Norfolk Annals Volume I Part 105

20.-Mr. Govett, formerly a.s.sistant minister at St. Stephen's church, Norwich, "whose eccentricities were often the cause of great pain to many members of the congregation," was baptised at Mr. Brock's chapel, "with six young ladies whom he had persuaded unhappily to follow his errors."

JUNE.

1.-The season terminated at Norwich Theatre. The manager (Mr. G. Smith) said, in the course of his customary address: "Having been for nearly 30 years a member of the company, I am most reluctantly compelled to chronicle the one now closing as the very worst season within my recollection."

19.-Died at Knapton, aged 59, Mr. Jeffreson Mills, Commander R.N. He served from 1799 until the Peace in 1815. "During his career he a.s.sisted at the capture of 26 line of battleships, 18 frigates, and 21 sloops of war and privateers. He was the author of a masterly vindication of Lord Nelson's proceedings in the Bay of Naples."

22.*-"The fatal ball by which Nelson received his death wound, and which was in the possession of the late Sir W. Beatty, M.D., R.N., at his death came into possession of Col. Beatty, R.M., and his brother, Mr. Vincent Beatty, _ci-devant_ captain of the late 24th Light Dragoons, by whom it has been presented to her Majesty, and most graciously received. The ball, with the particles of the coat and epaulette which were forced into the body, is neatly and elegantly set within a crystal case, which is appropriately mounted with a double cable coiled around its circ.u.mference. It opens like a watch."

24.-Madame Vestris and Mr. Charles Mathews commenced a short engagement at Norwich Theatre, in "Patter _versus_ Clatter," "Loan of a Lover,"

"Grist to the Mill," and "Follies of a Night."

JULY.

13.-At Marsham, near Aylsham, were rung 10,080 changes of Oxford treble bob major, "the longest peal on eight bells ever completed in this county." It was composed by Eversfield, of London, and rung in 5 hours 44 minutes.

22.-Died at Longford Hall, Derbyshire, whither she had retired for her accouchement, Anne Amelia Dowager Countess of Leicester, wife of the Right Hon. Ed. Ellice, M.P. for Coventry. The third daughter of the Earl and Countess of Albemarle, and born on June 16th, 1803, she married, on February 26th, 1822, Mr. Thomas William c.o.ke, of Holkham, who was created Earl of Leicester in 1837, and died in 1842. Her ladyship married Mr.

Ellice on October 25th, 1843.

25.-A cricket match, Marylebone Club and Ground against Norfolk with Fuller Pilch, commenced at Lord's. Norfolk, 60-111; Marylebone, 79-71.

The return match commenced at Swaffham on Sept. 5th. Marylebone, 19-32; Norfolk, 45-6.

29.-The celebrated dwarf, Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), made his first appearance in Norwich at the Theatre Royal, where he was introduced by Mr. Barnum, the equally famous showman.

30.-Mr. Justice Williams, in charging the Grand Jury at the Norfolk a.s.sizes, dwelt upon the alarming increase of incendiarism.

AUGUST.

1.-Madame Celeste and Mr. Webster commenced an engagement at Norwich Theatre. One of the features of the entertainment was the dancing of "le Polka." This dance, which was introduced for the first time in Norwich, was described as "a mixture of the waltz and the cracovienne, and extremely pretty when danced well." All the local dancing masters advertised it, and it gave fresh life and animation to the ball rooms.

"Nothing was more wearisome," it was said, "than the eternal first set of quadrilles, and comparatively few joined in the waltz; in the polka we have a dance full of life, elegant in its figures, and with the additional charm of being accompanied by music of the most attractive character." At the Norwich Sessions Ball, on Sept. 16th, it was a great attraction; Mr. Frank Noverre gave a "polka ball" at the a.s.sembly Rooms on December 2nd; and at Miss Bidwell's ball, at the same place, on December 5th, "these ladies danced the polka in character, giving a good delineation of Madame Celeste and Mr. Webster."

-A sculling match took place between Messrs. Corby and Wigham, from the New Cut, Whitlingham, to Mutford Lock and back, a distance of 60 miles, for 25 a side. Corby, the winner, rowed the distance in 10 hrs. 21 mins., the whole of the return journey being against a strong wind and tide. Wigham gave up at Buckenham.

2.-At the Norfolk a.s.sizes, before Mr. Justice Williams, William Frost, aged 35, was indicted for having, on April 8th, at Whitwell, murdered his four children, whose ages ranged from five years to ten weeks, by striking them on the head with a hammer. Mr. W. P. Nichols, Mr. G. W. W.

Firth, and Mr. Crosse testified to the insanity of the prisoner, against whom a verdict of not guilty was returned, and he was ordered to be confined in the Criminal Lunatic Asylum, St. George's Fields, London.

3.*-"About 60 cwt. of tea and coffee have been brought to Norwich by the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway Company, for Messrs. Wolton and Co., of London Street. We should not be surprised if that practice become more general in busy weeks, particularly when the wind is contrary for the favourable transit of the wherries."

-At the Norfolk and Norwich a.s.sizes, before Mr. Justice Alderson, the action, Cory _v._ the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway Company, was heard.

It was an action sent down from the Vice-Chancellor's Court, in which the plaintiff sought to restrain the defendants from carrying pa.s.sengers from their railway terminus across the Bure or Yare to Great Yarmouth, on the ground that the right of the plaintiff as proprietor of the ancient ferry and of the suspension bridge which supplied its place, was thereby infringed. At the suggestion of the Judge, an agreement was arrived at between the parties. (_See_ May 2nd, 1845.)

7.-Intelligence was received at Norwich of the birth of a Prince (Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh). The bells of St. Peter Mancroft were rung, and the Town Council in due course sent to the Queen a congratulatory address.

9.-Great festivities took place at Ellingham, near Bungay, in celebration of the return of Col. Smith from active service in India.

12.-The opera of "The Bohemian Girl" was performed at Norwich Theatre for the first time. The princ.i.p.als included Miss Rainforth, Mr. Harrison, and Mr. Stretton, of Drury Lane Theatre; Mr. Gilbeigh, Mr. Duval, &c.

The numerical strength of the orchestra was more than trebled by the services rendered by professional and amateur instrumentalists of the city. The conductor was Mr. C. F. Hall, one of the leaders of the Drury Lane orchestra "Norma" was also produced. The week's performances received very inadequate support.

19.-Killed at Sekerran, Borneo, aged 39, George Steward, youngest son of Mr. Timothy Steward, of Great Yarmouth. He was in the East India Company's service, and volunteered to accompany Capt. Keppel, R.N., in his expedition against the pirates of Borneo. While ascending a river in a native boat he was surrounded by the enemy and slain.

-Died at Bracondale, Norwich, aged 78, Mr. Roger Kitson, a schoolmaster, who sixty years previously succeeded Mr. Ma.s.singham at the then well-known academy in St. Andrew's Broad Street. He had a talent for poetical composition, and belonged to the Confraternity of United Friars and other literary societies.

21.-The Norwich Mechanics' Inst.i.tute was dissolved. On October 27th its surplus funds, amounting to 120, were handed over to a new society, known as the Athenaeum, in which the Rev. A. Bath Power, Mr. J. J. Gurney, and other gentlemen were interested. The society met at rooms in the Market Place.

24.*-"The operation of Lord Brougham's Act, for the abolition of imprisonment for debt, has had the effect of clearing the Norwich Gaol of all the debtors except one. Its operation will be very disadvantageous to the prisoners sentenced by the Court of Conscience or Requests, as they had laid a part of their time, and a very few days more would have exempted them from future liability, whereas now they go out subject to other proceedings and executions against their goods."

28.-A shocking accident occurred at Dereham Theatre, to Mr. Dillon, one of the performers. He had just dressed for his part, and approaching too near to a lighted candle, the inflammable material which he wore immediately caught fire, and he was enveloped in flames. He ran about the stage in terror, and some of the audience, rushing forward, endeavoured to extinguish the fire, but they did not succeed until he had been seriously injured.

31.-Among Norwich improvements completed during the preceding twelve months were mentioned at this date the building of Victoria Street, the erection of new houses in place of old and unsightly ones near St. Giles'

Gates, and the widening of the street in that locality; the reconstruction of the Wensum Street and Tombland Corner; and the construction of the embankment between Foundry Bridge and Carrow Bridge.

SEPTEMBER.

9.-Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean appeared in "Hamlet" at Norwich Theatre, and on succeeding evenings played in "The Gamester," "Macbeth," "The Lady of Lyons," "Richard the Third," and "The Stranger."

-The Royal squadron escorting the Queen on her voyage to Scotland was off the Norfolk coast from 7 a.m. to 12 noon. The coastguard fired rockets at various points, which were answered from the Royal yacht.

11.-Died at Cheltenham, the Ven. Henry Bathurst, Archdeacon of Norwich and rector of North Creake.

12.-The organ at St. Nicholas' church, Great Yarmouth, was reopened after renovation. The instrument was built in the 18th century, by Abraham Jordan, and repaired in 1812 by G. P. England. It was finally repaired by Messrs. Grey and Davison, of Gray's Inn Road, London.

19.-At a meeting of the members of the medical profession in Norwich, held at the Guildhall, under the presidency of Mr. J. G. Crosse, approval was expressed of the registration clauses in Sir James Graham's Bill for the better regulation of medical practice in the United Kingdom.

26.-The new chapel, dedicated to St. Edmund, at Walpole St. Peter, was consecrated by the Bishop of Norwich.

-A meeting was held at the King's Arms Hotel, East Dereham, in furtherance of a scheme for constructing a railway from Wymondham to that town, with extensions to Lynn and Downham. Lord Sondes, on October 7th, presided over a meeting at the Guildhall, Norwich, at which the undertaking was approved. It was estimated to cost 10,000 per mile.

(_See_ December 7th, 1846.)

OCTOBER.

10.-Died at Norwich, Mr. Thomas Turner, "a well-known amateur on the river." "Agreeable to the wishes expressed by the deceased, he was conveyed from Carrow to Thorpe on board a sailing-boat, from which he was carried on the shoulders of six boating men in blue jackets and white trousers to his last resting-place in Thorpe churchyard."

16.-Van Amburgh's Circus and Menagerie were exhibited in a large marquee erected in Chapel Field, Norwich.

17.-Dereham and Swaffham Theatres were advertised to be sold by auction, "under the will of the late Mr. David Fisher." After this date there are no further records of the Norfolk and Suffolk Company of Comedians, so long under the management of the Fisher family.

-Mr. Rush, "a respectable farmer," of Hevingham, was accidentally killed by the discharge of a gun "left in the kitchen of his house by his son, James Blomfield Rush, auctioneer and farmer, of Wymondham."