1.—The first lecture of a series on Ecclesiastical History was delivered in the nave of Norwich Cathedral by Archdeacon Farrar on “Ignatius and Polycarp.” (See January 5th, 1893.)
8.—Died suddenly, at Bristol, Mr. William James Metcalfe, Q.C., Recorder of Norwich, and judge of the Bristol County Court. He was a son of the Rev. W. Metcalfe, of Foulmire, Cambridgeshire, and was born in 1818. Educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he took his M.A. degree, he was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1845, and became Queen’s Counsel in 1873. Mr. Metcalfe was Recorder of Ipswich from 1866 to 1874, and succeeded Mr. P. O’Malley, Q.C., in the Recordership of Norwich. In 1879 he was appointed to his County Court judgeship. He was succeeded as Recorder of Norwich by Mr. Thomas Richardson Kemp, Q.C.
12.—Captain Lugard addressed two influential meetings at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, upon the situation in Uganda. A resolution expressive of satisfaction with the action of the Government was adopted.
18.—Died, at Portland Place, Bath, Mr. James Hunt Holley, aged 88. He was a son of Mr. James Hunt Holley, of Blickling, and was educated under Valpy at Norwich School. Possessed of considerable landed property, he took great interest in agriculture, and in 1858 purchased the estate of Oaklands, Okehampton, in Devonshire, on the borders of Dartmoor, where, remote from railways, agriculture had been neglected. The improvements which he carried out in the district gave great impetus to trade. He was an active magistrate, and during the earlier part of his life a staunch Free-trader and a Whig of the old school; but being unable to follow the extreme views of his party he ultimately withdrew from politics. Mr. Holley married a daughter of Admiral Windham, of Felbrigg Hall.
19.—The Prince of Wales presided at a dinner given at the Hotel Metropole, London, to Lord Suffield, on his retirement from the command of the Prince of Wales’s Own Norfolk Artillery.
26.—The Compton Comedy Company commenced a twelve nights’ engagement at Norwich Theatre, and Ginnett’s Circus began its winter season at the Agricultural Hall.
1.—The issue of second-class tickets was abolished throughout the system of the Great Eastern Railway Company, except in the case of trains running in the metropolitan suburban districts.
2.—“Sidney Carton,” a dramatised version of Dickens’ “Tale of Two Cities,” was performed for the first time on any stage at Norwich Theatre by the Compton Comedy Company.
5.—The frost continued to be very severe. Large numbers of skaters visited Wroxham and Surlingham Broads.
—The course of lectures on Ecclesiastical History was continued at Norwich Cathedral by the Rev. J. A. Robinson, Fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge, who dealt with “The Apology of Aristides.” On February 1st the Rev. Prebendary Meyrick lectured on “The Life and Times of Justin Martyr”; and on March 8th the Rev. Stanley Leathes, D.D., Prebendary of St. Paul’s, on “The Life and Times of Irenæus.” The second course was commenced by the Rev. G. A. Schneider, who lectured on “Tertullian: His Life and Times,” on December 1st, and on “The Works on Tertullian,” on December 19th. (See April 2nd, 1895.)
7.—Died, at Woodbastwick, William Fryer, for seventy-four years parish clerk, in his 92nd year. He entered into office in June, 1819, and continued to discharge his duties to within a short period of his death. If not the oldest parish clerk in point of age, there was reason to believe that Fryer had held office longer than any other parish clerk in the kingdom. He was for many years postmaster, general shopkeeper, and village carpenter and blacksmith.
11.—The first meeting in Norfolk of the National Agricultural Union promoted by Lord Winchilsea was held at the Corn Hall, Harleston, under the presidency of Mr. J. Sancroft Holmes. Other meetings of the Union were held during the year in various parts of the county.
12.—The series of Science Lectures for the People was resumed at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, by Dr. Andrew Wilson, on the subject of “The Distribution of Animals, and what it Teaches.” On February 8th Dr. Drinkwater lectured on “Light and Colour from the Sun.”
21.—At the instance of the Rate Basis Committee of the County Council a conference of delegates from all the Unions of Norfolk was held at Norwich, to consider the advisability of adopting a uniform system of assessment through the county. A resolution was carried recommending Assessment Committees to make the annual value of property as determined for the purpose of Schedule A the basis of rating. It was also decided that the Rate Basis Committee send out to the different Unions a general or consolidated scale of deductions.
25.—The Norwich Board of Guardians resolved to request the Local Government Board to repeal parts of the Norwich Poor Act of 1863 in order to make the general law as to franchise and election of Guardians applicable to Norwich.
28.—It was authoritatively announced that the Bishop of Norwich had placed his resignation in the hands of the Archbishop of Canterbury. An Order in Council, passed in the presence of her Majesty, on May 16th, declared the See of Norwich vacant. (See May 31st.)
31.—Archdeacon Crosse was installed a Canon Residentiary of Norwich Cathedral.
2.—At a full-dress parade of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Norfolk Regiment Brigadier-General Bulwer decorated several officers of the battalion with the new Volunteer Decoration.
20.—Miss Grace Hawthorne appeared at Norwich Theatre in Sardou’s play, “Theodora.” A feature of the performance was the introduction of a cage of live lions in act I., scene 3.
7.—The honorary freedom of Norwich was presented to Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P., by the Town Council, in recognition of his distinguished services to the city.
12.—The thermometer on the afternoon of this date registered 60 deg. Fah. in the shade; on the 17th there was a downfall of snow.
23.—The Norwich Isolation Hospital, erected upon a site near the Cemetery, was opened by the Mayor (Mr. A. R. Chamberlin). It was designed by Mr. P. P. Marshall, City Engineer, and the tender for its erection amounted to £4,290.
25.—Particulars were published of the measures to be adopted in Norwich in the event of the threatened outbreak of cholera. During the week ending this date official visits were made to Yarmouth, Cromer, and other places on the Norfolk coast by Dr. S. Monckton Copeman, one of the Medical Officers of the Local Government Board.
27.—Died, at Bracondale, Norwich, Mr. Thomas Gabriel Bayfield, aged 76. In his school days he formed the acquaintance of Mr. B. B. Woodward, afterwards Queen’s Librarian, and of Mr. S. P. Woodward, the subsequent author of the manual on Mollusca, both sons of Samuel Woodward, and from them he imbibed a love for archæology and natural history. Mr. Bayfield was regarded as an authority on ancient seals, and rendered great assistance to Dean Goulburn in the compilation of his work on Norwich Cathedral. In geology he laboured at the chalk and Norwich crag, and made a valuable collection of fossils; those from the chalk were subsequently acquired by the British Museum. He was one of the most active members of the Norwich Geological Society, and an enthusiastic member of the Norwich Science Club and of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society. Upon relinquishing his business as an ironmonger in Magdalen Street, Mr. Bayfield obtained the appointment of master of the Blind School.
30.—Died Mr. Richard Charles Browne, of Elsing Hall, East Dereham, in his 63rd year. “A son of the Rev. Richard Browne, he was head of one of the oldest houses in England, the Hastings, of Elsing. He was lineally descended from Hugh Hastings, of Elsing, and consequently from Malcolm, King of Scotland. On the death of Hugh Hastings in the sixteenth century, the Barony of Hastings (1264) fell into abeyance between the two daughters, Anne, the elder, and Elizabeth. Mr. Browne descended from the latter. The abeyance lasted till about 1840, when Lord John Russell advised her Majesty to terminate it in favour of Sir Jacob Astley, who descended from Hugh Hastings’ brother. It was thought that Lord John’s decision was not unconnected with politics.”
6.—The Norwich Diocesan Conference commenced its two days’ sittings at Noverre’s Rooms, Norwich. Bishop Pelham presided for the last time, and in his presidential address alluded to his approaching retirement.
8.*—“The Hon. Robert Marsham having received Royal Licence to take the additional name of Townshend, the surname of himself and his family will henceforth be Marsham-Townshend instead of Marsham.”
21.—A great Unionist demonstration took place at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, as a protest against the Home Rule Bill. Colonel Bignold, leader of the Conservative party, presided, and Lord Ashbourne was the principal speaker.
—Died, at Bradenham Hall, Mr. William Meybohm Rider Haggard, aged 76. Mr. Haggard came of a Scandinavian family, and for several generations his ancestors had been Norfolk squires. He was lord of the manor of West Bradenham, a Deputy Lieutenant, and one of the most active magistrates in the county. For many years he acted as a Chairman of Norfolk Quarter Sessions held by adjournment at Swaffham, and afterwards at Lynn, and for a long period was a member of the Committee of Visitors to Norwich Castle. After the passing of the Local Government Act, by which the business previously transacted at Quarter Sessions was transferred to the County Council, Mr. Haggard, like so many representatives of the old county gentry, retired from active participation in public affairs. He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, called to the Bar in 1842, and married, in 1844, Ella, elder daughter of Mr. Doveton, of the Bombay Civil Service. Mrs. Haggard was an exceedingly gifted woman, and possessed of brilliant literary powers.
23.—Died, at Cambridge, Mr. Robert Lubbock Bensly, M.A., Senior Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, and Lord Almoner’s Professor of Arabic, aged 61. Professor Bensly, who was widely known as an Oriental scholar, was the eldest surviving son of Mr. Robert Bensly, of Eaton. He was educated at King’s College, London, and afterwards at Gonville and Caius College, where he graduated in the Classical Tripos in 1855, and was elected Tyrwhitt Hebrew Scholar in 1857. After spending two years at the Universities of Bonn and Halle, he returned to Cambridge, where he was appointed Hebrew lecturer at his college, and subsequently became the Senior Fellow. He was an active and valued member of the Old Testament Revision Committee, and was for many years an examiner in the theological and Semitic languages triposes, and succeeded the Hon. Ion Keith Falconer as Lord Almoner’s Professor of Arabic. Afterwards he was appointed University lecturer in Oriental Languages. The closing work of his life was connected with a discovery of extreme importance and value, which he made in company with his former pupil, Mr. F. C. Burkett, of a manuscript found by Mrs. Lewis, of Cambridge, in 1892, in the Convent of St. Catharine on Mount Sinai. A careful examination of photographs taken by her from this MS., which was a palimpsest, revealed the important fact that the nearly obliterated Syriac characters bore a close resemblance to the fragmentary text found by Cureton in 1842, and that the newly-found text comprised nearly all the four Gospels. This discovery led to an expedition in the present year (1893) to Mount Sinai, where the intricate task of deciphering and transcribing the MS. was undertaken by Professor Bensly, Mr. Burkett, and Mr. Rendel Harris. The Professor was well known as the discoverer and editor of “The Missing Fragment of the Fourth Book of Ezra.” He also edited the Harklean version of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and at the time of his death was engaged in preparing other important works for the press.
24.—In a letter to the Press on this date Mr. James Emery, of Stibbard, wrote:—“This is the earliest spring for more than one hundred years in Norfolk. I have this day gathered some hawthorn in full blossom. I have seen more than sixty summers; my father lived to be seventy-four, and he has told me many times he never saw hawthorn in flower by the first of May. Nor have I ever seen it till this season before the first of May.”
25.—The Fletcher Convalescent Home, at Cromer, built by the munificence of Mr. B. E. Fletcher, and endowed by the Earl of Leicester, as an adjunct to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, was opened by the Countess of Leicester. Mr. Edward Boardman, of Norwich, was the architect. The cost of the building was not disclosed by the donor; the endowment fund amounted to £15,000, which Lord Leicester augmented to £20,000 in February, 1894.
5.—The Mayor of Norwich (Mr. A. R. Chamberlin) sent to the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Teck, and the Duke of York and Princess Victoria Mary, the congratulations of himself and the citizens on the announcement of the betrothal of the Duke and Princess. On June 30th the Mayor, the Sheriff (Mr. Russell J. Colman), and the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. G. M. Chamberlin) proceeded to Marlborough House, and presented to the Duke of York a valuable dessert service, the gift of the citizens, with a richly-illuminated vellum containing a congratulatory address and the names of the subscribers.
17.—Died, at Heigham Grove, Norwich, Mr. William John Utten Browne, barrister-at-law, aged 88. Mr. Browne had been for many years an active and painstaking magistrate, and in the early decades of the century occupied a very prominent position in the public life of the city. In 1833 he served as one of the Sheriffs of Norwich, and was elected Mayor in 1860. In July, 1837, he contested in the Conservative interest the borough of Ashburton, Devonshire, and was defeated by Mr. Lushington. On attaining his 80th birthday he was entertained to a banquet by his colleagues on the Bench. Mr. Browne was a staunch Tory and High Churchman.
20.*—“A meeting of owners and occupiers of property at Thorpe St. Andrew was recently held to protest against a proposal of the Norwich Town Council to annex Thorpe to their municipal district. It was resolved that a fund be guaranteed for the purpose of opposing by every possible means any attempt at annexation on the part of Norwich. The sum of £5,000 was guaranteed in the room.”
21.—Mrs. Brown, a woman in humble circumstances, living at Winterton, celebrated her one hundredth birthday. She had been a widow from her 81st year, and was entirely dependent upon her daughter, aged 77, with whom she lived. Mrs. Brown had never travelled further than the neighbouring town of Gorleston.
27.—A special meeting of the Norfolk County School Association was held at the Shirehall, Norwich, at which the chairman of the directors and trustees, the Rev. H. Smith, proposed, and it was agreed, “That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the association that it cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business, and that it is desirable that the same should be wound up voluntarily, and that the company be wound up accordingly.” The original scheme, it was stated, was too large and ambitious, and the association was weighted at the outset with a capital expenditure and an annual working outlay beyond its strength and capacity. On September 9th it was announced: “After struggling for some years under heavy mortgage and liabilities the Norfolk County School Association has been compelled to wind up. The property has passed into the hands of Lord Leicester, who has made arrangements which will enable the late head-master, Mr. W. E. Humphreys, to re-open next term.”
—The Conservative and Unionist voters of East Norfolk adopted Colonel McCalmont, C.B., Unionist candidate for the constituency. Colonel McCalmont retired in March, 1895. Mr. H. Rider Haggard was then announced as the Conservative candidate.
31.—The conge d’élire for the election of a new Bishop of Norwich having been received, a meeting of the Dean and Chapter was held at the residence of Canon Heaviside, when the Rev. John Sheepshanks, M.A., of St. Margaret’s, Anfield, Liverpool, was elected. The election was confirmed at Bow Church, Cheapside, London, on June 28th; the ceremony of consecration was performed at St. Paul’s Cathedral on the 29th; and Bishop Sheepshanks did homage to her Majesty at Windsor Castle on June 30th. His lordship was enthroned and installed at Norwich Cathedral on July 13th with the usual ceremonial. The Dean afterwards entertained a large company to luncheon at the Deanery, and in the afternoon the clergy waited upon his lordship at the Palace and presented him with an address.
1.—A meeting was held at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, to protest against the Suspensory Bill for the Church in Wales. Lord Egerton of Tatton presided, and Mr. Stanley Leighton, M.P., and Mr. W. S. de Winton, M.P., were among the speakers.
22.—Mr. Albert Chevalier gave his first recital in Norwich at the Agricultural Hall, and repeated the entertainment on the 23rd.
27.—The Summer Show of the Norfolk Agricultural Association was opened at the Grove, Ipswich Road, Norwich, the residence of the Mayor (Mr. A. R. Chamberlin), who was this year president of the society. The exhibition closed on the 29th. This was the only occasion upon which a three days’ show had been held by the association.
6.—The marriage of the Duke of York and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck was celebrated throughout the county. At Norwich the Artillery Volunteers and the 1st Volunteer Battalion Norfolk Regiment paraded in the Market Place and fired a feu-de-joie, and a Royal salute was fired upon Mousehold Heath by the mounted battery of the first-named corps. One thousand persons above sixty-five years of age were presented with gifts by the Mayor and Sheriff at the Agricultural Hall; and in the afternoon the 8th Hussars and the Volunteers were reviewed on Mousehold. An illuminated fête was given in the evening in Chapel Field Gardens, and the day’s festivities concluded with a ball given by the Mayor at St. Andrew’s Hall.
8.—A severe thunderstorm occurred after very close and sultry weather. Another storm took place on the 9th and 10th, and on the 11th it raged with increased violence, and did much damage in various parts of the county. A man was killed by lightning at Long Stratton.
13.—The third biennial sale of shorthorns and Southdowns, the property of the Prince of Wales, was conducted at Wolferton by Mr. John Thornton, and resulted in a total of £2,151.
18.—At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Justice Mathew, Sarah Bligh (22), domestic servant, was indicted for the wilful murder of her child, Isaac Bligh, at Holme Hale, on June 7th. She was found guilty and strongly recommended to mercy. The judge, without assuming the black cap, passed sentence of death. The capital sentence was subsequently commuted.
19.—The first squadron of the 8th Hussars marched from the Cavalry Barracks, Norwich, and the remaining squadrons left on the 20th. Prior to their departure the non-commissioned officers were presented with gifts for their mess, subscribed for by the citizens. The 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel H. P. Douglas Willan, marched in on the same dates.
22.—Mr. Clement Higgins, Q.C., M.P., intimated his intention to the electors of Mid Norfolk not to seek re-election for the division at the next election. Mr. F. W. Wilson was subsequently adopted the Gladstonian candidate.
28.—Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Dawson Paul celebrated their silver wedding at Norwich.
29.—The 3rd and 4th Volunteer Battalions Norfolk Regiment went into camp at Colchester.
30.—A meeting was held at Norwich at which it was decided to take steps for the formation of golf links. On November 8th an adjourned meeting took place, at which it was announced that land had been acquired for the purpose at Hellesdon. The Royal Norwich Golf Club, with the Duke of York as president, was then formed, and the links were opened on February 1st, 1894.
7.—In consequence of a telegram received from the War Office the 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards left Norwich for the scene of the colliery riots in the Midland counties. The regiment entrained at Trowse, the horses being conveyed in bullock trucks. A Squadron proceeded to Mansfield, B to Rotherham, C to Wakefield, and D to Dewsbury. On the 8th 50 men of the Norfolk Constabulary, under the Chief Constable (Mr. Paynton Pigott), were drafted to Nottingham, and on the 9th 20 men of the Norwich city police proceeded to the scene of the disturbances.
2.—Died, in London, Lady Eastlake, widow of Sir C. L. Eastlake, a former President of the Royal Academy. Her ladyship, who was in her 84th year, was a daughter of Dr. Edward Rigby, of Norwich, and was distinguished for her literary work.
3.—The Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival commenced at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich. The principal vocalists were Madame Albani, Mrs. Helen Trust, Miss Anna Williams, Madame Belle Cole, Madame Marion McKenzie, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Ben Davies, Mr. George Henschel, Mr. Bantock Pierpoint, Mr. J. H. Brockbank, and Mr. Norman Salmond. The solo instrumentalists were M. Paderewski (pianoforte) and Senor Sarasate (violin). The principal productions were: On the evening of the 3rd, “St. Paul”; on the 4th, morning, “The Golden Legend” and New Symphony in A minor, No. 2 (Edward German); evening, new Polish Fantaisie (Paderewski), first time of performance, pianoforte solo by Paderewski; new cantata, “Una” (A. R. Gaul), first time of performance, and a miscellaneous selection; 5th, morning, “Judith,” first time of performance in Norwich; evening, new cantata, “The Wishing Bell” (J. F. Barnett), first time of performance, and a miscellaneous selection; Pibroch (Mackenzie), Rondo Capriccioso (Saint Saëns), for violin and orchestra, Senor Sarasate; 6th, morning, “The Messiah”; evening, “The Water Lily” (Cowen), first time of performance. The gross receipts amounted to £5,082 13s. 3d., the gross payments to £4,456 7s. 6d. Of the balance of £626 5s. 9d., the sum of £325 was distributed among the charities.
14.—An influential meeting was convened at the Guildhall by the Mayor of Norwich (Mr. A. R. Chamberlin) for the purpose of affording the Dean an opportunity of calling attention to the necessity of undertaking the reparation of Norwich Cathedral, the estimated cost of which was £12,000. (See May 2nd, 1894.)
16.—Died, the Rev. William Cowper Johnson, Honorary Canon of Norwich Cathedral. He was a son of the Rev. John Johnson, LL.D., a near relative of the Poet Cowper, and addressed by him as “Johnnie of Norfolk” and “My dearest of all Johnnies.”
25.—Lord Randolph Churchill addressed a great Conservative meeting held at Yarmouth Aquarium under the presidency of Sir Edward Birkbeck.
9.—Sir Peter Eade was elected Mayor and Mr. John Barwell appointed Sheriff of Norwich.
19.—A gale of great severity swept over the county after a day of exceptional brilliancy. Several wrecks occurred on the coast, lives were lost, and much damage done inland.
20.—The Duke and Duchess of York arrived at Didlington Hall on a visit to Lord and Lady Amherst of Hackney.
25.—An important meeting was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, presided over by Mr. R. Harvey Mason, for the purpose of urging that effectual measures be taken for the preservation of order, the suppression of nuisances, and the protection of property upon the public navigable waters of Norfolk and Suffolk.
4.—Miss Fortescue, supported by her London company, commenced a three nights’ engagement at Norwich Theatre in “Moths” and “The School for Scandal.”
—A special vestry meeting was held at the church of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, under the presidency of the vicar (the Rev. W. Pelham Burn), “to read correspondence that had taken place between himself and the Hospital Board relative to the skull of Sir Thomas Browne, alleged to have been stolen from the church and now in possession of the Hospital.” The Hospital authorities asked the vestry not to press for the return of the skull. The vicar dwelt upon the crime of sacrilege and maintained that it was the duty of the Hospital to make restitution of the skull. In support of his contention he adduced the doctrine of the Church as to the resurrection of the body. After much discussion it was resolved to refer the matter to Bishop Pelham. At an adjourned meeting of the vestry on the 15th the Board of Management intimated that the reference of the question to an arbitrator would not release them from their obligation to protect the property of the Hospital. Ultimately it was agreed that no further steps be taken in the matter.
14.—The Judicial Council of the House of Lords heard a petition from Mr. Coaks asking for the dismissal of the plaintiff’s petition in the action, Boswell v. Coaks, on the ground of its being frivolous and vexatious. Mr. Coaks’ petition was dismissed and the appeal ordered to proceed. (See April 30th, 1894.)
18.—The extensive maltings of F. and J. Smith, Limited, at East Dereham, were seriously damaged by fire, which destroyed several hundred coombs of grain.
26.—Mr. Edward Compton’s Comedy Company commenced their Christmas engagement at Norwich Theatre; and Mr. George Gilbert, a native of Norwich, began the first of his successful series of circus seasons at the Agricultural Hall.
31.—Mrs. Pelham, wife of the Bishop of Norwich, died at Sunny Hill, Thorpe. She was second daughter of Thomas William Tatton, of Withenshaw, Cheshire, was born in 1811, and married in 1845, during her husband’s incumbency of Bergh Apton.
1.—Severe frost set in, and continued until the 9th. The snowfall was very heavy, serious inconvenience was caused to railway and other traffic, and many casualties were reported upon the coast as the result of a north-east gale.
2.—The Duke of York made his first public visit to Lynn, and opened the new Technical School erected by the Corporation at the cost of £3,000.
10.—A furious gale which sprung up from the south-west did not subside until the 12th. Much damage was done in town and country, and many casualties were reported among the Yarmouth fishing fleet.
11.—Died at his residence, Burlingham House, the Hon. Harbord Harbord, in his 58th year. Mr. Harbord was the sixth and posthumous son of the third Lord Suffield, and was twice married; first to Constance Adelaide, third daughter of Sir H. J. Stracey, and afterwards to Barbara Sophia Harriot, daughter of Mr. Edgar Disney, of Ingatestone, and widow of Major Philip Bennet, of Rougham Hall. Having acquired a practical knowledge of agriculture under Mr. Robert Leeds he undertook the management of the estates of his friends and relatives. “In Norfolk his relationship to the landowners whom he represented gave him a status and influence with the tenantry altogether above and beyond that of the ordinary estate agent.” Mr. Harbord, who was a Deputy-Lieutenant and magistrate for Norfolk, and upon the commission of the peace for Wiltshire, for many years acted as foreman of the grand jury at the Norfolk Assizes.
18.—The whole county of Norfolk, including the city of Norwich and the boroughs, was declared an infected area in consequence of the prevalence of swine fever. Major Tennant, chief inspector of the Board of Agriculture, attended a meeting of the Executive Committee at the Shirehall, Norwich, and discussed the subject of the swine fever regulations; and on October 17th an Order of the Board was published revoking restrictions upon the sale and movement of swine within the county as from October 23rd.
19.—After the lapse of many years, Blondin, “the most famous and intrepid of all rope walkers,” appeared at Norwich in fulfilment of an engagement at Gilbert’s Circus. On the 28th of the month he attained his 70th year.
6.—Father Ignatius visited Norwich and addressed a crowded audience at the Agricultural Hall.
—A special meeting of the Norwich Town Council adopted a scheme for repaving the streets of the city with wood, at the estimated cost of £38,500.
22.—A yachting and fishing exhibition was opened at St. Giles’ Hall, Norwich, and was continued until the 29th.
29.—The Norwich Diocesan Conference opened its two days’ proceedings at Noverre’s Rooms, Norwich. The principal subjects discussed were the Local Government Act, 1894, and religious education in Board schools. Bishop Sheepshanks presided for the first time.
30.—The Rev. G. S. Barrett, B.A., minister of Prince’s Street Congregational Church, Norwich, was invested with the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity at the University of St. Andrew’s. Mr. Barrett was introduced as “the minister of one of the most influential Congregational churches in England; he had made several important contributions to theological literature, and had this year been chosen chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales.”
9.—Died, the Rev. George Willoughby Barrett, Minor Canon and Precentor of Norwich Cathedral, aged 45. He was a native of Bristol, where his father was well known as a musician. At an early age he was a chorister at Bristol Cathedral, and after completing his school life, entered at Worcester College, Oxford, where in 1872 he graduated B.A. and in 1877 proceeded M.A. He was ordained deacon in 1873 and appointed to the curacy of Easton Royal, Wiltshire. On his admission to priest’s orders he was engaged from 1875 to 1887 in ministerial work at Hampton Lucy, near Stratford-on-Avon. After his appointment as Minor Canon and Precentor at Norwich Cathedral in the latter year, Mr. Barrett did much useful work in promoting the interests of the Norfolk and Norwich Church Choral Association, and in cultivating a taste for the higher class of Church music. He was for several years in succession nominated by the Bishop and Dean chaplain of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.
10.—Died in London, Mr. William Waring, formerly a tenant of Taverham Hall. A partner in the firm of Waring Brothers, contractors for public works, he had constructed railways in Belgium and India. In association with the firm of Brassy and Peto, his firm had the contract for the construction of the greater portion of what is now known as the Inner Circle of the Underground Railway in London. Mr. Waring was a magistrate for Norfolk, and a munificent supporter of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and other local charities.
14.—Died, the Rev. John Nassau Simpkinson, rural dean of Burnham and rector of North Creake, aged 77. He was a son of Sir Francis Simpkinson, was educated at Rugby under Dr. Arnold, and afterwards won a scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took his degree in 1838 with a first class in the Classical Tripos and a Junior Optime in the Mathematical Tripos. After some years’ service as curate at Hurstmonceux, he was appointed assistant master at Harrow, under Dr. Vaughan, his brother-in-law, and there remained from 1845 to 1855. Mr. Simpkinson was then presented to the rectory of Brington, Northants, and in 1868 to that of North Creake. He was the author of a “Life of Wagner” (1858), of “The Washingtons: a Tale of the Seventeenth century” (1860), and of many articles in the “Edinburgh Review.”
30.—In the House of Lords, before Lords Selborne, Watson, McNaughton, Shand, and Morris, was heard the action, Boswell v. Coaks. This was an appeal from the judgment of the Lords Justices in the matter of the Harvey life interest. The case for the appellant set forth that this was an appeal from an order of the Court of Appeal, made on November 5th, 1892, in an action in the Chancery Division in which the appellant, on behalf of himself and of other unsatisfied creditors of the late Sir Robert Harvey, was plaintiff and the respondent and others defendants. The order of the Court of Appeal affirmed an order of Mr. Justice North, dated July 27th, 1892, made upon the several motions of the respondent, dismissing the action as against all the defendants, except one, on the ground that it was vexatious and oppressive. The appellant only appealed against the order of the Court of Appeal so far as it affirmed the dismissal of the action as against the respondent. The action commenced on March 11th, 1892, and the object of it was to establish that the judgment of Mr. Justice Fry in a former action, Boswell v. Coaks, 1881, which judgment was reversed by the Court of Appeal, but was subsequently restored by the House of Lords, was not binding on the appellant or the other unsatisfied creditors of Sir Robert Harvey, or of the firm of Harvey’s and Hudson’s, on the ground that it was obtained by the fraud of the respondents, and to secure for the appellant and the creditors certain consequential relief. Mr. Crackanthorpe, Q.C., and Mr. Brabant were for the appellant; and the Attorney-General (Sir John Rigby, Q.C.), Mr. H. H. Cozens-Hardy, Q.C., M.P., and Mr. Lawrence for the respondent. Lord Selborne delivered judgment, and said it was not necessary to hear counsel for the respondent. The question was whether anything material to disturb the judgment of the House had been newly discovered by the appellant. That involved a double proposition—that something new had been discovered, and that that something new was material. There was a total defect both of allegation and of evidence as to that which alone could make it material. He had no hesitation in saying that in his opinion it had been dealt with most properly by the Court of Appeal, and that their lordships ought now to dismiss this action with costs, which he accordingly now moved. Their lordships concurred, and the appeal was dismissed with costs. (See November 13th, 1895.)
1.—Died at Sunny Hill, Thorpe, the Hon. and Right Rev. Bishop Pelham, aged 82. He was the second son of the second Earl of Chichester, Secretary of State for the Home Department in Addington’s short Ministry of 1801, by Lady Mary Henrietta Juliana, daughter of the fifth Duke of Leeds. Born on June 21st, 1811, he was educated at Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford, and took his degree in 1832. His ordination was followed by his appointment, on the presentation of the Earl of Abergavenny, to the rectory of Bergh Apton, where he remained for fifteen years, during which time he was Hon. Canon of Norwich Cathedral, and in 1847 chaplain to the Queen. Two years prior to the latter appointment Mr. Pelham married Henrietta, daughter of Mr. Thomas Tatton, of Withenshaw, Cheshire. In 1852 the living of Christ Church, Hampstead, was offered to Mr. Pelham by Mr. Gurney Hoare. On the death of Dr. Spry, in 1854, he was nominated by Lord Palmerston to the important Crown living of St. Marylebone. In 1857, on the resignation of Bishop Hinds, he accepted the bishopric of Norwich. “His administration of the diocese covered a period of 36 years, and in the matter of time, was surpassed only by three of the sixty-three bishops who had presided over the see during 800 years; and it was as wise in its broad and tolerant spirit as it was faithful in its discharge of duty.” The remains of the deceased prelate were interred at Bergh Apton on May 5th.
2.—The choir of Norwich Cathedral was re-opened on the completion of the great work of reparation which had been in progress for two years. The “reporting architects” were Sir Gilbert Scott and Mr. John L. Pearson, R.A., and the work was superintended by Mr. C. J. Browne, surveyor to the Dean and Chapter. The total sum raised in aid of the undertaking amounted in the month of December, 1893, to £3,357, and the Dean and Chapter contributed upwards of £2,000 out of their personal income. At the opening service the sermon was preached by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was afterwards presented with an address by the Mayor and Corporation. The Dean and Mrs. Lefroy entertained a distinguished company to luncheon, and the Bishop and Mrs. Sheepshanks gave a garden party at the Palace. (See April 7th, 1898.)
15.—Died, the Right Rev. Sidney Linton, D.D., Bishop of Riverina. He was a son of the Rev. H. Linton, rector of St. Peter le Bailey, Oxford, and Hon. Canon of Christ Church, and was educated at Rugby and at Wadham College, Oxford, where he graduated and took second class in law and history in 1864. From 1877 to 1884 he was vicar of St. Philip, Heigham, and in the latter year, on the foundation of the see of Riverina, was appointed the first bishop. In the same year he received the honorary degree of D.D.
16.—Died at West Dereham, Mr. Hugh Aylmer, aged 77. Mr. Aylmer had a world-wide reputation as a breeder and exhibitor of stock. He commenced his career as a sheep breeder by introducing into Norfolk some of the best specimens of Cotswold sheep that he could procure, and with these, by the process of selection, he was enabled to produce annually a number of rams which, when distributed among the flocks of the county, had the effect of increasing both the quality and the quantity of wool and mutton. Mr. Aylmer was a noted shorthorn breeder, and his herd was one of the most famous in the country.
28.—Died at Mill Hill Road, Norwich, Mr. Samuel Linay, solicitor, aged 57. He was a well known practitioner in petty sessional courts throughout East Anglia, and from 1881 to 1887 represented the old Fourth Ward in the Norwich Town Council.
29.—The Mayor of Norwich (Sir Peter Eade) entertained upwards of 1,500 of the aged poor of the city to dinner at St. Andrew’s Hall.
2.—The Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham addressed a large meeting convened at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich, by the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture, on the subject of the National Agricultural Union. A resolution affirming the desire of the Chamber to co-operate with the Union was adopted.
6.—The Mayor of Norwich formally opened an additional portion of the Gildencroft Recreation Ground, and afterwards declared open for public use the adjoining churchyard of St. Augustine, which had been converted into a public garden and resting-place through the action of the Playing Fields and Open Spaces Society.
15.—Mr. Ben Greet’s company of “Woodland Players” gave pastoral representations at Bracondale Woods, Norwich, of “As You Like It” and of scenes from “The Tempest,” in aid of the funds of the Jenny Lind Infirmary.
23.—Intelligence was received in Norwich of the birth of the first child to the Duke and Duchess of York. Congratulatory telegrams were sent to their Royal Highnesses, to the Queen, and to the Prince and Princess of Wales, by the Mayor, on behalf of the citizens.
4.—The Summer Show of the Norfolk Agricultural Association was opened at Yarmouth under the presidency of Lord Suffield, and was continued on the 5th.
12.—A three days’ military tournament, in which the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards, the depôt of the Norfolk Regiment, and the Norwich Artillery Volunteers took part, commenced at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich, in aid of the clothing fund of the Cadet Corps. Exhibition boxing was given by Frank Slavin and Jim Young.
—Mr. A. Morley, M.P., Postmaster-General, addressed a Liberal meeting at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich.
17.—The Norwich School of Music was established at a meeting held at the Guildhall.
—Mr. A. E. Collins, M.I.C.E., of Reading, was appointed by the Norwich Town Council, city engineer and architect in place of Mr. Buchan, resigned.
25.—Mr. Joseph Arch, M.P., at a meeting held at New Buckenham, delivered to the agricultural labourers his famous address which was quoted throughout the country for some time afterwards. “You poor, craven milk-and-water fools,” said the hon. member for North-west Norfolk, “why, you button up your pockets at the thought of paying 2¼d. a week when you are told by a lot of lying scampery and scandalism that I have run away with your money. . . . Professor Rogers once said when speaking of the tenant farmers, that their heads were as soft as the mangolds they grew. I think some of the labourers’ heads are as soft as the mangolds they hoe.”
28.—The Norfolk Volunteer Brigade camp commenced at Yarmouth. The four battalions numbered 1,923 of all ranks. Brigadier-General Bulwer was in command.
1.—Gunton church, erected in the park on the site of the ancient parish church by Sir William Harbord, Bart., in 1769, was re-opened after restoration.
4.—The old buildings of the Norfolk and Norwich Museum were closed prior to the removal of the specimens, &c., to the new museum at Norwich Castle. (See October 23rd.)
17.—The West Dereham Cotswolds, bred by Mr. Hugh Aylmer, deceased, were sold by Mr. John Thornton and Messrs. Salter and Simpson. Averages: 156 shearlings, 52s. 3d.; 64 two-shear, 51s. 2d.; 128 full-mouthed, 46s.; 100 ram lambs, 31s.; 20 old sheep, £7; 79 shearling rams, £7 5s.; 100 ewe lambs, £7 1s. Total proceeds of the sale, £2,601 18s. 6d.
22.—The sixth annual conference of the Institute of Journalists was opened at Norwich, under the presidency of Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P. Mr. P. W. Clayden, general editor of the “Daily News,” delivered the inaugural address on the 23rd, and the business proceedings concluded on the 24th. A garden party was given at Carrow Abbey by Mr. Colman, the Mayor and Mayoress held a reception at St. Andrew’s Hall, and the conference dinner took place at Yarmouth Aquarium. Cambridge was visited on the 27th.
28.—Died, William Coutts, seventh Earl of Albemarle. He was born in 1832, and succeeded to the title on the death of his father in 1891. Lord Beaconsfield, recognising the services he had rendered to the Conservative party, elevated him to the House of Peers in 1876 as Baron Ashford. In 1857, as Lord Bury, he, with Mr. Schneider, contested Norwich in the Liberal interest and achieved a victory over Sir Samuel Bignold. At the election which took place two years afterwards the same two candidates were returned. Lord Bury then had the honour to be appointed Treasurer of her Majesty’s Household, and this rendered it necessary for him to again contest the constituency. Sir Samuel Bignold again unsuccessfully opposed him; but a petition was presented against Lord Bury’s return, and the election was declared void. In 1860 Sir William Russell and Mr. E. Warner became members for the city. From 1860 to 1865 Lord Bury represented Wick, and from 1868 to 1874 Berwick. On the Liberal disruption he changed sides and contested Stroud in the Conservative cause in 1875, but he was unsuccessful. In early life his lordship did military service in the Scots Guards, and served in India as aide-de-camp to General Lord FitzClarence. For a time he acted as secretary to Earl Russell, and was created a Privy Councillor in 1860 and K.C.M.G. in 1870. In 1855 he married Sophia, daughter of Sir Allan McNab, Prime Minister of Canada.
29.—The Roman Catholic church, erected on the site of the old City Gaol at Norwich, at the sole cost of the Duke of Norfolk, was opened. The building, which was only partially completed, was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, and is dedicated to St. John Baptist. The sermon at the opening ceremony was preached by the Rev. Dr. Headley, Bishop of Newport and Menevia.
3.—The Trades Union Congress was opened at Norwich under the presidency of Mr. John Burns, M.P. The delegates, 400 in number, were entertained at Cromer by Mr. Samuel Hoare, M.P., and at Carrow Abbey by Mr. Colman, M.P. The proceedings closed on the 8th with a “trades procession” through the streets of the city.
4.—A new lifeboat, the gift of Mrs. Upcher, was launched at Sheringham. The vessel, which was “christened” by the donor the Henry Ramey Upcher, replaced a lifeboat named the Augusta given by the squire fifty years previously.
10.—Died at Moseley, Birmingham, Mr. John Hawkes, aged 100 years. For many years he was a clerk in Messrs. Gurney’s Bank at Norwich, and was pensioned by the firm in 1865.
—Died at Lees Court, Faversham, Earl Sondes. His lordship was born in 1824, and was formerly a captain in the Royal Horse Guards and lieutenant-colonel of the East Kent Mounted Rifles. From 1868 to 1874 he was Conservative member for East Kent. In 1859 he married a daughter of Sir H. J. Stracey, of Rackheath.
24.—The Mayoress of Norwich (Lady Eade) unveiled at the Jenny Lind Infirmary a medallion terra-cotta bust of Madame Jenny Lind Goldschmidt, presented to the institution by her husband, Mr. Otto Goldschmidt. Madame Albani, who was on a professional visit to the city, attended the proceedings.
25.—A concert was given at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich, at which the principal performers were Madame Albani, Mdlle. Antoinette Trebelli, Madame A. Gomez, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Charles Santley, Mr. Braxton Smith, Mr. Norman Salmond, the Meister Glee Singers. M. Emile Sauret (violin), Mr. B. Patterson Parker (violoncello), Mr. John Thomas (harpist to the Queen), and the Swiss Ladies’ Orchestra. Performances were also given on the 26th, 27th, and 28th.
29.—Died at West Rudham Hall, Mr. John Morton, aged 55. He was a great authority on all agricultural matters, an eminent breeder of horses and cattle, and a frequent judge at shows in England and on the Continent.
3.—Mr. Jerome K. Jerome, the well-known author of “Three Men in a Boat” and “Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow,” gave a lecture at the Assembly Room, Agricultural Hall, Norwich, on “Humour, Old and New.”
12.—At the Norwich Consistorial Court application was made to Mr. Chancellor Blofeld by the vicar and churchwardens of St. John Timberhill for a faculty to confirm the erection of a rood or crucifix, and its accompanying figures, on a rood loft in the church. The application was supported by Sir Walter Phillimore. The Chancellor delivered judgment on November 10th. A faculty to confirm the erection of the rood loft and of the figures then on the rood beam and to authorise the placing of other figures there was refused. A faculty to confirm the erection of a screen without a rood loft, and to authorise the placing of gates in an existing screen, the erection of proposed side screens with gates in them, and the erection of choir stalls with a screen behind them, was granted.
15.—A great meeting was held at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, presided over by the Hon. Ailwyn Fellowes, M.P., to protest against the proposed disestablishment of the Church in Wales. The principal speaker was the Rev. Thomas Moore, author of “The Englishman’s Brief on behalf of his National Church.”
17.—At the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, before Mr. J. B. R. Bulwer, Q.C., George Chapman, William Chapman, Robert Howard, John Howard, and William Furness were indicted for “unlawfully and riotously assembling with other persons to the number of 200 and more to disturb the public peace,” at Horsham St. Faith’s, on August 10th. The disturbance arose in consequence of a local farmer, Mr. W. W. Cook, employing imported labour because he was unable to arrange terms with the St. Faith’s men. The prisoners, with the exception of Furness, pleaded guilty. The jury were unable to find a verdict in the case of Furness. Another jury were empanelled, and a verdict of guilty returned. Furness was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour, and the other prisoners were bound over to keep the peace for twelve months, George Chapman to pay in addition a fine of £5.
18.—The Rev. Arthur Thomas Lloyd, D.D., vicar and Hon. Canon of Newcastle-on-Tyne, was at Westminster Abbey consecrated Suffragan Bishop of Norwich, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The right reverend Bishop had previously been collated and instituted—on October 16th—to the rectory and parish church of North Creake, and on the same day collated to the Archdeaconry of Lynn formed out of the Archdeaconries of Norfolk and Norwich under an order of her Majesty, dated August 23rd, 1894. “By 26th Henry VIII., c. 14, provision was made for the appointment of two Suffragans within the diocese, to bear the titular names of Thetford and Ipswich. In 1536 John Salisbury and Thomas Manning were consecrated by Archbishop Cranmer as Suffragan Bishops of Thetford and Ipswich, and now again after the lapse of three centuries and a half the Bishopric of Thetford is revived.”
20.—Died, in his 84th year, Mr. William Henry Cooke, Q.C., County Court judge for Oxfordshire, and Recorder of the city of Oxford. He was some time judge of the Norfolk County Court, and a justice of the peace for the county. Mr. Cooke was the eldest son of the Rev. W. Cooke, vicar of Bromyard, Herefordshire.
—Died at Wilby Hall, aged 79, Mr. Samuel Colman. He was one of the eleven sons of Mr. Robert Colman, of Rockland, who constituted the famous team of cricketers.
23.—The Duke and Duchess of York visited Norwich and opened the Castle Museum and Fine Art Gallery. Their Royal Highnesses arrived from Sandringham, and were received at Thorpe Station by the Mayor (Sir Peter Eade), the Sheriff (Mr. Barwell), the High Sheriff of Norfolk (Mr. J. H. Gurney), and other prominent officials. Escorted by the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards the Royal visitors drove to the Castle, where they were received by a distinguished gathering, and presented with an address by the Corporation. The Duke having declared the building open, their Royal Highnesses made a tour of the Museum, and were afterwards entertained to luncheon in the Fine Art Gallery. Leaving the Castle under escort of the Loyal Suffolk Hussars, the Duke and Duchess proceeded to the Girls’ Technical School, St. George’s Plain, where they were received by the Countess of Leicester and Mr. and Mrs. Gurney Buxton. Their Royal Highnesses having inspected the School of Cookery, visited the Cathedral, and thence drove to Thorpe Station, en route to Wolferton. The streets of Norwich were decorated in honour of the visit, and in the evening the city was illuminated. The Mayor and Mayoress held a reception at the Cattle, and a military tattoo in which the pipers of the Scots Guards, the depôt companies of the Norfolk Regiment, and the Volunteers took part, was given on the Recreation-ground, Earlham Road.
9.—Lieut.-Col. Bignold was elected Mayor of Norwich, and Mr. Samuel Garerd Hill appointed Sheriff.
13.—Died at Eckling Grange, East Dereham, Mr. Charles Norton Elvin, M.A. He was well known as an authority on heraldry, and was the author of several standard works on the subject.
17.—The Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture considered the report of a special committee appointed to enquire into the condition of agriculture in Norfolk. The committee reported that the fall in the value of the Norfolk corn crops, comparing 1894 with 1874, was nearly, if not quite, £3,000,000. In 1874 Norfolk had 762,000 sheep and 128,000 cattle; in 1894 519,000 sheep and 126,000 cattle. Recommendations were made that the whole question of the appreciation of gold, and of the fluctuation of current values, and the incidence of rates and taxes to meet the altered position of agriculture, be reconsidered; that the law of assessments be amended; that the Tithe Commutation Act be revised, so that lands which could no longer be cultivated with corn at a profit should not be tithed on a corn basis; and that a Pure Beer Act be passed charging an extra duty upon all beer made from substances other than barley, malt and hops. The report and recommendations were adopted. At about this date Mr. R. Henry Rew, assistant commissioner, conducted enquiries in various parts of the county into the condition of agriculture. (See November 2nd, 1895.)
23.—Died at Cathedral Street North, Norwich, Miss Emily Stannard, aged 67. She was the only child of Joseph and Emily Stannard, both painters of the Norwich School.
28.—The autumnal conference of the Church Association opened at Norwich, and concluded on the 29th.
29.—Lord and Lady Amherst of Hackney and their daughters, Lady William Cecil, and the Hon. Sybil, Florence, Margaret, and Alicia Amherst, were presented with valuable testimonials subscribed for by persons of all shades of political opinion in South-west Norfolk. The gift to his lordship, in recognition of the public services he had rendered in Parliament, was a portrait of himself painted by the Hon. John Collier, to Lady Amherst was given a silver writing set, and to her daughters pearl and gold duster bracelets, as tokens of the esteem in which they were held throughout the constituency. Mr. T. L. Hare, M.P., made the presentations in the presence of a large company who had been invited to luncheon in the museum at Didlington Hall.
4.—The first meetings of Parish and District Councils elected under the new Local Government Act, 1894, were held. The percentage of unopposed returns at the elections in Norfolk was 72.4. The first election of Guardians for Norwich under the Act took place on the 17th.
6.—Died at his residence, 6, Cavendish Square, in his 82nd year, Horatio Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, and afterwards when reading for the Bar occupied the same chambers as Disraeli, who took great interest in him. His lordship married, in 1841, Harriet Bettina Frances, daughter of the Hon. Sir Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew. He was succeeded by his nephew, Robert Horace Walpole, elder son of the Hon. Frederick Walpole.
13.—The officers of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards gave an amateur dramatic performance of “The Area Belle” and Burnand’s burlesque, “Black-eyed Susan,” at Norwich Theatre, in aid of the Soldiers’ Widows Fund. The performance was repeated on the 14th and 15th.
21.—A gale of great violence occurred and lasted throughout the 22nd. Much damage was done in the county to farm buildings and other premises. At Brundall the river Yare overflowed its banks and flooded the railway; at Mundesley the tide was higher than was ever before known, and at Yarmouth the low-lying parts of the town were submerged, and the water entered many granaries and stores. Another high tide and gale were recorded at Yarmouth on the 29th. “The barometric fall accompanying the gale was most remarkable, the mercury having descended 1.26 inches in twenty-four hours.”
26.—“The Midsummer Night’s Dream” was produced upon a magnificent scale as the Christmas attraction at Norwich Theatre, by Mr. Ben Greet’s company.
29.—Died at Torquay, Colonel Dickson, who was Conservative candidate for Norwich with the Marquis of Douro in 1852. Colonel Dickson was in his 89th year.
1.—Severe weather was experienced throughout the county. The snowfall was heavy, and deep drifts everywhere impeded traffic, especially in West Norfolk. On the 23rd the Yare overflowed its banks, and during a fearful storm at Yarmouth the water rose to an alarming height. Elaborate precautions were taken to prevent a recurrence of the catastrophe of the previous mouth, and although the Hall Quay was flooded the water was kept out of the dwellings sad store-houses. The Beach Gardens narrowly escaped destruction. On the same day Eccles tower, which had been a landmark for generations, fell through the force of wind and waves. In the last week of the month the frost was more intense than it had been at any time during the winter, and in Norwich pedestrian and vehicular traffic was rendered difficult by the snow. Observations taken at Blofield on February 6th showed that the thermometer in screen, four feet above ground, fell to four degrees Fahrenheit, and the exposed thermometer on the grass to three and a half degrees below zero. This was said to have been three degrees colder than on any night during the severe frost of 1890–91, and it was the coldest night since January 26th, 1881. On the 9th the frost was more severe in certain districts than had hitherto been recorded in the century, and remarkably low readings were received from various parts of the county. Skating was everywhere general. At Diss an ice carnival held on the Mere was attended by between 2,000 and 3,000 people attired in fancy costumes, and similar displays of a minor character took place in other localities. On the 17th the frost showed unmistakable signs of breaking up. For twenty-eight successive nights, from January 20th to February 17th, the mercury had fallen below freezing point, a longer period of continuous frost in the opening months of the year than had probably been recorded for half a century.
8.—Avenue Road Board School, Norwich, built at the cost of nearly £12,000, was opened by an inaugural meeting held under the presidency of the Mayor (Col. Bignold), at which addresses were delivered by the Lord Bishop and Sir G. W. Kekewich, K.C.B., Secretary to the Education Department.
19.—A meeting of the owners of marshes lying near the Yare and Bure was held at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich, to consider the advisability of adopting a plan for the protection of the level from high tides by a commission who would have the power of maintaining the river walls. The question was adjourned for further consideration, and on March 30th the proposed scheme was rejected.
31.—M. Paderewski gave a pianoforte recital at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich.
1.—The Sandringham shire horses, the property of the Prince of Wales, were sold by auction at Wolferton by Mr. A. Beck. The total amount realised was 5,231 gs., and the average per animal £119 3s. 8d.
—Died at Stoke Holy Cross, Mr. Henry Birkbeck. He was the only son of Mr. Henry Birkbeck, of Keswick, and was born on February 10th, 1821. His mother was the eldest daughter of Mr. Joseph Gurney, who left to his grandson his share in the great Norwich bank of Messrs. Gurneys and Co. Mr. Birkbeck began his training in the bank on January 1st, 1839, and became a partner in the concern on his coming of age. He married in October, 1849, the eldest daughter of Mr. Anthony Hamond, of Westacre. She died in 1862, and 1871 he married Miss ffolkes, only sister of Sir W. H. B. ffolkes, of Hillington. In 1853 Mr. Birkbeck served the office of Sheriff of Norwich, and in 1860 was High Sheriff of Norfolk. For several years he represented the old Fourth Ward as a member of the Norwich Town Council. He was a most generous supporter of local charities and benevolent institutions, was honorary treasurer of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, and chairman of the executive bodies of the Great Hospital and the Bethel.
18.—By invitation of Mr. Thomas Crammer, Lindahl, the renowned Scandinavian skater, visited East Dereham for the purpose of meeting “Fish” Smart in a skating contest. Upwards of 2,000 persons assembled on the ice. The first race of one and a half miles was won by Smart in 5 minutes 48 4.5ths seconds; Lindahl won the second race over the same course. Owing to the bad condition of the ice the competitors were unable to establish a record.
4.—Died at St. Faith’s House, Norwich, Mr. John Hotblack, aged 74. He was a justice of the peace for the city and for the county, and for several years represented the old First Ward in the Town Council. In November, 1884, Mr. Hotblack was elected Mayor of Norwich.
7.—Died at Soham Vicarage, the residence of his son, the Rev. Cyprian T. Rust, LL.B. For twenty-two years he was a clergyman in Norwich, and held successively the livings of St. Michael-at-Thorn and Heigham; in 1875 he was presented to the living of Westerfield, near Ipswich. Mr. Rust was born of Baptist parents, and after serving as a clerk in a London counting-house became a Baptist minister at Colchester, where he worked from 1838 to 1841. Thence he went to Queen’s College, Cambridge, and took his LL.B. degree in 1852, in which year he was ordained deacon by Bishop Hinds, and in 1853 priest by the Bishop of Ely. Mr. Rust did much literary work in the form of magazine articles, and was in many ways very successful as an essayist. He was the author of “Higher Criticism: Some Account of its Labours upon Primitive History,” published in 1889; “Essays and Reviews”; “The Break of Day in the 18th Century: a History and a Specimen of the first book of English Song” &c.
11.—A meeting of Norwich traders was held at the Guildhall, at which it was resolved to re-establish a Chamber of Commerce in the city.
15.—Died at Bracondale, Mr. Henry Colman, last surviving son of Mr. Robert Colman, of Rockland St. Andrew’s, in his 82nd year. He was one of the eleven brothers Colman who constituted the famous cricket team. Mr. Colman for several years represented the old Sixth Ward as a member of the Norwich Town Council.
19.—At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council the City Engineer (Mr. A. E. Collins) presented a report which stated that a further sum of £200,000 ought to be expended upon the Norwich sewerage works. The Council adopted a scheme involving the expenditure of £72,000 beyond the sum of £80,000 authorised by the Norwich Corporation Act. (See January 22nd, 1896.)
21.—Brigadier-General Bulwer presented the long-service medal to past and present members of Volunteer battalions in Norfolk. The presentations were made at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich.
24.—A hurricane such as had never been known in living memory occurred on this day (Sunday). It swept over city and county, and its effects were experienced in the greater portion of the south-eastern district. Houses were unroofed and partially demolished, great chimney stacks destroyed, strong walls levelled, and solid masonry overthrown. There was not a park in the county which was not despoiled, and many thousands of trees were torn from the soil. Fortunately the storm happened upon a day when people were able to keep to their houses, otherwise the loss of life must have been serious. Only one casualty was admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. The storm was of short duration. At dawn a blustering March wind prevailed, as the day advanced the weather became squally, then the wind blew from W.S.W. and attained cyclonic intensity, at 4.30 p.m. the hurricane subsided. On the 25th Norfolk presented a vast scene of devastation.
30.—Died at his residence, the Abbey, Westacre, Mr. Anthony Hamond, in his 61st year. The eldest son of Mr. Anthony Hamond, he was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, and entered upon the duties and pursuits of a country gentleman. He became very popular as master of the West Norfolk Foxhounds, and on his retirement from the mastership was presented with his portrait. In the dark days of agricultural depression the tenantry on the estate experienced the practical sympathy of Mr. Hamond, who was a most kind and generous landlord. In the breeding of cattle and horses he took great interest. His shorthorns obtained wide celebrity, and his shires were equally well known. Mr. Hamond first conceived the idea of a stud-book for the Norfolk hackney; he was one of the founders of the Hackney Horse Society, was elected first president in June, 1883, and held office until June, 1885. He consistently supported the policy of the moderate Liberals, but when the great disruption came he unhesitatingly threw in his lot with the Unionists. On the death of Sir William Bagge in 1880 Mr. Hamond was approached by the Liberal electors of West Norfolk with the view of obtaining his consent to his nomination in opposition to Mr. Tyssen Amherst, but he declined, and the Conservative candidate was returned without a contest. A General Election took place a month afterwards, when Mr. Hamond was induced to stand against Mr. Amherst and Mr. Bentinck, and was defeated. He was much interested in the administrative work of the county, was a member of the County Council, and chairman of the Small Holdings and Allotments Committee. Mr. Hamond, who was a magistrate and a Deputy-Lieutenant for the county, married the only daughter of Sir Thomas Hare, of Stow.
2.—The lectures on ecclesiastical history were resumed at Norwich Cathedral by Archdeacon Sinclair, of London, who gave an address on “The Life and Times of Cyprian.” On the 17th the Rev. J. T. Kingsmill, D.D., vicar of Hockering, lectured on “The Life and Times of St. Chrysostom.” Another series commenced on November 21st with a lecture by the Rev. Professor Gwatkin, of Cambridge, on “The Life and Times of Eusebius”; followed on November 28th by the Rev. Professor Ince, D.D., of Oxford, on “The Life and Times of Athanasius”; and on December 5th, by the Rev. A. E. Brooke, M.A., of King’s College, Cambridge, on “The Life and Times of Origen.” (See February 5th, 1896.)
2.—Mr. Clement Higgins, Q.C., M.P., for Mid Norfolk, applied for the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, and on the 4th the Unionist party in the constituency opened the election campaign, and at a large meeting at Wymondham Mr. R. T. Gurdon was unanimously adopted a candidate in opposition to Mr. F. W. Wilson. The writ was issued by the House of Commons on the 8th, and the nomination took place at East Dereham on the 16th. Great activity was displayed by both parties up to the day of polling on the 23rd. The result was declared at Dereham on the 24th as follows:—Gurdon, 4,112; Wilson, 3,904.
4.—Died at his residence, the Woodlands, Norwich, Mr. Robert Fitch, in his 93rd year. Mr. Fitch, who was a native of Ipswich, was a partner in the firm of Fitch and Chambers, chemists and druggists, Norwich. In 1858 he was appointed upon the commission of the peace, and in 1867 became Sheriff of Norwich. He was connected with the directorate of several public companies, and for more than thirty years was an honorary secretary of the Norfolk and Norwich Archæological Society. Among his literary contributions to the society’s proceedings was an admirable description of “The Gates of Norwich.” Mr. Fitch was widely known as a collector, and possessed one of the finest private collections in the kingdom, which some years before his death he handed over to the trustees of the Norfolk and Norwich Museum.
29.—Died at Letheringsett Hall, Mr. William Hardy Cozens-Hardy, aged 88. A son of Jeremiah and Mary Ann Cozens, of Sprowston, he assumed the name of Cozens-Hardy in 1842. In 1830 he married Sarah, daughter of Thomas Theobald; on July 21st, 1880, he celebrated his “golden” wedding, and in 1890 his “diamond” wedding. Mrs. Cozens-Hardy died in 1891. In his early life he was articled to Messrs. Foster and Unthank, solicitors. Mr. Cozens-Hardy was a regular attendant at Quarter Sessions, and was for many years chairman of the Holt bench of magistrates. A Liberal in politics he conferred many benefits upon his immediate neighbourhood. In 1851 he built the British school at Holt; he was the promoter of the Holt Literary Society, and the founder of the Reepham Provident Society, one of the most important organizations of the kind in the Eastern Counties. For fifty years he was connected with the Erpingham Union, and it was mainly due to him that the workhouse was erected at West Beckham in 1851.
18.—A severe gale wrought much havoc on the Norfolk coast. The Short Blue fishing fleet suffered severely, the Yarmouth smack Royal Standard was lost, many other casualties occurred, and remarkable escapes were recorded.
19.—Died at his residence, Harford Lodge, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Bignold, Mayor of Norwich. Col. Bignold, whose age was 64, was fourth son of Sir Samuel Bignold, some time Member of Parliament for the city. In his boyhood he became associated with his father in the official direction of the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society; from 1858 until the death of Sir Samuel in 1875, he was his assistant; and after that date he filled the office of secretary of the society. In 1852 he joined the West Norfolk Militia as lieutenant, and ultimately attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He married in 1856, Cecilia, third daughter of Mr. J. F. Graver Browne, of Morley Hall, Wymondham. On five occasions Col. Bignold was elected to the Norwich Town Council as representative of the old Fifth Ward; in 1889 he sustained his only electoral defeat, and was thereupon elected to an aldermanic seat. A staunch and earnest Churchman and Conservative he was for many years president of the old Eldon Club, and shortly before the death of his father was elected leader of the Conservative party in Norwich, and enjoyed until the close of his life the loyal and enthusiastic adherence of the rank and file of the party. Col. Bignold was a Deputy-Lieutenant and magistrate for the county of Norfolk, and a justice of the peace for the city, and one of the original members of the Norfolk County Club. [“It is nearly a century and a quarter since any Mayor of Norwich died in his official year. The last event of the kind occurred in 1774—Mr. John Langley Watts.”] Upon the death of Col. Bignold votes of sympathy and condolence were passed by various public bodies, and on the 26th the Bishop of Exeter preached the funeral sermon at the church of St. Mark, Lakenham.
21.—The Prince of Wales arrived at Yarmouth, and on the 22nd attended a ball given at the Royal Assembly Rooms by the officers of the Norfolk Artillery Militia. On the 23rd his Royal Highness, as hon. colonel, inspected the regiment, and on the 24th left by special train for Norwich.
24.—The Prince of Wales visited Norwich for the purpose of unveiling the Pelham memorial throne at the Cathedral. His Royal Highness was received at Thorpe railway-station by the Dean, the Deputy-Mayor (Sir Peter Eade), and the Sheriff (Mr. S. G. Hill), and escorted by a detachment of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards was driven to the Cathedral. The Bishop and the Cathedral body met his Royal Highness at the great west door, whence a procession was formed to the choir, where a vast congregation had assembled to witness the ceremony. The Prince having unveiled the throne, was thanked for his gracious presence by Mr. Samuel Hoare, M.P., on behalf of the diocese. His Royal Highness afterwards inspected various points of interest in the Cathedral, and was entertained to luncheon at the Deanery by the Dean and Mrs. Lefroy. At 3.10 p.m. he proceeded to town by ordinary train. The memorial throne was designed by Mr. John L. Pearson, R.A., and with the exception of the sculptured figures, which were carved by Mr. N. Hitch, of London, the work was executed by Messrs. Cornish and Gaymer, of North Walsham.