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’

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.

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