Norfolk Annals
Chapter 61 : -Died at his house in St. Giles', Norwich, the Rev. Thomas Deeker, M.A., 66 years

-Died at his house in St. Giles', Norwich, the Rev. Thomas Deeker, M.A., 66 years vicar of Bawdsey, Suffolk, rector of St. Simon and Jude, Norwich, perpetual curate of St. Margaret and St. Swithin, and chaplain of the county gaol.

23.-Married at Norwich, by the Rev. George Carter, M.A., Mr. James Archibald Murray, solicitor, under secretary to the Master of the Rolls, and second son of Mr. Charles Murray, of John Street, Bedford Row, London, to Elizabeth Powell, youngest daughter of Capt. R Browne, of the Precincts, Norwich Cathedral.

29.-A new Masonic Hall was "dedicated" at Yarmouth by Deputy Provincial Grand Master Ives and the officers of the Grand Lodge of the Province.

1825.

JANUARY.

1.-The "Norfolk and Suffolk Railway Company" advertised its prospectus.

It was proposed to raise a capital of one million sterling in 10,000 shares of 100 each. The prospectus stated: "The trade from London to Norwich in bombazeen and c.r.a.pe is at once extensive and permanent, yet the conveyance of goods is dilatory, expensive, and troublesome. The mode of conveyance of fish is insufficient on the one hand, and extravagant on the other." It was proposed to construct the railway from London to Norwich through Chelmsford and Colchester, with a branch to Harwich; to Ipswich with a branch to Bury St. Edmund's; and to Norwich with branches to Lynn and Yarmouth. The cost of the undertaking was estimated at 980,000, and there were to be twelve country and twelve London directors. Among the former were Messrs. E. T. Booth, W. Foster, Joseph Geldart, R. Hawkes, and J. Ives, of Norwich; and Sir E. K. Lacon, of Yarmouth.

5.-At a public meeting held at the Guildhall, Norwich, under the presidency of the Mayor, it was decided to establish a Mechanics'

Inst.i.tution, "similar to those already formed in London." Nearly 100 members joined at the conclusion of the meeting.

12.-At the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, the justices ordered that the houses of correction at Aylsham and Wymondham be abolished on the completion of the county gaol.

22.-A new roadway made through the city wall at the west end of Pottergate Street, Norwich, was completed on this date, and opened for vehicular traffic on the 24th. "This great improvement was effected by Mr. Alderman T. S. Day, aided by the exertions of Mr. Blyth, who, in company with Mrs. Blyth, was the first who rode through the new way."

24.-Died at Lynn, aged 78, William Hall, auctioneer and bookseller. "He was generally known by the appellation Antiquarian Hall, having for many years been in the habit of dealing in works of black letter lore, of which, at one time, he had a good collection. He was a man quite uneducated, but of strong natural abilities, and had read a great deal on subjects of antiquity. Though a man of very eccentric habits, he was universally respected for his industry and integrity."

-The exhibition commenced at the Ranelagh Gardens, Norwich, of a "grand model of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem."

25.-The Castle Corporation at Norwich celebrated its 60th anniversary.

29.*-"Died last week, at Holt, Mary Ann Edge, at the advanced age of 103."

31.-Norwich Theatre re-opened for the season. The new members of the company included Mr. b.a.l.l.s, comedian; Mr. Baker, comedian; Mr. Warren, "walking gentleman"; Miss Scruton, Mrs. Sheppard (formerly Miss Diddear), Mrs. b.a.l.l.s, and Mrs. Watkinson.

FEBRUARY.

2.-The body of an old man, buried in Hethersett churchyard, was stolen by resurrection men. A similar outrage took place in Thorpe churchyard on the same date.

5.*-"Sir Edmund Bacon (one of the three gentlemen nominated to serve the office of Sheriff of this county) is gone to London to prefer some antient claim of exemption from it on account of his being the premier baronet of England. Such claim had been successfully made on a similar occasion by his late father." Exemption was granted; but on November 11th, in the Court of Exchequer, the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench stated that the authorities, after duly investigating the claim, had decided to disallow it.

-*"The governors of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital have presented a silver waiter, of the value of 50 guineas, to Mr. Edward Taylor for his eminent services in promoting, arranging, and a.s.sisting at the grand Musical Festival."

10.-An exceptionally high tide occurred at Yarmouth. The river overflowed and flooded cellars, stables, granaries, and other buildings on the Quay; and the Southtown Road from the Bear Inn, near the bridge, to Gorleston was completely under water, in places to the depth of three feet. At Cromer great damage was done to the cliffs.

11.-A pet.i.tion for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Norwich Paving Act was presented in the House of Commons by Mr. William Smith.-At a meeting held at the Duke's Palace Inn, Norwich, on March 1st, it was decided to oppose the Bill because the Paving Commissioners by clause 8 sought to obtain authority to levy an additional due of 8d. per ton on all goods brought by vessels up the river higher than Thorpe Old Hall.-The Bill was read a first time on March 4th, but in consequence of the opposition to clause 8 Mr. Smith withdrew the measure and suffered the second reading to pa.s.s as a dropped order.-On March 28th Mr. Smith moved the second reading on the understanding that the objectionable clause would be withdrawn in Committee. The Bill was then read a second time.-It pa.s.sed its third reading on May 3rd; received the Royal a.s.sent in the House of Lords on May 20th; and the first meeting of the Commissioners under the new Act was held at Norwich on June 14th.

15.-The prospectus of the Norwich and Lowestoft Navigation Company was adopted at a meeting held at Gray's Inn Coffee House, London, presided over by Col. Harvey, High Sheriff of Norfolk. The princ.i.p.al object for which the company was formed was that of making Norwich a port for seaborne vessels not exceeding ten feet draught, by opening the best and most direct line of communication between that city and the sea. In addition to the old list of shares, amounting to 27,000, it was decided to raise 120,000 in shares of 50 each, and to apply to Parliament in the ensuing Session for leave to bring in a Bill.-The first general meeting of the shareholders was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, on June 1st, and on July 2nd a meeting of proprietors of land adjoining the proposed ca.n.a.l between the Yare and the Waveney resolved to oppose the Bill on account of threatened danger to their property.-The proprietors of the North Walsham and Dilham Ca.n.a.l, and of the Coltishall and Aylsham Ca.n.a.l also decided to oppose the measure because it would divert the traffic from Yarmouth to Lowestoft, would lead to the neglect of Breydon, and consequently to the injury of the navigation of the Bure and Ant.

19.*-"Died last week in Bishopgate Hospital, Norwich, Mr. John Green, aged 101."

24.-In the House of Commons Col. Wodehouse moved that pet.i.tions from the magistrates of Norfolk and from the Mayor and Corporation of Thetford in reference to the removal of the Lent a.s.sizes from Thetford to Norwich be referred to a Select Committee. The motion was defeated by 72 votes against 21.

-The Corporation of Norwich rescinded the resolution by which they had offered the corn merchants a site for a Corn Exchange, and appointed a committee to report on the propriety of the Corporation erecting a building of their own for the sale of corn and other agricultural produce. The committee, on March 15th, reported in favour of the proposal, the Under-Chamberlain was directed to mark out a site 150 feet by 70 feet on the Castle Meadow, and on May 3rd it was resolved to advertise for plans and estimates.-The corn merchants held a meeting at the Norfolk Hotel on July 25th, and finally agreed to erect an exchange "on part of the present site of Sir Benjamin Wrenche's Court." It was announced "a new street is to be made to communicate with the Market Place from St. Andrew's Street, to enter it at the upper end of c.o.c.key Lane." A proposal was made to erect in the Exchange galleries for the accommodation of the Norwich Society of Artists, who would be deprived of their rooms in the Court.-At a special meeting of the Corporation on August 10th "the further consideration of the erection of a Corn Exchange" was indefinitely deferred.

28.-A peal of six bells, cast by William Dobson, of Downham Market, was opened at Marham by the Aylsham company of ringers.

28.-Mr. David Fisher, "a flower of our own garden, a native of our own county," made his first appearance at Lynn Theatre in the character of Richard III. He afterwards appeared as Macbeth.

MARCH.

2.-Died at Bolton Row, London, Lady Jerningham, widow of Sir William Jerningham. Her ladys.h.i.+p was a daughter of the 11th Viscount Dillon.

Her remains were interred at Costessey on March 11th.

-Died at Holkham Hall, aged 45, the Rev. Richard Odell, B.A., Fellow of Christ's College, Oxford, curate of Burnham Overy and of Holkham, and chaplain to his Royal Highness the Duke of Suss.e.x.

3.-Died at his house in St. Giles', Norwich, aged 75, Mr. John Christopher Hampp, a native of Germany, many years an eminent merchant in the city, and a liberal benefactor of the poor.

6.-Died at Tenby, aged 43, Col. Francis Manners Sutton, second son of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

-Died at Hatton, Warwicks.h.i.+re, aged 80, the Rev. Samuel Parr, LL.D., Prebendary of St. Paul's, and rector of Graffham, Huntingdons.h.i.+re, and formerly head-master of Norwich Free Grammar School.

7.-Died, aged 69, Mr. John Banks, proprietor and manager of the Theatres Royal at Liverpool and Manchester, and formerly of Norwich.

8.-Mr. Denny, of Egmere, was presented with a silver cup by the members of the Walsingham Coursing Club, "as a mark of their esteem and grat.i.tude to him for the handsome, liberal, and friendly manner with which he has at all times come forward in support of the meeting."

25.-The contract was completed for the purchase of the works of the Norwich Gas Company by the British Gas Light Company. "The latter company have bought a piece of land in the World's End Lane, near St.

Martin-at-Palace, on which they intend to erect a building and construct works for supplying the city with coal gas."-The Paving Commissioners on September 13th consented to an application being made to Parliament for a Bill to enlarge and amend the Act for lighting with gas the city of Norwich, "and of the extension of the capital of the British Gas Company and of the monies appropriated to their own use provided it meet all such capital to the extent of 12 per cent. per annum."

26.*-"Died lately, at Shelfanger, James Catchpole, labourer, in his 105th year. Within the last year of his life he was willing and able to do a day's work in husbandry."

-*(Advt.) "Miss Phillis Glover, being obliged by the early opening of the Haymarket Theatre, where she is engaged, to leave the Norwich Company before the close of the season, begs permission to take this, her only opportunity, of returning thanks to the inhabitants of Norwich for the kind indulgence afforded to her professional exertions, and of bidding them most respectfully farewell." (Miss Glover, whose place in the Norwich Company was filled by the engagement of Miss Goward, was married on November 19th, 1827, at the church of St Clement Danes, London, to Mr.

J. C. Evans, solicitor, of Liverpool.)

29.-Mr. Dewing's hounds met at West Bradenham, where a fine buck was turned off, and ran through Bradenham and Saham, skirted As.h.i.+ll to Holme Hale, crossed Necton Common, ran through Necton by Fransham to Dunham, Palgrave, and Sporle, and thence to Castleacre, where he was taken after a severe run of 21 miles over the stiffest country in Norfolk.

APRIL.

2.-Sh.o.r.e's menagerie was exhibited on the Castle Ditches, Norwich.

-*"Died at Yarmouth, Mrs. Elizabeth Campling, in her 101st year."

3.-Died at North Walsham, Mary Cook, aged 101.