Volume I Part 52 (1/2)

SEPTEMBER.

1.*-”The Easton Lodge estate, the property of the late Mr. W. Foster, has been purchased by Mr. Thomas Trench Berney, of Morton Hall, for 30,000 guineas.”

-*”The tower of the antient church of St. John of Maddermarket, Norwich, which has long been in a state of dilapidation, is now taking down to be reduced by 14 feet, so as just to leave room for the bells.”

-A panorama of Waterloo was exhibited at Ranelagh Gardens, Norwich.

6.-The freemen of the ”Blue and White” interest presented to Mr. Alderman James Marsh a silver vase, weighing upwards of 100 ozs. The presentation was made at the Angel Inn, Norwich, by Mr. Edward Taylor.

-Workmen digging at the bottom of Bethel Street, Norwich, discovered a human skeleton ”laid exactly in the crossway of the roads; it was thought to be the body of a criminal who died in prison and was buried there.”

8.*-”That highly esteemed performer, Mr. Vining, has formed a very advantageous engagement with the proprietor of the Bath Theatre, and will leave the Norwich company at the termination of Bury Fair.” (He was succeeded by his brother, Mr. J. Vining, who ultimately became a great favourite on the Norwich stage.)

10.-Miss Dance, of Covent Garden Theatre, appeared at Norwich Theatre in the character of Belvedera (”Venice Preserved”). Her other impersonations included Lady Teazle, Juliet, Widow Cheerly (”The Soldier's Daughter”), Mrs. Haller, Maria (”The Citizen”), &c.

16.-Died at Downham Market, at a very advanced age, William Howlett. ”He was for many years employed as a labourer on the premises of Mr. E. R.

Pratt, at Ryston. About 30 years ago he sold his wife, and delivered her to the fortunate purchaser in a halter in the Market Place at Downham, with whom she has ever since lived, and it is supposed they will now marry.”

21.-At a quarterly meeting of the Corporation of Norwich, a committee was appointed to take into consideration Mr. Cubitt's plan for connecting the city with the sea by way of Lowestoft.

26.-The foundation-stone of the Unitarian Chapel in Park Field, Diss, was laid by Mr. Meadows Taylor and Mr. Thomas Dyson.

28.-Experiments with a life-saving rocket on Tregrouse's principle were made on Yarmouth beach by Rear-Admiral Spranger. The rocket carried a line from the s.h.i.+p to the sh.o.r.e, and running rigging was then brought into use.

OCTOBER.

4.-Died in London, aged 64, the celebrated engineer, Mr. John Rennie, who a few weeks previously had attended the opening of the Eau Brink cut.

6.*-(Advt.) ”Distressing case of long imprisonment. Christopher Wood, formerly of Lynn, bricklayer, committed in 1813 to Norwich Castle for contempt of the Court of Chancery, incurred by his inability through poverty to put in an answer to a bill filed against him to foreclose a mortgage on an estate of which, unfortunately for him, he became owner.

He has been in prison eight years, and has. .h.i.therto been supported by his labour beyond the prison allowance of bread, but having lately nearly lost his sight he must in future depend entirely on the latter. The expense of putting in his answer will amount to 18, and being totally unable to raise that sum must end his days in prison unless the benevolent shall extend their bounty towards him by putting in his answer to obtain his discharge, the Act for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors not extending to persons in custody for contempts.”

10.-Robert Skipper, the Norwich pedestrian, commenced the task of walking 1,000 miles in twenty successive days at the Prussia Gardens, Norwich.

He had completed 100 miles on the evening of the 11th, and at the 390th mile was compelled to give up in consequence of magisterial interference.

27.*-”Lady Beevor, widow of the late Sir Thomas Beevor, has taken the surname of Hare out of respect to the memory of her late father.”

-Died, aged 74, Mr. Edward Rigby, M.D., of Norwich. He received his medical education under Mr. Martineau, and first began practice in 1769, when he distinguished himself as an accoucheur, and was the author of a treatise on subjects connected with that branch of his profession. In 1814 he took his degree in physic. Dr. Rigby in 1786 established the Benevolent Medical Society for the relief of the widows and orphans of medical men; and in 1789 became a member of the Corporation of Surgeons and of the Medical Society in London. He was a.s.sistant surgeon of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on its establishment in 1771, surgeon in 1790, and physician in 1814. For many years he kept a private lunatic asylum; and made constant and unremitted exertions in the cause of vaccination. He wrote several treatises on agricultural subjects, and was in 1820 elected an hon. member of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture. He was also a member of the Linnaean Society. Dr.

Rigby was elected an alderman in 1802, Sheriff in 1803, and Mayor in 1805. His remains were interred at Framingham, near Norwich, on November 5th.

28.-The county magistrates adopted a plan prepared by Mr. Wilkins for the erection of a new county gaol on the Castle Hill, Norwich, ”so far as the sum of 26,000 would carry it into effect.” This plan included the removal of the then s.h.i.+rehouse and inconvenient courts of justice. In order that the whole of the expense of the work should not fall upon occupiers it was arranged that half only be paid by them, and the other half by the owners of estates.-On December 1st a meeting of the county magistrates was held at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, to remonstrate against the selection of the Castle Hill as the site for the new gaol.

At the Norfolk Quarter Sessions in January, 1822, the subject was reconsidered, and it was finally decided by 30 to 24 votes to adhere to the Castle Hill site.-On July 29th the workmen began to prepare the ground for the foundations of the s.h.i.+rehall, and on September 9th the foundation-stone was laid with ”Masonic ceremony.” Current coins were deposited in the cavity, and upon the stone was a Latin inscription composed by the Rev. F. Howes.-The demolition of the old debtors' court commenced on May 7th, 1823, previous to which the prisoners committed on criminal charges were removed to the different bridewells and houses of correction in the county, the debtors only remaining in the Castle keep.-On July 11th some workmen employed on the building were raising a large stone, which fell and injured four of them, and one, Nicholas Mase, died next day in hospital. The new s.h.i.+rehall was completed in time to admit of the Quarter Sessions being held therein on October 15th, 1823, which was the first occasion on which the building was used. ”As to the prison buildings the ancient Saxon castle with BiG.o.d's tower is left entire in its pristine state. The hill is now surrounded with a castellated wall of Aberdeen granite 20 feet high, leaving, however, in general a s.p.a.ce of nearly 20 feet for a public promenade on the summit of the hill.” The Castle ditches and meadow had previously been improved at considerable expense by the city. These works completed the first part of the extensive scheme undertaken by the county.

-Lord Suffield was elected one of the chairmen of Norfolk Quarter Sessions, in the room of the late Sir Thomas Beevor, Bart.

31.-There were two candidates for the vacancy occasioned upon the Norwich aldermanic bench by the death of Dr. Rigby-namely, Mr. Jeremiah Ives and Mr. Thomas...o...b..rne Springfield. Both political parties paraded the streets with bands of music, flags, &c. The poll was declared as follows:-Springfield, 430; Ives, 268. ”The major part of the electors of the Great Northern Ward received a couple of guineas each for their free and independent votes.”