her Charter of Incorporation, and the Spanish Armada was defeated. The Banquet given by George Norris in the Guild Hall to celebrate that event set the precedent for many sumptuous entertainments on subsequent anniversaries. The Will of "George Norrice, tanner, St. Margaret's, Leicester," was proved in the prerogative court of Canterbury in 1598. John Norris, gentleman, who was buried at All Saints' on July 30th, 1700, was the last male representative of this old Leicester family.
The name of Stafford, known in Leicester from an early date, rose to some prominence in the 14th century. John of Stafford, described as a "belleyetere," or bell-founder, entered the Guild in 1338, and occupied the Mayor's chair no less than four times. He was also chosen four or five times to represent the town in Parliament. He lived in the North quarter of the town and was a member of the Guild of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary in the Church of All Saints. It may be inferred that the Leicester bell-foundry, then, as afterwards, stood within that parish. There was a Bellfoundry at Leicester as early as 1307, when Roger le Belleyetere was a taxpayer. In 1348, Stephen, a Bellfounder, was a parishioner of All Saints. John Stafford cast the tenor bell of All Saints' Church, and, besides making the bells of Aylestone and Glen and other Leicestershire villages, worked for York Minster and for Brigg in Lincolnshire.
The Newcombes, too, were a great family of Bellfounders. Their business in All Saints' may have been the old 14th century foundry, but it cannot be traced back further than the year 1500, when William Mellers, "Bellheyterar," was admitted to the Guild Merchant. When he died, a few years later, Thomas Newcombe married his widow Margery, and carried on the business. Thomas Newcombe died in 1520, and was buried in All Saints' Church, where his tombstone may still be seen stript of its brasses and of the three bells which signified his calling. After his death his widow married again, and took the business to a third husband, Thomas Bett, who was Mayor of Leicester in the year 1529-30, and of whom it is pleasantly recorded that, on March 17th, 1530, when he came down to
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