Norfolk Annals
Chapter 22 : -Mr. Patteson presented in the House of Commons a pet.i.tion from the Mayor, Alderman,

-Mr. Patteson presented in the House of Commons a pet.i.tion from the Mayor, Alderman, and Justices of Norwich, against the Bill to alter, explain, and amend the laws in force respecting bread, and for better regulating the mode of setting the price thereof out of London. The pet.i.tion stated that the proposed Bill would add 4s. to the then allowance of 12s. for every quarter of wheat, and the baker for his labour, salt, &c., which would tend to raise the price of bread. The magistrates had consulted the master and wardens of the Norwich Bakers'

Company, who declared that the bakers were perfectly satisfied with the mode of regulating the a.s.size and with the allowance of 12s. per quarter.

MAY.

2.-At the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, a man named Stebbing, of Wymondham, was indicted for using seditious language in the presence of several persons, some of whom were Militia men. The prisoner was alleged to have a.s.serted that "if Buonaparte would come he would be the first man to join him" and that "Buonaparte was a better man to his country than King George was to this." The jury, "to the surprise of the whole court,"

returned a verdict of not guilty, "and several gentlemen on the bench expressed their strongest reprobation." Sergt. Money, of the Militia, one of the princ.i.p.al witnesses for the prosecution, was afterwards appointed to an ensigncy in the 4th Garrison Battalion.

10.-The Victory, 100 guns, Vice-Admiral Sir J. Saumarez, and seven other sail of the line, sailed from Yarmouth for the Baltic.

16.-The First Eastern Regiment of the Local Militia, commanded by Lord Suffield, a.s.sembled at Aylsham and marched thence to Yarmouth for 20 days' training. The dates and places of a.s.sembly of the other regiments were as follow:-2nd Eastern Regiment, Col. Patteson, Norwich, May 22nd; 1st Western Regiment, Col. Petre, Norwich, May 17th; 2nd Western Regiment, Col. Edmund Wodehouse, Lynn, May 21st; 3rd Western Regiment, Col. Chad, Swaffham, May 10th, whence they marched to Norwich. In consequence of insufficiency of accommodation at Norwich, three companies of the 3rd Western Regiment marched to Dereham, where the course of training was completed.

19.*-"One day last week, a young woman, of Dereham, being strongly attached to a soldier in the 24th Regiment of Foot, resolved to follow him to the wars, and habiting herself in man's attire enlisted by mistake into the 54th Regiment of Foot recruiting in Norwich. Her s.e.x was discovered and her intentions frustrated."

20.-Died in London, aged 81, the Right Hon. Charles Lord Bayning, of Honingham Hall, a Privy Councillor, and High Steward of Great Yarmouth.

He was succeeded by his son, the Hon. Charles Frederick Pawlett Townshend.

28.-The birthday of William Pitt was celebrated by the members of the Castle Corporation, Norwich, and other gentlemen to the number of 130, in Mr. Bailey's great room.

JUNE.

2.*-(Advt. ) "A stage waggon sets out from the warehouse, Tombland, Norwich, every Friday evening, and arrives at Bury every Sat.u.r.day, returning from Bury every Wednesday, and arrives at Norwich early on Friday morning. The London waggons through Cambridge every Tuesday and Friday. The Yorks.h.i.+re waggons come regularly twice a week." (Messrs.

Marsh were the proprietors of the Norwich waggons. A similar service of waggons was also run at about this date by Mack, of Norwich. )

4.-The King's birthday was observed as usual. "The prisoners of the city gaol return thanks to the Mayor and Corporation for the excellent dinner of roast beef and plum puddings, with plenty of strong ale. Likewise to numerous unknown pa.s.sengers for their gifts to the box which is carried about every Sat.u.r.day afternoon by a man appointed by the court to attend on them. And they humbly request the charitably disposed to put their contributions into the box themselves, which is locked up by the governor, and its contents equally distributed by him. They have also another box outside the gaol which is opened every quarter."

-Died at his house in Pall Mall, aged 60, the Right Hon. William Windham, of Felbrigg. Three days before the event he predicted that he would expire on the King's birthday. He represented Norwich in three successive Parliaments-from 1784 to 1802. The remains of the deceased statesman arrived in Norwich on their way to Felbrigg on the 10th. The body lay in state at the Maid's Head Inn until the morning of the 11th, when the journey to Felbrigg was resumed, and the funeral took place there in the afternoon. In the funeral procession at the church was "a man bearing a false coffin."

5.-A cricket match was played between the Norwich Club and the officers of the Wilts.h.i.+re Regiment, on the Town Close ground, Norwich. Norwich, 134; Wilts.h.i.+re Regiment, 49-43. The return match was played on the same ground on the 14th. Norwich, 71-150; Wilts.h.i.+re Regiment, 57-53.

10.-At the burial of a woman, named b.u.mpstead, at Thurlton, "it was not a little singular that the husband and an a.s.s walked to church next the corpse, and also back again to the house, as chief mourners."

11.-A prize fight took place at Limpenhoe between John Green, of Beighton, and David William Rushmer, of Thurlton. "In the first seven rounds the latter received seven knock-down blows; but in the eighth he gave the other such a violent blow that he knocked him out of time and won."

16.*-"Mr. Alderman Yallop, of Norwich, is the fortunate holder of an eighth of the ticket, 1,537, which drew a prize of 1,000 on Friday last.

This is the fourth capital prize Mr. Yallop has had a share of in the different lotteries."

19.-Guild-day at Norwich. The Mayor, Mr. John Steward, entertained 750 guests at dinner at St. Andrew's Hall, and 400 attended the ball at Chapel Field House, where dancing was kept up until two o'clock next morning. "Several friends of conviviality kept the jovial spirit alive at the hall till after that late or rather early hour."

25.-Holkham Sheep Shearing commenced. One of the implements exhibited was "a fumigating machine on two wheels which, in turning, worked a pair of bellows that blew into an iron cylinder filled with burning sulphur, and shavings or sawdust, and perforated at the bottom, which, when pushed over the land, suffocated the turnip flies, cankers, &c., or caught them on a tarred cover fixed over the head of the cylinder." This remarkable contrivance was exhibited by a Mr. Plenty, of London.

JULY.

16.-A cricket match was played on the Town Close ground, Norwich, between eight of the Norwich Club and thirteen of the Wilts.h.i.+re Regiment.

Wilts.h.i.+re Regiment, 72-78; Norwich, 32-69.

20.-A cricket match, for 50 guineas a side, was played at Swaffham, between the Norwich and Swaffham clubs. Norwich, 42-26; Swaffham, 67.

The return match took place on the Town Close ground, Norwich, on August 20th. Norwich, 35-51; Swaffham, 55-30.

25.-Mr. Alderson, the City Steward, entertained the Common Council of Norwich at dinner at his house in St. Helen's. The Commons returned the compliment by entertaining the Steward at the Maid's Head Inn the following week.

26.-Died, aged 70, the Rev. William Sheepshanks, rector of Ovington, and Prebendary of Carlisle. He had been tutor to Lord Ellenborough, Sir S.

Lawrence, the Bishop of Lincoln, &c., and was the intimate friend of Dr.

Paley.

29.-Died in his 73rd year, Mr. John Crisp, of East Dereham, attorney, clerk to the magistrates, the commissioners, the deputy lieutenants, &c.

He was captain of the Dereham Yeomanry Cavalry, and his remains were interred with military honours, at s.h.i.+pdham, his native place.

AUGUST.

2.-Earl Moira and the Countess of Loudon arrived at Cromer for the bathing season, and on the following day witnessed a demonstration of the capabilities of Capt. Manby's life-saving apparatus.

3.-At a special meeting of the Norwich Corporation it was resolved "that, having taken into consideration a paper called 'Roope's Weekly Letters,'

No. 9, and being of opinion that it contains gross libellous matter against Thomas Back, Esq., late Chief Magistrate, this a.s.sembly direct a prosecution." On August 18th a meeting of freemen was held to take such measures "as will best ensure the election of Mr. Roope as Sheriff for the ensuing year." It was announced on August 25th that Mr. Mills, of Thetford, had been "persuaded" to discontinue printing the "Weekly Letters." At the election of Sheriff on August 28th, Roope was put in nomination in opposition to Mr. Troughton. The latter was returned with 625 votes to the former's 313. Roope afterwards challenged the City Steward, Mr. Alderson, to fight a duel, in consequence of his having called him a rascal as he was leaving the court after the election. An information was laid against Roope for endeavouring to incite Alderson to commit a breach of the peace; and at the Quarter Sessions on October 2nd, application was made that his recognisances of 100 in respect of the libel case be estreated on the ground of his having committed a fresh breach of the peace by public comments on Mr. Alderson's conduct. He was ordered to enter into fresh recognisances, himself in 200 and to find two sureties of 100 each, and to keep the peace towards Mr. Alderson and the public generally. At the Quarter Sessions on January 15th, 1811, the defendant, for inciting Mr. Alderson to fight a duel, was fined 40s. and sentenced to one month's imprisonment. On June 29th Roope appeared before the Court of King's Bench for the libel on Mr. Back, and was committed to the custody of the Marshal for three months, and ordered to find sureties for his good behaviour. Roope died, in his 37th year, on July 4th, 1812. "He sustained a lingering illness of nearly four months with a resignation and fort.i.tude highly exemplary, and met the approach of his last moments with the utmost composure, leaving a widow and five young children."

-A trotting match took place between the celebrated horse Shales, the property of Mr. John Chamberlain, of Magdalene, and Driver, owned by Mr.

Reuben West, of Gaywood. They started from the South Gates, Lynn, at six o'clock, and trotted to the ninth milestone on the Swaffham road and back. At the expiration of an hour Shales had trotted 17 miles, beating the other by about 1 miles, "with the greatest of ease, notwithstanding that he was the smaller horse and carried two stone more weight than the other." The stakes amounted to 200.

6.-At Wroxham Water Frolic about one hundred sail of boats were present.

22.-Mr. Chalmers, a comedian of considerable merit, and formerly a member of the Norwich Company, was found speechless upon the doorstep of a house in Worcester. He was removed to the infirmary, where he died.

27.-A cricket match was played on Hardingham Common between the gentlemen of Norwich and Swaffham. Norwich, 32-72; Swaffham, 143.

29.-Died at Lynn, aged 85, Mrs. Middleton, "who resided 83 years in the house in which she died."

30.-The Norwich Cricket Club played a match against the Wilts.h.i.+re Regiment. Norwich, 88-93; Wilts.h.i.+re Regiment, 73-92.

SEPTEMBER.

7.-Died at Cambridge, Mr. James Bunn, miniature painter, formerly of the Pantheon and Gardens, Norwich, and for many years a performer in the Norwich Company of Comedians.

15.*-(Advt.) "c.o.c.king.-To be fought on Thursday and Friday, the 20th and 21st inst., a main of c.o.c.ks, Yarmouth against Beccles. Feeders: Danes for Yarmouth, Caisey for Beccles. Seven battles each night; five guineas a battle and ten guineas the odd. All c.o.c.ks to be pitted at seven o'clock precisely each night at Cooper's bowling-green, North Quay, Yarmouth."

21.-Died, at Earsham Park, aged 71, Mr. Joseph Windham, distinguished as a scholar and antiquary.

23.-Died, aged 71, Mr. John Herring, of Norwich. He served the office of Sheriff in 1786, was elected alderman October 20, 1798, and Mayor in the following year. He introduced a scheme for the employment of workhouse children in spinning wool, by which many hundreds of pounds were annually raised by them. It was during Mr. Herring's mayoralty that the British troops returned from the disastrous expedition to Holland, and for his humane treatment of them he received the thanks of Government.

29.-Mr. Francis Morse and Mr. Thomas Troughton were sworn into office as Sheriffs of Norwich. "Mr. Morse appeared in his shooting dress, namely a short coat, leather breeches, &c., and on the Steward proceeding, as usual, to invest him with the gold chain he refused to put on what he termed 'a bauble'; nor would he wear the gown, he said, unless it was absolutely necessary. Mr. Steward Alderson observed that his refusal seemed to convey some little disrespect to the court. Mr. Morse disavowed any individual disrespect, and said he would perform his office irrespective of outward forms. He denied having a.s.sumed the office. It was forced upon him in the expectation of obtaining a fine of 80, as he was convinced there was not a gentleman on the Bench who believed when the precept was sent to him that he would serve the office."