The capital of East Anglia and one of the largest towns in England: a royal city with the great stone keep of its castle, the Norman cathedral and priory, the French borough and market of Mancroft laid out after the Conquest, a rich Jewry and a river trade down the Yare to Yarmouth.
Who holds it
- Name
- King John; the citizens of Norwich
- Title
- King of England (fee farm held by the citizens)
- Confidence
- high
Lord in 1200
The king, with the citizens holding the city at fee farm under Richard's charter of 1194, renewed by John in 1199. The castle and its fee are the sheriff's (Robert FitzRoger). Bishop John of Oxford and the cathedral priory hold the close and their own fee; the Jews are the king's.
How things stand that morning
Royal city, at peace. Bishop John of Oxford is old (he dies on 2 June 1200).
Threats
- Disputes with the priory over Tombland and the fair
Charter
Henry II (1154-58); Richard I (1191 and 1194: the city at fee farm and the citizens to choose their reeve); John (1199). All in force (Ballard).
Council
The citizens and their reeves, chosen under the 1194 charter; the four bailiffs and the later council belong to the thirteenth century.
Communities
A large Jewry by the market place, scene of the accusation over William of Norwich (1144) and attacked on 6 February 1190; one of the chests (archae) of 1194. French burgesses in the Mancroft borough.
Fairs and markets
The cathedral priory's fair on Tombland and the great daily market at Mancroft (fair dates not pinned).
Militia
The citizens' levy. Hugh Bigod's Flemings took and sacked the city in 1174.
Walls and castle
No stone walls yet (built 1294-1343). The royal castle with its great keep on the mound; the walled cathedral close.
Trade and crafts
Wool and worsted cloth from the villages to the north, leather, corn, the river trade to Yarmouth, the regional market of Norfolk.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 2 June 1200Bishop John of Oxford dies; the see is vacant until John de Gray, the king's clerk, is chosen.Depends on: natural death Stopped by: the bishop's health changing
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Charters from Ballard's table; institutions from general histories.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.