Chronological Retrospect of the History of Yarmouth and Neighbourhood Part 66

Sep. 14th. A pike, 43 in. long and 20 in. in girth, weighing 27 lbs., caught at Cantley.

Sept. 24th and 25th. The seventh annual East of England Horse Show held at Southtown. This was the second time Yarmouth had been chosen.

Sept. 30th. Tom Ma.s.singham, of Newcastle, better known as "Steeple Jack," removed the weather-c.o.c.k off St. Nicholas' spire for regilding.

This wind-indicator is 141 years old, stands 2 ft. 8 in, in height, and is 4 ft. long. It had not been gilded for 39 years before. The act was a daring one, as the steeple is 168 feet high. The steeple is covered with tinned sheet copper.

Sept. 30th. Mr. S. Aldred sold by auction the old Town Hall, Police Station, &c., to be pulled down by purchasers, which realised a total of 535. The fixtures were sold previously. The Corporation "reserved to themselves" the foundation or memorial stone, _with its contents_, but this was "conspicuous by its absence."

Oct. 1st. The Yarmouth ringers rang 1,008 grandsire trebles on the Parish Church bells, to celebrate the 84th birthday of Thomas Gooch, he himself taking the treble. Gooch was born at Richmond in 1795, and died at Yarmouth in 1883. His late father was steward to George III.

Oct. The hull of the "Iron Duke," wrecked on the beach on Nov. 18th, 1841, discovered under the sand opposite the Aquarium, in a direct line with the third bay from the south end.

Oct. 4th. Fire on Mr. Robert George's premises at Southtown. Damage, 1,150.

Oct. 9th. Gorleston Cemetery consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Norwich.

Oct. 19th. The Bishop of British Columbia preached at the Parish Church.

(See Nov., 1858.) It is reported that he has now (1884) resigned the Bishopric.

Nov. 2nd. Loss of the smack "Florence and Johanna," and five hands, the vessel being run down on the fishing grounds. Six other hands were drowned this day in a gale.

Nov. 1st. The _Graphic_ published a sketch of the original Peggotty's Hut in Yarmouth, which was then about to be demolished.

The poor rate for the year was 3s. 4d.; in 1869 it was 5s. 2d.; in 1873, 4s. 4d.; and in 1877, 3s. 6d.

Nov. 5th. The "Jetty Mills," St. George's Road, purchased by Mr. F.

Carpenter for 1,170, and pulled down.

Nov. 23rd. Mr. Charles Samuel Dale Steward, Parish Churchwarden from 1848 till 1873, died, aged 77 years. A memorial window is placed in the Parish Church to his and the late Mr. Churchwarden Aldred's memory.

Subscriptions for this amounted to 151 12s. 6d.

Nov. 28th. Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Warren, a mail-coach driver, died in Row 21, at the advanced age of 104 years and 8 months.

Nov. 29th. Fire at Mr. W. S. Wigg's, jeweller, Regent Street.

Dec. 11th. Rev. Joseph Tongue, Primitive Methodist Minister, received his B.A. degree at Cambridge University.

Dec. 27th. Miss Jermy, daughter of the late Recorder of Norwich, died, and was interred in the vault at Wymondham Churchyard, with the bodies of Isaac Jenny and his son, who were murdered by Rush. (See Nov. 6th, 1848.)

One hundred and five vessels imported timber here in the year; 112 in 1878; and 104 in 1877.

Marriages: Feb. 20th, Mr. J. Percival Smith, son of J. C. Smith, Esq., to Miss Eliza Jane Branch.-Aug. 20th, Rev. A. Aldred, rector of Worlingham, to Miss M. O. Clowes.-Sept. 2nd, H. Harvey-George, Esq., to Jessie, second daughter of Robert Hewett, Esq.

Deaths: Feb. 27th, Lieut.-Col. FitzRoy, J.P.-March 22nd, T. W. Gooda, Esq., T.C., aged 72.-April 6th, Sir Thomas B. Beevor, Bart., aged 81.-April 23rd, William Wright, Esq., architect and builder, aged 69.-May 5th, Captain J. Emerson, harbour master, aged 62.-May 26th, Philip Pullen, Esq., J.P., aged 87.-June 10th, Mr. W. H. Hunt, aged 72.-June 25th, Mr. James Burman, bell ringer and late parish clerk, aged 64.-July 20th, Mary, mother of Mr. J. H. Harrison, aged 87.

Launches: April 24th, smacks "Magpie" and "Greyhound."-May 27th, Mr.

Morgan's yacht "Gnat."-Sept. 8th, smack "Leonard."-Sept. 16th, fishing boat "Promise."

1880.

Jan. The Bure Preservation Society established.

Jan. 3rd. Schooner "Kate," of Yarmouth, wrecked.

Jan. 13th. Fire at Mr. Pond's shop, King Street; and on Jan. 30th a fire on the fishing premises of Mr. Joseph Ellis, Middle Market Road.

Feb. 21st. Major James Henry Orde, 2nd N.R.V., of Hopton Hall, Suffolk, son of the late General and Lady Elizabeth Orde, died, aged 49.

March 18th. A sad accident happened in the Market Place. Mr. Johnson's horses, in a mourning coach, ran away, and overtaking a walking funeral (Mrs. Thompson's), came in contact with the bearers, one of whom was knocked over and the coffin thrown to the ground. Damage was also done to some of the shops in the Butchery by the runaways.

March 20th. Fire on board the smack "Young Harry" whilst at sea, and several fishermen injured.

April 7th. The Parliamentary Election for East Suffolk, which includes Gorleston and Southtown, took place, and resulted as follows:-Lord Rendlesham (C.), 4,239 votes; Colonel F. S. N. Barne (C.), 3,620; Mr. R.

L. Everett (L.), 3,502. The two first-named were re-elected. This election cost the two Conservative candidates 1,921 6s. each, and Mr.

Everett, 1,230 13s. 2d.

April. The first dissolution of Parliament since March 5th, 1874.

Although Sir E. H. K. Lacon, Bart., and E. Birkbeck, Esq., were returned to Parliament for North Norfolk without opposition, their expenses were 325 16s. 5d., including 87 for agency.

April 8th. Mr. T. P. George presented with a ma.s.sive marble timepiece by the teachers of St. Nicholas' Sunday School.

April 20th. The princ.i.p.al corner-stone (3 tons in weight), of the new Town Hall and Munic.i.p.al Buildings was laid by the Mayor (C. C. Aldred, Esq.), in the presence of the Corporation and a large number of ladies and gentlemen. The Mayor was presented with a richly-chased silver trowel appropriately inscribed. In the cavity of the stone was deposited in two stone bottles, "Crisp's Chronological History of Yarmouth" (A.D.

46 to 1879 inclusive); _Times_, April 20th; _Yarmouth Independent and Gazette_, April 17th; _Builder_, Feb. 22nd, 1879; _Building News_, Sept.

27th, 1878; a sequence of coin, from a sovereign to a farthing (exclusive of a crown and fourpenny-piece); photograph of Old Town Hall; Council's Committee Book and statement of date of laying the princ.i.p.al stone, with the names of the Building Committee. (See May 31st, 1882.)

April 27th. Mr. William Smith, 20 years sick steward of the Good Samaritan Lodge (M.U.O.O.), presented with a silver watch and gold Albert chain and appendages by the brotherhood as a memento of esteem; and on June 15th Bro. R. Ladbroke, eight years treasurer to the Marquis of Lorne Lodge, presented with a marble timepiece.

May. R. Martins and S. Nightingale, jun., Esqs., appointed Borough Magistrates by the Lord Chancellor.

May 4th. Marriage of Mr. W. Teasdel with Alice, second daughter of J. E.

Barnby, Esq.; June 3rd, F. J. Irwin with Kate, third daughter of Mr.

Barnby; and on Oct. 12th Mr. Edgar Barnby with Edith Mary, third daughter of the late J. W. Bunn, Esq.

May 8th. The Mayor (C. C. Aldred, Esq.) and Dr. Mayo thrown out of a dog cart on Regent Road, caused by a runaway horse.

May 19th to 21st. Visit to Yarmouth of the Duke of Edinburgh, as Admiral Superintendent of the Naval Reserve, and considerable _eclat_ was given to the occasion. The Duke also paid a flying visit to this town by the North Norfolk Railway on Nov. 24th.

May 22nd. St. Nicholas' Church broken into by thieves.

May 25th. St. Nicholas' change bell ringers rang, in 1 hr. 20 min., on the eight large Parish Church bells (the tenor 31 cwt.), 1,880 changes of Bob major, composed and conducted by William Lee.

May 26th. A Royal sturgeon, six feet long and weighing eleven stone, brought in by the cutter "British Lion."

June. The Steward memorial drinking fountain removed to the Marine Parade.