The chief business of Yarmouth is in the fishing, curing, and exporting of herrings. The Yarmouth bloater is a well-known article of commerce. Railway communicaticu with London is of consider able importance to the herring fishery, the produce of the deep-sea fishing being forwarded to the metropolis daily by railway. There are manufactures of crepe and silk goods. Ship-building, rope- and sail making, and other trades depeudent on shipping, are carried on. Salteworks, corn-mills, soap-works, breweries, malt-houses, tanneries, and iron-foundries afford considerable employment Yarmouth is the chief port for the exports and imports of Norfolk, Suffolk, and part of Fasex. It has also an extensive inland trade by the rivers Yare, Waveney, and Bum. The Yare is navigable to Norwich, the Waveney to Bungay, and the Bum to Aylsham. Coals are largely imported, also timber, salt, wines, and aolouial produce ; barley is the principal article of export : other grains and peas are also shipped in large quantities. The market-days are Wednesday and Saturday; the chief sales of corn are on Saturday. Fairs are held on the Friday and Satur day in Easter week, and on Monday and Tuesday at Shrovetide. A county conrt is held iu the town.
The number of vessels registered as belonging to the port of Yar mouth on December 31st 1854 was :—Sailing vessels under 50 tons 831, tonnage 9401 ; above 50 tons 261, tonnage 30,082: steam-vessels under 50 tons 4, tonnage 71; above 50 tons 2, tonnage 197. The
number and tonnage of vessels entered and cleared at the port during 1854 were:—Inwards, sailing-vessels 1927, tonnage ]59,915; steam vessels 203, tonnage 27,343: outwards, sailing-vessels 774, tonnage 43,617; steam-vessels 203, tonnage 27,343.
From Domesday Book it appears that Yarmouth was a royal demesne, to which belonged 70 burgesses. llenry III. granted a charter, with permission to fortify the town with a wall and moat. The wall had 10 gates, and was strengthened with ]6 towers. In Ket's, or the 'Norfolk,' rebellion, in the reign of Edward VI., Yar mouth was attacked by the insurgents, who were repulsed by the townsmen. In 1588, on the alarm of the Spanish Armada, n fortress with four towers, whence beacon/ might be displayed, was erected in the middle of the town. As the navigation off the coast is daugerous, floating lights are kept in Yarmouth Roads. A regatta is held annually at Yarmouth. The Denes are used by the inhabitants for cricket and other amusements; annual racing meetings are held on them. On the beach are the South Star, North Star, and Town batteries. There is a station of the coast-guard at Yarmouth.