged, and
there are photographs of these premises both prior to and subsequent to the
war. The house at no. 2 in the Market
Place, were in the seventeenth century the property of Richard Brightin, and
were wine and spirit vaults.*1
Johnson wrote “This was Bailiff Barrett's Row
in 1485, known subsequently as Wrestlers Tap Row, Swan Row, Two Necked Swan
Row, Steward's Row or Steward The Chemist's Row. How charming an entrance at
the east end! "SLIP IN". This
sign was displayed in the 1920's. There was a covered entrance to the row at
the east end, with four heavy beams
overhead, the curved wooden spurs (Adze hewn), protecting posts for the
doorsteps. There were many chimney pots, a graceful curve in the wide row, and
irregular gables. The clean colour-washed walls set off the half‑
timbered houses.*2 Robert Barrett, the Yarmouth bailiff of
1488, was one of the 12 burgesses that amended the old ordinances in 1491, and
compiled some 33 clauses towards the better government of the town. There was a
tavern in the row.
The tavern known as the two Necked Swan, was
formerly the "Two Fleur DeLuces",
owned by William Cosh, who was Bailiff together with Samuel Fuller in
1679. Portions of his will were recorded by Dawson Turner in 1848 in his
"sepulchral Reminiscences". Cosh died aged 68 in 1681, and was buried
in St.Nicholas church. On August 22nd.
1906, by permission of the Rt. Worshipful, the Mayor, (William Palgrave), a live crocodile was displayed in a commodious
room (at the two necked Swan). The
price of admission was one shilling. (five new pence) Similar exhibits were
then common. Mr. A. Goddard was the licensee in 1928. *2
A most amazing thing today is that the Council,
despite evident disagreement of the population, discontinued the position of
Mayor in 1991 in order to save money. Although no‑one I have spoken to
agrees with this move, very little serious protest has been noted since.
Nevertheless this is a very sad loss indeed in terms of our heritage.
Nos.1 and 2 the market place was known as
Burrough's corner in association with "Doctor" Burroughs who had a
wine and spirit business there. Harry
Johnson said that this was the
oldest licensed tavern in
the district. (although the Feathers
and the White Lion also lay
claim.)
For over a century the Forder family were
resident and in business in the vicinity. The directory for
1850 quotes Robert Forder of Row 20, and Thomas Forder,
of Charlotte Street, both furniture dealers. The latter is mentioned in
Pigot's 1830 directory as an auctioneer and appraiser (valuer), at the same
address. This family came from the Fleggs,
and in 1836 mention is made in
White's Norfolk, of a cork tree, 75 years old to be seen in Mr. Forder's garden in Martham. At no. 3 Market Place,
and presiding over his well known lengthy bookstall in the 1870's was Robert
Forder, a familiar figure in his top
hat. His son John Forder died May
8th. 1926. These gentlemen were
fond of recalling tales of the press-gangs and their hauls made at the
Wrestler's and the tavern in the row. At the museum was a tuning pipe used at
the Parish Church by one of the family
early in the 19th.Century. Yarmouth
had other rows that took the
Steward name, such as "The Pawnbroker" etc.
The
Steward
family have long been Chemists
and Druggists. In 1828 they were so designated, and in 1891 Mr. Hurry
Palmer took over. It appears that
what was in the 1920's known as
Dr. Burrough's corner was the first shop of Mr. Steward, later
moving to no. 5, at the north‑east corner of row 20. On retirement
the family resided at Hog Hill. On 18th. January 1928, at 19 Wellesley Road
died the last surviving child, Susan Emma, of Charles Samuel Dale Steward, the
founder of this long established family
business. The pre‑war shop-front, with
its four Corinthian columns and the curious and rare iron trellis
ventilators
to the
cellars was fitted in the early 1870's.*2 The shop next north, no. 4, was for many
years the popular eating house of J.W. Peacock, father of the veteran
Mercury contributor of the 20's. Peacock Row, no. 142, took its
name from this family.
In 1845, Newman the whitesmith had his place in Row 20, and in 1886 Mr.
Tripp the lamplighter was to be found
there. The familiar figure with pole and ladder was rare even in Johnson's
time.*4 There exists a collection of
the lamplighter's poems it seems by
George A. Stephen, F.L.A., Norwich Librarian of that time.
The "Rampant Horse", so long
associated with Charles Hart, was situated at the south‑west corner of
the row. Here Joseph Watson retailed vegetables from the gardens of Mr.Money,
dabbled in marine stores and furniture,
and eventually obtained a beer licence
that finished early in the first world
war. The north gable of this residence was of flint and brick, containing two
"cowmouth"
windows, and owing
to serious dilapidations, the whole was renovated and cement rendered a
few months prior to Johnson writing in 1928.
(The same old story!)
The Row Survey of 1936 shows this row to have
been by then demolished.
In 1934, Alice and Archie Holt
moved here to no. 12, and must
have been among the last residents
prior to the clearance. The entrance to their house can be seen
in the photograph, and is
between Forder's and Barnes' warehouse. (the grocers) The house had a tiny kitchen, a yard at the
front, a main room, three stories, two
bedrooms above, and a cellar below.
Amazingly the cellar had once been used
to smoke herring,
where "speets" had
been hung in the large chimney. Here it was possible to climb up in
the chimney, where you could then hang
over the dividing wall, and look down
into the kitchen. The chimney still smelled strongly of herring. The cellar
floor was made of rammed earth. Outside
in the yard, the lean‑to with
copper and tap, (which froze up in the winter), can be seen on the plan.
In the photo, (taken many years previous) no.
12 is where the young family is looking out of the gateway on the left. The
Holts had just married, and came here from Row 55 (Bank Row). In the photo, the
row previously flagged and cobbled,
had been concreted, with
the sewer laid underneath, down the middle of the
row. Other occupants of the row
included- William Bishop who worked at Jewson's. Bishop had a daughter, and a
son, Billy. The Varleys lived at no. 4. William Varley was a fisherman. There was a daughter
Lilly. The father and son were
both lost at sea on the same fishing boat.
*1 Palmer
*2 Johnson
*3 Alice Holt
*4 see row 113 regarding the
lamplighters