*

The Mayor is elected annually, with other officers of the borough, on the 29th of August, by an inquest of the freemen, in a very peculiar manner, and sworn into office at Guild-Hall, on the 29th of September following, from whence he proceeds in procession to the Town-Hall, where an elegant entertainment is usually given to the members of the corporation and his friends.

* The extraordinary method of electing a Mayor and the other officers has been practised ever since the year 1491, at which time the town was governed by two bailiffs. The following regulations are prescribed in a set of ordinances, made by twelve of the burgesses in that year, and assented to by Sir James Hobart, then his Majesty's Attorney General. A copy of these ordinances is preserved in Swinden's History, from which, for the satisfaction of the curious, I insert the following extract:~~

"First that upon Seynt John's day the Decollation, a comown semble zeerly to be holden in the common hows for the eleccion of baliffz and othyr officers aftyr the old laudable custome of the same towne wythoute tyme of meude used, it is ordeynyd and establyshyd that every of the XXIIII ti. and every of the XLVIII ti. for the tyme beyng, at that day beyng wythin the towne, all excuses avoyded, secknesse and other ryght speciall causes resonable except, shall be zeerly present at the seyd comowue semble wythoute any warnyng to them to be made upon peyne folwyng that is to say, every on of the XXIIII ti. that schall faile there and be absent at IX or X of clok at farthest before noon that day upon pey ne of XXs. and every one of the XLVIII ti. that schall faile and be absent in lyke forme upon peyne of Xs. to be forfeted and rered wythoute delay to the comowne use and profyte of the same towne, and that non of them absente ner wythdrawe themsylff that day oute of the towne purposly wythoute grett cause upon the seyd peynes.

"Also it is ordeynyd that at the denominacyon and agreement of the balyffz and the XXIIII ti. for the tyme beyng, at the seyd semble schal yerely be wretyn of every lete IX names of the most discrete welldysposyd and indyfferent personys of the seyd XLVIII ti. thanne being present in the hous, and for defawte of that nowmber of the XLVIII ti. thanne to name other welldysposed personys thanne present: the seyd IX names so wretyn of every lete to be put in IIII cappes, every lete by the self. Thoo personys that were on the eleccyon the last zeer precedent excepted, accordyug

The Mayor, in token of his authority, wears a gold chain on all public occasions, and is preceded by the town regalia, consisting of two maces, silver gilt, and an oar of the same metal, the insignia of the admiralty court jurisdiction, with a sword and banners, on the last of which are depicted the highly symbolical arms of the town, viz. per pale to the old ordenaunces. And all IIII cappes to be brought by fore the balyffz and thanne an innocent, or a man not letteryd to be called and he to take owte of every cappe III bylles and ley them down before the balyffz. And these XII to be called charged and sworn aftyr the old custome of the towne, and the seyd XII personys so charged schal chose the offycerys for the zere nexte ensueng, that is to say, II balyffz, II chamberleynys, II chyrche wardeynys, II muragers II collectours for the half dolys VIII dyscrete and sufficient wardours for awardyng of heryng and IIII audytorys, the which audytorys schal be II of the XXIIII ti. and II of the XLVIII ti. and that they be of the most wyse and dyscrete men, and that can best skyl to take accompt. And if IX of the XII so sworn be accordyd, thow the odyr III be not agreable to them, the verdyte of the IX so accordyd schal be receyvyd and the eleccyon schal stand in effecte."

The ancient form is still used, with little variation, at this period; except, that the numerical alteration in the corporate body, from forty-eight common councilmen to thirty-six, has made it necessary to substitute twenty-four persons in the first instance, in lieu of the thirty-six therein prescribed, namely, nine for every leet, by which I presume is meant, that number for every one of the four leets or then divisions of the town.

The inquest of twelve, at the present period, are locked up in the Guild-Hall without meat, drink, fire or candle, until the election be made; and, when the party feelings of the town are excited, it is generally contended in a very obstinate manner. In 1775, they were confined during six days, and every possible method resorted to by one of the parties to starve out their opponents. Notwithstanding the vigilance of the officers in attendance, it is well known that these gentlemen generally contrive to secrete certain eatables for their support upon this trying occasion. This may very easily be done, for there is no actual search upon entering, nor any oath administered to the principals to abstain from refreshments.

gules and azure, three demy lions, empaling three herrings' tails.

s

A Court of Hustings* was established under the charter of incorporation, which had been before held by ancient prescription, from the foundation of the borough. This court was the origin of the first court of record, and entitled in the rolls " Le Burgh. Court," for hearing and determining all manner of trespasses, covenants, deceits, debts, and contracts, whatever arising within the town. The provost and bailiffs formerly presided in it, in the same manner as the mayor does at present. It is held every Tuesday, and in its practice nearly resembles the Court of King's Bench at Westminster. Anciently all treasons, murders, felonies, and other pleas of the crown were tried by the King's Justices, who came to Yarmouth, and held regular sessions for. determining capital offences: but in the 9th year. of Henry VII., the burgesses obtained a charter, by which they were enabled to constitute justices of the peace from among themselves, who were equal in power to any county justice in England, having liberty to hold sessions of oyer and terminer and gaol delivery, after which time the King's justices ceased their visits. These sessions were annual, until very lately, when in consequence of the great increase of prisoners, and the confined limits of the gaol, they were ordered to be held half-yearly. In

* Hustings, this word is derived from the Saxon of Hustinge, a council or court; and is so used in the Saxon chronicle, anno 1012; where it is said" they took the bishop and led him to their husting,' that is, to their council.—Cunningham.

"

all cases where issue is joined between the parties in the court of record, the trial takes place at these sessions.

In the first year of Queen Elizabeth, an important privilege was acquired; namely, that of holding an Admiralty Court, every Monday throughout the year, with power to try all maritime causes within their jurisdiction, piracy only excepted. This grant was further confirmed by James I., who gave an additional power to punish pirates, of which the court has several times availed itself, particularly on the twenty-fifth of March, in the 11th year of the last-mentioned monarch, being the first session held under the charter, when five persons were condemned, three of whom were afterwards hanged for "unlawfully taking and carrying away a certain ship, named the Seahorse, and her cargo, being upon the high seas, and within the jurisdiction of Yarmouth."

The Mayor pro tempore presides inthis court, of which he is the judge and admiral.

A weekly Court of Request, commonly styled the Court of Conscience, was established by act of parliament, in 1758, for the recovery of debts under 40s. The business of all these courts is transacted in an apartment over the common gaol of the borough, in Middlegate-street, which is termed in all summonses and other writs the "Toll-house Hall, from the ancient tax on fish having been collected there.

In the 23rd year of the reign of King Edward I., we find that this town sent two burgesses to parliament, which was quite as early as the city of Norwich and the borough of Lynn. In the 2nd of Henry V. they are further mentioned; and in the 7th, 12th, and 17th years of Edward IV., they are again noticed in the parliamentary rolls of those periods.