Norfolk Annals Volume Ii Part 9

26.-At the Norfolk a.s.sizes, before Mr. Baron Parke and a special jury, was tried the action, Fisher _v._ Nisbett. This was a will case, which excited considerable interest on account of the large amount of property in dispute and the number of persons concerned. The plaintiff was Miss Mary Ann Fisher, and the nominal defendant Mr. Philip Blundell Nisbett.

The actual defendant was Mr. Richard Blundell Nisbett. The question at issue was the validity of the will of a lady named Nisbett. The amount in dispute was between 20,000 and 30,000 in real property, and a larger amount in personal property. The father of Mrs. Nisbett was a Mr.

Fisher, a banker, of Yarmouth. Mary Ann Fisher, the plaintiff, was one of his daughters. All the children were dead in 1854 with the exception of Mary Ann Fisher. In the year 1811, when the deceased Mrs. Nisbett married, her father settled on her the sum of 10,000, and gave her during life an annuity of 500, while all that Mr. Nisbett brought was the sum of 7,000. In 1824 Mr. Nisbett died. Of the marriage there were three sons; two had died, and at the time of the trial the only one living was the eldest, Philip Blundell Nisbett, a confirmed lunatic. In the year 1835 Mr. Fisher died, leaving property to the amount of about 100,000. Mrs. Nisbett, after her father's death, left the bulk of the property to Philip Blundell Nisbett. There now appeared on the scene Mr.

Richard Blundell Nisbett, a son of Mr. Nisbett's brother, and nephew by marriage to Mrs. Nesbitt. He took out a commission of lunacy against Philip, who was found to be a lunatic and incapable of managing his own affairs. Then he endeavoured to get a commission of lunacy against Mrs.

Nisbett, but the Lord Chancellor, on receiving the report of the medical men who examined her, dismissed the pet.i.tion, with costs. As soon as Mrs. Nisbett discovered the course that Richard was pursuing, she made a new will, the effect of which was that the property went to Miss Fisher, the plaintiff, for life, and after her death to blood relations. On November 10th, 1854, Mrs. Nisbett died suddenly, and these legal proceedings commenced. After evidence had been given by medical men and others, the Attorney-General (Sir Alexander c.o.c.kburn) who appeared for the defendant, unexpectedly withdrew from the case, and a verdict was entered for the plaintiff.

AUGUST.

1.-Died at Malta, of wounds received before Sebastopol, on June 18th, in the attack upon the Redan, Lieut. Charles A. P. Boileau, of the Rifle Brigade, aged 19, fourth son of Sir John P. Boileau, Bart., and Lady Catherine Boileau, of Ketteringham Park.

15.-Stalham Corn Hall, erected at the cost of 300, raised by 82 shares of 5 each, was opened.

16.-A public dinner was held at Fakenham, under the presidency of Sir Willoughby Jones, Bart., to celebrate the opening of the Corn Hall. A capital of 4,000 was raised in 160 shares of 25 each. The building was designed by Mr. Brown, architect, of Norwich, and built by Mr. Pett.i.tt, of Ipswich, for 3,000.

20.-Mr. Charles Mathews commenced a two nights' engagement at Norwich Theatre. His characters were Sir Charles Coldstream ("Used Up"), Mr.

Affable Hawk ("The Game of Speculation"), and Captain Patter ("Patter _versus_ Clatter"). For these two nights the Theatre was under the management of Mr. John Coleman, formerly of the Norwich Company.

21.-Died at Thorpe, in his 72nd year, Mr. Edmond Wodehouse. He was a son of Mr. Thomas Wodehouse, by a daughter of Mr. Pryce Campbell, of Stackpole Court, Pembrokeshire. In 1809 he married his cousin, Lucy, daughter of the Rev. Philip Wodehouse, by whom he had four children, two sons and two daughters. In 1817 he offered himself as candidate for Norfolk, in opposition to Mr. Pratt; he was returned, and retained his seat until the General Election in 1830. At that time the excitement of the Reform agitation was at its height, which, with other circ.u.mstances, induced him to decline a contest. In that year Mr. T. W. c.o.ke (afterwards Earl of Leicester) was returned with Sir W. J. H. B. ffolkes.

In 1832 Mr. Keppel and Mr. Windham were returned. When the political excitement of the former period had subsided, Mr. Wodehouse again appeared before the const.i.tuency, and at the General Election in 1835 he and Lord Walpole were returned, in opposition to Mr. Windham and Mr.

Richard Hanbury Gurney. Another General Election took place in 1837, and Mr. Wodehouse was returned with Mr. Henry Negus Burroughes, in opposition to the same Liberal candidates. In 1842 Mr. Wodehouse and Mr. Burroughes were again elected; Sir W. J. H. B. ffolkes, who was abroad at the time, was nominated without his consent as the Liberal candidate. Both Conservative candidates were re-elected without opposition in 1847. Mr.

Wodehouse sat in Parliament about forty years. He was a Conservative of the old school, a Protectionist, and a zealous supporter of Sir Robert Peel until he introduced his Free Trade measures. His remains were interred at Norwich Cathedral on August 28th.

-At the Norwich Police Court, Mr. John Coleman, tragedian, and temporary manager of the Theatre, preferred a complaint against Inspector Amis, of the city police. On the previous evening, he stated, a number of persons presented themselves at the dress-box entrance and demanded admission with, silver tickets. He informed them that the majority of places had been taken by those who had paid, but the upper circle was open to silver ticket holders. Some noise and disturbance ensued. Sir William Foster came up and endeavoured to gain an entrance, Mr. Coleman tried to prevent him, a scuffle ensued, and the police were sent for by both parties.

Inspector Amis came, and Mr. Coleman directed his attention to a notice on the play-bill that no one would be admitted to the dress circle without a reserved seat ticket. Mr. Coleman asked the inspector to remove the persons who were seeking to gain an entrance; and they, in turn, requested the inspector to remove Mr. Coleman. The officer, it was a.s.serted, made an unprovoked and violent a.s.sault upon Mr. Coleman, who denied that silver ticket holders had the privilege to enter the house, and told them that they must legally prove their right. He had taken the Theatre for two nights only, at a heavy rental, there was no arrangement in the agreement with the manager as to the proprietors of silver tickets, and that was why he had put the notice on the bills. Mr. Hudson (a magistrate) remarked that the owners of silver tickets were owners of the Theatre, and had a right to go in when they pleased. Sir William Foster attended the Court, and stated that unless Mr. Coleman apologised he would take proceedings against him. Mr. Coleman said he was sorry if Sir William Foster had been injured (his waistcoat was torn to ribbons), but beyond that he should make no apology. The case against Amis was dismissed. Silver ticket holders were admitted without opposition on the evening of the 21st.

23.-Died at Norwich, in his 87th year, Mr. John Francis, manufacturer, who served the office of Sheriff in 1837.

24.-The foundation-stone of a new chapel on Hempton Green, Fakenham, was laid. The building was designed by Mr. J. H. Hakewell, architect to the Church Building Society. "Hempton has been without a church or clergyman since the Reformation, when the ancient priory church was demolished."

(_See_ October 6th, 1856.)

SEPTEMBER.

4.-Died at Brighton, Mr. Henry Dover, of Caston, who, in the previous July, resigned the office he had long held as a chairman of the Court of Norfolk Quarter Sessions.

10.-A telegraphic message announcing the fall of Sebastopol was exhibited at the window of the NORFOLK CHRONICLE Office, at six p.m. Thousands of citizens crowded into the Market Place, and the office was besieged by persons anxious to obtain copies of the dispatch. Peals were rung upon the bells of St. Peter Mancroft, bands paraded the streets, and the citizens sang in chorus the National Anthem and "Rule, Britannia." A bonfire was lighted in the Market Place, followed by a display of fireworks. There were great rejoicings in every town and village in the county. Sunday, the 29th, was observed as a day of special thanksgiving.

18.-Mr. Walter Montgomery, at the a.s.sembly Rooms, Norwich, "repeated from memory his recital of 'Oth.e.l.lo.'" "Mr. Montgomery is the son of a respectable Norwich citizen, and has gained much provincial celebrity for his impersonation of Shakesperian characters."

23.-A fire occurred at the Steam Flour Mills, Lower Westwick Street, Norwich. The large building, much valuable machinery, and 200 sacks of flour were destroyed. The loss to the owner (Mr. F. W. Waters) was estimated at 4,000.

OCTOBER.

19.-At a meeting of the county magistrates, the following resolution was adopted, on the motion of Mr. T. J. Birch: "That the magistrates of the county of Norfolk, in Quarter Sessions a.s.sembled, take this, the earliest opportunity, of conveying to Major-General Charles Ash Windham, their sincere congratulations on his providential escape from the perils attendant on the a.s.sault of the great Redan of Sebastopol on the 8th of September, 1855, of expressing to him their sense of admiration of his long-enduring gallantry, of his courage, constancy, self-devotion, and self-possession, which may be equalled, but cannot be surpa.s.sed, and of tendering to him their warmest and most cordial thanks for the example he has thus held out to the British soldier." A "Windham Testimonial Fund"

was afterwards opened. (_See_ August 1st, 1856.)

NOVEMBER.

3.-The Norfolk coast was visited by a severe gale, which did enormous damage to the shipping.

9.-Mr. J. G.o.dwin Johnson was elected Mayor, and Mr. Timothy Steward appointed Sheriff of Norwich.

28.-At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, the unsatisfactory state of the railway communication between Norwich and London was considered. It was stated that an apprehension existed on the part of the public, on account of delays and obstructions, that the Eastern Counties Railway was insecure. A committee was appointed to inquire into and define the grievances of the citizens. On December 7th the Committee reported upon the alleged insecurity of the permanent way; the irregularity and inconvenience in the working of the line; and the arrangements for the conveyance of the mails. The Board of Trade made an inspection of the line, and in January, 1856, reported upon its insecure and dangerous state between Norwich and Cambridge.

DECEMBER.

8.*-"The Queen has been pleased to grant unto Joseph Stonehewer Scott, of Thursford and Pinckney, in the county of Norfolk, eldest son of Mr.

Joseph Scott, of Colney Hall, license and authority that he and his issue may use the surname of Chad in addition to and after the surname of Scott, and bear the arms of Chad quarterly with the family arms of Scott."

-*"Of late years some improvements have been made in various parts of Norwich by widening the streets, but by far the most important and expensive has been that in London Street. The improvement was badly designed, and has cost almost as much already as the cost would have been of pulling down one side of the street entirely. From first to last at least 20,000 has been expended, and the whole street is a bungle after all. The lower part of the street remains as bad as ever, and in the upper part years have been required to make a fourteen feet pa.s.sage."

19.-Mr. W. L. Mendham was elected Town Clerk of Norwich, in succession to Mr. J. R. Staff, who, since 1836, had held that office with the appointment of Clerk of the Peace. Mr. A. Dalrymple was elected to the latter office.

20.-Died at Dorking, Mr. T. Cubitt, who was well known by reason of the many important building contracts he had undertaken in London. He was born at Buxton, near Norwich, on February 25th, 1788. When working as a journeyman carpenter, he, in his nineteenth year, made a voyage to India, as a ship's joiner. On his return to London two years afterwards, he commenced as a builder in a small way of business. Later he erected the London Inst.i.tution, Moorfields, and about the year 1824 entered into an engagement with the Duke of Bedford and Lord Southampton for contracts on the ground on which Tavistock Square, Gordon Square, Woburn Place, and the neighbouring streets now stand. Towards the close of the same year and the beginning of 1825 he engaged with the Marquis of Westminster and Mr. Lowndes to cover portions of the Five Fields and grounds adjacent, and of this engagement Belgrave Square, Lowndes Square, Chatham Place, and other ranges of houses resulted. He built upon the vast open district lying between Eton Square and the Thames, now known as South Belgravia, and carried out similar extensive operations in Clapham, Kemp-town, Brighton, and other places. Mr. Cubitt had two brothers, Mr.

Alderman Cubitt, M.P. for Andover, and Mr. Lewis Cubitt, the architect of the Great Northern Railway terminus.

26.-The t.i.tle of the Christmas pantomime produced at Norwich Theatre was "King Goggle-eyed Greedy Gobble and the Fairy of the Enchanted Lake."

Mr. Sidney was complimented upon the excellence of the production.

27.-Died, in his 80th year, Mr. W. Shalders, who was for many years a leather merchant in Norwich. He was the originator and patentee of the far-famed Norwich invention known as the "fountain pump."

1856.

JANUARY.

21.-Mr. John Coleman, lessee of the Worcester circuit, appeared at Norwich Theatre, in the character of Claude Melnotte. His other impersonations included Evelyn ("Money"), Hamlet, Richelieu, and Ingomar.

FEBRUARY.

5.-Madame Jenny Goldschmidt-Lind sang at a performance of "The Messiah,"

at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich and on the 7th took part in a concert at which a miscellaneous programme was presented. The other performers included Mr. Lockey, Mr. Weiss, Miss Ba.s.sano. M. Otto Goldschmidt, and Mr. Swift. The total receipts amounted to 2,400, of which 351 was paid to the account of the Jenny Lind Infirmary.

11.-The first performance of modern burlesque, "The Yellow Gnome," by J.

R. Planche, was given at Norwich Theatre on this date.