Norfolk Annals
Chapter 27 : 17.-St. Faith's Fair commenced. "John Dunn, the clerk of St. John Maddermarke

17.-St. Faith's Fair commenced. "John Dunn, the clerk of St. John Maddermarket, Norwich, and who for the last 46 years acted as the leader of the men who chaired the Whig members at their election, attended St.

Faith's Fair for the 76th time, without intermission, having been carried to St. Faith's when he was two years old." Dunn died January 20, 1813.

24.*-(Advt.) "Norwich and Ipswich New Post Coach through Scole, Eye, Debenham, and Helmingham, by W. Norbrook, sets off from the Greyhound, in Norwich, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.day mornings at eight o'clock, arrives at the Old White Hart Inn, Ipswich, the same evening, whence it sets off every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at eight o'clock, and arrives at Norwich the same evening."

29.-A branch of the Norfolk and Norwich Auxiliary Bible Society was formed at Yarmouth; branches were established at about this date at Wymondham, Downham Market, and other towns.

31.*-"A few days since the Norwich Expedition Coach was robbed of bank notes to the amount of 500." A man, named Silvester, who presented 140 worth of the notes at a London bank, was arrested on suspicion.

NOVEMBER.

1.-James Parsons, a farrier, in the employment of Mr. Richard Watson, veterinary surgeon, Norwich, was buried with "veterinary and masonic"

ceremonies at St. Gregory's Church, in the presence of 2,000 persons.

The procession was headed by two farriers with white ap.r.o.ns, and their implements bound with white ribbons and reversed. "The corpse was carried by six brethren of a lodge called the Stags Lodge, in their regalia, the sword, middle ap.r.o.n, and collar laid on the pall. His favourite horse which he rode for many years, covered with black velvet, the boots and spurs across, was led behind. The head stall and bridle were adorned with white roses and facings, he dying a bachelor." At the conclusion of the service "a solemn dirge was sung which much gratified many hundreds of persons."

5.-Died, Thomas Gill, aged 86, fifty-two years s.e.xton of St. Margaret's, Norwich. "He had been five times married, never had any children, and buried all his wives."

13.-Whilst the bells of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, were ringing on the occasion of the receipt of the intelligence of the defeat of the French by the Russians, and of the recapture of Moscow, the Prince Regent pa.s.sed through the city from Houghton on his way to Saxmundham. His Royal Highness changed horses at the Angel Inn, but did not alight. On the 14th the Duke of Clarence, accompanied by the Earl of Yarmouth, arrived at Norwich, and after dining at the Angel Inn, proceeded to join the Prince Regent at Saxmundham.

15.-The Duke of Cambridge pa.s.sed through Fakenham, from Houghton, on his way to join a shooting party at Blickling, the seat of Lord Suffield.

17.-Died, at Green Street, Grosvenor Square, London, in his 75th year, Mr. Edward Jerningham. "Although all his family were of the Roman Catholic religion he very early conformed to the Protestant faith, and remained in it till his death, having received the sacrament according to the rites of the Church of England. He was a good scholar and an elegant poet."

21.-A fully-rigged vessel, built for Mr. John Bloom, was launched from the s.h.i.+p-yard of Mr. Parker at Wells-next-the-Sea. "Seven s.h.i.+ps in the harbour belonging to Mr. Bloom, dressed in their colours, fired a royal salute as the s.h.i.+p went off."

23.-Died at his house, Tombland, Norwich, Mr. Edward Colman, one of the surgeons of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. He served the office of Sheriff in 1795. "Having been for twenty-four years a member of the Friars' Society the brethren held a special conclave, when appropriate compositions in prose and verse were delivered, and his obituary medal was deposited in the sepulchral urn."

28.-Died at Cheltenham, in his 74th year, the Rev. George William Lukin, LL.D., Dean of Wells, forty-nine years rector of Felbrigg and Aylmerton, and half-brother to the Right Hon. William Windham.

-Equestrian entertainments commenced at Harper's Pantheon, Norwich, under the management of Mr. R. Key.

DECEMBER.

3.-Intelligence received at Yarmouth of the defeat of the French Army in Russia. On the arrival at Norwich of the coaches conveying the news, the bells of St. Peter Mancroft were rung.

17.-Further celebrations took place at Norwich on the receipt of the intelligence of the victories obtained by the Russians over the two divisions of the French Army, commanded by Marshals Daoust and Ney.

20.-Died, aged 101, Thomas Armstrong, of West Dereham, upwards of 40 years clerk of the parish.

25.-On Christmas Day "the Corporation of Thetford a.s.sembled, according to custom, at the house of the Mayor (Mr. L. S. Bidwell), and after partaking of an elegant cold collation, attended divine service at St.

Peter's Church."

26.*-"In the Court of King's Bench last week an action was brought by Mr.

Bignold, banker of Norwich, against Mr. Waterhouse, one of the coach proprietors, at Lad Lane, for the loss of a parcel containing bills and notes to a considerable amount. The Solicitor-General, for the defendant, produced a notice in which he stated that he would not hold himself responsible for parcels above the value of 5. The judge held this to be a good defence, and non-suited the plaintiff."

In the course of this year upwards of 1,400 persons were vaccinated in Norwich.

1813.

JANUARY.

2.-Polito's menagerie was exhibited on the Castle Ditches, Norwich.

-*"A smuggling cutter, with 600 casks of Geneva on board, was last week captured off Salthouse by the Sheringham Revenue boat. The vessel was taken to Blakeney harbour, and her cargo deposited in the King's warehouse, at Cley."

13.-A Methodist Chapel, erected in Tower Street, King's Lynn, and estimated to hold 3,000 persons, was opened.

17.-Upwards of 1,000 persons attended evening service at St. Andrew's Church, Norwich, when the sermon was preached by the Rev. Robert Walpole.

This was one of a series of services arranged under a scheme of "evening lectures" by clergymen who had "volunteered to officiate alternately at the churches of St. Stephen, St. Andrew, and St. Lawrence." The churches were "excellently lighted with lamps," and the "accommodation of strangers particularly attended to by parish officers and other gentlemen."

19.-Mr. Steward Alderson, at the Norwich Quarter Sessions, called attention to "a species of nuisance existing in various parts of the town which not only endangered the public peace but also the public health and morals. He referred to the species of houses commonly called gin shops.

If the magistrates had signed the licenses of such houses, it was wholly through ignorance of the sort of houses to which they were giving their sanction."

-At the Duke's Head Inn, Lynn, a committee of barley growers of the county presented to Mr. Wm. Becher, of Docking, a valuable piece of plate in recognition of his exertions in promoting the success of agriculture, and in opposing injurious restrictions on the corn trade.

25.-Died, aged 45, Mr. William Money Hill, of Waterden, an agriculturist of great repute in the breeding and selection of stock, and the winner of many prizes at the Holkham Sheep Shearings.

-The third great main of c.o.c.ks between the gentlemen of Norwich and the gentlemen of Cambridge commenced at the White Swan Inn, Norwich, and was continued on the 26th and 27th. The conditions were: to show 41 mains for 10 guineas a battle, and 100 guineas the odd, and ten byes for five guineas a battle. The feeders were Dean for Norwich, Flemon for Cambridges.h.i.+re. Cambridge won by five battles.

30.*-"A small farmer, who a few years since resided in the neighbourhood of Norwich, has written from Botany Bay to his former landlord, stating that Cabel, who about 25 years since was sent from Norwich Castle, is now become a very great merchant and the owner of twenty-five s.h.i.+ps." (In the year 1786 Cabel and a female prisoner were in Norwich Castle under sentence of transportation. During the two years that elapsed between the trial and the departure of the first batch of convicts, the woman gave birth to a child. Cabel, the father, was pa.s.sionately fond of the infant, and appealed to the authorities to allow him to marry the mother.

This was refused. The female and her infant were sent with the first contingent of convicts, and after a wearisome journey by coach in the depth of winter arrived at Plymouth in charge of Simpson, the turnkey of the prison. When Simpson handed over his prisoners to the captain of the transport that officer refused to take the child on board, alleging that he had no authority to do so. The mother was distracted by the separation. Simpson acted with great humanity. Taking with him the six weeks old child he proceeded to London by coach, and with much difficulty obtained an interview with the Secretary of State, to whom he related the story. The result was that not only was an order issued for the restoration of the child to its mother, but Cabel was permitted to sail by the same transport to the land of their exile.)

FEBRUARY.

2.-Mr. Charles Harvey presented to the House of Commons a pet.i.tion against the claims of the Roman Catholics, which was extensively signed by the clergy of the archdeaconries of Norwich and Norfolk.

-Mr. James Webb, known as the "Benevolent Stranger," distributed considerable sums of money among the public inst.i.tutions and the necessitous poor of Norwich. "For three days the Angel Inn yard was thronged with applicants who seemed unwilling to quit the spot even till some time after the philanthropist had taken his departure." Mr. Webb made similar distributions at Yarmouth, Bungay, and other places.

-Died, Major John Bland, aged 77, many years in the 46th Regiment. "He had been in 42 engagements, among which was the memorable battle of Quebec." He gave various bequests to the Norwich charities.

6.-It was reported that small-pox had appeared in St. Stephen's, Norwich.

Six unvaccinated children died from the effects of the disease. The Court of Guardians offered a reward of 2s. 6d. to parents for each child vaccinated. During the month unvaccinated children continued to suffer.

On March 27th it was stated that Letton, Cranworth, West and East Bradenham, and s.h.i.+pdham, were among the parishes of the county "who had set a most laudable example in vaccination."

20.*-"The second cousins of Mr. Henry Kett, late of Norwich, have generously presented the sum of 500 towards the establishment of a Lancasterian school at d.i.c.kleburgh, the native place of the deceased."

26.-A trotting match took place between a mare, the property of Mr.

Crisp, of Stow, Downham Market, and a mare belonging to Mr. Brett, of Fordham, on the turnpike road from the Chequers at Downham Market to the toll-bar at Fincham. The stakes, 20 a side, "were won by the former by a furlong, the latter having broke eleven times during the journey." The winner was ridden by Mr. Abraham Spinks, of Magdalen.