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

In 1289 Hugh de London was fined 12d ‘because he buys and sells in the city and is not of the freedom’

Under the freemen’s governance, Norwich grew to become England’s second city after London for 200 years – 1525 to 1725.

During Queen Elizabeth I reign, Norwich Freemen devised one of the earliest schemes of poor relief in the country. It later served as a model for national schemes.