It’s an old tradition that freemen had the right to be hanged with a silk noose!

The freemen paid to build the city walls in the early 14th century. The idea was to defend the city from attack, but it was much more useful for collecting tolls.

Until 1835 only freemen could vote in the Norwich local elections. This created problems as rate payers did not have the right to vote.

Anybody who wished to trade freely in medieval Norwich had to become a freeman.