Norfolk Annals
Chapter 87 : 9.*-"Died, lately, Mr. William Read, farmer, of Dumpling Green, East Dereham. His

9.*-"Died, lately, Mr. William Read, farmer, of Dumpling Green, East Dereham. His remains were conveyed to the grave by his express desire in one of his waggons, drawn by four of his best horses, of which he prided himself in having the first in the county, and attended by an immense concourse of persons, drawn together by the novelty of the scene."

-Mr. J. Gotobed, one of the proprietors of the Lynn coach, was fined 50 "for having driven away the coach after it had been seized by his Majesty's officers of Excise for conveying contraband spirits."

16.*-"Many hundred tons of oysters have been caught off Cley, where there are very extensive beds, during the last season, and sold to the Kent dealers at less than sixpence a bushel."

19.-The Sandringham Hall Estate was sold by Mr. W. W. Simpson, at the Auction Mart, London, after a spirited compet.i.tion, for 76,000. It was the property of Mr. Henry Hoste Henly.

29.-Died at Longford, Derbys.h.i.+re, Mr. Edward c.o.ke, brother of Mr. T. W.

c.o.ke, of Holkham. Mr. c.o.ke for several Sessions represented Derby in Parliament, and was returned for Norfolk in 1807.

AUGUST.

1.-Norwich Theatre was re-opened after thorough renovation. Gas light was used for the first time. Mrs. Yates appeared as Rachael ("The Jewess"), and in the pet.i.te comedy, "An Actress of All Work," in which she sustained six distinct characters. On the 6th Mr. Yates appeared in conjunction with his wife. Norwich Theatre was described as "one of the handsomest, most comfortable, and best lighted of the minor theatres in this kingdom."

4.-A two-days' cricket match, between Yorks.h.i.+re and Norfolk, commenced on the Norwich Ground. Yorks.h.i.+re won, by 25 runs.

SEPTEMBER.

5.-Died, at his residence on the Castle Ditches, Norwich, in his 89th year, Mr. Robert Ward, who served the office of Sheriff in 1800, and was for upwards of 45 years a member of the Court of Guardians.

13.-A pet.i.tion by Mr. Samuel Bignold and Mr. William Rackham on the one part, and Mr. T. O. Springfield on the other part, having been presented to the Lord Chancellor relative to the composition of the trustees of the Norwich charities, the matter was argued on this date before the Master in Chancery, who ruled that in composing the list of trustees he would not admit more than four Dissenters out of the 21; further, that in the execution of their official duties, the trustees should be divided into two cla.s.ses, and that none but those who were members of the Church of England should have a voice in the presentation to any Church living. On December 23rd the Master presented a draft report, stating the composition of the "Church list" and of the "general list." The former contained eleven selected from the twenty-one names submitted by Messrs.

Springfield, Finch, and Willett, and ten from the twenty-one names submitted by Messrs. Bignold and Rackham. The "general list" contained twelve names submitted by the former and eight by the latter. (_See_ March 18th, 1837.)

20.-The Norwich Musical Festival, "for the benefit of the Norfolk and Norwich and West Norfolk Hospitals, the School for the Indigent Blind, the Eye Infirmary, and the Dispensary," commenced. The princ.i.p.als were Madame Caradori Allan, Miss Bruce, Miss Rainforth, Mrs. A. Shaw, Miss Tipping, Signora a.s.sandri, Signer Ivanoff, Mr. Hobbs, Mr. Hawking, Mr. H.

Phillips, Mr. E. Taylor, and Signor Lablach. Messrs. Cramer and Blagrove were leaders of the band, and Sir George Smart conductor. Miscellaneous concerts were given on the evenings of the 20th, 21st, and 22nd; on the morning of the 21st a selection of sacred music and "The Redemption"; on the 22nd "The Creation" and "The Seventh Day"; and on the 23rd "The Christian's Prayer" and "Israel in Egypt." The Festival concluded on the night of the 23rd with a fancy dress ball, at which "masks and dominoes"

were prohibited.

-The Wendling Estate, near East Dereham, was sold at Garraway's, by Mr.

Spelman, of Norwich, for 14,000.

29.-A new fire escape, invented by the Rev. Mr. Arthy, of Caistor near Norwich, was exhibited in front of the Union Office, Surrey Street. "It consists of a jointed ladder, the first length 10 ft. and seven others 6 ft. 7 in. long, with a pulley inserted in the head of the first length, over which a chain pa.s.ses, to one end of which a large basket is attached, and two rollers are affixed to the under side of the top length, to enable the ladder to pa.s.s freely over the brickwork, and two ropes are attached to the outer sides of the top, to guide the ladder in raising it, to bring it forward where projections occur, and to keep it from slipping either way. After the ladder is raised to the proper height, the ropes pa.s.s under the basket to keep it steady in going up or down. The machine is constructed on a small platform, mounted on wheels, and can be conveyed with great rapidity to any given point."

OCTOBER.

24.-Ole B. Bull, the Norwegian violinist, appeared at a morning concert held at the a.s.sembly Rooms, Norwich. The vocalists were Mdlle. De Angiole, Signor Curioni, and Mr. Bochisa.

NOVEMBER.

1.-Munic.i.p.al elections were held for the first time on this date, under the Munic.i.p.al Reform Act. At Norwich the contests in the eight wards resulted in the return of eight Conservatives and eight Whig-Radicals.

-Died at King's Lynn, Mr. Joseph Waters, for many years a prominent merchant in that town. "This melancholy event took place owing to a violent fright which he received in the Theatre on that day."

4.-In the Court of King's Bench commenced a long course of litigation in which the Corporation of Norwich was concerned. Sir W. Follett applied for a rule to shew cause why a _quo warranto_ should not be filed calling upon Mr. Thomas Brightwell to show by what authority he claimed to exercise the office of Alderman. It was explained that after the pa.s.sing of the Munic.i.p.al Reform Act a certain number of Aldermen were elected for the city. Instead of each being nominated separately, they were all proposed and elected in a batch, which, it was contended, was clearly illegal. The court granted the application. A similar rule was applied for against the Mayor, Mr. Springfield, for, it was argued, if the Aldermen had not themselves been properly elected, they could not elect a Mayor. A rule was also granted in this case. On November 24th the rule was made absolute in the case of Mr. Brightwell, and enlarged in the case of Mr. Springfield. In the Bail Court on the same date Mr. Kelly obtained rules _nisi_ calling upon fourteen persons to show by what authority they took upon themselves to act as Aldermen. On December 19th the Attorney-General applied in the Rolls Court for an injunction to restrain the Mayor and Corporation from defraying out of the munic.i.p.al funds the expenses incurred in defending the _quo warrantos_ in the Court of King's Bench, calling upon Messrs. Springfield and Brightwell to show cause by what authority they held the offices, the former of Mayor and the latter of Alderman, as well as the expenses attending the presentation of a pet.i.tion to the Lord Chancellor to appoint new trustees of the funds of the public charities, the management of which was vested in the Corporation. The bill charged the defendants with applying the Corporation funds wrongfully, in a manner inconsistent with the duties of a Mayor and Corporation, and in direct violation of the provisions of the Munic.i.p.al Corporation Act, by applying them for the aforesaid purposes, in consequence of certain resolutions to which the corporate body had come. The effect of these resolutions was that the City Treasurer should from time to time pay out of the city funds such sums of money as the committee of the Corporation should deem necessary towards defraying the expenses of the _quo warrantos_ and pet.i.tion above-named. The defendants put in two demurrers to the bill, and Lord Langdale said he would consider the case before p.r.o.nouncing judgment. (_See_ January 13th, 1837.)

5.*-"We wish to direct the attention of landowners and farmers in Norfolk to the extraordinary success which has attended the attempt of Mr. R.

Crawshay, of Honingham Hall, to cultivate hops in Norfolk. A sample of them may now be seen at Norgate and Co.'s, which competent judges have declared to surpa.s.s the growth of any other county in the kingdom. Our agriculturists will be deeply indebted to this gentleman for proving to them that a valuable plant indigenous to the soil may be cultivated with profitable success in Norfolk."

9.-Mr. Thomas Brightwell was elected Mayor, and Mr. John Bateman appointed Sheriff, of Norwich.

23.-A musical festival took place at Fakenham parish church. "The Messiah" was rendered in the morning, and "Judas Maccabeus" in the evening. The soloists were supplied by the choir of Norwich Cathedral.

"Admission, middle aisle, 3s.; other parts, 2s."

26.*-"The allotment system has been tried on a tolerably large scale in the parish of Attleborough, by Sir John Smyth, Bart., of Woodmarston Hall, Surrey, lord of the manor of Attleborough. The allotments are let at moderate rents, not exceeding the rent of similar lands in farm, with the addition of the t.i.thes and other charges which are paid by the landlord."

28.-Sir James Flower's hounds met at Stow, where the stag was turned off and was taken at Garboldisham Lings, after a run of five hours. The distance from point to point was about eleven miles, but the stag ran at least 40 miles, and the only hors.e.m.e.n up at the finish were the huntsman and first whip.

29.-A severe gale occurred. A large wooden building erected at the Ranelagh Gardens, Norwich, for circus performances, was blown down by the tremendous violence of the wind. "The great oak at Necton, for which the late Mr. William Mason was offered by a s.h.i.+pwright at Lynn, in 1812, 120 guineas, had two arms blown off it, each the size of ordinary timber trees." Barns and wheat stacks were blown down at Necton, As.h.i.+ll, West Bradenham, and Beeston. At Carbrooke a windmill, the property of Mr.

Robert Homes, was wrecked, and his son killed.

-The Freebridge Lynn Hundred a.s.sociation for the encouragement of agricultural labourers and servants was formed at a meeting held at the Duke's Head Inn, Lynn. Sir W. B. ffolkes was elected president; the Rev.

C. D. Brereton, of Little Ma.s.singham, secretary; and Mr. B. Aldham, treasurer.

DECEMBER.

1.-The directors of the Norwich Yarn Company having obtained the minimum sum necessary for commencing their new works on the ground purchased of Mr. Youngman, the first stone of the new factory was laid on this day.

The event was celebrated by a procession in honour of Bishop Blaize, to ill.u.s.trate the pagan story of Jason's argonautic expedition to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece. The last celebration of the kind took place in 1783. The character of Bishop Blaize was impersonated "most appropriately, both as to age and gravity, by Richard d.i.c.kerson, comber, who had taken part in the former procession." Starting from the premises of the company, the procession paraded the princ.i.p.al streets of the city, and halted opposite Mr. Bignold's house in Surrey Street, where an "oratorical address" was delivered by the senior orator, Edward Warman.

At noon the procession arrived at St. Edmund's, where Mr. Bignold laid the foundation stone, and, in addressing the company, stated that the building about to be erected would be 163 ft. in length, by 42 feet in width, and four storeys high. As the works already in operation afforded employment to 800 people, this mill, which would be one-third larger, would yield employment to 1,200. Upwards of 15,000 had been raised for defraying the cost of the works. The procession afterwards moved by a circuitous route to St. Andrew's Hall, where the directors entertained 900 persons who had taken part in the proceedings. John Sell Cotman, who had sketched the pageant, announced the issue and sale of folio prints ill.u.s.trating the event. He stated: "In pure regard of the children of the industrious poor of my native city, I give my labour, with the entire profits of the work."

10.-The skeleton of a gigantic whale, taken at Plymouth in October, 1831, was exhibited on the Castle Hill, Norwich. It measured 85 feet in length, and was advertised as "The Prince of Whales at Home."

25.-Christmas Day was ushered in with snowstorms and hailstorms, thunder, and lightning. On the 26th the roads were rendered almost impa.s.sable by the drifting snow, which, in some localities, was from ten to twelve feet deep. Soon all vehicular traffic was stopped. The Ipswich mail coach, which should have arrived at Norwich on Christmas Day, did not reach the city until eleven o'clock on the night of the 29th. It was detained at Thwaite Duke's Head, whence the letter bags were despatched in the charge of mounted messengers. One of the pa.s.sengers, Capt. Petre, undertook to walk to Norwich, a distance of twenty-eight miles; he arrived in the city on the 28th, and thence proceeded on his journey to Westwick House. The Newmarket mail could get no further than Bury St. Edmund's, and all other public vehicles were delayed. On the Dereham, Fakenham, and other turnpikes gangs of labourers were employed to remove the snowdrifts.

There were many s.h.i.+pping casualties on the Norfolk coast. Such severe weather had not been experienced since 1799. The thaw commenced in the middle of January, 1837, and high floods occurred in the neighbourhood of Norwich and in other localities.

26.-Ryan's Royal Circus was opened for the season in a large wooden building erected at the Ranelagh Gardens, Norwich, by Mr. Bunn.

1837.

JANUARY.

3.-Hannah Manfield (or Saddler), aged 50, a woman of eccentric habits, residing on Denver Common, was found dead in her cottage, with her throat cut. A considerable quant.i.ty of plate had been taken from a cupboard, and a sum of money, supposed to be nearly 20, was also stolen. On the 14th Mr. Wright, a police-officer of Lynn, apprehended at Doncaster John Smith, aged 25, John Varnhem, 23, and George Timms, 22, who were committed for trial on the capital charge. (_See_ April 6th, 1837.)

5.-In consequence of a resolution pa.s.sed at a special meeting of the Town Council, the Mayor of Norwich convened a meeting at the Guildhall on this date, "to take into consideration the sufferings of the poor in this inclement season, and to adopt measures for relieving the same." A public subscription was opened. At a general meeting of the subscribers, on March 21st, Mr. W. G. Edwards, one of the secretaries, reported that the amount subscribed was 2,008 7s. 3d., out of which a grant of 300 was made to the Sick Poor Society; 20,093 coal tickets, and 37,831 bread tickets were distributed, and 423 3s. 5d. was placed in the treasurer's hands to meet future emergencies.

7.-Wombwell's Menagerie was exhibited on the Castle Meadow, Norwich. The proprietor presented to the Museum fine specimens of a lioness, boa constrictor, rac.o.o.n, and kangaroo.