Norfolk Annals
Chapter 51 : The two first-named were returned to the Court of Aldermen, who elected Mr. Rackham to

The two first-named were returned to the Court of Aldermen, who elected Mr. Rackham to serve the office.

2.-Died at his ancestral seat at Great Ormesby, aged 68, Mr. James Symonds, who was descended from one of the oldest families in Norfolk.

8.-At a meeting of the merchants, manufacturers, dyers, &c., held at the Guildhall, Norwich, presided over by Mr. John Harvey, it was resolved to pet.i.tion Parliament for a repeal of the tax on imported foreign wool.

12.-A foot race of 30 miles was run at New Buckenham, between two men named Tuttle and Beales. The former won easily in five hours nine minutes.

13.-Died at his house in Surrey Street, Norwich, aged 72, Mr. William Stevenson, upwards of 35 years proprietor of the NORFOLK CHRONICLE. He served the office of Sheriff in 1799.

-Died at Lyng, Christopher Allc.o.c.k, aged 91. "He served in the first draft of the Norfolk Militia when called out in the glorious year, 1759, and such was his attachment to the military service that he made a reserve of his coat that it might serve him for a shroud."

18.-Died at Norwich, aged 53, Robert Chesnut, leader of the St. Peter's ringers.

19.-The "safety" coach from the Rampant Horse Inn, Norwich, commenced running to London on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings by way of Thetford, Bury, and Newmarket.

23.-At a special court of the Norwich Guardians it was agreed to pet.i.tion the House of Commons against the Bill introduced into Parliament by Mr.

Scarlett, for amending the laws relating to the relief of the poor in England.

28.-The princ.i.p.al inhabitants, with many other paris.h.i.+oners, perambulated the parish of St. Clement's, Norwich, and afterwards dined at the Bull Inn, Magdalen Street.

30.-A gla.s.s bottle was thrown from the gallery on to the stage of Norwich Theatre by a youth named Wheeler, son of a former member of the Norwich company. He was apprehended by Mr. Smith, the manager, taken before the Mayor, and sentenced to one month's imprisonment in the Bridewell.

JUNE.

12.-Costessey Guild was held, and the "Mayor" sworn in with great formality. Several "splendid equipages" appeared in the subsequent procession.

-The festivities connected with Necton Guild were carried out on a scale of much splendour in a field adjoining the residence of Major Mason, of Necton Hall, the patron of this annual gathering.

-The Census was completed on this day at Norwich. The city, with its hamlets and the Close, contained 10,833 houses and 50,173 souls, namely, 22,732 males and 27,441 females. In comparison with the returns at the previous Census these figures showed an increase of 2,300 houses and of 12,917 persons.

18.-Guild Day at Norwich. Mr. William Rackham was sworn in Mayor, and entertained 650 guests at the guild feast at St. Andrew's Hall.

-Died, aged 52, Charles Hague, Mus. Doc., professor of music at the University of Cambridge.

-At an a.s.sembly of the Norwich Corporation, the Tonnage Committee was ordered to obtain plans and estimates for the improvement of the south side of St. Andrew's Hall, and of the plain and gardens. The proposed work included the taking down of the old Library Room and the Court of Conscience, which formed part of the entrance to the Hall, and completely obscured and disgraced the structure; the erection of a Gothic porch on part of their site to correspond with the architecture of the original building, and the laying open of the whole south side of the Hall, "by taking down the present garden walls, so as to form a square in front of the hall." It was also proposed that the building be no longer used as a corn exchange.

-About twenty of the Waterloo men resident in Norwich were entertained to dinner at the Coach and Horses, Red Lion Lane, in celebration of the anniversary of the battle.

23.*-"The curious antique pump in St. Lawrence, in this city (Norwich), erected by Robert Gybson in 1576, has been lately put into repair, and the singular inscription and ornaments thereon repainted by the present proprietor, Quarter-Master Betts, of the West Norfolk Regiment."

28.-The Marshland free bridge, built by Messrs. Jolliffe and Bank, under the direction of the engineer, Mr. Rennie, and forming a direct means of communication between the eastern and northern districts, was opened on this date. A procession of carriages, preceded by a band of music and banners, with 7,000 pedestrians, pa.s.sed over the bridge at one o'clock.

The carriage of Mr. Thomas Hoseason led the van. Among the vehicles was the Lynn and London coach, drawn by four bays decorated with ribbands and flowers.

JULY.

2.-Twelve smacks were despatched from Wells to a newly discovered oyster bed at Happisburgh, whence they returned on the following day with from 100 to 121 tubs each.

-*"Notwithstanding the clouds which lower on the landed interest, the sun of Holkham's prosperity has shone forth with undiminished splendour," was the comment which prefaced this year's report of the Holkham Sheep Shearing. The business of the meeting commenced with an inspection in front of the hall "of the various processes in the manufacture (by the labourers' children and the parish poor) of part of the crop of flax and hemp grown upon Holkham Park Farm in the last year. The several operations of breaking, heckling, and spinning were gone through by females of various ages with ease and facility." Some of the sacks and sheeting manufactured from the materials were also shown. The gathering was attended by H.R.H. the Duke of Suss.e.x, the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Albemarle, Lord Erskine, Lord Crewe, Sir F. Burdett, Mr. Hume, &c.

"The magnificent hospitality of these meetings congregated men from all parts of the civilized world. None but agricultural subjects were discussed. On these the most conflicting opinions were freely given and as freely canva.s.sed, but anything political was excluded. And thus, although the political opinions of Mr. c.o.ke and most of his personal friends were not only very decided, but for a great period, and that the most brilliant era of the Holkham meetings, unpopular with the great majority of those connected with the landed interest, yet men of every shade of political opinion were heartily welcome . . . and although they might hear some favourite theory of farming ridiculed they never would find anything hurtful to their political feelings advanced. The Sheep Shearing of 1821, indeed, was an exception. Political topics were then introduced. It was a bad omen. This Sheep Shearing was the last."-"Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society," Vol. XIV., part 1.

7.-Miss Biffin paid a return visit to Norwich, and was exhibited at St.

Peter's Steps, the Market Place.

19.-Norwich, in common with the cities and towns of the kingdom generally, celebrated the Coronation day of King George IV. The Mayor and Corporation went in procession to the Cathedral, preceded by a troop of the 9th Lancers, commanded by Capt. Campbell, sixty-four Waterloo men wearing their medals, and by the loyal and const.i.tutional clubs with their flags. The procession was closed in by the Norwich Light Horse Volunteers. After service a roasted bullock, weighing 60 stones, was distributed in the Market Place, with 2,880 penny loaves, and several barrels of beer. There was a similar distribution in Ber Street. A dinner took place at St. Andrew's Hall, under the presidency of the Mayor, and at night a display of fireworks was given on a staging erected on the south side of the Market Place. A very elaborate triumphal arch, erected near the Guildhall, was brilliantly illuminated. There were like demonstrations at Yarmouth, Lynn, and other towns in the county.

29.-Died at St. John Timberhill, Norwich, John Smith, schoolmaster, aged 54, "the author of several scholastic works and an English grammar."

30.-A grand cricket match between the Holt and Nottingham clubs commenced at Holt, and was continued on the two following days. It terminated in favour of Nottingham, with ten wickets to spare-Nottingham, 150-154; Holt, 80-73. The Holt team included R. J. Brereton, Garwood, N. Pilch, William Pilch, F. Pilch, W. Englebright, R. Englebright, Frost, Brunton, Carmichael, and Goggs.

31.-The new river or Cut from King's Lynn to Eau Brink was opened. At 8.30 a steam barge pa.s.sed beneath the new bridge into the Cut, followed by a great number of boats. After the commissioners had viewed the work the steamboat returned to Lynn, where dinner was served at the Town Hall, under the presidency of Lord William Bentinck.

AUGUST.

1.-Died at his house in Charles Street, Berkeley Square, the Right Hon.

Lord Suffield, his Majesty's Lieutenant of Norfolk. His lords.h.i.+p, who was in his 54th year, dying without issue, he was succeeded in his t.i.tle and estates by his brother, the Hon. Edward Harbord, M.P. for Shaftesbury. The remains of his lords.h.i.+p arrived at Aylsham, and lay in state at the Black Boys Inn on August 12th, and the funeral took place at Gunton on the 13th.

4.*-"In the recent creation of baronets are Major-General Sir Edward Kerrison and Mr. Astley Paston Cooper, surgeon to his Majesty's person."

6.-The Norwich a.s.surance Company and the Norwich Union Society combined their establishments under the style of the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society, with a capital of 550,000.

9.-Official intelligence was received in Norwich of the death of Queen Caroline. Her Majesty died at Bradenburgh House, Hammersmith, on the 7th.

10.-The organ in Loddon church, the gift of Mr. Thomas Reynolds, of Chedgrave, was opened with a performance of sacred music by Messrs.

Pettet and Woolman. The princ.i.p.al vocalists were Miss Gaskill, of Norwich Theatre, Mrs. Card, and Mr. French; and the instrumental band was composed of Norwich and Yarmouth amateurs. "Tickets: middle aisle, 3s.; side aisle, 2s."

11.*-"A troop of the 4th Dragoons arrived here last week to replace the troop of 9th Lancers, who have gone to Canterbury."

-*"Died, last week, at Surlingham, Mrs. Elizabeth Utting, in her 104th year."

14.-Mr. Justice Richardson, in charging the Grand Jury at the Norwich Summer a.s.sizes, made reference to the large number of street robberies and burglaries that had taken place in the city. "Several persons had their pockets picked in court; one man was detected in the act, and was committed to Bridewell."

17.-Among the civil actions tried at the Norwich a.s.sizes, before Sir Robert Dallas, Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, was that of Crawcour _v._ Smith. It was for the recovery of the cost of a suit of clothes, &c., bought by the plaintiff in consequence of having received from the defendant a fict.i.tious card of invitation to dine at the Guild feast in 1820. The defendant, who admitted the sending of the card, was heard to remark that "he would rather undergo transportation than not see the plaintiff (a Jew dentist) at the door of the Guildhall in his pomps and opera hat." Counsel for the defendant endeavoured to show that the order for the apparel was given subsequent to the plaintiff receiving notice of the fict.i.tiousness of the card; and he argued that even if he had gone to the feast he could not have partaken of it without incurring the censure of the higher orders of his religion. Mr. Sergeant Blossett, for the plaintiff, replied that "of the 600 covers placed on the tables on Guild Day there were several of which Mr. Crawcour might partake without injury either of his soul or his stomach." The jury found for the plaintiff-damages 1s. (Mr. Crawcour on September 23rd met with a terrible accident on Tombland. The horse, which he was driving, ran away, and he was thrown from the vehicle. His leg was fractured in so shocking a manner that immediate amputation was rendered necessary.)

18.-Col. the Hon. John Wodehouse, M.P., was appointed his Majesty's Lieutenant, Vice-Admiral of the county, and Custos Rotulorum, in place of the late Lord Suffield.

20.-A fire took place on the premises of Mr. Cross, Lower Earlham, by which his barns and outhouses, hay, corn, and straw stacks were destroyed. The damage was estimated at 1,000.

21.-Belzoni, the celebrated traveller and discoverer of Egyptian antiquities, visited Norwich, and stayed with Mr. Jeremiah Ives, at his residence, St. Catherine's Hill, where several gentlemen of the city were invited to meet him.

22.-Died, aged 72, Mrs. Mary Mountain, of Norwich. "On the first establishment of the Inst.i.tution for the Indigent Blind in this city she tendered her gratuitous services as matron, and for 16 years filled that situation."

28.-A contest for freemen's Sheriff took place at Norwich. Mr. Joseph Gibson, 680; Mr. T. O. Springfield, 442. A scrutiny was afterwards demanded and granted, but was abandoned.