A HISTORY OF NORFOLK of war were demanded of Norwich and were refused. Two writs of quo warranto were brought against the city, but were discharged, the citizens ' having proved that they used nor usurped no privileges but what their charters then produced authorised them to do.' ^ That the writ for ship money was constitutional as far as the maritime counties were concerned there can be no doubt, and at first it met with little opposition, and the fleet which its proceeds provided in 1635—6 was eminently successful against the pirates. In 1629 the House voted the illegality of tonnage and poundage assessed without Parliamentary authority. Irritated at this the king sent his usher of the Black. Rod to bring away the mace, but the door of the House was closed against him. He next sent his captain of the guards, but one of the Norfolk members. Sir Miles Hobart, locked the door, put the key in his pocket, and held the Speaker down in his chair while the House adopted the historical protests against levying tonnage and poundage, and declared that anyone paying them should be reputed a betrayer of the liberties of England and an enemy of the same. For this, Hobart was apparently sent to prison at the Gatehouse, whence he escaped, but was afterwards tried ' for misdemeanour in his carriage in the House of Commons ' and discharged on giving securities for his good behaviour. It is interesting to note that on his death the Long Parliament voted j^5,ooo to his children in recompense of his services in opposing illegalities in the House. By 1638 the movement against ship money was rapidly spreading. Crops had been bad for some time and the whole county was impoverished. This is shown by the petition^ of the citizens of Norwich in 1635 against having to contribute a third part of the setting forth of two ships from the port of Yarmouth, the cost of which will be ^(^3,000. 'They plead the miserable and desolate condition of the city, by inundations of water, the grievous contagion of the plague there and in London, which has caused them severe losses, so that they are so weakened that they can scarcely bear their own taxations for the relief of the poor. Notwithstanding all this they have contributed to the loan of five subsidies, but they beg discharge of this heavy burden.' Had the times been prosperous the tax would probably have been paid and not more grumbled at than most taxes, but now the payment was inconvenient to all and impossible to many. Still there seems to have been little or no disaffection at this time in the county ; the only mention of any disloyalty being a case at Norwich, in 1639. Here a man whose name is not given is said to have been indicted and found guilty, though afterwards respited, for saying that ' the Covenanters have a good cause before God, but an ill cause before men ; that they have spoiled a good cause by the ill managing of it, and that they have a good cause to draw their swords in.' ^ The county seems to have responded very well to the call for soldiers to accompany the king in 1639 on his marching against the Scots, who were seeking a Parliament of their own, for 15,000 men of the trained bands were, according to the reports of the deputy-lieutenants of Norfolk, handed over to Sir Simon Harecourt for service in the north.* Norfolk and ' Blomefield, op. cit. iii, 374. ' Cal. S. P. Dom. 1625-49, p. 521 (158). • Ca/. S.P. Dom. 1639, P- 99 (99)- * Ibid 212 (137). 506
