Norfolk Annals Volume Ii Part 98

NOVEMBER.

1.-At Terrington Petty Sessions, the Norfolk and Norwich Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals inst.i.tuted proceedings against two persons for cruelty to 130 geese by plucking them alive on October 4th and 5th. Remarkable statements were made in the course of the hearing.

The practice, it was said, was not uncommon a quarter of a century previously, but it had since ceased except in remote localities.

Evidence was given to the effect that the process was unquestionally barbarous and cruel. A witness for the defence, who described himself as a "goose puller," stated that for twenty years he had plucked 1,500 live geese annually, and 5,000 or 6,000 were so plucked every year in his village. It was the custom to pluck the same birds four times a year-first on June 18th, and afterwards at intervals of three weeks; and every goose so plucked weighed two pounds more at Christmas than those which had not been plucked, and the flesh was of better quality. The magistrates dismissed the cases.

4.-Mr. A. J. Balfour, First Lord of the Treasury, addressed a large meeting of the Conservative party at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich, at which Lord Amherst of Hackney presided. Mr. Balfour stayed at Catton Park, as the guest of Mr. S. Gurney Buxton.

9.-Mr. Clement Charles Rix Spelman was elected Mayor and Mr. Alfred Haldinstein appointed Sheriff of Norwich.

16.-The new Royal Hotel, erected on the site of Messrs. Foster and Burroughes' offices and of a stonemason's yard and other premises on Bank Plain, Norwich, was opened by a public luncheon at which Mr. Blofeld, chairman of the Directors, presided. The building was designed by Mr. E.

T. Boardman, of the firm of Messrs. Boardman and Son, and the contractor was Mr. John Youngs.

28.-A severe gale visited the eastern coast, and continued on the 29th.

At Yarmouth a high sea flooded the Beach Gardens, and the river overflowed its banks, and entered private houses, offices, and warehouses on the Quay. At Cromer a portion of the jetty was washed away, and at Horsey serious breaches were made in the sea wall and thousands of acres of salt marshes submerged. The fishermen and others on the coast sustained great damage, and a fund was opened by the Mayor of Norwich for their relief. On December 30th Capt. Vereker, the professional adviser to the Harbour Department of the Board of Trade, held an inquiry at the King's Arms Inn, Martham, for the purpose of receiving suggestions as to the best methods of preventing future encroachments.

DECEMBER.

7.-The Norwich Town Council elected Mr. Ernest Edward Wild, barrister-at-law, judge of the Guildhall Court of Record, in place of Mr.

Carlos Cooper, deceased.

22.-Died at 14, Trinity Street, Norwich, Mr. William Hunter, aged 77. He was a native of Bury St. Edmund's, was elected Mayor of Norwich in 1881, and appointed a justice of the peace in 1893.

26.-Died at Belper, the Rev. Edwin Augustus Hillyard, vicar of Christ Church, in that town. He was formerly rector of St. Lawrence, Norwich, and the pioneer of ritualistic observances in the churches of the city.

"Mr. Hillyard was the first to have celebrations for the departed, and they have been held in one church or another in Norwich ever since."

27.-A disastrous fire occurred at Lynn, and caused destruction of tradesmen's stock and property of the value of 150,000. It originated on the premises of Messrs. Jermyn and Perry and Jermyn and Son, wholesale and retail drapers and furniture and general warehous.e.m.e.n.

1898.

JANUARY.

14.-At Aylsham County Court, before Judge Willis, Q.C., was tried the action Astley and Wyrley-Birch _v._ MacLean. The plaintiffs sought to recover 50 damages from the defendant, who was master of the Baconsthorpe Harriers, for trespa.s.sing upon their lands and for disturbing game thereon. The defence was that a fair but unsuccessful attempt had been made to prevent the hounds from getting into the cover, and as soon as possible they were drawn out. The jury found a verdict for the plaintiffs, damages 1, and stated that in their opinion the trespa.s.s was unintentional. Under the circ.u.mstances his Honour refused to grant an injunction to restrain the defendant from committing similar trespa.s.ses.

23.-Honingham church, restored by the Hon. Ailwyn Fellowes, M.P., as a memorial of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, was opened.

27.-Died at Catton, Mr. Donald Steward, eldest son of Mr. Timothy Steward, and a member of the firm of Messrs. Steward, Patteson, Finch, and Co. He was appointed to the office of Sheriff of Norwich, in 1878, and was formerly a captain, in the Norwich Battalion of Rifle Volunteers.

29.-A great fire took place at Press's mills, Great Yarmouth, and resulted in the destruction of property to the amount of 20,000.

FEBRUARY.

1.-Died at the Mount, Thorpe Hamlet, Mrs. Hannah Elizabeth Jarrold, widow of Mr. Thomas Jarrold. She was the author of the popular "Household Tracts," and was for many years an active worker amongst the poor.

5.-At the Guildhall Police-court, Norwich, Mr. Edmund Reeve, on behalf of the Norwich Electric Tramways Company, applied to the justices, under the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, for a magistrates' certificate that the capital of the company had been subscribed. The capital was stated to be 240,000, and 50 per cent. thereof had been paid up. The application was granted. The work of laying the tramways was commenced on the Earlham and Thorpe routes on June 22nd. (_See_ April 19th, 1900.)

8.-Mr. Edward Wild was elected leader of the Conservative party in Norwich in place of Mr. H. S. Patteson, resigned.

11.-A great sale of shire horses, the property of the Prince of Wales, was conducted at Wolferton by Messrs. s.e.xton, Grimwade, and Beck.

Fifty-four lots averaged 224 7s. 9d., and the sale realised 12,117.

The three-year-old filly, Sea Breeze, was bought by Sir Blundell Maple for 1,150 guineas.

22.-A shocking boat disaster occurred at Wells-next-the-Sea. Five members of the coastguard were drowned through the capsizing of their boat, and five men of the crew of the gig of H.M.S. torpedo boat Alarm, Sub-Lieutenant William Lowther, lost their lives through a like mishap.

The second disaster, which was discovered when search was being made for the missing coastguard, was the indirect outcome of the first; for when the coastguard boat did not arrive in response to the Alarm's signals to take off stores intended for use at the Wells coastguard station, it was decided on board the Alarm to launch the gig and execute the commission.

22.-Mr. Arthur F. Gentry, borough accountant of Colchester, was appointed City Accountant of Norwich, at the salary of 400 per annum.

-At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, it was decided that the Norwich City Waterworks Bill, 1898, be referred to the Law and Parliamentary Committee with the object of obtaining powers in the Bill for the Corporation to purchase the Waterworks. The Bill, which was promoted by the City of Norwich Waterworks Company for raising additional capital and for obtaining powers to make additional works, came before a Select Committee of the House of Commons on March 15th. The committee stipulated that the proposed new capital should be reduced from 100,000 to 60,000, and the borrowing powers to 15,000, which with the unused capital and stock would give the company 90,000. On October 18th the Law and Parliamentary Committee reported that having regard to the importance and magnitude of the acquisition of the undertaking by the Corporation, and the limited time within which steps must be taken to promote a Bill in the next session of Parliament, they recommended that further action be delayed until next year. The recommendation was adopted.

24.-A party of members of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society visited Tasburgh for the purpose of viewing a site known as the Chapel Piece, where a quant.i.ty of ancient human remains had been unearthed.

"There is little doubt that the site was used as a burial-ground by the inhabitants of the Roman station over the river upon the adjacent hill, in the enclosure of which the present church of Tasburgh stands."

25.-Dr. Nansen, the Arctic explorer, delivered at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, his lecture ent.i.tled "Across the Polar Region."

MARCH.

5.-Died at his residence, South Kensington, Mr. Edmund Tattersall, head of the well-known firm of horse auctioneers. Mr. Tattersall was born at Sculthorpe, neap Fakenham, in 1816, and at an early age went to London to a.s.sist his uncle, whom he succeeded as sole partner in 1858.

12.-The freehold of the old Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, it was announced, had been purchased for 9,500, by a syndicate who proposed to erect upon the site a modern theatre to be called "The Norwich Opera House and Theatre of Varieties," at an estimated cost of between 25,000 and 30,000. On the 19th particulars were published of another new theatre to be erected upon a site south of Prince of Wales Road. Plans of both the proposed theatres were prepared and were approved by the Corporation. In due course the foundations of the first-named theatre were laid, after which the work came to an abrupt termination.

15.-At a special meeting of the governors of the Jenny Lind Infirmary, at Norwich, plans for the new building were adopted, and an offer made by Mr. J. J. Colman to purchase such portion of the old infirmary premises as would not be required for the out-patient department, for presentation to the city as a playground for children, was accepted. (_See_ December 13th.)

18.-Died at Upper Norwood, aged 78, Mr. Frederic Grimmer, formerly of Haddiscoe, who was appointed Sheriff of Norwich in 1871.

-Died at St. Moritz, the Engadine, the Rev. Thomas Parry Garnier, rector of Banham, and honorary canon of Norwich. Born February 22nd, 1841, he was the second son of the Very Rev. Thomas Garnier, Dean of Lincoln, and one of the most distinguished clergymen in the diocese of Norwich. He was the author of "The Parish Church," "The t.i.tle Deeds of the Church of England," "Church and Dissent," "A Story in Outline of the Church of England," "The First Book of Worship," "The First and Second Book of Church Principles," "The First Book on the Church," &c. Both at Winchester College and Oxford University he greatly distinguished himself in scholastic work and in sport. In 1858 and 1859 he played with the Winchester team against Eton, and for four years, from 1860 to 1863, did admirable service for his University in the matches with Cambridge. He also played in 1861 with the Gentlemen of England in their match with the Players. Canon Garnier married in 1873 the Hon. Louisa Warren Vernon, daughter of the fifth Lord Vernon.

25.-St. Paul's church, Great Yarmouth, was consecrated by the Bishop of Norwich.

29.-Died at the Great Hospital, Norwich, Susan Rope, aged 101 years five months. She was a native of Earl Soham, and had been upon the foundation of the Hospital since October 31st, 1865.

APRIL.

7.-Died at Cringleford, Mr. Henry Staniforth Patteson. He was a son of Mr. John S. Patteson, and was born in November, 1816. For more than thirty years he was an alderman of Norwich, was appointed Sheriff in 1858, and in 1862 was elected Mayor. He was actively identified with the Norwich Rifle Volunteers for more than a quarter of a century, and retired with the rank of major, and he succeeded Col. Bignold as leader of the Conservative party in the city.

-Mr. Samuel h.o.a.re, M.P., and Mrs. h.o.a.re, in a letter to the Dean of Norwich on this date, the thirty-second anniversary of their wedding day, offered to defray the whole cost of removing from the walls, columns, and other portions of the nave of the Cathedral the thick coating of whitewash which for centuries had defaced and obscured the masonry.

Shortly afterwards was initiated the fund for the provision of a new organ for the Cathedral. (_See_ May 25th, 1899.)