Norfolk Annals Volume Ii Part 71

14.-The first exhibition by members of the Norwich Art Circle (formed in the month of February) was opened at the Old Bank of England Chambers, Queen Street.

25.-The annual congress of the h.o.m.opathic pract.i.tioners of Great Britain was held at the Royal Hotel, Norwich, under the presidency of Dr. Herbert Nankivell, of Bournemouth.

-Mr. Arthur Coyte, of Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich, died from gunshot wounds accidentally inflicted whilst shooting on the Stratton Strawless estate on the previous day. Mr. Coyte, who was the second son of the Rev. James Coyte, rector of Polstead, Suffolk, was 53 years of age.

30.-Died, at Norwich, aged 91 years, the Rev. Henry Banfather. He was educated at Norwich Grammar School under Forster and Valpy, by the latter of whom he was made an a.s.sistant master. On Valpy's death he took private pupils, and was most successful in obtaining candidates for Holy Orders. He was then appointed by the Corporation headmaster of the school, a position which he held for many years before his retirement to the living of Sprowston.

OCTOBER.

7.-Died, at his chambers, Great Ormond Street, London, Mr. Robert Hindry Mason, aged 61 years. Mr. Mason had led a busy life as a journalist. He established, edited, and conducted, from 1852 to 1854, the "Greenwich, and West Kent Observer," owned the "Sunderland Times" and "Sheffield Advertiser," and subsequently became proprietor of the "London and Eton Gazette." Some years previously, when a resident in Norwich, he published a work, ent.i.tled "Norfolk Photographically Ill.u.s.trated," and at the time of his death was engaged upon his best known work, the "History of Norfolk."

12.-A great Conservative demonstration was held at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich, at which a requisition, signed by 5,000 electors, was presented to Mr. Harry Bullard, inviting him to contest the representation of the city in the Conservative interest. Lieutenant-Colonel Bignold presided, and was supported by the Earl of Dunraven, Under Secretary for the Colonies, and by many prominent leaders of the party in county and city.

In reply to the requisition Mr. Bullard said, "My answer is unhesitatingly 'Yes.'" This meeting was said to have been the largest ever held in a public building in Norwich.

19.-Lord Randolph Churchill addressed a large meeting of the Conservative party at Lynn in support of the candidature of Lord Henry Bentinck for North-West Norfolk. On the 20th Lord Randolph proceeded to Merton Hall as the guest of Lord and Lady Walsingham.

24.-The Channel Squadron, consisting of the Minotaur (flagship), Agincourt, Monarch, Sultan, Iron Duke, and Leander, arrived in Yarmouth Roads, and anch.o.r.ed between the Britannia and Wellington Piers. Admiral Fellowes was in command, and the officers and men numbered 3,750. The squadron sailed for Deal on November 4th.

31.-Mr. Edward Birkbeck, M.P., was presented, at the Fishmongers' Hall, London, with a valuable service of silver plate, subscribed for by many fishermen, boatowners, and others in recognition of his successful efforts to serve the fishing industry of the United Kingdom. The presentation was made by the Prince of Wales, who was accompanied by Prince Albert Victor.

NOVEMBER.

4.-The 13th Hussars, who formed the princ.i.p.al cavalry contingent of Sir Charles Warren's Bechua.n.a.land expeditionary force, arrived at Norwich by two special trains. A portion of the regiment had proceeded to Colchester. Lieutenant-Colonel Miller was in command of the headquarter troops, which numbered 16 officers and 240 men.

9.-Mr. John Gurney, of Sprowston Hall, was elected Mayor, and Mr. J. J.

Dawson Paul appointed Sheriff of Norwich.

12.-Madame Albani gave a concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, in aid of the Jenny Lind Infirmary. She received the voluntary a.s.sistance of Miss Damian, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Santley, Lady Benedict (solo pianist), M.

Carl Walther (solo violinist), Dr. Bunnett (organist), and the Norwich Gatehouse Choir. Signor Bisaccia conducted, and the proceeds amounted to 529 14s. 8d.

13.-Died, at Milgrove House, Fulham, Thomas Heron Jones, seventh Viscount Ranelagh. He was born at Fulham in 1812, and succeeded his father in 1820. His lordship took a prominent part in originating and forming the Volunteer force in 1859. For some time he served in the 1st Life Guards and in the 7th Fusiliers. By his death the t.i.tle, which was created in 1628, became extinct. He was succeeded in his estates (princ.i.p.ally at St. Faith's, Norwich) by his cousin, Alexander Montgomery, son of Vice-Admiral the Hon. Alexander Montgomery Jones, son of the fourth Viscount. Lord Ranelagh served the office of High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1868.

13.-At the Norfolk a.s.sizes, before Mr. Justice Stephen, Robert Goodale, 45, gardener, was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife, Bathsheba Goodale, at Walsoken, on September 15th. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. The execution took place at Norwich Castle on November 30th. Berry, of Bradford, was the executioner. "As the clock of an adjacent church struck the hour of eight, Berry, who was stationed behind the prisoner with the lever in his hand, asked him, 'Do you wish to say anything else before you go?' to which Goodale replied in the negative, and before the eighth stroke had sounded, the lever was pulled, the trap-door fell, and the prisoner, who weighed 15 stone, and was 5 ft.

11 in. in height, and was allowed a drop just short of six feet, disappeared from view. To the horror of the bystanders the rope rebounded, and it was thought that by some means it had become unfastened. On looking into the pit below the scaffold the spectators observed the body lying on the ground, with the head still enveloped in the white cap, completely severed from the trunk." At the subsequent inquest the jury found that death was caused by hanging, and "they imputed no blame to anyone for what had occurred."

19.-A desperate encounter took place between a couple of tigers at Bostock and Wombwell's menagerie at Norwich. One animal seized the other, named Tippo, by the throat, and although every effort was made to separate them, Tippo was laid lifeless upon the floor. The victim's windpipe was crushed, and death resulted from suffocation. The animal, a fine specimen of the Royal Bengal tiger, was valued at 400.

23.-The General Election under the extended franchise commenced on this date. The nomination of candidates for the representation of Norwich took place at the Guildhall, before the Sheriff (Mr. J. J. Dawson Paul).

The following were proposed:-Mr. Harry Bullard, of h.e.l.lesdon House (C.); Mr. Jeremiah James Colman, of Carrow House (L.); and Mr. Robert Samuel Wright, of 1, Paper Buildings, Temple, London, barrister-at-law (L.).

The polling took place on the 25th, between the hours of eight a.m. and eight p.m. "The Market Place was the scene of a regular carnival. The princ.i.p.al form of practical joking was the discharge of small bags of flour at any prominent person who chanced to run the gauntlet of the crowd. No ill-temper was displayed, and probably no election ever took place in Norwich where so little animosity was exhibited. We think the keeping of the poll open until eight o'clock was generally admitted to be a mistake, as unnecessarily prolonging the excitement incidental to an election where party feeling runs high." At the close of the poll the ballot boxes were conveyed to the Guildhall, where the counting immediately commenced, and the result was declared at 12.45 as follows:-Bullard, 7,279; Colman, 6,666; Wright, 6,251. On December 21st a pet.i.tion was lodged against the return of Mr. Bullard. (_See_ March 17th, 1886.)

-At Yarmouth, on the re-enfranchis.e.m.e.nt of the borough, Sir Henry Wheatley Tyler (C.) and Captain Cecil W. Norton (L.) were nominated. The polling, which took place on the 24th, resulted as follows:-Tyler, 2,661; Norton, 2,476.

-The Right Hon. Robert Bourke (C.) and Sir W. ffolkes, Bart. (L.) were nominated for King's Lynn. The polling on the 25th resulted-Bourke, 1,472; ffolkes, 1,302.

24.-For South Norfolk Sir Robert Jacob Buxton, Bart. (C), and Mr. Francis Taylor, of Diss (L.), were nominated. The polling took place on the 27th, and the result was declared at the Shirehall, Norwich, on the 28th as follows:-Taylor, 4,580; Buxton, 3,588.

-The candidates nominated for East Norfolk were Mr. Edward Birkbeck (C.) and Mr. Philip Falk, of Kensington Palace Gardens, London (L.). The polling took place on the 30th, and the result was declared at the Shirehall, Norwich, on December 1st as follows:-Birkbeck, 4,682; Falk, 4,459.

25.-The nomination of candidates for North Norfolk took place at Aylsham.

The nominees were Mr. Samuel h.o.a.re, of Cliff House, Cromer (C), and Mr.

Herbert Hardy Cozens-Hardy, Q.C., of 50, Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, London (L.). The polling was on December 1st, and the declaration, at Aylsham, on December 2nd. Result:-Cozens-Hardy, 5,028; h.o.a.re, 3,342.

27.-The nomination of candidates for South-West Norfolk took place at Swaffham. The candidates were Mr. W. A. Tyssen Amherst (C.) and Sir W.

Brampton Gurdon (L.). The polling was on December 4th, and the declaration on December 5th:-Amherst, 4,096; Gurdon, 3,776.

30.-The candidates for North-West Norfolk-Lord Henry Bentinck (C.) and Mr. Joseph Arch (L.), were nominated at Lynn. The latter, described as the president of the National Agricultural Labourers' Union, was nominated by Sir Lawrence Jones, Bart. The polling, on December 8th, was declared on December 9th as follows:-Arch, 4,461; Bentinck, 3,821.

DECEMBER.

3.-Mid Norfolk election, candidates, Mr. Ailwyn E. Fellowes (C.) and Mr.

R. T. Gurdon (L.), took place. The poll was declared on the 4th at East Dereham-Gurdon, 5,275; Fellowes, 2,872.

9.-The parish church of East Dereham, partially restored at the cost of 2,134, by Messrs. Cornish and Gaymer, of North Walsham, under the supervision of Mr. E. P. Willins, was re-opened. The eighteenth century plaster, which concealed the Early English roof of the nave, was removed, and the unsightly old galleries, which blocked up the north and south aisles and the west end, were demolished. The Perpendicular font was transferred from the north transept to its original position near the west door. Colonel Bulwer was chairman of the Restoration Committee.

-In the House of Lords, before Lords Selborne, Blackburn, Bramwell, Watson, and Fitzgerald, was commenced the hearing of the appeal, Coaks and others _v._ Boswell and others. This was an appeal from the judgment of Lords Justices Baggallay, Cotton, and Lindley. On Monday, 14th, the fourth day, the case for the respondents closed, and their lordships reserved judgment. (_See_ February 22nd, 1886.)

20.-The new reredos at the church of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, designed by Mr. Seddon, and executed by Mr. Harry Hems, of Exeter, was formally dedicated. It was described as "an adaptation of the Norfolk screen, with its carved oak and painted panel work."

26.-Miss May Holt's company appeared at Norwich Theatre in her "local drama," ent.i.tled, "Every Man for Himself." "Little Red Riding Hood" was produced at Sanger's Circus at the Agricultural Hall.

1886.

JANUARY.

2.-The appointment of Dr. Bates, of Edinburgh, as organist and master of the choristers at Norwich Cathedral, was announced.

7.-The county magistrates decided to hire of Mr. James C. Snelling the mansion known as Eaton Hall as lodgings for the judges of a.s.size, at the yearly rental of 250. On January 20th, Mr. Justice Hawkins, after delivering his charge to the Grand Jury at the Norfolk a.s.sizes, said he could not offer the magistrates his grat.i.tude for their endeavours to provide for the comfort of her Majesty's judges, unless, indeed, they thought he and his marshal had the habits and tastes of a Polar bear and an Arctic fox. Eaton Hall was well fitted for one or both, as it was simply a bleak house in a frozen waste; it was redolent of putty and paint; workmen were tapping just beyond the dining-room door in precisely the same way as he should expect to hear tapping in the back manufactory of an undertaker's shop; and the rooms were furnished with the view to economy and discomfort with a show of luxury skilfully but not very judiciously combined. On November 15th Mr. Justice Field, in concluding his charge to the Grand Jury, said he found the accommodation at Eaton Hall exceedingly nice and extremely comfortable, and he added, amid laughter, he had not seen any Polar bears or Arctic foxes.

10.-The jubilee of the Norwich District of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows was celebrated by a special service held at the Cathedral, and attended by several hundred members, and by the Mayor and Corporation.

"The Order was introduced into Norfolk in the year 1835 by five woolsorters from the North of England-John Raven, Walter Meldrum, Thomas Dack, Benjamin Fearnside, and Thomas Lambert. They were the founders of the mother lodge of the district, the Travellers' Rest, the first place of meeting being at the New Brewery, Pockthorpe." The Mayor (Mr. John Gurney) entertained to dinner at St. Andrew's Hall, on May 18th, upwards of 900 members of the Order.

19.-At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, an application was received from the Norwich School Board for the consent of the Corporation to an a.s.signment of the lease of the Dutch Church from the trustees to the Board, with the view of converting the building into a higher grade school. The Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society addressed to the Council a strong protest against the application, which was refused by 35 votes against 12. On April 21st a meeting was held, under the presidency of the Mayor, at the Old Bank Buildings, at which it was moved by Mr.

Colman, M.P., seconded by Mr. Harry Bullard, and unanimously agreed, "That the provisional contract entered into by Mr. Frederic Oddin Taylor in February last for the purchase of the lease of the Dutch Church be adopted, and that a scheme be formulated a.s.suring the future inalienable use of the building as an adjunct to and in connection with St. Andrew's Hall, subject to existing rights." It was further decided to raise by public subscription the sum required (800) to present the building, "hereafter to be called Blackfriars' Hall," to the city after proper renovation. The Town Council on June 29th pa.s.sed a resolution expressing warm appreciation of the efforts made by Mr. F. Oddin Taylor, and received a deputation composed of the gentlemen who had taken part in the movement, from whom they accepted Blackfriars' Hall as a gift to the citizens.

21.-Died, at Child's Hill House, Hampstead, Mr. Joseph h.o.a.re, in his 72nd year. He was the fourth son of Mr. Samuel h.o.a.re, banker, of London, by his marriage with Louisa, daughter of Mr. John Gurney of Earlham. Mr.

h.o.a.re, who was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, was a Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Middles.e.x, and was president of the Hampstead Conservative a.s.sociation. In May, 1859, he was returned to the House of Commons as member for Hull, but was unseated on pet.i.tion. He married, in 1847, Rachel Juliana, second daughter of Mr. Charles Barclay, M.P. For many years it was his custom to spend the summer at Cromer, where he was known as a generous supporter of charitable and religious inst.i.tutions.