John Chapman

John Chapman was born and died in the 15th century.

He is supposed to have lived on the west side of the Shambles with my wife Kateryne and their three children. He is known either as the tinker or the pedlar of Swaffham – but that might be because the name chapman is another word for pedlar.

The story is that he had a dream and, following it, walked down to London and then up and down London Bridge for three days.

A shopkeeper gave him some advice and back home he dug underneath the apple tree in his garden and found a pot of gold. Then another pot. 

With that wealth he paid for the building of the north aisle of the new church.

You can still see him in the Pedlar pews in the church chancel and the images of him and Kateryne in the north aisle windows.

John Chapman existed. He was a churchwarden. His name is in The Black Book. 

But was he really a pedlar? Did he really have such a dream?

Did he really get the money that way?

Today he has become the symbol of the town – the epitome of following and realising a dream.