Why was Norwich excommunicated?

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In today’s newsletter, I’m sharing the story of when Norwich became the only City in England to be excommunicated by the pope - a distinction it still holds to this day.

Perhaps he took one look at the reprobates that subscribe to Secret Norwich and thought, “Yeah, I want no part in this”. Or maybe the reason was a little more complex.

Either way, we’ll know for sure in about 3 minutes.

Monks vs The People.

We’re heading back to the 13th Century for this one.

Norwich was a bustling city, packed with merchants, craftsmen, and, of course, monks. Among these were the Benedictine monks at Norwich Cathedral - men devoted to prayer, solitude, and, given they were landlords of about half of the city’s dwellings, quite a lot of property management too.

The monks and the Norwich populace weren’t exactly mates. Think of it as medieval neighbourly squabbling, but with more chanting and fewer disputes over whose wheelie bin is whose (just number them, people).

The locals thought the monks were arrogant. Monks thought the locals were loud, disrespectful, and probably a bit minging.

Eventually, it all boiled over.

St Laurence’s Day Shennanigans.

On August 9th, 1272, Norwich hosted its annual fair celebrating St Laurence's Day (bring back St Laurence’s Day if it means a day off work, I say).

As the day wore on and more ales were sunk, a particularly rowdy group of citizens began causing trouble near the monastery gates. Classic St Laurence’s behaviour - you know how it is.

Insults were thrown (apparently this is where ‘Let’s be ‘avin you' was first coined), and the monks, deciding they’d had enough of the harassment, locked the cathedral gates.

This sensible-sounding solution didn't go down well. In response, the angry crowd set fire to parts of the cathedral precinct.

Cue the chaos.

Not content with mere property damage, the townspeople looted monastic buildings, drank the monks' beer supply (a crime nearly as severe as arson, surely), and, due to the lack of an SOS bus on site, people even died.

The Wrath of Greg.

At some point between 1272 and 1274, the news of this riot reached Pope Gregory X, who was so angry that he excommunicated the people of Norwich.

Excommunication = the most severe penalty the Catholic Church can inflict, effectively exiling Norwich from the church.

Every single Norwich resident, guilty or not, was barred from church rituals. No baptisms, no marriages, no funerals.

On learning this news, Norwich's leaders realised things had gone too far. In a move that can only be described as a medieval apology tour, they offered compensation, rebuilt damaged buildings, and promised to behave themselves henceforth.

After a suitably humiliating public penance, the pope relented and absolved Norwich in 1275. So in short, Norwich is now ex-excommunicated.

As it happened, Pope Gregory died a year later from a hernia. That’s right: there’s a small-but-not-impossible chance that Norwich’s antics were responsible for Gregory’s eventual demise.

A few more interesting facts:

• In late June of 1272, just a few months before the riots, the Cathedral’s spire was reportedly damaged by a lightning strike. It would’ve probably been considered a divine omen by the people of Norwich.

• The Adam and Eve pub, which opened its doors in 1249, would’ve been serving drinks by then too. Perhaps some of the drunken rioters had even visited on that fateful night.

• Whilst Norwich is the only city in England to have been excommunicated by the pope, the town of Portsmouth also suffered the same fate (sailors murdered a Bishop in the 1400s).

Next time you’re in Tombland, staggering from The Glasshouse to the Wig and Pen, spare a thought for the rebels who might’ve trod a similar path over 750 years ago. And be thankful that at least your drunken antics probably won’t require papal pardons.

Right then. This week, they’ll be electing a new pope, and it’ll be all over the news. Feel free to use that as an excuse to bore your friends with the story of Norwich’s strange relationship with the papacy.

See you next Sunday,

Secret Norwich.