Norfolk Annals Volume Ii Part 11

2.-Several deaths were reported to have occurred from small-pox at Lynn.

"In no instance has death ensued here after vaccination."

9.-It was reported that at the Suffolk a.s.sizes, at Ipswich, an action was brought by the Commissioners of Yarmouth Harbour, in the name of their clerk (Mr. Preston), pursuant to the direction of the Master of the Rolls, against the Norfolk and Eastern Counties Railway Company. The plaintiff complained that the defendants had wrongfully diverted and obstructed the waters of the Yare, the Wensum, and the Waveney, which of right ought to flow into and through Yarmouth Harbour, and had turned them into Lake Lothing, and thence into the sea through Lowestoft Harbour. The Eastern Union, the Norfolk, and the Eastern Counties Railways, had entered into an agreement for amalgamation, by virtue of which the latter company a.s.sumed the entire control over the network of railways constructed by those companies and the East Anglian Company, and, among other matters, they undertook the duties created by the Norwich and Lowestoft Navigation Act, one of which was the maintenance of Mutford Bridge where Lake Lothing joined Oulton Broad, for the double purpose of keeping in the fresh waters of the Yare and Waveney and preserving them for the use of Yarmouth Harbour, and of keeping out the waters of the sea, which would otherwise flood all the low lands at high water. These duties had not been discharged to the satisfaction of the plaintiffs. After discussion, terms of reference to Mr. B. Andrew, Q.C., were arranged, the defendants undertaking to repair the locks at once, the plaintiffs being let in to complain of acts of omission as well as of commission on the part of the defendants. A verdict was then taken for the plaintiffs, subject to a special case. (_See_ January 26th, 1858.)

15.-Lieut.-Col. Edwin Wodehouse, C.B., Royal Artillery, on revisiting his former home at Hingham, after his return from the Crimea, was presented with an address by the inhabitants of the town. He was the eldest son of Admiral Wodehouse. At Inkerman a battery called "Wodehouse's Battery"

was furiously attacked and nearly all the men cut down by overpowering numbers of the enemy. By heroic courage and determination he rescued from the enemy the three guns lost early in the action. Two slugs pa.s.sed through his cloak, and one, if not two, horses were killed under him.

18.-The London Grand Opera Company commenced a season at the Theatre Royal, Norwich. The _artistes_ included Miss Rebecca Isaacs, Miss f.a.n.n.y Reeves, Mr. Borrani, Mr. Oliver Summers, Mr. J. B. Bowler, and Mr.

Elliott Galer. Among the operas produced were "La Somnambula," "The Bohemian Girl," "Maritana," "Lucia Di Lammermoor,'" "Fra Diavolo,"

"Norma," and "Daughter of the Regiment." The company came direct from Drury Lane Theatre, on the termination of the season there.

24.-Died at Blofield, Captain Onslow, R.N., in his 61st year. He entered the Navy in 1810, saw much active service, and returned to Portsmouth from Rio de Janeiro with upwards of 888,000 dollars on June 3rd, 1833.

He was advanced to post rank on August 27th, 1834, and was lastly, from July 23rd, 1842, until paid out of commission in the early part of 1847, employed in the Pacific, on board the Daphne, 18.

26.-At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, the Paving Committee reported in favour of a scheme for draining the northern part of the city, at the total cost of 7,893, according to plans prepared by Mr. E.

E. Benest, city surveyor. The Council declined to adopt the scheme, on the ground that the city could not afford to undertake it.

SEPTEMBER.

1.-A storm of great severity occurred. The district in which it was most felt was across the track of marsh land lying between Bungay and Ormesby.

At Yarmouth the outbreak began at six p.m., and lasted till midnight.

Several cottages were flooded, and one fell, in consequence of its being undermined by the water.

-The first meeting of the provisional committee for erecting the Britannia Pier, Yarmouth, was held at the Angel Hotel, under the presidency of Sir E. H. K. Lacon, Bart., M.P. The estimated cost was 3,900. The pier was opened on July 13th, 1858.

14.-A white stork was shot in the plantation of Mr. R. H. Saye, at North Pickenham. Its wings measured 6 ft. 3 in. from tip to tip, it was 4 ft.

in length, and weighed 8 lbs. The bird was preserved by Mr. T. Ellis, of Swaffham.

23.-Mdlle. Piccolomini gave a concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich.

Among the _artistes_ from Her Majesty's Theatre who accompanied her were Mdlle. Firioli, Signor Belletti, Mr. Charles Braham, Signor Beneventano, and Signor Pilotti.

27.*-"During the past fortnight the catch of herrings at Yarmouth has been almost unprecedented in the annals of the fisheries. In many instances the boats have entered the harbour so heavily laden that their gunwales were almost level with the water. In the last ten days it is computed that the quant.i.ty of herrings brought in and landed here from the various boats has reached the enormous daily average of 100 lasts, or 1,320,000 fish. From 12 10s. to 14 per last has been realised; but in some cases this abundance of fish has proved most disastrous to the owners, entailing the loss of the boats' nets, stores, &c. Mr. J. T.

Frosd.i.c.k has sustained in this way the entire loss of the nets of two boats, to the serious extent of 450, for, owing to the enormous catch of fish, the men were quite unable to draw the nets on board, and ultimately the weight proved so great that they sunk the nets and all to the bottom of the sea."

30.-The festival of the Choir Benevolent Fund was held at Norwich Cathedral. In addition to those of Norwich, choirs from London, Ely, Cambridge, Rochester, Peterborough, and Canterbury took part. The total sum accruing from the festival amounted to 273 0s. 9d.

OCTOBER.

1.-Died, in his 83rd year, the Rev. James Brown, B.D., Hon. Canon of Norwich, and for fifty years vicar of St. Andrew's, Norwich. "For more than twenty years chaplain of the county prison, he was one of the earliest advocates of educational efforts being directed towards prisoners, and in his practical suggestions may be traced the germ of much that is valuable in our reformatory inst.i.tutions. He lived long enough to see similar views generally adopted and made compulsory by the State. His duties as chaplain were performed during a period when capital punishments were much more frequent than now, and this gave him the opportunity of seeing vice in its most degrading forms, and to hear from the lips of its victims the repentance which the certain approach of death and judgment generally extracted from them."

6.-The church of the Holy Trinity, Hempton Green, was opened by the Bishop of Norwich.

-The corner-stone of the new Corn Hall at Aylsham was laid by the Marquis of Lothian.

7.-Died at Calais, aged 60, Capt. Charles Thurtell, R.N., son of Mr.

Thomas Thurtell, of Lakenham.

16.-The Earl of Albemarle addressed a large meeting of the industrial cla.s.s at the Corn Hall, Diss, upon the subject of "Benefit Clubs." In the course of his remarks, he a.s.serted "the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows is humbug from beginning to end." The action of his lordship evoked a large amount of newspaper correspondence, and on November 6th Mr. Samuel Daynes, a former "Grand Master" of the Unity, introduced at Diss a Mr. Reeve, who delivered an address to rebut the a.s.sertions of Lord Albemarle.

20.-Mr. Fred Phillips' dramatised version of Mrs. Beecher Stowe's romance of "Dred" was produced at the Surrey Theatre, and was favourably noticed by the critics. At the same theatre, on January 19th, 1857, was produced the comedy, "A Bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Bush," by the same author.

29.-At a meeting held at Yarmouth, it was resolved to take the necessary steps towards placing the Nelson column in a proper state of repair.

NOVEMBER.

1.-Mr. T. D. Eaton, president of the Choral Society, was presented by the members, at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, with a silver snuff-box and silver inkstand. "Mr. H. Pierson, the author of the oratorio 'Jerusalem,' and of the opera 'Faust,' was present, and wrote a drinking song for the occasion, dedicating it to the president."

5.-Died at Liverpool, Mr. Charles Hodgson, formerly of Norwich. He was one of the mathematical tutors at Norwich Free Grammar School during the headmastership of the Rev. Edward Valpy, and nearly the last surviving member of the Norwich Society of Artists, established in 1803.

9.-The down parliamentary train was on its way from Thetford to Harling when the engine left the metals, mounted the bank by the side of the line, and, after running forty yards, turned over upon its side, crushing the driver to death. The accident was occasioned by the breaking of the tire of the leading wheel of the engine. A few minutes after the accident a goods up-train ran into the tender of the disabled engine, but only a slight collision resulted.

10.-Mr. Robert Chamberlin was elected Mayor, and Mr. Robert Seaman appointed Sheriff of Norwich.

13.-A sculling match, for 100, between Henry Kelly, of Fulham, and Richard b.u.t.tle, of Norwich, was rowed on the Thames, from Putney to Mortlake. Kelly won, by little more than half a boat's length. Time, 25 minutes. The return match was fixed to take place on the Yare, from Surlingham to Thorpe, on November 25th, but owing to a dispute as to the appointment of referee, the race was postponed until the 26th, when Kelly, who rowed the distance, about 4 miles, in 37 minutes, won easily.

19.-Died, the Right Hon. Julia Barbara, Lady Stafford, wife of Henry Valentine, 9th Baron Stafford, daughter of Edward Howard, of Glossop.

Her ladyship was born in 1807. The interment took place at the private chapel at Costessey, on November 27th.

29.-Snow began to fall, and soon reached a greater depth than had been recorded in Norfolk for many years previously. At nine o'clock on the morning of December 4th the thermometer stood at 16 deg.; the reading of the same instrument, in the same place, at eleven a.m. on December 6th was 60 deg. In thirty-six hours from ten to twelve inches of snow had disappeared, and the weather thenceforth was very mild.

DECEMBER.

2.-At the Norwich Police Court, George Holl and Stephen Gilbert, of Magdalen Road, were charged by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue with having an illicit still. Holl was fined 50, and Gilbert 200.

3.-The "exercise" written by Mr. Edward Bunnett, of Norwich, "to qualify himself for taking the degree of Bachelor of Music, was performed with great success in the chapel of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge."

25.-Died, in St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, Mrs. Ann Jean, widow of Mr.

Roger Jean, artist, in her 74th year.

26.-Boxing Day was, for the first time, observed in Norwich as a _general_ holiday, "none of the shops being opened in the Market Place or princ.i.p.al streets." The pantomime of "Bluebeard, or the Demon Curiosity," was produced at the Theatre, and the other amus.e.m.e.nts included Brown's Circus, with the spectacles, "St. George and the Dragon," and "Mazeppa"; and Wombwell's Menagerie on Castle Meadow.

1857.

JANUARY.

4.-During a violent gale from the north, several ships went ash.o.r.e at Yarmouth. "The beach presented a melancholy appearance, from the number of vessels upon it."