Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/57

 V. by the brethren and sisters of St. Nicholas and of Corpus Christi Gilds, which then were consolidated. It seems, by the evidences and wills that I have seen, as if these two gilds were ancient, mention being frequently made of them in the time of Richard II.; upon their joining together, it shews as if they were rich at that time, for they soon built this chapel, and began a fund to purchase land sufficient to endow it; but though they joined their common stock, yet each, to their dissolution, had a priest that separately belonged to each of them; and all gifts were given as to separate gilds; and the brethren and sisters of each were severally admitted and enrolled. The gildhall was common to them both, being the same that is now standing at the south-east corner of the churchyard, which was granted to the inhabitants, and is now used for the charity-school house. It was at that time well furnished for the merry meetings of the brethren and sisters of those gilds, for I find that, in 1575, here were kept the standard scales and weights for the market; that there then was left to the use of the town, in this house, by which we may conjecture what jolly doings there had been formerly. Their chapel stood in St. Nicholas's-street, exactly where the house now [1736] stands, between the street that leads down to the steeple, and that goes on the right hand to the market-place, the chapel yard extending cast to the blacksmith's traverse, and no further. This, in the second year of Edward the Sixth, suffered the fate of all other free chapels, being then dissolved; from that time it stood in a decaying condition, and was in the Crown, by virtue of the act, until June 18th, 1584, at which time the Queen granted "All that chapel with the appurtenances in Diss, in the county of Norfolk, now in decay, commonly called St. Nicholas's chapel, which was formerly used for the celebrating masses, and other superstitious uses," to William Croft, and John Hallyet, by her letters patent dated at Westminster, the day and year aforesaid, all which they were to hold to them and their heirs, of the Queen and her successors, as of her manor of East Greenwich in Kent, by fealty only, in free soccage, and not in capite, or by knight's service, paying 3d. into the Exchequer; they held it until 1595, and then sold it to Henry Cullyder, butcher, of Diss, and Robert Haull, of Palgrave, notary publick, and they, the year after, sold it to William Chambers, of Diss, blacksmith; now [1736] it is in the possession of Jonathan Walpole.

The Town Lands
This town hath an estate at Framlingham, in Suffolk, which (as I am informed) is now [1736] let at 56l. per annum. It was purchased of William Knights of Great Glemham, and Robert Aldred of Brusyerd, anno 1500, by the fund that the brethren of