Norfolk Annals Volume Ii Part 31

6.-At a special meeting of the Norwich Town Council, Mr. Edward S.

Bignold was elected Coroner, in place of Mr. Wilde. In order to take the office, he resigned his seat in the Town Council, and was permitted to retire without paying the customary fine.

10.-A new self-righting lifeboat was launched at Happisburgh. The vessel was presented to the National Lifeboat Inst.i.tution by the people of Huddersfield, who contributed upwards of 1,000 for its purchase.

14.-At the Norwich a.s.sizes, before Lord Chief Justice Erle and a special jury, was tried the libel action, Athill _v._ Soman. The declaration stated that the libel was published in a newspaper called the "Norwich Argus," of which the defendant was the printer, and was contained in a letter signed "Honour Lingley," dated November 25th, 1865. The writer accused Athill, a superintendent of police, of wrongfully ransacking her chests of linen at a house at Sprowston called the "Haunted Cottage," at which disturbances had taken place, and where Athill had been present in the discharge of his official duties. The damages were laid at 500; the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages one farthing.

Application was made on behalf of the plaintiff for costs, but his lordship held that "there was not a solitary instance of any personal malice or ill-will on the part of the defendant," and refused it. The county magistrates subsequently contributed to a fund to defray the expenses of the plaintiff.

25.-At the sale of the Lessingham House estate, by Messrs. Hewitt and Capon, at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, a portion of Surlingham Broad was purchased by Mr. R. Pratt, for 1,300. "The last time this lot was sold by public auction it fetched about 900."

27.-The Hon. Thomas de Grey, M.P., shooting on Blubberhouse Moor, made a bag of 215 brace of grouse, "a feat which has not met with its equal on any of the Yorkshire moors, nor on any other in England or Scotland."

SEPTEMBER.

4.-Died at the King and Miller Inn, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, of "mortification of the big toe," William Pilch, the cricketer, formerly of Norwich, in his 69th year.

19.-Died at Southsea, aged 80, General Sir William Robert Clayton, Bart., son of Sir William. Clayton, fourth baronet. He saw much service in the Peninsular campaign. On the death of his father, in 1834, he succeeded to the extensive patrimonial estates in Norfolk, Bucks., Surrey, and South Wales. Sir William's Norfolk seat was White Hall, Saham Toney.

22.*-"The Dean and Chapter of Norwich have offered to confer the office of Lord High Steward of the Cathedral Church, vacant by the death of Lord Bayning, on the Earl of Kimberley, and his lordship has signified to the Dean and Chapter his intention to accept the office. The grandfather and the great-grandfather of the present Earl have been Lord High Stewards of the Cathedral."

25.-Minnie Stratton, daughter of "General Tom Thumb" and Mrs. Stratton, died at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, and was, on the 26th, buried at the Cemetery. "Mr. and Mrs. Stratton were chief mourners, and there was a large number of spectators."

-A boiler explosion took place at the dye and chemical works of Messrs.

Stark and Co., Duke's Palace Street, Norwich. Three men (Taylor, Breeze, and Clarke) were killed on the spot, and three others died of their injuries. The Coroner's jury found that the explosion was due to the defective construction of the boiler. At the Norwich a.s.sizes, on March 27th, 1867, an action was brought by Mr. Stark against Messrs. Riches and Watts, for the recovery of damages. A verdict was given for plaintiff, the amount to be a.s.sessed by arbitration. (_See_ February 19th, 1868.)

OCTOBER.

6.-The Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture, "to co-operate with the Central Chamber of Agriculture in watching over the measures affecting the agricultural interest," was established at a meeting held at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, under the presidency of Mr. C. S. Read, M.P. On October 20th Mr. Read was elected chairman, and Mr. Richard England vice-chairman.

13.-Norwich Theatre was opened for the winter season, under the management of Mr. J. F. Young, who had previously managed, with success, the Yarmouth and Lynn Theatres.

-Died at Great Chart Rectory, Kent, the Hon. and Very Rev. George Pellew, D.D., Dean of Norwich. He was third son of Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, afterwards Viscount Exmouth, and was born in Tregeny, Cornwall, in 1793.

Educated at Eton and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. degree in 1815 and his M.A. in 1818, he received holy orders in 1817, and in 1820 married the Hon. Frances Addington, second daughter of the first Viscount Sidmouth. In 1823 he was appointed to a canonry in Canterbury Cathedral, where he resided until his preferment to the Deanery of Norwich in 1828, on the death of Dean Turner. The degree of D.D. was conferred upon him in the same year, and in 1852 he was presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the living of Great Chart, which he held at the time of his death. Besides publishing "Sermons preached in Cathedral Churches on the Leading Doctrines of the Church of England" (1848), he wrote "The Seven Ages of a Christian's Life" (1866) and a "Memoir of Lord Sidmouth" (1847). Dr. Pellew left three daughters and a son.

29.-The Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival commenced with an evening performance of "Israel in Egypt." Miscellaneous concerts were given on the evenings of October 30th and 31st and November 1st. On the morning of October 31st were given an anthem by Spohr (the first time of performance) and "Naaman" (the first time of performance in Norwich), conducted by the composer, M. Costa; on the morning of November 1st, "Saint Cecilia" (composed expressly for the Festival), a selection from the Pa.s.sion Music (the first time of performance "in any country"), and the first and second parts of "The Creation"; and on the morning of November 2nd, "The Messiah." The princ.i.p.al performers were Mdlle.

Tietjens, Madame Rudersdorff, Miss Edith Wynne, Mdlle. Sinico, Madame De Meric Lablache, Mdlle. Anna Drasdel, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. W. H. c.u.mmings, Signor Morini, Mr. Santley, Mr. Weiss, and Signor Ga.s.sier. Mr. Benedict conducted. The Festival concluded with a "full dress" ball on the evening of November 2nd. The total receipts amounted to 5,783 11s., and the balance in favour of the committee to 971 7s. 3d.

30.-The Prince and Princess of Wales, with her Majesty the Queen of Denmark and suite, left Sandringham, on a visit to Lord and Lady Stafford, at Costessey Park. They were accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who had accepted the invitation of the High Sheriff (Mr. W. A.

Tyssen Amhurst) to spend the Festival week in Norwich. The Royal party, who travelled by special train to East Dereham, where the Volunteers formed a guard of honour, were received by Lord Stafford and the Earl of Leicester at the station, whence they travelled by road to Costessey, and were enthusiastically greeted by a large gathering in the park. On the morning of the 31st the ill.u.s.trious visitors, escorted by the 1st Norfolk Light Horse Volunteers, under Capt. Hay Gurney, proceeded to Norwich, and were received by the Mayor (Mr. W. P. Nichols), the Sheriff (Mr. W. J.

Cubitt), and other civic dignitaries at the city boundary, and by members of the Corporation and Guardians and representatives of friendly societies, &c., at St. Giles' Gates. At the Guildhall addresses were presented to the Prince and Princess and the Queen by the Corporation and by the Bishop and clergy of the diocese. The party then proceeded to St.

Andrew's Hall, to attend the Musical Festival. During the interval at the performance, the Mayor gave a luncheon in one of the rooms to the Prince and Princess, the Queen of Denmark, and their suite; and the Princess was presented by Miss C. M. Nichols, on behalf of the ladies of Norwich, with an alb.u.m containing photographic views of the city, &c.

Their Royal Highnesses then drove to Chapel Field and planted two trees, in commemoration of their visit, and the day's proceedings ended with the opening, by the Prince of Wales, of the new Volunteer Drill Hall, the first stone of which was laid a few months previously by Mrs. Nichols, who was presented with a silver trowel designed for the occasion. A ball, preceded by a dinner, was given at Costessey in the evening. At the dinner the party comprised only the Prince and Princess, the Queen of Denmark, Lord and Lady Stafford, and Mr. and Mrs. Nichols. On November 1st the Royal party pa.s.sed through Norwich, escorted by a squadron of the 1st King's Dragoon Guards (from Colchester), on their way to Thorpe Station, whence they departed for Sandringham. The city was lavishly decorated in honour of the Royal visit, and on the night of the 30th there were illuminations and fireworks. The Duke of Edinburgh stayed with the High Sheriff at Mr. Firth's house in St. Giles' Street, where a distinguished company was invited to meet his Royal Highness.

NOVEMBER.

5.-A remarkable outrage was perpetrated at Little Walsingham church. A few minutes after the clerk had tolled the "curfew" bell, a violent explosion took place in the south transept. It was found that a charge of gunpowder had been placed beneath the organ and ignited by a train of cotton. The instrument, with the exception of the swell organ, was scattered to pieces, the south transept window entirely destroyed, and other windows seriously damaged. The organ was purchased in 1862, at the cost of 250, and the total amount of damage done by the explosion was about 300. A reward of 200 was offered for information that would lead to the conviction of the perpetrator of the outrage.

9.-Mr. Frederick Elwin Watson was elected Mayor, and Mr. William Copeman Clabburn appointed Sheriff of Norwich.

16.-Eight vessels were wrecked and five lives lost, on the Norfolk coast, between Mundesley and Palling.

17.-A Bohemian waxwing (_Bombycilla garrulus_) was observed at Old Buckenham, and another was shot the same day near Thetford. By the first week of December the birdstuffers received at least 22 specimens, from Mutford, Worstead, Northrepps, St. Faith's, Rollesby, Cawston Woodrow, Wroxham, and other districts. In the last week of December it was stated that more than one hundred specimens had been procured. "With the exception of one or two stragglers, this species has not been noticed here since 1863, when some sixteen specimens were killed in Norfolk."

DECEMBER.

3.-A storm of terrific violence occurred off Yarmouth, and several ships were lost and men drowned. A new gas-holder of 100,000 cubic feet capacity, surrounded by ma.s.sive iron columns, was blown over at Yarmouth Gas Works, and considerably damaged.

4.-The Rev. Edward Meyrick Goulburn, D.D., inc.u.mbent of St. John's, Paddington, was installed Dean of Norwich by the Rev. Canon Heaviside, in the absence of the Bishop of Norwich.

10.-The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived, by rail, at Diss, whence the Prince and Princess proceeded to Oakley Park, on a visit to Sir E. C. Kerrison, Bart., M.P., and Lady Caroline Kerrison; and the Duke to Thornham Hall, on a visit to Baron and Lady Hartismere. Their Royal Highnesses returned to Sandringham on the 13th.

-An extraordinary charge was preferred before the Walsingham magistrates, against Mr. Miles Brown, a large farmer, of Houghton St. Giles, and his brother, Mr. William Brown. It was alleged that they had exhibited in the window of a cottage in High Street, Walsingham, "an apparatus revolving before a light, and exhibiting in a gla.s.s behind an upright coffin, on the lid of which was a photograph of the Rev. Septimus Henry Lee Warner, such public exhibition being a threat on the part of the defendants to take away the life of the said complainant." The defendants were bound over in the sum of 1,600 to keep the peace.

15.*-"The old lighthouse at Cromer, which had for so many years been a conspicuous object on the edge of the lofty hill, toppled over the other day, and was immediately buried by a great fall from the cliff, which followed it. It was first erected in the year 1719, and was lit by a coal fire until oil lamps with powerful reflectors were introduced."

17.-The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Norwich, _en route_ to Gunton Park.

Before proceeding on his journey, his Royal Highness visited the Cathedral.

25.-Died at East Dereham, aged 65, Mr. William Drake, many years Conservative registration agent for West Norfolk.

26.-The pantomime at Norwich Theatre, written by Mr. R. Soutar, was founded upon the story of the intrigue of Henry II. and Fair Rosamond.

31.-A heavy fall of snow occurred, and the roads in many parts of the county were rendered impa.s.sable.

-The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at Holkham, on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Leicester. "So considerable was the destruction of hares, rabbits, pheasants, &c., during the Royal visit that on one day 2 tons 19 cwt. of game were forwarded from Wells Station to Leadenhall Market." The Prince, with the Duke of Edinburgh, who was also a guest of the Earl and Countess, left on January 10th, 1867, for Marham House, on a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Villebois.

1867.

JANUARY.

6.-During a severe storm off Yarmouth, the brigs Ark, of Sunderland, and Sarah, of the same port, had a collision in the Roads, and were lost, with their crews of sixteen hands.

7.-The actions arising out of the Middle Level inundations now took the form of an arbitration. The arbitrators were laymen, appointed by both parties, with a legal umpire, and their investigation of the merits of the case or cases commenced on this date, at the Incorporated Law Society's house, Chancery Lane, London. The proceedings were protracted.

In the first week of March several of the claimants, among them Mr.

Mason, in whose name the first action was brought, accepted offers made by the Commissioners. The offers were in excess of the following items: (1) a year's rent, t.i.thes, taxes, and outgoings; (2) all expenses on the crops destroyed (tillage, seed sowing, &c.) up to the day of the inundation; (3) damage to fences, buildings, &c., and (4) the amount of a full year's rent, t.i.thes, and drainage taxes as profits to the tenants.

In May the cases Coe _v._ Wise and Sharpe _v._ the Commissioners were argued in the Rolls Court, before Mr. Serjeant Hayes and Mr. Durrant and Mr. Bailey Denton, the arbitrators; and on June 22nd it was announced that Mr. Coe had been awarded 2,575, and Mr. Sharpe 405, the former getting 500 and the latter 100 more than the defendants offered. The defendants, therefore, were ordered to pay costs, and the litigation ended.