Norfolk Annals
Chapter 154 : 16.-In recognition of the great services he had rendered to the Norwich Battalion of R

16.-In recognition of the great services he had rendered to the Norwich Battalion of Rifle Volunteers during the five years it was under his command, Col. Black was presented with a service of plate by the officers, non-commissioned officers, and members of the corps. Col.

Black was succeeded in the command of the Battalion by Col. G. M.

Boileau.

19.-Robertson's comedy, "Caste," which marked a new era in the character of theatrical representation, was produced for the first time in Norwich, by a company which appeared at the Theatre Royal, under the management of Mr. Frederick Younge. The transition from sensational drama and broad farce to refined comedy was by no means appreciated by local playgoers, and the attendance during the week was unusually small even for Norwich.

"School" was the other piece performed by the company, which comprised Mr. Frederick Younge, Mr. Craven, Mr. J. W. Ray, Mr. G. Canninge, Mr.

Fortune, Mrs. E. Dyas, Miss Ada Dyas, and Miss Brunton.

21.-Died at Saham, Mr. Jonas Silva.n.u.s Wright, aged 71. He was the author of "The Prodigal Son," "Rambles in Wales," and other poems.

AUGUST.

12.-A two days' cricket match, between eleven of the South of England and twenty-two of Norfolk and Norwich, commenced on the Newmarket Road ground, Norwich. Scores: South of England, 33-161; Norfolk and Norwich, 172-124.

13.-The advance party of the D Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, arrived at Norwich, and on the 16th the B Battery marched _en route_ to Ireland.

19.-The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the existence of corrupt practices at the last election of members to serve in Parliament for the city of Norwich commenced its sittings at the s.h.i.+rehall, Norwich.

The Commissioners were Mr. George Morley Dowdeswell, Q.C., Mr. Horatio Mansfield, and Mr. John Biron. On September 4th (the fifteenth day) the Court adjourned until the 27th, when the inquiry was resumed. Sir Henry Stracey was examined on October 9th (the 27th day), and Mr. J. H. Tillett on October 11th (the 29th day). The inquiry terminated on October 15th (the 32nd day). The Chief Commissioner acknowledged the a.s.sistance given by the police and the Guardians. "We feel," he said, "that these bodies have rendered us most efficient and signal a.s.sistance, and we only wish that other officials in this city had also offered us that a.s.sistance, and that we had not experienced obstacles on their part. We fear that the encouragement which has been given by them to persons to withhold information has led to many of those spectacles which have been to us a source of signal pain in the course of our inquiry." The Commissioners, in their report, dated February 15th, 1870, stated that corrupt practices did not extensively prevail in Norwich at the election in November, 1868; that Sir Henry Stracey was returned through such practices; and that corrupt practices did not extensively prevail at the election of 1865 or that of 1860. Several persons were scheduled for bribery and for corruptly influencing voters by treating. The Norwich Voters Disfranchis.e.m.e.nt Bill, by which it was proposed to disfranchise 119 electors, pa.s.sed its second reading in the House of Commons on May 2nd, 1870, and received the Royal a.s.sent on July 4th in the same year. (_See_ January 31st, 1870.)

30.-The Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival commenced at St.

Andrew's Hall, Norwich, with an evening concert, at which the "Hymn of Praise" and "Acis and Galatea" were performed. The other works in the programme were the following:-Wednesday morning, September 1st, selection from "Hezekiah" and "The Fall of Babylon"; Thursday morning, September 2nd, Sacred Cantata, by Horace Hill, "Messe Solennelle" (first time of performance out of London), and the Dettingen Te Deum; Friday morning, September 3rd, "The Messiah." Grand miscellaneous concerts were given on the evenings of August 31st and September 1st and 2nd. The princ.i.p.al vocalists were Mdlle. Tietjens, Mdlle. Ilma de Murska, Madame Talbot Cherer, Madame Patey, and Madame Trebelli Bettini, Mr. Vernon Rigby, Mr.

Arthur Byron, Mr. W. H. c.u.mmings, Signor Bettini, Signor Foli, and Mr.

Santley. Mr. Benedict conducted. A "dress ball" took place on the evening of September 3rd. Financially the Festival was a failure, and the total receipts, about 4,000, barely covered expenses.

SEPTEMBER.

15.-A Conservative banquet was held at the Town Hall, Great Yarmouth, to celebrate the return of the Hon. Frederick Walpole and Sir E. Lacon, Bart., as members for North Norfolk. Upwards of 1,000 electors of the Flegg Hundreds were present, and presented to Sir Edmund Lacon a piece of plate weighing nearly 900 ozs., in recognition of the services he had rendered during the period he represented Yarmouth in Parliament.

20.-Blondin gave tight-rope performances at Norwich Theatre during the week commencing on this date.

30.-An ascent was made from Norwich Market Place in a "fish balloon," by Mr. Orton, accompanied by Mr. William Maris. The descent took place at Tuddenham, near East Dereham, a distance of fourteen miles from Norwich.

OCTOBER.

12.-Died at his residence, the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, Mr. Bernard Bolingbroke Woodward, B.A. (Lond.), F.S.A., aged 53 years. He had for some years held the post of librarian to the Queen at Windsor Castle, and was the eldest son of Mr. Samuel Woodward, of Norwich.

16.*-"The mansion that Sir Robert Harvey, Bart., is erecting on his estate at Crown Point is approaching completion. It has been built from the designs of Messrs. Coe and Peake, architects, of London."

18.-The Prince of Wales, with his suite, pa.s.sed through Norwich, on his way to Gunton Hall, on a visit to Lord Suffield.

19.-A heavy gale took place at Yarmouth, where s.h.i.+pping casualties occurred and several lives were lost. The sea rose to within a few feet of the houses on the Marine Parade.

-A week's festivities commenced at Holkham Hall, in celebration of the majority of Viscount c.o.ke, which his lords.h.i.+p attained in the previous month of July. The proceedings had been postponed in consequence of the illness of the Earl of Leicester.

20.-Died at Thorpe Hamlet, in his 81st year, Mr. John Kitson, Registrar of the Diocese of Norwich. He had for 58 years held the office of secretary to the Bishop, having been appointed in 1811 by Bishop Bathurst, and continued in the office by his successors, Bishop Stanley, Bishop Hinds, and Bishop Pelham. Mr. Kitson was appointed Registrar in 1825, and was Chapter Clerk and Registrar to the Dean and Chapter, and district registrar in her Majesty's Court of Probate.

NOVEMBER.

1.-That portion of Dereham Cemetery appropriated to the Church of England was consecrated by the Bishop of Norwich. The chapels were designed by Mr. Brown, architect, of Norwich, and built by Mr. Hubbard, of East Dereham. "The old churchyard is said to have been used as a burial-ground for 600 years."

9.-Mr. Augustus Frederick c.o.ke Bolingbroke was elected Mayor, and Mr.

Henry Morgan appointed Sheriff of Norwich.

12.-A new self-righting lifeboat, 33 feet in length, was launched at Wells-next-the-Sea. It was purchased with the proceeds of "penny readings" given in various parts of the kingdom. The fund, which was inaugurated by Mr. E. B. Adams, surgeon, of Bungay, amounted to the sum of 500, and represented the contributions of eighteen different counties. Of this amount Norfolk raised 161. In the presence of several thousands of spectators, the Countess of Leicester christened the boat the Eliza Adams. Luncheon was served at the Crown Hotel, under the presidency of the Earl of Leicester, and in the evening a ball was held.

18.-Died at his residence, St. Clement's, Norwich, Mr. Henry Ladbrooke, landscape painter. He was a member of the accomplished family of Norfolk artists and a pupil of the celebrated Crome, the influence of whose style was apparent in his works. After residing many years in Lynn, he removed to Norwich.

20.*-"Mr. W. T. Bensly, LL.D., has been appointed by the Dean and Chapter of Norwich to be Chapter Clerk, in the place of the late Mr. Kitson."

25.-Mdlle. Christine Nilsson, Mdlle. Anna Drasdil, Madame Gilardoni, Signor Foli, and Mr. J. M. Wheli, with Mr. Benedict as conductor, appeared at a concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, on this and the following evening, in aid of the local charities, which had suffered from the non-success of the late Festival. The concerts were arranged by Mr.

Howlett and Mr. C. S. Gilman, who handed to the charities a sum of nearly 200.

27.*-"The catch of herring last week was a most extraordinary and exceptional one, not only as regards the present season, but also as compared with those of the wonderful voyage of 1868. The quant.i.ties of herring delivered on Yarmouth fishwharf exceeded 2,400 lasts (13,200 fish per last), a catch probably unprecedented. Several of the smacks had 'made up' before the recent successes, being compelled to do so in consequence of the terrible disasters that had befallen them."

DECEMBER.

7.-Lord Claud Hamilton and Mr. Richard Young were nominated candidates for the representation of King's Lynn, rendered vacant by Lord Stanley's succession to the Earldom of Derby. The proceedings were of a most tumultuous character, and the show of hands being in favour of the Liberal candidate, the supporters of Lord Claud Hamilton demanded a poll.

In apprehension of a disturbance, detachments of the 4th and 8th Foot were drafted into the town, and were stationed in the National Schoolroom, St. Margaret's. The polling took place on the 8th, and resulted as follows:-Hamilton, 1,051; Young, 1,032.

13.-Died at Westacre, aged 64, Mr. Anthony Hamond. He was the representative of a Norfolk family of considerable antiquity, and succeeded to the Westacre estate on the death of his father, Mr. Philip Hamond, in 1824. In 1828 he married Mary Anne, eldest daughter of Mr.

John Chaworth Musters, of Colwick, Notts. He was succeeded in his estate by his son Anthony, born in 1834, Mr. Hamond served the office of High Sheriff in 1836, and twice unsuccessfully contested the representation of the Western Division of the county-in 1847 and 1852; and in 1854 accepted an invitation to become a candidate for Norwich, in opposition to Sir Samuel Bignold, by whom he was defeated. Mr. Hamond took a great interest in country pursuits, and was ever foremost in promoting experiments for the advancement of agricultural science.

14.-Holkham church was re-opened after restoration by the Earl and Countess of Leicester, at the estimated cost of 10,000, of which 7,000 was expended for wood carving alone.

27.-The Prince and Princess of Wales, with Prince Albert Victor and Prince George, arrived at Holkham, on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Leicester. Their Royal Highnesses left on January 1st, 1870, for Gunton Park.

-The pantomime at Norwich Theatre was produced by Mr. J. F. Young. It was ent.i.tled, "The King of the Peac.o.c.ks." Circus entertainments were provided at Messrs. Henry and Adams' establishment on the Castle Meadow.

1870.

JANUARY.

31.-In the Court of Common Pleas, before Lord Chief Justice Bovill and Justices Smith and Brett, Mr. Mellish, Q.C., showed cause against the rule calling upon the Master to review his taxation of the costs in the Norwich election pet.i.tion. The bill of costs of the pet.i.tioner (Mr. J.

H. Tillett) had been reduced from 3,015 7s. to 703 3s., and of the respondent (Sir H. J. Stracey) from 793 14s. 2d. to 168 6s. Four hundred witnesses had been subpnaed. The Lord Chief Justice said the rule must be discharged. "Sir Henry Stracey," it was stated on March 19th, "has this week paid to Mr. Tillett's solicitors 583 17s. 8d., which has been accepted as payment in full for his costs in the matter.

The total amount of the pet.i.tioner's costs was 3,800, and deducting Sir Henry's contribution, it leaves upwards of 3,200 to be paid by the pet.i.tioner." (_See_ March 31st.)