Norfolk Annals
Chapter 16 : 8.-The Norwich Paving Commissioners advertised for tenders for lighting the city. The n

8.-The Norwich Paving Commissioners advertised for tenders for lighting the city. The number of lamps, it was stated, would not be fewer than 1,200 nor more than 1,400.

10.-Mr. Edmund Reader, of Sisland, near Loddon, undertook, for a bet of five guineas, to cut and tie one acre of wheat in 16 hours in a field belonging to Mr. Burton, at Barford. In 14 hours he had cut one acre seven roods, and had tied 430 sheaves.

31.-A match at bowls was played at Cley, between three gentlemen of that parish and three of Holt, for 50 guineas a side. The latter won five games out of seven.

SEPTEMBER.

7.-The City of Norwich Regiment of Volunteers a.s.sembled on Tombland at five am., and marched to Yarmouth for garrison duty. There were on parade 26 officers, 30 sergeants, 25 corporals, and 500 rank and file.

12.-Mr. Philipsthal's Phantasmagoria was exhibited at the Theatre Royal, Norwich.

14.-Died, at Rainham, in his 84th year, George Marquis Townshend, a Field Marshal, Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Dragoon Guards, and Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk. His lords.h.i.+p represented Norfolk from 1747 to 1764, and from 1768 to 1772 was Viceroy of Ireland. He acted as Brigadier-General, and gained much honour at the taking of Quebec in 1759, when the command of the troops devolved upon him, in consequence of the death of General Wolfe and of the wounding of General Monkton, second in command. His Majesty granted a pension of 1,000 a year out of the privy purse to the Marchioness Townshend.

19.*-"One day last week a child, playing in the churchyard of St.

Michael-at-Plea, Norwich, found concealed behind a gravestone, covered with a tile, a parcel, containing more than 90 in forged Bank of England notes and 14 in counterfeit s.h.i.+llings."

21.-At a quarterly a.s.sembly of the Norwich Corporation the city gates still remaining were ordered to be taken down.

OCTOBER.

13.-The Duke of Clarence, accompanied by the Earl and Countess Cholmondeley, visited Lynn. The Corporation presented an address to his Royal Highness, who was afterwards admitted a free burgess.

19.-Blickling races were this year supplemented by wrestling matches.

22.-Died, aged 40, at Brickhill, Buckinghams.h.i.+re, on his way from Liverpool, where he had arrived from America, Robert Murray, merchant, of New York, fifth son of Dr. John Murray, of Norwich. He had been absent more than 16 years, and had revisited England, in the hope of alleviating the symptoms of a pulmonary complaint.

24.-Died, in Dublin, aged 72, Mr. James Bradfield, of Stoke Ferry, who by his will endowed a school in that village for 25 poor children.

28.-Lord Cathcart, Commander-in-Chief of the Army employed against Copenhagen, arrived in Norwich from Yarmouth, and next day proceeded to London.

29.-Louis XVIII., travelling as Count de Lille, arrived off Yarmouth in a Swedish frigate, and landed on November 2nd. He was accompanied by the Duke D'Angouleme, the Duke de Berri, and by other representatives of the French n.o.bility.

-A severe storm occurred off the Norfolk coast, and several transports were lost at Yarmouth, where Admiral Gambier arrived with 32 sail of the line, several Dutch prizes, and a great number of frigates.

31.*-"The Militia ballot has commenced. The quota for Norfolk and Norwich is 907."

-At the Old Bailey, J. Hopgrave was indicted for an a.s.sault, with intent to murder his Majesty's officers of Excise in a smuggling affray at Cawston. The ringleader, one Jeremiah Abel, was convicted at the Old Bailey some months previously. Hopgrave succeeded in proving an _alibi_, and was acquitted. On December 8th, Richard Wiseman, of the Three Pigs, at Edgefield, was charged at the Old Bailey with obstructing the Excise officers at the same time. He also was acquitted on proving an _alibi_.

At the end of this month a shooting party at Holkham killed in three days 1,457 head of game. The party included Mr. c.o.ke, the Marquis of Tavistock, Lords Albemarle, Spencer, Althorpe, Anson, and Bradford, Generals Walpole and Keppel, Sir J. Sh.e.l.ly, Col. Keppel, Messrs. W.

Smith, Churchill, Collet, Wilbraham, W. Fitzroy, and Smith. Mr. c.o.ke killed 60 the first day, 66 the second, and 70 the third.

NOVEMBER.

4.-A large barn full of barley in the straw, and a stack of barley, the property of General Money, of Trowse, were destroyed by fire, caused by an incendiary, named Thomas Sutton. At the a.s.sizes, held at Thetford, on March 21st, 1808, before Mr. Justice Grose, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. He had eight years previously been sentenced to seven years' transportation for stealing a pony belonging to the general, and his father had suffered death for horse stealing. "At the trial he behaved in a most audacious manner to the judge, and when sentenced requested the Sheriff to let him be taken to Norwich that he might be hanged amongst his friends." He was executed on the Castle Hill, Norwich, April 9th, 1808.

-An entertainment was given by Lord and Lady Cholmondeley to upwards of 300 persons at Houghton Hall. The great hall was converted into a theatre for the performance of an opera written by Mr. Panton. The performers included the author, Miss Wood, Lord Malpas, and the Messrs.

Lanyas. Between the acts Lady Charlotte Cholmondeley and Miss Cholmondeley played a pianoforte duet. The opera was preceded by an address, spoken by Lord Malpas, and was followed by a dance and supper.

7.*-"Nathaniel Easthaugh, bellman in Norwich, in grat.i.tude for having had possession of the city bell for 27 years (one year only excepted), has liberally subscribed the sum of ten guineas towards the new pavement, he being at times unable, through infirmity, to walk over the old one."

10.-Died, aged 52, the Rev. John Walker, one of the minor canons of Norwich Cathedral. His widow afterwards published a volume of his poems.

11.-Seven fishermen were drowned within 50 yards of the sh.o.r.e at Sheringham, through the upsetting of their boats in a sudden gale.

14.-The privateer La Decide was brought into Yarmouth by L'Amiable frigate, Capt. G. Stuart. The privateer had long evaded the cruisers and committed great depredations upon commerce. She was supposed to have captured 30 prizes within three years.

27.-Died, aged 77, John Clarke Snell, of Norwich. "He was formerly of Bury St. Edmund's, and remarkable for his eccentricities and for his study of astrology, which rendered him a well-known character."

28.-John Gulley and Tom Cribb, the famous pugilists, gave an exhibition of sparring in the great room at the King's Head Inn, Norwich. Upwards of 200 persons were present, including the Right Hon. William Windham and the Hon. Edward Harbord.

30.-At the annual meeting of the Society of Universal Good Will at Norwich, it was reported that 2,420 persons had been relieved since its establishment.

DECEMBER.

12.-Married, at his lords.h.i.+p's house, Charles Street, Berkeley Square, London, the Right Hon. the Earl of Craven to Miss Louisa Brunton, of Covent Garden Theatre, and daughter of John Brunton, Esq., formerly of Norwich, who gave the bride away. "The Earl is in his 37th and the fair bride in her 25th year." Mr. Brunton was for many years manager of the Norwich Theatre, and Miss Louisa Brunton was a favourite performer there.

13.-Died, in St. Simon's, Norwich, aged 86, Mrs. Mary Mack. "She lived several years in the service of the late Mr. W. Tilyard, of Poringland, during which time she constantly travelled the number of 2,920 miles annually, which in ten years amounted to 29,220, the house being fully four miles from Norwich, and her master, who was a very eccentric character, never failed sending her every day (Sunday not excepted) for such things as his whimsical and capricious fancy suggested he stood in need of."

-Died, at Claxton, Mrs. Eliza Norton, in her 101st year.

19.*-"A telegraph or signal station is on the point of being erected upon the hills leading from Norwich to Thorpe. It is to be commanded by a naval officer, and the object of it is to open and maintain a prompt communication with Yarmouth on the one side, and with the telegraphs between Norwich and London on the other." Messages were afterwards sent from the Admiralty to Yarmouth in 17 minutes. The chain of communication was by Strumpshaw, Thorpe Hills, Honingham, Carlton, and Harling, and thence by way of Thetford and Bury St. Edmund's, across Newmarket Heath, to London.

21.-Experiments were made at Norwich, with the view of testing the practicability of General Money's proposal to Government for mounting cannon on waggons for the protection of vessels on the coast. The Artillery officers at Woolwich gave General Money credit for his invention, and many s.h.i.+p owners and masters of vessels approved the plan.

An Act was pa.s.sed this year for enabling Rear-Admiral Bentinck, tenant for life under the will of his late father, Mr. John Albert Bentinck, to charge his estates in the county of Norfolk with the sums therein mentioned, for embanking, improving, and increasing the same estates by the means therein mentioned.

1808.

JANUARY.

9.*-"Capt. Manby's invention for rescuing persons from vessels stranded on a lee sh.o.r.e has received the approbation of the Lords of the Admiralty." On February 12th the apparatus was successfully employed in saving the crew of a vessel named the Elizabeth of Plymouth. In May, the Society of Arts awarded their gold medal to Capt. Manby for his invention; and Parliament at different times rewarded him with grants amounting to 6,000, and adopted his apparatus at various stations on dangerous parts of the coast.

10.-Lord Hutchinson and Lord L. Gower arrived at Norwich from Yarmouth, where they had landed from the Belette sloop of war, on their return from St. Petersburgh.

14.-During a heavy gale several vessels were stranded between Blakeney and Sheringham. Much damage was done by an inundation at Cley-next-the-Sea.