Norfolk Annals
Chapter 46 : AUGUST.1.-Mr. Thomas Amyot, formerly private secretary to the Right Hon. William Windha

AUGUST.

1.-Mr. Thomas Amyot, formerly private secretary to the Right Hon. William Windham, deceased, and a resident in Norwich, was appointed Registrar under the Act for establis.h.i.+ng a Registry of Colonial Slaves in Great Britain.

3.-Two troops of the 9th Lancers, commanded by Capt. Daly, arrived in Norwich to replace the 15th Light Dragoons ordered to Manchester.

4.-A prize fight took place in Kirby Park between c.o.x, the Norwich blacksmith, and Christopher Barlee, the Berghapton Groom. Seventy-two rounds were fought, and c.o.x won. Upwards of 5,000 persona were present.

10.-At the reception of his Majesty's Judges of a.s.size at Norwich the coach of the High Sheriff of Norfolk (Sir W. W. Dalling) was drawn by a team of six piebald horses, "preceded by a full retinue"; and the City Sheriffs rode in a coach drawn by four greys, and attended by their servants.

-Married, at Quidenham Church, by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, Mr.

James Macdonald, M.P., only son of Sir Archibald Macdonald, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, to the Right Hon. Lady Sophia Keppel, eldest daughter of the Earl of Albemarle. A grand entertainment was given to the gentry, yeomanry, and poor of the neighbourhood in tents erected in the park; sports were held, and among the banners displayed were those taken at the Havanna by the late earl.

11.-At the Norfolk a.s.sizes, which commenced at Norwich on this date, John Pycraft, of Westwick, was charged before Mr. Justice Burrough, with administering a.r.s.enic to his infant child, in consequence of which it died. The prisoner, who made no defence, was, after a trial of six hours, found guilty and sentenced to death, "his body to be delivered to the surgeons to be anatomised." The execution took place on the Castle Hill on the 16th. "The culprit had a diminutive form and decrepid figure; when the platform fell his chest expanded at intervals during the s.p.a.ce of seven or eight minutes, although every precaution was taken to shorten his sufferings by the addition of some heavy appendages. After dissection had been performed the body was exposed to public view at the s.h.i.+rehouse for one hour."

12.-Married at Holkham, by the Rev. Charles Anson, Archdeacon of Carlisle, the Earl of Rosebery to the Hon. Anne Margaret Anson, eldest daughter of Viscount Anson, deceased.

14.-Messrs. R. Goose, Goldings, and Co., advertised that the "Real Telegraph" coach which ran from the Rampant Horse Inn, Norwich, at seven in the morning and arrived in London at eight in the evening, had "no concern whatever with the coach starting from the Angel, and called 'The Telegraph.'" The fares were:-Inside, 1 4s.; outside, 14s.

-The Norwich Society of Artists announced its 15th annual exhibition of pictures at its room in Sir Benjamin Wrenche's Court. This year there was no rival exhibition.

23.-The Duke of Suss.e.x, as Grand Master of England, installed Mr. T. W.

c.o.ke, M.P., as Provincial Grand Master at a Masonic gathering which took place in Norwich.

-The proprietors of the Expedition coach commenced running the Defence day coach, from the White Swan Yard, St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, to the Angel Inn at the back of St. Clement's Church, Strand. The up journey was performed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the down on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.day. Fares.-inside, 21s.; outside, 12s. The Expedition night coach ran as usual.

28.-Edward Fisher, convicted at the previous Norfolk a.s.sizes of stabbing William Harrison, was executed on the Castle Hill, Norwich. "After receiving the sacrament he long held the cup and bread with the wildest expression of agony in his eyes and features. He left a wife and seven children to lament the unhappy end of a husband and father. He was of a reserved, sullen, and gloomy temper, in his religious profession a Methodist, and to a certain degree of unsound mind."

SEPTEMBER.

2.-A cricket match between Holt and Bungay was played on Bungay Common.

"The Bungay players, although allowed Fennex, had smuggled into their side two more professed Marylebone players." Much wrangling took place on the 3rd, when Bungay refused to go on with the game, and the match was claimed by Holt. The return match was played at Holt on the 13th; Bungay had Fennex, Sparks, and Razell on their side. Scores: Holt, 120-73; Bungay, 73-104. "Mr. Pilch, of the Holt club, made 57." The following notice was appended to the report of the match:-"The Holt club take this opportunity of publicly declaring their determination to decline any further contest or connection whatever with the Bungay club."

11.-Mr. Young, who had previously appeared at Yarmouth, commenced an engagement at Norwich Theatre. His characters included Hamlet, Macbeth, Penruddock ("The Wheel of Fortune"), King Lear, and Zanga ("The Revenge").

13.-The corner-stone of the new pump-room and baths at the Thetford chalybeate spring was laid with appropriate ceremony by the Duke of Grafton. His Grace and the d.u.c.h.ess drank of the water of the spring, dinner was served at the Guildhall, and a ball took place in the evening.

15.-A prize fight took place on Tasburgh Common, between Barlee, the Berghapton Groom, and Belasco. Between 8,000 and 10,000 persons were present. Hundreds of women attended, "some of very das.h.i.+ng and many more of respectable appearance to be spectatresses of b.l.o.o.d.y noses and cross b.u.t.tocks." Forty-one rounds were fought, and the contest ended in favour of Belasco.

16.-A public meeting was held at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, "in order to take into consideration the late disastrous transactions at Manchester on August 16th. The Mayor presided, and resolutions were pa.s.sed a.s.serting the right of the subject to pet.i.tion the King. The legality of the Manchester meeting was affirmed, the conduct of the magistrates and Yeomanry Cavalry censured, and a subscription was opened for the relief of the sufferers. An address was also proposed for presentation to the Prince Regent, in which his Royal Highness was asked to remove certain ministers from his presence and councils. The address was afterwards presented to the Prince at Carleton House by the members for the city. A counter declaration was also circulated in Norwich, and received 1,608 signatures. In due course it was presented to the Prince Regent.

20.-A meeting, presided over by the Mayor, was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, to take into consideration the best means to be adopted to carry into effect a plan for making a new street, and for erecting a bridge over the river Wensum at Duke's Palace. The meeting was adjourned till October 18th, when a resolution in favour of the plan was rejected by a considerable majority. A meeting of the supporters of the undertaking was held on November 29th, under the presidency of Mr. George Morse, when it was reported that 7,000 of the 9,000 proposed to be raised by shares of 25 each had been subscribed. A Bill was afterwards introduced into Parliament, and was read a second time on December 17th. On February 26th it was announced that the Bill had not been pa.s.sed in Committee of the House of Commons owing to the interference of the pet.i.tioners, and that the promoters would have to commence fresh proceedings in the new Parliament. On July 8th, 1820, it was stated that the Bill had pa.s.sed both Houses. The foundation-stone of the bridge was laid on August 28th, 1821, by Mr. Alderman T. S. Day.

24.-The Mayor and Corporation of Yarmouth voted a loyal address to the Prince Regent, expressive of their "detestation of the wicked and atrocious attempts of seditious and disaffected subjects in various parts of the kingdom, now openly and avowedly meditating the subversion of the laws and Government, the annihilation at once of all distinctions of rank, and the sacred rights of property."

OCTOBER.

1.-A squadron of the 14th Light Dragoons, under the command of Capt.

Anderson, arrived at Norwich to replace the 9th Lancers. Detachments were sent to Yarmouth and Holt.

5.-Died, aged 32, Mr. John Charles Beckwith, organist of the Cathedral and of St. Peter Mancroft church, Norwich. His remains were interred on the 11th in a grave beside that of his late father beneath the organ loft of St. Peter's church. Mr. Z. A. Buck was, on the 9th, appointed Cathedral organist and master of the choristers, and on the 13th Mr.

Alfred Pettet was elected organist by the paris.h.i.+oners of St. Peter Mancroft.

16.-The East Dereham and London Telegraph coach was advertised by John Leverett and Co. It started from the Cherry Tree Inn every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 6.30 a.m., and travelled by s.h.i.+pdham and Watton to the King's Head, Thetford, to meet the Norwich Telegraph. The Dereham Telegraph then proceeded to the Woolpack Inn and the Angel Inn at Bury St. Edmund's, whence it returned to Thetford on the following day and met the Norwich Telegraph on its return from London, and arrived at Dereham the same evening at nine o'clock. On Sat.u.r.day the Dereham Telegraph ran to Norwich and back.

25.-The Duke of Wellington pa.s.sed through Norwich on his way to Blickling Hall. On changing horses at the Angel Inn he was warmly cheered by the crowd.

29.-Pursuant to requisition a county meeting was held at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, on adjournment from the s.h.i.+rehouse in consequence of the excessive crowd, to "take into consideration the transactions which unfortunately took place at Manchester on August 16th." The High Sheriff (Sir William Windham Dalling) presided, and resolutions were pa.s.sed a.s.serting the right of Englishmen to meet for the purpose of pet.i.tioning, and demanding a Parliamentary inquiry into the transactions. It was also decided to present an address to the Prince Regent. A declaration, previously published, was signed by the Lord Lieutenant and upwards of 1,000 other n.o.blemen, gentlemen, clergy, and freeholders, expressing their reasons for dissenting from the meeting as tending to prejudice the public mind against the magistrates and military.

NOVEMBER.

1.-A peal of five bells, cast at the Whitechapel foundry, and hung by Hurry, of Norwich, was opened at Wroxham church. Five hats were offered as a prize to the company who rang the best of three peals. The South Walsham ringers won.

-Sir Edward James Smith, of Norwich, President of the Linnaean Society, was elected Honorary Professor of Botany at the Royal Inst.i.tution, London.

6.-The Norwich and Yarmouth Telegraph post coach was announced to run daily from the Angel Inn, Norwich, to the King's Head Inn, Yarmouth, in two and a half hours. Fares: Inside, 5s.; outside, 3s.

13.*-"Capt. Borrow has retired from the adjutancy of the First or West Norfolk Regiment of Militia after 42 years' service."

24.-A meeting of the inhabitants interested in the woollen manufactures of Norwich was held at the Guildhall, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of applying to Parliament for a repeal of the duty imposed upon the importation of foreign wool.

DECEMBER.

7.-Died at St. Giles', Norwich, at a very advanced age, Mrs. Mary Fisher, mother of Mr. David Fisher, comedian.

1820.

JANUARY.

1.*-(Advt.) "Ned Painter begs to inform his friends and the public that he has taken the Sun and Anchor Tavern, Lobster Lane, Norwich, where he will have for their accommodation the best ales, London porter, spirits, wine, &c., and he hopes by strict attention to merit patronage and support. N. P. begs to inform the Amateurs of Norwich and Norfolk that he intends to give private lessons in sparring in the most scientific style and at reasonable terms at all hours of the day."

13.-Died at Catton, aged 68, Mr. Robert Harvey, an Alderman of Norwich, and a magistrate for the county. He served the office of Sheriff in 1784, and of Mayor in 1787.

15.-Very severe weather set in. The thermometer fell to seven degrees.

A rapid thaw took place on the 18th, and a flood ensued.