Norfolk Annals
Chapter 14 : 3.-A Parliamentary election took place at Norwich, resulting in the return of Mr. John

3.-A Parliamentary election took place at Norwich, resulting in the return of Mr. John Patteson, 1,733 votes, and Mr. Robert Fellowes, 1,370 votes. Mr. Wm. Smith, who polled 1,333 votes, was the unsuccessful candidate. On the 10th "the Norwich Battalion of Volunteers received Col. Patteson, M.P., with a general salute, and fired three vollies and gave three cheers in token of their satisfaction at his being elected one of the representatives of the city."

-King's Lynn election. Lord Walpole and Sir M. B. ffolkes returned unopposed.

4.-Thetford election. Lord William Fitzroy, 28 votes; Mr. James Mingay, 17 votes. Mr. Thomas Creevey, the unsuccessful candidate, polled 14 votes.

-Yarmouth election. The Hon. Edward Harbord and Mr. S. Lus.h.i.+ngton returned unopposed. A pet.i.tion was lodged against the return, but the committee of the House of Commons declared it to be frivolous and vexatious, and the members retained their seats.

6.-Miss Elizabeth Bidwell, niece of Mr. Bidwell, of Thetford, arrived at Harwich from Berlin. "She was tutoress to the King of Prussia's children, and had a narrow escape of falling into the hands of the French, and when she landed was dest.i.tute of money and change of raiment." Miss Bidwell afterwards had an audience of the Queen at Windsor, to whom she related the details of her escape.

12.-The Sapphire sloop of war, 18 guns, launched from Messrs. Brindley's yard at King's Lynn.

13.-County election. The poll was open for six days. Mr. T. W. c.o.ke, 4,118 votes; the Right Hon. William Windham, 3,722 votes. The unsuccessful candidate, the Hon. John Wodehouse, received 3,365 votes.

"On the chairing day, as well as every day during the election, there were excellent dinners provided at the White Swan and Angel, where Mr.

c.o.ke and Mr. Windham met large parties of their friends, whose convivial enjoyments were much heightened by the eloquent orations of Mr. Plumptre and the exertions of Mr. Mingay, whose good-humoured sallies and witticisms never failed to set the tables in a roar." A pet.i.tion against the return of the members was presented by Mr. T. T. Berney and others, and on February 12th, 1807, the committee of the House of Commons declared the election void. On February 26th, Mr. c.o.ke was returned unopposed for Derby, in place of his brother, Mr. E. c.o.ke, who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. On March 5th, Mr. E. c.o.ke and Sir Jacob Astley, Bart., were returned unopposed for Norfolk, and Mr. Windham took his seat, without opposition, as member for New Romney.

24.-Died, in St. Lawrence', Norwich, Mrs. Galey, aged 101.

30.-At the meeting of the Society of Universal Good Will, at Norwich, it was reported that 187 persons, besides weekly pensioners, had been relieved during the year, making in all 2,218 since the establishment of the inst.i.tution.

DECEMBER.

4.-Mr. J. W. Robberds was elected an alderman for the Ward beyond the Water, Norwich, in place of Mr. J. G. Baseley, who died December 1st.

6.-Died, in the 63rd year of his age, Thomas...o...b..rn, bell founder, Downham Market.

13.*-"Died, lately, in the parish of St. Mary, Norwich, Sarah Pickwood, aged 49 years. This was one of the most enormous cases of dropsy on record. In the course of about 50 months she was tapped 38 times, and discharged 350 gallons of the fluid, weighing 4,656 lbs. troy. The greatest quant.i.ty discharged at one operation measured 11 gallons, and weighed 153 lbs."

18.-In the course of alterations at Ketteringham Hall, a fire occurred, which destroyed the centre of the building, with all the new work.

20.*-"Whenever a fire occurs in the neighbourhood the large travelling engine, belonging to the Norwich Fire Office, may be obtained by sending a man and two horses and applying to the s.e.xton of St. Peter Mancroft Church, _in which place the engine is deposited_."

The following Acts were pa.s.sed this year:-

An Act to enable his Majesty to grant an annuity to Lady Viscountess Nelson, in consideration of the eminent services performed by the late Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson to his Majesty and the public.

An Act for settling and securing a certain annuity on Earl Nelson and the heirs male of his body and such persons to whom the t.i.tle of Earl Nelson may descend, and for granting the sum of 100,000 to purchase an estate to accompany the said t.i.tle; and for granting 10,000 to each of the sisters of the late Lord Nelson (Mrs. Matchem and Mrs. Bolton), in consideration of the eminent and signal services performed by the said Lord Nelson to his Majesty and the public.

An Act for amending, altering, and enlarging the powers of an Act, pa.s.sed in the 42nd year of his Majesty, for paving and otherwise improving the borough of King's Lynn.

An Act for repairing the parish Church of Great Yarmouth and rebuilding the tower thereof.

1807.

JANUARY.

10.-J. S. Cotman advertised that he had taken a house in Wymer Street, St. Andrew's, Norwich, "for the accommodation of those ladies and gentlemen who may favour him by becoming pupils." Terms: In the Academy, 2 2s. quarterly. Four private lessons, 1 1s.

16.-At Norwich Quarter Sessions, William Chapman, a coal hawker, appealed against his conviction, under the Hawkers and Pedlars Act, 29th Geo.

III. c. 26, for "carrying coals about the streets of Norwich to sell by retail." Mr. Steward Firth ordered the conviction to be quashed, with costs. This case was considered of great importance to the citizens, and especially to the poor.

17.*-"Orders have been received in Norwich from the East India Company for 16,000 pieces of fine camblets."

18.-A length of about 40 yards of the city wall at Norwich fell in Ber Street with a tremendous crash. At the Quarter Sessions on the 16th, the Grand Jury made a presentment, in which attention was called to the dangerous state of the wall.

26.-Died, at Lakenham, Mr. James Crowe, alderman of Norwich, aged 58. He twice served the office of Mayor, in 1774 and 1797. Mr. John Steward was elected in his place.

Little Dunham Lodge, near Swaffham, was this month purchased by Mr. St.

George Knudson, for 20,000.

FEBRUARY.

7.*-"A sixteenth share of No. 23,815, which has drawn a prize of 10,000, was sold to J. Turner, servant to Mr. M. F. Rishton, of Lynn."

-*"The Paving Commissioners have decided to lay the first stone according to the new system of paving in Norwich, in St. Stephen's Street."

10.-At Harper's Pantheon, Norwich, was exhibited a moving panorama, representing the funeral of Lord Nelson.

11.-A heavy fall of snow rendered the roads impa.s.sable. The Ipswich mail arrived at Norwich two hours after its usual time; and the Bury coach reached the city at about the same time, after having been once overturned. The Newmarket mail and the Expedition coach were unable to get through. The guard of the mail procured horses, rode across country with the mail bags, and on reaching Bury took a post chaise, arriving in Norwich at four o'clock on the 12th. The Expedition coach reached the city about eight o'clock the same night, drawn by eight horses. The Newmarket mail arrived on the 13th at 1.30 p.m.

11.-Several s.h.i.+ps were wrecked during a severe gale on the Norfolk coast.

His Majesty's gun brig Snipe came ash.o.r.e on the South Ham, with 30 French prisoners on board, many of whom, with part of the crew and some women, perished. In all 60 lives were lost in this s.h.i.+p. Twelve vessels were wrecked between Cromer and Yarmouth.

14.*-"The number of men liable to serve for this county under the Training Act is 18,152." On April 6th, 607 persons, between the ages of 18 and 45, were drawn by ballot at Norwich to be trained and exercised for 24 days. Among those drawn were "several magistrates and other distinguished personages."

17.-Died, at Windsor, in his 67th year, the Rev. Dr. Lancaster Adkin, rector of Belaugh and minister of St. Andrew, Norwich. "He was the first founder in Norwich of Sunday Schools, which he constantly attended and instructed for more than 21 years."

-Orders were given for the enlargement of the courts in the Norwich s.h.i.+re-house, for the repair of the bridge leading to the Castle, for providing a palisade, and for bringing a supply of river water from the main pipes in Golden Ball Lane to the county gaol.

MARCH.

7.-Sergt. John Parker, 3rd Dragoons, stationed at Norwich on recruiting service, was apprehended on suspicion of having committed a murder at Brighton in 1796. The extraordinary statement upon which the accused was apprehended was concocted by a man named William Cobb, of St.

Martin-at-Oak, who informed the Mayor that Parker, when a private in the Somerset Fencible Cavalry, met him (Cobb), then a private in Col.

Villier's Fencible Light Dragoons, while halting at Dorking, and told him that he had murdered a woman at Brighton and had thrown her body into a well. An affidavit sent from Collumpton, in Devons.h.i.+re, to the effect that Parker was there ill at the time of the alleged murder, was sufficient to procure him his discharge from custody.

9.-Died, in his 85th year, Henry Keymer, of East Dereham, "many years a respectable auctioneer and land surveyor, and late sole proprietor of Herring's valuable antidote for the cure of the bite of a mad dog."

11.-A bull, the property of Edward Kett, butcher, of Norwich, was baited near "Bishop Gates." The baiting "offered very great sport; the bull was a game one, and the dogs equally so."