Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2009/January 2010 | Page 40

life

ISLAND HISTORY

Photo: Jireh House

Photo: A Tudor Coat of Arms on the castle wall over what was
once the east gateway.

the tower, died the following year.
Inside the church I find the Mortuary

I leave the church and walk to St.
James’ Square dominated by the

1135 charter next year.
The mystery of how the town’s papers,

Chapel and a statue in full armour of

red-brick Town Hall with Yarmouth’s

writings and records, including the Great

Admiral Sir Robert Holmes. When Holmes

seal over the door with the words,

Charter of James I granted to the town

seized a French vessel with an unfinished

“S.COMMU. DE EREMUE”, translated as

in 1609, were lost remains unsolved.

statue of Louis XIV of France, he ordered

“The Common Seal of the Borough of

Apparently, in 1784 a Lieutenant

the sculptor to finish it with his own head

Yarmouth”. Nearby Jireh House, a hotel

Charles Cunningham Crooke, a guest

instead of the king’s.

and restaurant and one of Yarmouth’s

at the Corporation’s annual Court Leet

oldest buildings, was part of the Town

dinner at the George Inn, was accused

cursed beginner of the two Dutch wars”,

Holmes was accused of being “the

Hall before Thomas Lord Holmes rebuilt

by the Corporation of taking the chest

he brought a Great Baboon from West

it in 1763. Markets are still held on the

containing the documents during the

Africa to England, much to the disgust of

ground floor where you’ll find a replica

evening and “converting it to his own

Samuel Pepys, the diarist, and gold to be

of a mace, Charles II’s personal sceptre,

use and demand”. Crooke

minted into coins known as guineas. To

given “in recognition of the town’s

the accusation but the papers were lost

appease the Dutch, King Charles II sent

loyalty to his father, Charles I during the

forever.

Holmes to the Tower for a short time

Commonwealth period.”

before knighting him and making him
governor of the Island from 1668-1692.

The Yarmouth Town Trust was set up in

denied

Across the square I pop into Harwoods
the chandlers store to see the old well

1891 after the Corporation was dissolved

and drop a coin in for the R.N.L.I, a

and still administers the town’s property

worthy cause especially as the lifeboat,

was formerly Robert Holmes’ private

i.e. the Town Hall, the Common, the

‘Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer)’, in its

residence and Charles II stayed here on

recreation ground and Mill Terrace.

yellow and black livery is moored in the

The George Hotel in Quay Street

two occasions – there’s a plaque in one

The town’s archives, including five of

harbour.

of the bedrooms commemorating his visit

the seven Royal Charters, are kept in

in 1671. With its broad oak staircase and

the upper chamber with the Sergeants’

shows a bull inside the curve of a bugle

panelled hall and rooms, the house still

staves, Constables’ truncheons and the

instrument. The name ‘Bugle’ comes

retains an aura of those days and if you

‘Hand of Welcome’, a gloved hand on a

from the Latin word ‘Buculus’, meaning

wander outside into the garden you’ll see

3.6m pole that used to be hung out of

a young ox and a bull’s horn was once

a Tudor Coat of Arms on the castle wall

a window on St. James’ Day to signify

a common sign on inns in the Island but

over what was once the east gateway.

that the “Citizens of Yarmouth may eat,

seldom seen elsewhere.

Most of the Royal Coats of Arms were

drink and make merry with the wenches

destroyed in the Civil Wars and this one

without fear of condescension and

deck planks engraved with the names of

narrowly escaped being removed to the

apprehension.” The Town Council plans

various subscribers. Built in 1876, it’s the

British Museum by Lord Palmerston.

to celebrate the 875th anniversary of the

longest timber pier in England open to

40

The sign outside The Bugle Coaching Inn

I walk to the wooden pier with its 552