Lists of Office-holders 1272-1460

Lists of executive personnel have been compiled by earlier students for all of the towns falling under this study, excepting Maldon. Notably:

• by Harrod (Calendar of Court Rolls ...) for Colchester, where the Red Parchment Book fortunately provides an almost complete list from the reign of Edward III;
• by Bacon and Martin (Borough and Merchant Community ...) for Ipswich;
• again by Harrod (Report on the Records of Lynn) for Lynn;
• by Hudson ("Revised list ...") for Norwich;
• and by Palmer and Saul for Yarmouth.
The Return of the Names of Every Member ... is the basic source for lists of parliamentary burgesses. Le Strange (Norfolk Official Lists) also published lists of parliamentary burgesses and executives of Norwich, Lynn, and Yarmouth, largely based on some of the above sources.

As existing lists for Norwich are, for the most part, correct and complete, they have not been repeated here. It has been possible to make corrections and additions to the lists for Colchester, Ipswich, Lynn, and Yarmouth, however, which are therefore entered in full. With the exception of Norwich, lists of financial officers have not been previously published and consequently are included here.

Except in the case of Yarmouth, original records rather than the published lists form the foundation of the compilations below. Where names in the latter deviate from those in the former, faith may be placed in the lists herein provided, although it has sometimes been necessary to make judgements between conflicting evidence. Very occasionally, earlier lists have included names which I have been unable to trace in the records; these have been accepted, tentatively, where they seem reasonable. Lists for Ipswich tempore Henry VI, published by Bacon, were drawn partly from a volume not now extant; but evidence from other records suggests Bacon's lists to be accurate on the whole.

N.B. that where a name is placed in parentheses it designates that the man replaced the person listed immediately before (for reasons of death or dismissal) during the term of office.

• Colchester: bailiffs, receivers, and chamberlains
• Ipswich: bailiffs, coroners, chamberlains, and treasurers
• Lynn: mayors and chamberlains
• Maldon: bailiffs and chamberlains
• Yarmouth: bailiffs and chamberlains
• Parliamentary burgesses for Colchester, Ipswich, Lynn, Maldon, and Yarmouth
• Notes

  Abbreviations used:

  • b - bailiff
  • C - Colchester
  • ch - chamberlain
  • cr - coroner
  • I - Ipswich
  • L - Lynn
  • m - mayor
  • M - Maldon
  • r - receiver
  • tr - treasurer
  • Y - Yarmouth