Norfolk Annals Volume I Part 81

17.-The Norfolk and Norwich Musical Festival (held on this occasion for the benefit of the Hospital, the Blind Inst.i.tution, the Eye Infirmary, and the Dispensary) commenced at St. Andrew's Hall. The princ.i.p.al vocal performers were Madame Malibran, Miss H. Cawse, Miss Bruce, Master Howe, Madame De Meric, Signer Douzelli, Mr. Horncastle, Mr. Hobbs, Mr. E.

Taylor, and Mr. H. Phillips; conductor, Sir George Smart. Selections were given from "The Creation," "The Last Judgment," "The Deluge," and "Israel in Egypt." The Festival concluded on the 20th with a fancy dress ball. The total receipts were nearly 5,000, and the expenses about 4,200.

20.-Died at Yaxham Rectory, the Rev. Dr. Johnson, rector of that parish, with Welbourne annexed. "He was the friend of Cowper, and editor of his letters and posthumous works."

30.-Died at Gorgate, near East Dereham, aged 77, the Rev. Thomas Crowe Munnings, M.A., rector of Beetley-c.u.m-East Bilney. He was a well-known and prominent agriculturist.

-The arrival of the City of Norwich trader and the Squire (London trader) "rendered this date ever memorable in the history of the city by its being the day on which Norwich became a port." These vessels, the first that had entered the Norwich river direct from the sea by way of the New Cut, were towed to the city from Surlingham Reach by a steam tug, with a band playing and colours flying. The river banks from Carrow "balance bridge" to the Foundry were thronged by thousands of citizens, and at Rudrum's Wharf the City of Norwich was boarded by the Mayor (Mr. S.

Bignold) and several members of the Corporation. The bells of St. Peter Mancroft were rung, and the directors of the Norwich and Lowestoft Navigation entertained a large company at dinner at the Rampant Horse Inn. The success of the day's proceedings was marred by the drowning, in Surlingham Reach, of a lad named Allerton, son of the master of the City of Norwich.

OCTOBER.

4.-The first general meeting was held of the Harleston Agricultural Society, established by the owners and occupiers of land, for the encouragement of skill and for promoting and rewarding industry and good conduct among cottagers, servants, and labourers.

5.-The head-masters.h.i.+p of Norwich Free Grammar School was rendered vacant by the resignation of the Rev. T. Kidd.

13.-Died at Hethersett, aged 36, Mr. Elias Norgate, first secretary of the Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society, the plan of which was suggested by his father, Mr. Thomas Starling Norgate.

16.-An inquiry was opened by the magistrates at Docking, under authority of the Secretary of State, "to ascertain for his own and the public satisfaction whether there had been any loss of life by culpable negligence or loss of property by dishonesty," on the occasion of the wreck of the Earl of Wemyss smack on Brancaster beach, on August 30th.

As a result of the inquiry, Mr. William Newman Reeve was committed for trial on the charge of removing from the wreck certain property which he alleged he was protecting on behalf of his father-in-law, who was lord of the manor. At the Norfolk Lent a.s.sizes, held at Norwich before Mr. Baron Vaughan on March 26th, 1834, the defendant was placed upon his trial, and was defended by Sir James Scarlett, M.P. His lords.h.i.+p, in directing an acquittal, said the evidence had utterly failed; it was unnecessary for Mr. Reeve to say anything in support of his character, for nothing had been made out against him. Amid applause in court the Judge added there was not the slightest stain upon the accused. Another case arising out of the same wreck was tried at the Norfolk Summer a.s.sizes, on July 30th, 1834, before Mr. Justice Bosanquet. The accused, Robert Allen, Charles Oakes, and James Ward were charged with feloniously taking certain articles from the wreck. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

21.-The West Norfolk Yeomanry Cavalry commenced a week's training at King's Lynn.

30.-Du Crow's Circus Company commenced a season's performances in a wooden building on the Castle Meadow, Norwich. It was known as "The National Arena and Equestrian Studio," and was the first of the temporary buildings periodically erected in this locality for entertainments of the kind.

NOVEMBER.

6.-Mr. William Dalrymple was presented with a valuable silver salver by the Mayor, Sheriffs, citizens, and commonalty of Norwich, in acknowledgment of the care and skill he had displayed in the performance of his duties as surgeon to the Great Hospital and Doughty's Hospital during the period of 28 years.

9.-Died at St. Michael at Coslany, Norwich, Ann, widow of Leonard Atkinson. "She was born in this parish December 24th, 1728, and had scarcely quitted it more than a week during the s.p.a.ce of nearly 105 years. Free from wrinkles and decrepitude, she possessed her faculties unclouded till within a few months of her decease."

13.-The 50th anniversary of the Norwich Public Library was celebrated by a dinner at the White Swan, presided over by Dr. England, president of the inst.i.tution.

15.-A special a.s.sembly of the Norwich Corporation was held, to take into consideration the application of Mr. George Long and Mr. John Buckle, two of the Commissioners named in the Munic.i.p.al Commission, for the production of charters and other muniments of the Corporation. A resolution was pa.s.sed stating that the Corporation had no wish to withhold the information required, "but they protested against the Commission as illegal and unconst.i.tutional, and denied the right of the Commissioners to make any inquiries." At the opening of the Commission, on November 25th, the Sheriffs (Mr. W. J. Utten Browne and Mr. Edward Steward) declined to attend or to allow any of their officers to give evidence relative to the const.i.tution of the Sheriffs Court, on the ground that "a Commission issued by virtue of the Royal prerogative alone was a process unknown to the law of England, and eminently hostile to public liberty." The inquiry lasted twenty-two days, and concluded on December 19th.

18.-Ducrow advertised the representation of a Spanish bull-fight at his Norwich circus. "To prevent any misconception on the part of visitors to the arena, and at the same time to add to the surprising nature of the performance, ladies and others are informed that the bull is impersonated by one of Mr. Ducrow's horses, tutored by him for the purpose, enveloped in an elastic skin, and so managed as to deceive even the keenest eye."

22.-Died at Guanajuato, Mexico, Lieutenant John Thomas Borrow, of the West Norfolk Militia, eldest son of Captain Borrow, of Norwich.

28.-Mr. George Long, Munic.i.p.al Commissioner, held an inquiry into the affairs of the Corporation of Castle Rising. Mr. F. Lane, of Lynn, the Recorder, stated that he had no charter nor papers of any kind to produce. The Corporation consisted of a Recorder, Mayor, one alderman, and a serjeant-at-mace. The Mayor and alderman served in turn the office of Chief Magistrate. There were about 50 burgage tenants, and the Corporation property was about 20 a year, arising from land, and with the money the Mayor gave each year two dinners to the leet. The Corporation had no debts, no prison, and but one offence had been committed in the borough for a number of years.

DECEMBER.

23.-Two leaden cases were dug up from a piece of ground at the east end of Wymondham church. One measured 6 ft 2 in. in length, and contained the mummified remains of an adult female; the other, 16 inches in length, a foetus of about the fourth month. The examination of the remains was conducted in the church on December 27th, by Mr. John Dalrymple, of Norwich, in the presence of sixty scientific and medical men. "As the mummies were taken from the site of the original choir, the female was most probably nearly allied to the founder of the abbey, William De Abbay or Daubeny, who died in the year 1156."

24.-An altar piece, copied from Rubens' "Descent from the Cross," and about one-fourth the size of the original picture, presented to St Peter's church, Yarmouth, by Col. Mason, was on this day placed in position under the personal superintendence of the donor.

1834.

JANUARY.

3.-The question of the restoration of the south and west faces of the keep of Norwich Castle was discussed at the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, and referred to the visiting justices, who recommended that it be undertaken; and on May 17th the tender of Mr. Watson was accepted and the work ordered to be proceeded with at once. On July 28th a public meeting was held at the Guildhall, "to take into consideration the expediency of inst.i.tuting an inquiry into the necessity for covering up the face of such an antient relic with new building," and a resolution moved by Mr.

Samuel Bignold, and seconded by Mr. Stevenson, expressing regret at the "demolition," and suggesting that an antiquary and architect be consulted before it was further proceeded with, was unanimously adopted. A deputation was also appointed to wait upon the Gaol Committee. At a meeting of the county magistrates, on October 17th, it was decided to employ Mr. Blore, a well-known architect and antiquary, "to survey and report upon the present state of the Castle, and the best mode of proceeding with the repairs." Mr. Blore reported on November 10th that the masonry was in a very bad state; that the then face of the building was not altogether original, but that the repairs and restorations it had undergone at various periods had been closely a.s.similated with the original work. He recommended that what was needed to be done should be judiciously incorporated with the ancient work. It was finally decided, on January 9th, 1835, that the visiting justices be authorised to continue the work as originally intended, and that they be empowered to consult Mr. Blore or any other architect they might think proper to employ.

9.-At a meeting of the Norwich Corporation, a resolution was pa.s.sed protesting against any report that might be made by the Munic.i.p.al Commissioners respecting the Corporation, "based on statements so utterly unfit to justify Parliament in legislating on so important a subject,"

and inviting the various Corporations throughout the kingdom "to make common cause with them in endeavouring to defeat any design that might be in contemplation for wresting from them their antient charters, franchises, and liberties."

12.-The organ of Norwich Cathedral was re-opened by Mr. Buck, after its thorough reparation by Bishop, of Lisson Grove, London. The sermon on the occasion was preached by the Right Hon. and Rev. Lord Bayning. The instrument was the original work of Father Schmidt.

21.-The first of the Choral Concerts inaugurated "for the purpose of obtaining a reserve fund for the support of the choral band at the Musical Festival and for maintaining and keeping together the great body of musical talent existing in the locality," was held at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich.

25.-During a performance by a company of comedians at Cley-next-the-Sea, a pistol was fired, and the ramrod, which had been left in the barrel, entered the side of an actor named Leary, who was badly injured.

27.-Mr. Frederick Vining, of Covent Garden and the Haymarket Theatres, commenced a short engagement at Norwich Theatre, where he was formerly a favourite actor. His impersonations included Young Rapid ("A Cure for the Heartache"), Martin Heywood ("The Rent-day"), Sidney Maynard ("The Housekeeper"), Templeton ("Deaf as a Post"), Frank Bramble ("The Poor Gentleman"), and Harry Villars ("Open House").

FEBRUARY.

6.-Mr. Thomas Jefferson Hogg and Mr. John Buckle, Munic.i.p.al Commissioners, opened an inquiry at the Tolhouse Hall into the corporate affairs of Yarmouth. After sitting for 20 days the Commissioners adjourned _sine die_.

14.-A _fete_ was given at Yarmouth Barracks by Captain Manby, "to mark the close of the labours that had so long engaged his attention for saving life." This was the twenty-seventh anniversary of "the saving of the first crew by the projection of a rope from the sh.o.r.e by the force of gunpowder, and thus effecting communication with a vessel on a lee sh.o.r.e.

By this expedient upwards of 600 British sailors have been saved."

26.-Died at Lynn, Mr. Ezekiel Walker, aged 94. He was for many years a regular contributor to Nicholson and Tillock's "Philosophical Magazine,"

and published a collection of his essays, chiefly on electrochemical subjects.

27.-The ceremony of laying the first stone of the new Yarn Factory at Norwich was performed by the Mayor (Mr. Bignold). A procession, in which were characters representing Bishop Blaize, shepherds and shepherdesses, together with 80 wool combers, and many women and children, marched from Lakenham to the site of the new building in St. Edmund's. The directors and shareholders afterwards dined at the Norfolk Hotel.

MARCH.

11.-The lake at Scottow was drawn by Sir Henry Durrant, when five pike of large size were captured. The finest measured 4 ft. in length, 2 ft 3 in. in girth, and weighed 37 lbs.; the smallest was 3 ft 4 in. long, 20 inches in girth, and weighed 18 lbs. They were all taken at one haul.

-Resolutions in favour of the repeal of the Malt Tax were pa.s.sed at a large meeting of the owners and occupiers of land in the Hundred of South Erpingham, held at the Black Boys Inn, Aylsham, under the presidency of Mr. Robert Marsham. Similar meetings were held throughout the county, and pet.i.tions were numerously signed in every Hundred.

22.-Miss Kelly appeared at Norwich Theatre in her entertainments, "Dramatic Recollections," "A Study of Character," and "Mrs. Parthian at Home."