Norfolk Annals Volume I Part 2

3.-The annual Venison Feast was held at the Red Lion, Fakenham, to celebrate Lord Nelson's victory of the Nile.

4.-The Norwich parochial Volunteer a.s.sociations a.s.sembled at St. Andrew's Hall, and afterwards marched to the Market Place, where Capt. William Herring, the commanding officer for the day, read a letter from the Lord Lieutenant, requesting the men to be prepared in case of invasion.

-"This day, from five in the morning till ten at night, heavy cannonading was distinctly heard by the Rev. Mr. Burton and several of his parishioners at Horsford, which was at the time supposed to be the cannonading from Lord Nelson's fleet before Boulogne."

15.-Henry Lawn, aged 41, executed on the Castle Hill, Norwich, for horse stealing. "He denied to the last that he was guilty. He left a wife and six children. He would have enjoyed a considerable property, which the present possessor has entailed upon his children."

24.-The Supplementary Militia was re-embodied. During this month meetings were held in different parishes in city and county to discuss the means to be adopted in case of invasion. The clergy in country parishes took account of the live and dead stock that could be removed, and of the number of waggons and carts to be made use of. The drilling of Yeomanry and Volunteer corps became general.

SEPTEMBER.

20.-Died at Brompton, Sir John Gresham, Bart., the last male heir of the family.

26.*-"A person residing in this city has within the last week been convicted in penalties amounting to 166 10s., for having laid a leaden pipe from his dwelling-house to communicate with the pipes belonging to the proprietors of the waterworks, without having obtained their consent or paid the accustomed water rent. The amount was paid to the company's solicitor, who immediately returned the money, except 30 guineas, which he has paid to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital for the benefit of that inst.i.tution."

The portraits of Lord Nelson, by Sir William Beechey, and of Mr. John Herring, Mayor of Norwich in 1799, by Opie, were this month placed in St.

Andrew's Hall.

OCTOBER.

1.-Intelligence was received at Yarmouth, from Constantinople, of the surrender of Alexandria to the British and Turkish armies under General Hutchinson and the Grand Vizier.

3.-The intelligence reached Norwich that the Preliminaries of Peace had been signed in Paris. There were great rejoicings on the 10th on the ratification of the news. The horses of the mail coach, by which the intelligence was brought to the city, were so terrified by the demonstration that they became unmanageable, the coach was overturned, and the coachman, the guard, and some of the pa.s.sengers injured.

5.-At Yarmouth, during the Peace illuminations, a mob broke the windows of several houses occupied by Quakers. The ringleaders were committed for trial at the Sessions.

7.-At the Norfolk County Sessions, Elizabeth Manship, of Ormesby, was indicted for committing an outrage upon the Rev. Eli Morgan Price, when in the act of officiating at Divine service at the parish church. It appeared that while Mr. Price was reading a new form of thanksgiving "for the late plentiful season" the defendant rushed out of her pew and s.n.a.t.c.hed the paper out of his hands, to the very great disturbance and alarm of the congregation. The jury found the defendant guilty, and she was sentenced to pay a fine of 20.

21.-A general illumination took place in Norwich in celebration of the Peace. There was a grand display of transparencies, and a huge bonfire was lighted in the Market Place, around which the Mayor and Corporation paraded. The celebration was general throughout the county.

24.*-"In the spring of this year the Palace Workhouse, Norwich, contained 1,017 paupers. They are now reduced to 425, a smaller number than has been known for the past 20 years. The reduction in the other workhouse has been nearly proportionate."

NOVEMBER.

2.-The Prince of Orange arrived at Yarmouth from London, and on the 6th sailed in the Diana packet for Cuxhaven.

13.-Peter Donahue, a sergeant in the 30th Regiment of Foot, was executed at Lynn, for uttering counterfeit Bank of England notes. "We are sorry to add that he appeared sensible for many minutes after he was turned off, and a large effusion of blood gushed from his mouth and nose, which rendered the scene most awful, terrible, and distressing."

20.-Prince William Frederick of Gloucester arrived at the house of Mr. J.

Patteson, at Norwich, and in the afternoon stood sponsor for Mr.

Patteson's youngest son, who was christened at St. Stephen's Church by the name of William Frederick. The Prince afterwards went to Houghton, where Lord Cholmondeley gave a grand _fete_ in honour of the Peace. On his return to Norwich, on November 25th, his Royal Highness attended a ball and supper, given by Mrs. Charles Manners Sutton at the Bishop's Palace.

21.*-"The coursing meeting at Swaffham last week was numerously and respectably attended. The silver cup was won by Mr. Denton's b.i.t.c.h Nettle, which beat Mr. Tyssen's b.i.t.c.h. The a.s.sembly was brilliantly and numerously attended"

DECEMBER.

5.-It was announced that the Duke of Norfolk intended to "pull down the old Palace, now used as a workhouse, and employ the premises for some beneficial and ornamental purpose."

16.-The old Hall at Stratton Strawless, belonging to Mr. Robert Marsham, was destroyed by fire. The family had removed a few weeks before into the new hall.

26.-A serious affray occurred at Horsford between two Excise officers, a.s.sisted by two privates of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, and 30 smugglers.

The officers had seized a large quant.i.ty of smuggled goods at Cawston, and the smugglers succeeded in retaking only a small part. One of the soldiers was shot; several of the smugglers were desperately wounded, and two died of their wounds.

-*(Advt.) "The Lord Nelson new Light Coach, from London to Lynn in 14 hours, through Cambridge and Ely. Agreeable to the wishes of the Vice-Chancellor and several members of the University, the proprietors mean to relinquish travelling on the Sunday. The coach will leave the Golden Cross, Charing Cross, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at half-past five, arrive at Cambridge at one, and Lynn at eight in the evening. The coach will return from the Globe Inn, Lynn, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.day mornings. The coach carries four insides."

-*(Advt.) "The Lord Nelson Coach, from London to Fakenham. The coach leaves the Crown, Fakenham, on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.day; sups at Cambridge, and arrives in London about seven in the morning.

From the Golden Cross, same days, at six in the evening."

Prices of corn at the end of the year: Wheat, 70s. to 76s. Rye, 36s.

Barley, 40s. to 42s. per quarter. Oats, 20s. to 24s. Malt, 32s. per coomb. Best flour, 3 1s. 8d per sack. Coals, 40s. 4d. per chaldron.

1802.

JANUARY.

2.*-"Mr. W. E. Bulwer, of Heydon, has resolved to divide all his farms into 200 acres, as they come out of lease. They are worthy the attention of industrious men wanting situations."

4.-The Duke of Bedford, Lord Paget, and Lord John Thynne, with four other gentlemen, on a visit to Lord Cholmondeley at Houghton, "had the greatest day's sport ever known in Norfolk. They killed altogether 165 hares, 42 pheasants, 5 rabbits, 2 woodc.o.c.k, and 2 partridges, and this notwithstanding that the woods had been beat five times this season."

9.-A reduction of 3s. 6d. in the pound poor-rates announced. The mulct was fixed at 7s. in the pound. "For the last 30 years there have not been so few paupers in the two workhouses, princ.i.p.ally owing to the manufacturers of Norwich having such large orders to execute that hands are actually wanted."

-The non-commissioned officers and privates of the Blofield and South Walsham troop of Yeomanry Cavalry offered to continue their services to the Government, and "thanked the officers for the unremitting and polite attention paid to them since the establishment in 1794." Other troops of Yeomanry in the county made similar offers.

13.*-"Died lately at Bristol Hot Wells, where she had gone for the recovery of her health, the Countess of Leicester."

-*"Died last week Mr. William Websdale. This venerable man lived in three centuries, and expired at the advanced age of 102 years."

-*The following Coach advertis.e.m.e.nts were published on this date:-

"Royal Lynn Mail Coach sets out daily from the Duke's Head Inn, Lynn, by way of Brandon, Barton Mills, Newmarket, Bournbridge, and Epping, to the White Horse, in Fetter Lane, whence it returns every day at three o'clock."

"The Fakenham and Swaffham Light Post Coach sets out daily from the Red Lion, in Fakenham, at two o'clock, and returns from London as above."

"The Lord Nelson Coach, from Lynn to Norwich in seven hours. From the Globe, Lynn, to the King's Head, Norwich, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, returning Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.day at seven o'clock each morning."

"The Lynn and Norwich Machine, from the Crown Tavern, Lynn, to the White Swan, Norwich. Runs three times a week. Insides, 12s.; outsides, 7s."