Volume I Part 55 (1/2)

OCTOBER.

1.-H.R.H. the Duke of Suss.e.x arrived at Lynn on his way to Holkham Hall.

A meeting of the Corporation was held, at which his Royal Highness was enrolled a free burgess of the borough. Luncheon was served at the Town Hall, and ”the Mayor presented that exquisite relic of antiquity, King John's cup, filled with wine, of which his Royal Highness partook.”

1.-Died, in his 81st year, at Westacre High House, Mr. Anthony Hamond.

”He lived a life of extraordinary activity, and rode the foremost in the coursing as well as in the hunting field on the most spirited horses, even to a few weeks of his death. He was born at South Woodton, near Lynn, and succeeded his uncle, Mr. Richard Hamond, in possession of his extensive landed property. By the female line he was related to the Duke and Princess Sophia of Gloucester, the late Earl of Orford, and the present Marquis Cholmondeley, his grandmother being sister of Sir Robert Walpole. He was the only surviving original member of the Swaffham Coursing Society, established in 1779. He served the office of Sheriff of Norfolk in 1792, and leaves surviving three sons and two daughters.”

2.-M. Chalon, the famous French conjurer, performed at the Norwich Theatre.

8.-The Norfolk and Norwich Literary Inst.i.tution was founded at a meeting held at the Guildhall. The rooms of the inst.i.tution were at a house in the Haymarket.

12.*-”A short time since as two gentlemen of Norwich were fis.h.i.+ng at Halvergate, they caught a pike which weighed twenty-two ounces and measured twenty-three inches in length; in the body of which they found a weasel in a perfect state, which weighed six ounces and measured twelve inches in length.”

13.-During a terrible gale the Revenue cutter Ranger, Capt. John Sayers, was lost off Happisburgh with 30 of her crew. Capt. Sayer was appointed to the command of the Lapwing cutter in 1807, and of the Ranger in 1809.

The latter vessel was wrecked within 50 yards of the spot where another Revenue cutter, the Hunter, was lost some years previously. Allegations, the truth of which was denied, were made that the inhabitants of Happisburgh shamefully neglected the signals of distress made by the Ranger. ”The shrieks of the crew,” it was said, ”were heard distinctly on the sh.o.r.e, yet no attempt was made to rescue.”

15.-A ”grand music meeting” commenced in Norwich, and concluded on the 18th. Evening concerts were given at the Theatre, and morning performances in the Hall Concert Room, St. George's. The managers were Messrs. A. and E. Pettet, and the princ.i.p.al vocal performers M. Sapio, Mr. Beale, and Madame Camporese.

18.-Died, aged 51, Daniel Coppin, of St. Catherine's Plain, Norwich. He was a member of the Norwich Society of Artists, and was princ.i.p.ally known for his highly creditable studies from Opie.

28.-Two men named Grint, a dyer, and Purdy, a weaver, ”neither of whom had any pretensions to pugilistic science,” fought for an hour near Bishop Bridge, Norwich, until Purdy became insensible, and three days afterwards died. Grint was committed for trial, and at the Norwich Summer a.s.sizes, in 1823, was found guilty, and sentenced by Mr. Justice Blossett to three months' imprisonment.

31.-The chandling office of Messrs. Staff and Chamberlin, St.

Martin-at-Palace, Norwich, was destroyed by fire. ”Several hogsheads of tallow and a large quant.i.ty of candles were melted and ran down the streets in a stream into the river, from the surface of which more than ten cwt. was skimmed off by persons in boats.”

NOVEMBER.

4.-Mr. Harvey was presented by the Corporation with a ma.s.sive silver candelabrum in recognition of his impartial and honourable conduct as Steward and Recorder of Norwich during the period of 40 years, and of his zeal on all occasions for the interests of the city.

5.-Mutton of the best quality was sold in Lynn Market at 3d. per pound.

On the 6th Mr. Martin, butcher, sold mutton at 2d. per pound.

9.*-”Lately was launched from Mr. Bottomley's yard in South Lynn a s.h.i.+p of 600 tons burden with figure-head and quarter galleries, built for the Jamaica trade. She was called the Marlborough.”

-The Phnix new night coach from the Star Inn, Market Place, Norwich, left on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, at four o'clock and arrived at the Bull Inn, Aldgate, at eight in the morning. It was advertised on this date as the property of Ann Nelson and Sons and Thomas Ridley and Co.

-Died at Coltishall, aged 77, Mr. William Palgrave, an alderman of Yarmouth, who served the office of Mayor of that borough in 1782 and 1805.

26.-A grand moving panorama of the battle of Genappe, St. Helena, &c., was opened in Mr. Noverre's room, St. Michael-at-Plea, Norwich.

28.-Died at Doughty's Hospital, in his 63rd year, John Swan, for many years an inhabitant of St. Peter Mancroft. ”In the former part of his life he acted as watchman and parish constable. Being of athletic make, of a stern countenance, and possessing a sonorous, rough voice he excited terror and commanded obedience to his authority. He was several years one of the appointed trumpeters for sounding before the judges in the a.s.size week, and also for attending at Thetford on the same occasion.”

29.-An inquest was held at Loddon by Mr. Pilgrim, coroner, on the body of James Dale, who was killed the preceding day by a patient in the private lunatic asylum kept by Mr. Jollye, surgeon. The deceased, a keeper, incautiously laid down the carving knife which he was using at the dinner table, when the patient s.n.a.t.c.hed it up and stabbed him in the left breast, killing him instantly.

30.-Lloyd's Equestrian Troupe commenced a season's engagement at the Ranelagh Gardens, Norwich.