Norfolk Annals Volume I Part 114

13.-A public meeting was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, under the presidency of the Mayor, at which resolutions were adopted in favour of a national rate, and condemnatory of the laws of settlement and removal, "which drove the poor to reside in large towns and unjustly limited their field of labour." Another resolution condemned the gross inequality in the a.s.sessments of the various parishes in England and Wales to the relief of the poor. A pet.i.tion was ordered to be presented to Parliament in accordance with the terms of the resolutions.

17.-A severe outbreak of cholera was recorded at Rudham, where twenty-four deaths had occurred up to this date. "Extreme poverty and dirt had much to do with this awful visitation."

27.-The agitation for the repeal of the Malt Tax was re-opened at a meeting of the farmers of West Norfolk, held at the Market Hall, Lynn.

It was decided to pet.i.tion Parliament in favour of the repeal. Many meetings were held with the same object in other parts of the county.

28.-Died at Leyton, aged 54, Mr. Charles Fox, engraver. He was a son of Robert Fox, a steward on the Costessey estate, received lessons in drawing from Charles Hodgson, at Norwich, and was apprenticed to Mr.

Edwards, engraver, of Bungay. "His exquisite line engravings are well known by those who value the highest specimens of skill in that department and by the lovers of fine English prints."

MARCH.

13.-Elihu Burritt addressed a public meeting at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, in favour of the settlement of national disputes by arbitration instead of by force of arms.

20.-The railway from Dereham to Fakenham was opened for pa.s.senger and goods traffic.

25.-Died at the Grove, Holt, in his 64th year, Major T. A. Girling, formerly of the 5th Fusiliers, with whom he served in the Peninsula War.

He was for some years adjutant of the Norfolk Yeomanry Cavalry.

29.-At the Norfolk a.s.sizes, before Mr. Baron Rolfe, the trial commenced of James Blomfield Rush for the Stanfield Hall murders. Mr. Serjeant Byles, Mr. Prendergast, and Mr. Evans were counsel for the prosecution, and the prisoner conducted his own defence. The case was opened at nine a.m., and the Court adjourned at seven p.m. On the 30th Emily Sandford gave evidence, and was in the witness-box nine and a half hours. Her examination in chief lasted two hours, and the prisoner subjected her to seven and a half hours' cross-examination, mostly on irrelevant matters.

On the 31st the Court sat from nine a.m. to 7.30 p.m.; and the case for the Crown was completed on Monday, April 2nd. The prisoner commenced his address to the jury shortly after nine o'clock on the morning of the 3rd, and had not concluded when the Court rose at ten minutes to eight o'clock. "It was full of repet.i.tions, and everything material might have been said in a t.i.the of the time." The address was resumed at nine a.m.

on April 4th, and concluded at twelve o'clock, the prisoner in the two days having spoken nearly fourteen hours. Mr. Serjeant Byles then replied for the Crown. The Judge summed up, the jury, after a few minutes' consultation, returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence of death was pa.s.sed. Throughout the trial the Court was densely crowded.

The jury were conveyed each night to the Maid's Head Hotel, where the a.s.sembly-room was specially fitted up for their accommodation as a sleeping apartment; and on Sunday, April 1st, they attended morning and afternoon service at the Cathedral, under the escort of the county officials. (_See_ April 21st.)

APRIL.

2.-The garrison steeplechases of the 16th Lancers took place at Stanninghall, near Spixworth.

21.-The execution of James Blomfield Rush, for the Stanfield Hall murders, took place on the Castle Hill, Norwich, in the presence of an enormous gathering of spectators. Thousands of persons entered the city by road-"one woman who had been confined only three weeks travelled from the country on foot fourteen miles during the previous night, in order to be present"-and many thousands more were brought in by the trains. Cheap return tickets were issued from London to Norwich, and the persons who availed themselves of the facilities were princ.i.p.ally members of the "swell mob." At Attleborough station the London detectives who travelled by the train transferred the gang to an up-train; several who evaded the police were apprehended immediately on their arrival at Norwich and conveyed to the Police Station, where they remained in custody until after the execution. The culprit was hanged at noon, by Calcraft. "The greatest silence prevailed, the solemn stillness being only broken by the solitary shriek of a woman who had fainted in the crowd."

MAY.

19.-Major Loftus, commanding Prince Albert's Own Norfolk Yeomanry Cavalry, announced to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, that the Earl of Leicester, as Lord Lieutenant, had advised the authorities that, in consequence of local circ.u.mstances, it was expedient to disband the regiment. Major Loftus complained that the Lord Lieutenant would a.s.sign "no cause for this unceremonious dismissal." He added: "My duty is now to give you my last word of command, which is to obey the orders of her Majesty's Secretary of State and to desire that you deliver up all your arms, clothing, and accoutrements to the respective captains of troops, who are hereby directed to forward the arms and sword belts to Cornet William Freeman, at my store-room at Billingford. And I have to request that your clothing, saddlery, &c., be conveyed to Holkham Hall, when his lordship will have the opportunity of disposing of them as he and Sir George Grey may think proper, for I shall give myself no further trouble in the matter after the ungracious manner in which I have been treated."

20.-A telegram was received at Norwich, announcing that the Queen had been fired at on the previous (Sat.u.r.day) evening, by an Irishman named John Hamilton. The National Anthem was played at the Cathedral and at most of the parish churches.

24.-The Queen's birthday was celebrated with much rejoicing in Norwich.

The Sheriff gave a dinner at St. Andrew's Hall to the inmates of the Workhouse and Infirmary. The 16th Lancers paraded in the Market Place, and the Corps of Pensioners, under Capt. c.o.c.kburn, fired a _feu de joie_.

The Mayor entertained a large party at luncheon at the Guildhall, and in the evening gave a dinner at the a.s.sembly Rooms.

26.-Died at Montreal, Sir Benjamin D'Urban, Commander of her Majesty's forces in British North America. He saw much active service during the Peninsula War, and in 1829 became Colonel of the 51st Foot. He was a native of Norfolk, and related to the D'Urban Blythes of Ma.s.singham.

26.*-"One day last week a fine sturgeon, weighing 3 st. 11 lbs., and measuring 5 ft. 9 in. in length, was caught in the river at Northwold, twenty-eight miles from the sea."

JUNE.

5.-The Rev. R. S. Bayley, of Sheffield, the originator and promoter, gave the first of a series of addresses on the aims and work of a new inst.i.tution in Norwich known as the People's College. Commodious premises were taken in St. George Colegate, where students were instructed under competent masters.

11.-Mountjoy the pedestrian commenced the task of walking from Norwich to Yarmouth and back twice daily for six successive days, and completed it on the 16th.

20.-Mr. G. L. Coleman, of Norwich, was presented with a valuable piece of plate, in recognition of his efficient discharge of the duties of the Mayoralty in 18478. The presentation was made at a dinner given at the Norfolk Hotel, under the presidency of the Mayor (Mr. Bignold).

-The demolition of the old Guildhall (or Church Hall) at Yarmouth commenced. The building had been used as a National School.

JULY.

18.-The annual show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England was opened at Norwich. The show ground, which comprised about fifteen acres, was on the old Heath, near Ipswich Road; the trials of implements took place on Mr. Parker's land at Bixley. H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge attended the show, and during his one night's stay in the city was the guest of the Mayor. The society's dinner, attended by 900 n.o.blemen and gentlemen, was held at St Andrew's Hall on the 19th, under the presidency of the Earl of Chichester. The show, which lasted two days, was visited by 22,000 persons.

20.-"A gentleman well known as Champion of the Yare" undertook to row 100 miles in twenty-four hours. He started at 12.35 a.m., and rowed to Beccles Bridge, a distance of 40 miles, and returned to Carrow Bridge; he then pulled down the river to Rockland d.y.k.e, and back, a distance of 20 miles, finishing at 8.28 p.m., and completing the whole distance in 19 hrs. 53 mins. He rowed the last 20 miles under three hours.

23.-Mr. Martin William ffolkes, eldest son of Sir William ffolkes, Bart., of Hillington Hall, whilst fishing at Castle Rising, was killed by lightning. "His hands were not closed, and part of a cigar he had been smoking was in his mouth."

24.-A lecture was given at St. Andrew's Hall, by Professor Isham Baggs, of the Polytechnic Inst.i.tution, London, on "The Economy and Philosophy of the Electric Light, and its present and prospective bearing on the vested interests of Gas Companies." The electric light was shown by the aid of a powerful voltaic battery. It was described as "a light of dazzling l.u.s.tre and surpa.s.sing brilliancy, on which no eye can steadily gaze. The figures on the various paintings in the Hall appeared to start from the canvas, and every living face displayed an almost supernatural brilliancy and expression. The gas seemed extinguished amid the new blaze of light."

27.-Lieut. Gale, R.N., "of Cremorne celebrity," made a balloon ascent from the Cellar Gardens, Pockthorpe, Norwich, accompanied by Mr. A. W.

Pashley, of Harleston, and Mr. Nevey. "There was a second car or fake bottom attached by a rope to the balloon, and when at the alt.i.tude of about a mile this was lowered thirty or forty feet. A rope ladder was fixed to it from a trap door in the car, and by that the gallant aeronaut descended into the lower car, from which he discharged sh.e.l.ls and other pyrotechnics." The descent was made in a field near Coldham Hall.

AUGUST.

23.-A grand cricket match, between an eleven of All England and twenty of Norfolk commenced on the Norwich Ground. All England, 63-63; Norfolk, 118-11.

25.*-"Several of those new coins, the florin, have found their way to Norwich. It is a handsome piece of money, but we dislike the un-English name. We also protest against the omission of the words of the old legend intimating that our beloved Queen reigns by 'the Grace of G.o.d,'

and that she is the defender of the faith."

-Particulars were given on this date of the marriage of the notorious Lola Montez, "the ex-Countess of Lansfeldt," with Mr. George Trafford Heald, a lieutenant in the Life Guards, and an owner of considerable landed property at Freebridge Marshland and Walpole St. Peter.

28.-The Rev. John Woolley, D.C.L., was elected head master of Norwich Free Grammar School, and on the same day the Rev. Henry Banfather, B.D., the former master, was, on his retirement, presented with a valuable piece of silver plate, subscribed for by the boys and his personal friends.

SEPTEMBER.

4.-A curious incident occurred at the a.s.sembly Rooms, Norwich, at a lecture given by a Mrs. Hamilton, on "A phrenological a.n.a.lysis of the heads and speeches of three of the speakers at the soiree given on the 16th ult. to celebrate the opening of the People's College." The persons referred to were Mr. J. H. Tillett, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. J. W. Dowson.

The lecturer, amid much disturbance, stated that Mr. Tillett had "a large love of approbation, too little veneration, and a large portion of self-esteem"; Mr. Wheeler had "little veneration or philo-progenitiveness"; and Mr. Dowson's head "showed beautiful Christian development." Mr. Tillett rose from his seat and described the lecture as "a ma.s.s of rhodomontade, as an imposition, as non-conclusive, and as most of it foreign to the subject. He denounced this lecturing on heads, and asked what would be thought if he brought down a phrenologist to lecture on the heads of his opponents?"

4.-A balloon ascent was made from the Cavalry Barracks, Norwich, by Mr.

Green, accompanied by Mr. Rush, of Elsenham Hall, Ess.e.x, "who was desirous of trying some experiments with a new instrument called an aneroid barometer invented by himself, and the first ever made on the new principle." The balloon descended in a field at West Newton.