Norfolk Annals Volume I Part 23

OCTOBER.

5.-Grand musical performances were given at St. Andrew's Church, Norwich, on this and the following day. The princ.i.p.al vocal performers were Mr.

Phillips, of the Lyceum, Mr. Clouting, and Miss Booth. Mr. Fish was leader of the band, and Mr. Beckwith was at the organ. The first part of the programme consisted of selections from "Judas Maccabeus," part two of the "Messiah," and part three of a miscellaneous selection. On Sat.u.r.day evening, the 6th, a miscellaneous concert was given at the Theatre.

11.-Died at Fulham, aged 73, Mr. Nathaniel Kent, land agent, and compiler of "The Agricultural Report of Norfolk."

17.-The first division of the West Norfolk Militia, commanded by Capt.

Barnham, and on the following day the second division, commanded by Major Custance, pa.s.sed through Norwich on their route to Yarmouth after nearly seven months' duty over the French prisoners at Norman Cross.

18.-Died at Southbergh, near Hingham, Mrs. Ann Smyth, "one of the nominees in the Irish Tontine established by Act of Parliament in 1773."

25.-The 51st anniversary of his Majesty's accession was celebrated in Norwich by the ringing of bells and by a military demonstration.

NOVEMBER.

2.-During a severe gale many vessels were lost on the Norfolk coast.

"The beach from Wells to Yarmouth, covered with wrecks and strewed with the bodies of unfortunates washed ash.o.r.e, presented a scene of calamity not easy to describe." Another gale and high tide occurred on the 10th.

Capt. Manby's life-saving apparatus was instrumental in rescuing 18 seamen.

12.-Gustavus Adolphus, ex-King of Sweden, travelling under the t.i.tle of Count Gottorp, arrived at Yarmouth from the Baltic on board the Tartarus sloop, Capt. Mainwaring. He landed under a Royal salute, and at once set out for London with Capt. Mainwaring. The ex-King sailed from Yarmouth on his return to the Continent on March 28, 1811.

13.-The bells of the Norwich churches were tolled from seven p.m. to nine p.m. on the occasion of the burial of the Princess Amelia at Windsor.

17.*-"In the parish of Pulham Market are now living five men whose united ages amount to 436 years, and what is extraordinary is the five men now go to daily labour."

-Died, aged 58, Edward Castleton. "He was the lineal descendant of Sir William Castleton, of Hingham, created a baronet in 1641. He died a bachelor and never a.s.sumed the t.i.tle. For many years he followed the very humble employment of breeches maker in Lynn, and latterly lived on a small patrimonial allowance."

21.-A cause of divorce and separation promoted by Mrs. Beevor against her husband, came on for further hearing in the Court of Arches, Doctors'

Commons, when, Mrs. Beevor having declared that she should proceed no further, the court dismissed the suit.

DECEMBER.

8.-At the Norwich Court of Mayoralty the Rev. Edward Valpy, B.D., second master of Reading School, and rector of Stanford Dingley, in Berkshire, was elected by the casting vote of the Mayor, headmaster of the Free Grammar School, Norwich. The other candidate was the Rev. John Clarke, M.A., Ingham.

15.-Died, aged 79, at Mortlake, Mrs. c.o.ke, of Hanover Square, London, mother of Mr. T. W. c.o.ke, of Holkham.

22.-Norwich Market was "glutted" with turkeys. "The same fowls for which in the morning 14d. per pound was asked, in the afternoon when the last coaches were going away 9d. per pound would have gladly been taken. At one coach office 800 hampers were received. Twelve carriages were laden with poultry and game, and each carriage was drawn by six horses, and having 10 stages 60 horses were employed by every coach, which will amount to the astonishing number of 720 horses to draw poultry, sausages, and game sent within three days from this city to the Metropolis."

25.-The Mayor and Corporation of Norwich attended service at the Cathedral on "the feast of the Nativity, commonly called Christmas Day."

In the afternoon "most of the churches and chapels were lighted up and decorated with holly and evergreens, according to antient custom."

This year was pa.s.sed an Act for the better paving, lighting, cleansing, and watching of Great Yarmouth, for removing nuisances and annoyances therein, and for making other improvements in the town.

1811.

JANUARY.

19.*-"Greatly to the credit of the numerous population of Norwich the Bridewell doors were thrown open several days during the present week, there not being a single person confined for any misdemeanour, a circ.u.mstance that has not before happened for a great number of years."

A piece of plate, value 100 guineas, was this month presented by the princ.i.p.al inhabitants of East and West Flegg Hundreds to the Rev. B. U.

Salmon, for his public services as a magistrate, and as a mark of their individual esteem.

FEBRUARY.

2.-A county meeting, presided over by the High Sheriff, was held at the Shirehouse, Norwich, when resolutions, stating the injury that would be sustained by a continuation of the prohibition of the use of grain in the distilleries, were agreed to. A committee of landowners and corn growers was appointed to adopt measures for the protection of the interests of agriculture. (The Distillery Bill was thrown out by the House of Lords.)

7.-Died, at Norton Place, near Lincoln, in his 78th year, Mr. John Harrison, twice member of Parliament for Thetford.

10.-Died, at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in his 79th year, the Rev.

Neville Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal, and rector of North Runcton.

12.-Died, the Rev. Philip Wodehouse, brother of Lord Wodehouse, and a Prebendary of Norwich Cathedral, aged 66. In digging the grave for the interment of the deceased, beneath the organ loft at the Cathedral, the workmen found, two feet beneath the surface, a stone coffin enclosing a wooden sh.e.l.l containing the body of Dean Croft, who died in 1670. "His remains were found apparently in a perfect state, excepting the tip of the nose, and the shroud was a little discoloured."

16.-Robert Waller and John Kerrison, who were in the permanent employment of Mr. Lindley, of Catton, were committed to Aylsham Bridewell for one month's hard labour, for "illegally combining to alter and lessen the usual time of his labourers going and being at work."

17.-Died, aged 62, John Thompson, lamp lighter of Norwich. "His lamp of life being out, and all his oil consumed, he was by his own request buried at St. Martin-at-Palace at night, all his brethren of the ladder and torch attending in the funeral procession with their flambeaux to light him to his long home, in the presence of thousands a.s.sembled on the plain."

MARCH.

14.-Died, at his seat at Euston, in his 76th year, the Duke of Grafton.

His Grace had been Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and Recorder of Thetford and Coventry.

16.-A complaint was published that the posting masters in Norfolk charged at the rate of 1s. 9d. per mile, when nowhere else was the charge more than 1s. 6d.

17.-A disastrous fire occurred at the warehouse of Messrs. R. and S.

Culley, grocers, the Upper Market, Norwich. The fire engines were inefficient, and the appliances out of repair. Notwithstanding the exertions of a detachment of the Royal Artillery, under Capt. c.o.c.kburn and Lieut. Day, the fire communicated with the adjoining premises of Mr.

Freeman, and the two upper storeys of his house were destroyed. "The Pope's Head had a wonderful escape, almost surrounded as it was by fire."

The damage was estimated at upwards of 5,000.

20.-A general fast was observed. Business was suspended in Norwich, where the churches and chapels were numerously attended, and collections made for the relief of British prisoners in France.

23.-The county magistrates examined plans for the erection of a lunatic asylum, and accepted those of Mr. William Brown, architect, of Ipswich.

25.-At the Norfolk a.s.sizes, which commenced at Thetford, before Mr.