Norfolk Annals Volume Ii Part 14

The vocalists engaged for the Festival were Madame Clara Novello, Mdlle.

Leonhardi (her first appearance in England), Madame Weiss, Mrs. Lockey, Mdlle. Piccolomini, Signor Gardoni, Signor Guiglini, Mr. Lockey, Mr.

Miranda, Mr. Weiss, and Signor Belletti. The receipts amounted to 4,348, and the expenses to 3,997.

23.-The first exhibition of the Wayland Agricultural Society was held at Watton under the presidency of Lord Walsingham.

OCTOBER.

7.-By Royal Proclamation this day was observed as one of humiliation and prayer. At Norwich all the princ.i.p.al shops were closed, and services were held morning and evening at the parish churches. Collections were made on behalf of the sufferers by the Indian Mutiny.

22.-Mr. W. H. Russell, LL.D., the special correspondent of "The Times"

during the Crimean War, delivered, at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, a lecture on the princ.i.p.al events of the campaign. He gave a second lecture on the 23rd.

-A terrible storm raged on the Norfolk coast. The brig Ontario, of South Shield's, from Newcastle to Suez with coals (Capt., Balfour), foundered on the Barber Sand off Yarmouth, and drifting to the c.o.c.kle Gatway, was lost. The captain, his wife and son, and the crew of 24 hands perished.

The chief mate, William Coates Robinson, alone escaped. The Zillah, of Whitby, from Hartlepool to London, commanded by Capt. Watson, was lost off Winterton, and five men, including the master, were drowned, out of the crew of eight hands. Upon the Norfolk coast between forty and fifty lives were lost. It was a.s.serted that many lives would have been saved had the lifeboats and apparatus been in an ordinarily effective condition. The strictures made upon the life-saving service led to negotiations for the amalgamation with the National Society of the Norfolk a.s.sociation for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners.

NOVEMBER.

2.-A troop of the 15th Hussars left Norwich for Coventry.

7.-Mr. Cadge was elected surgeon of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, in succession to Mr. B. H. Norgate, resigned. Mr. T. W. Crosse succeeded Mr. Cadge as a.s.sistant-surgeon.

9.-Mr. Edward Field was elected Mayor, and Mr. Charles Crawshay appointed Sheriff of Norwich.

11.-Intelligence was received in Norwich of the relief of Lucknow and the capture of Delhi.

20.-Miss P. Horton (Mrs. German Reed) and Mr. T. German Reed gave their entertainment at the a.s.sembly Rooms, Norwich.

28.-Norwich Theatre was opened for the winter season. Mr. Sidney doubled the prices of admission to pit and gallery, and increased the prices of the dress and upper boxes. Tuesdays and Fridays were set apart as "subscription nights," for the production of high-cla.s.s plays and dramas.

The manager intimated that the hire of silver tickets was illegal, "the Theatre deed requiring legal transfer and register with the proprietors'

solicitor to be available for admission." A printed circular had been issued by a speculator, offering silver tickets for hire for the night, week, or the whole season, "on the usual terms."

30.-An alarming accident occurred in a building erected for equestrian performances at the Orchard Gardens, Norwich. Soon after the commencement of the entertainment, the supports of the gallery gave way, and the structure fell, with between 300 and 400 persons. "The whole ma.s.s of timber fell under the people, who, with their seats, were thrown outwards, rolling over one another. Strange to say, n.o.body was killed, no legs or arms broken, and n.o.body seriously hurt."

DECEMBER.

1.-The Wells and Fakenham Railway was opened. In 1853 the company was formed, with a capital of 70,000, 14,000 of which was contributed by the inhabitants of Wells, 10,000 by the Earl of Leicester, and 30,000 by the Norfolk Railway Company. Mr. G. Berkeley, of Great George Street, Westminster, was the engineer, and Mr. Solomon Treadwell the contractor.

The opening-day was observed in the district as a general holiday. A special train was run over the nine and a half miles of line, the Earl of Leicester entertained a large party at Holkham, and in the evening his lordship presided over a public dinner, held at the Crown Inn, Wells.

5.*-"Norwich manufactures at present may be said to be almost at a standstill. There has not been so complete a state of stagnation for some years past. Hundreds of operatives who are usually employed at this season in the production of spring goods are now out of work."

9.-Mr. Alexander Hugh Baring was returned without opposition member of Parliament for the borough of Thetford, on the retirement of his father from the representation of the const.i.tuency.

14.-A sculling match, for 10 a side, was rowed from Postwick Hall to Whitlingham Point, between John Wright and Lancaster. The former won easily.

22.-The Norwich Town Council adopted a motion in favour of the erection of a new Fishmarket.

23.-The West Norfolk Militia, which a.s.sembled on November 10th, 600 strong, left Norwich by rail for garrison duty. The headquarters and three companies, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Custance, proceeded to Chester; three companies, commanded by Major Bedingfeld, to Liverpool; and two companies, commanded by Capt. Marsham, to Stockport. The regiment returned to Norwich on April 23rd, 1858.

26.-The pantomime at Norwich Theatre was ent.i.tled, "Harlequin Sinbad the Sailor, or the Princess with the Diamond Eyes and the Fairy of the Island of Jewels."

1858.

JANUARY.

1.-A fire, involving the destruction of several dwelling-houses and a large amount of other property, originated on the premises of Mr. W.

Colby, fish merchant, St. James's Place, South End, Yarmouth.

5.-The premises of Mr. H. F. Butcher, paper and mill-board manufacturer, St. Martin-at-Palace, Norwich, were destroyed by fire. On the same day a fire occurred at Mr. Orfeur's timber-yard, St. Edmund's; and on the 6th an outbreak took place at the soap manufactory of Messrs. Andrews and French, in Fishgate Street. The loss occasioned by the three fires amounted to upwards of 6,000.

7.-Intelligence was received at Norwich of the defeat of General Windham and his division by the Gwalier mutineers, near Cawnpore, on November 27th.

8.-Miss P. Horton and Mr. T. German Reed appeared at the a.s.sembly Rooms, Norwich. These favourite performers made a return visit on October 27th, with their entertainments, "After the Ball" and "The Unfinished Opera."

19.-At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, Mr. J. H. Tillett moved, "That an inquiry be held respecting the manner in which appointments to the city magistracy are made, and also the manner in which the magisterial business of this city is conducted, with the view to the adoption of any measures which may appear likely to promote the better administration of justice." The motion was adopted. The committee of inquiry reported in February that they considered "the mode in which the magistracy is appointed in cities and boroughs is highly objectionable, the appointments being the result of party influence," and recommended for the magistracy "those gentlemen who have served the office of Mayor to the satisfaction of the Council." Complaints were made that from excitement or infirmity of temper certain gentlemen made use of language derogatory to their position, and tending to lower the respect of the Bench, and these complaints the Committee found were not groundless. On March 16th the Town Council adopted a series of resolutions, requesting the Mayor to address a letter to those gentlemen whose names appeared in the report as having never attended petty sessions, or as having rarely or sometimes attended, requiring them to take upon themselves to discharge the duties of their office; that a rota of attendance be established; and that, "in relation to the unseemly proceedings which have taken place in the Sword Room, the Council forbear to memorialise the Lord Chancellor on the subject, in the hope that similar proceedings will not occur again."

25.-The marriage of the Princess Royal was celebrated in Norwich by the ringing of the bells of St. Peter Mancroft, and by public dinners at the Royal Hotel. A ball took place in the evening, at St. Andrew's Hall.

The day was similarly observed at Yarmouth, Lynn, and other towns in the county, and addresses of congratulation were afterwards sent to the Queen by the respective Corporations.

26.-The long-pending case, Preston _v._ the Eastern Counties and Norfolk Railway Companies, was before the Court of Exchequer, and Mr. Baron Watson delivered judgment. The first count of the declaration charged the defendants with diverting and obstructing the waters of the rivers, and the second with omitting to repair certain locks, whereby the water escaped. Judgment was given against the Eastern Counties Railway Company for 40s. on all issues, and for the Norfolk Railway Company on their plea of not guilty, but against them on all other issues. Finally the case was before the Rolls Court on June 8th, and was entered as the Attorney-General _v._ the Norfolk and Eastern Counties Railway Companies.

The object of the information was to have it declared that the defendants were not by their Acts of Parliament empowered to divert or obstruct any of the waters of the Rivers Yare and Waveney, or other waters connected with them, except Lake Lothing, for the purpose of supplying the entrance out between Lake Lothing and the sea with water. The Court made the injunction already granted perpetual against the Eastern Counties Railway Company, and ordered the company to pay the costs incurred in equity.

29.-The Norwich Town Council accepted contracts amounting to over 9,000 for draining the northern portion of the city.

FEBRUARY.

5.-A special meeting of the Norwich Court of Guardians, attended by Lord Bury, M.P., and Mr. Schneider, M.P., was held to consider the subject of a national poor-rate. It was stated that Norwich paid 20,000 a year more in poor relief than it would if the principle of a national rate were adapted as the law of the land. Both members of Parliament expressed themselves in favour of national rating.

8.-Mr. Thomas Barnes, R.G.S., was presented by the Corporation of King's Lynn with an "honorary address," in lieu of the freedom of the borough, "disallowed by the Munic.i.p.al Reform Act." Mr. Baines, the son of a ship captain of the town, was a self-taught artist, who achieved for himself a very honourable position by his own enterprise and industry. He was serving as a volunteer at the Cape when he was selected as artist to accompany the North Australian Exploring Expedition, under Mr. Gregory.

At the time of the presentation he was about to join Livingstone, on his expedition into the heart of Africa. Mr. Baines had already received considerable honours from the Royal Geographical Society, of which he was a member, and from other learned bodies.

12.-A public meeting was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, to consider a Bill then before Parliament introduced for the purpose of amalgamating the Norwich Gas Company with the British Gas Company. A resolution was adopted affirming that the operation of the proposed Bill would be very prejudicial to the interests of the ratepayers and inhabitants, by placing the future management of the gas supply in the hands of a company which had no local connection or sympathy with the interests of Norwich, and over whom the rate-payers and inhabitants would have no control. The meeting having heard the report of the Special Committee appointed by the Corporation, cordially approved the course adopted by the Committee, and pledged itself to use every effort to oppose the pa.s.sing of the Bill. A pet.i.tion was addressed to the House of Commons against the Bill, and on the 16th the Town Council adopted the same pet.i.tion. The House of Commons Committee on Private Bills sat on April 20th, for the purpose of hearing objections to the measure. The proceedings closed on the 23rd, when the Bill was ordered to be reported to the House.

27.*-"Sir Henry Stracey, of Rackheath Hall, has obtained provisional protection for a cartridge which, by a very simple contrivance, gets rid of the necessity of biting off the end, a proceeding which is always objectionable."

MARCH.