Volume I Part 110 (1/2)

5.*-”The directors of the Norfolk and Eastern Counties Railway, with the view of giving the poorer cla.s.ses greater facilities, have started a fourth cla.s.s. The return fare to London is 7s. 6d.”

7.-The Wymondham and Dereham Railway was opened for goods traffic. The Bill for the construction of this railway, which was applied for by the Norfolk Company, was strenuously opposed by Norwich traders, who considered that a direct line to Dereham would be to their greater advantage. The Act authorised the Company to make an extension of 22 miles from Dereham to Wells, with a branch line of 6 miles to Blakeney, making the total from Wymondham 40 miles. Messrs. Grissel and Peto were the general contractors, and the electric telegraph was established under the superintendence of the Rev. A. Bath Power. (_See_ February 15th, 1847.)

18.-Winter set in with great severity. The Dereham, Swaffham, and Lynn coach was unable to leave Norwich, owing to the great depth of the snow.

20.-A fine specimen of the black grouse was shot at Swanton.

-A riot occurred at Pulham St. Mary Workhouse. The paupers made a preconcerted attack upon the bread store, and were with difficulty driven back by the officials. Thirteen of the ringleaders were committed to Norwich Castle for terms ranging from seven days to two months'

imprisonment. (_See_ January 5th, 1847.)

26.-Norwich Theatre opened for the Christmas season with the play of ”George Barnwell” and the pantomime ”Fortunio.” Mr. Davenport, ”in compliance with public feeling,” reduced the prices of admission, which had been raised on his taking over the management.

-Many of the roads in the country were stated to be ”half a yard deep in mud,” and almost impa.s.sable. ”Heavy goods in large quant.i.ties have lately been sent from Norwich to London and from thence to Ipswich by rail, 196 miles, instead of the direct route of 40 miles by road, the rail conveyance being cheaper and quicker. It would be a great advantage in this and other counties if a general Act were pa.s.sed for widening and levelling the turnpike roads and for laying down tramways on which carriages could be drawn by horses or by engines of small power to the princ.i.p.al railway. Unless some measure of this sort be carried out, the common roads will soon be of little use, and not worth keeping in repair.”

1847.

JANUARY.

1.-A new form of entertainment was introduced at this date-”Ethiopian minstrelsy,” the precursor of the Christy minstrels. The troupe appeared at Norwich Theatre. ”The band consists of five harmonists, with black faces and white eyes, black coats and white cuffs, black trousers and white waistcoats, black stocks and white collars. The instruments are a violin, two 'banjoes' (instruments that look like guitars run to seed), a tambourine, and 'bones' (a species of castanet).”

4.-Died at Earlham, in his 59th year, Mr. Joseph John Gurney. He was a son of John Gurney, of Earlham, and a grandson of John Gurney who died in 1770, and had been ”the connecting link by which the hand-spun yarn of the South of Ireland was brought to add its stores to the wants of our artizans.” Mr. J. J. Gurney received his early education under the Rev.

M. Browne, of Hingham; he then went to the Academical Inst.i.tution at Oxford. He was a great traveller. Several times he visited the West Indies, travelled twice on the Continent, made a tour in Scotland, in company with Mr. h.o.a.re, for the purpose of inspecting the prisons, and, accompanied by Mrs. Fry, he visited Ireland in the spring of 1827, in order to personally investigate the condition of the prisons and the charitable inst.i.tutions of that country. On July 8th, 1837, he embarked at Liverpool for Philadelphia on a Gospel mission to parts of North America and the West Indies. Of this tour he gave an interesting account in ”Familiar Letters to Amelia Opie”; his ”Winter in the West Indies” is described in ”Familiar Letters to Henry Clay of Kentucky.” He was three times married; his first wife was a daughter of Mr. J. Birkbeck, of Lynn, his second a Wilts.h.i.+re lady, and his third an American lady. Mr. Gurney was the author of several works in addition to those above-mentioned, and was one of the greatest philanthropists of his day. Memorial services were held at many places of wors.h.i.+p in Norwich on the Sunday following his death, and on the day of the funeral (January 12th) business in the city was suspended. The interment took place at the Gildencroft, when the rites peculiar to the Society of Friends were performed.

5.-Serious acts of insubordination were committed by the inmates of Swainsthorpe Workhouse, ”on the ground that they wanted more victuals.”

Damage was done to the windows to the amount of 30.

14.-The use of anaesthetics-”ethereal fumes ”-was introduced at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital by Dr. Hull, in the extraction of teeth.

(_See_ December 30th, 1847.)

23.-At a meeting held at the Swan Inn, Norwich, the East Norfolk and West Norfolk Agricultural Societies were amalgamated under the t.i.tle of the Norfolk Agricultural Society. The first general meeting of the newly-formed society was held on the same day, when Lord Hastings was elected President. The first show took place on the Cricket Ground, Norwich, on June 18th, and for several years the exhibitions were held alternately in the city and at Swaffham.

27.-Died, aged 67, Mr. George Fisher, formerly of the Norfolk and Suffolk Company of Comedians.

31.-Died, in his 93rd year, the Rev. John Oldershaw, Archdeacon of Norfolk. He was born at Leicester, where his father practised as a surgeon, and was educated at Oakham Grammar School and at Emanuel College, Cambridge, where he proceeded B.A. in 1776, and obtained the distinguished honour of senior wrangler of his year. About this time he became private tutor to Charles Manners Sutton, who was afterwards Bishop of Norwich and Archbishop of Canterbury. He was elected a Fellow and public tutor of his College; when Sutton became Bishop of Norwich he appointed him his examining chaplain. Mr. Oldershaw married Anne, daughter of Sir John Hynde Cotton, Bart., of Maddingley, Cambridges.h.i.+re, and took up his residence at Harpley, as curate. He was presented in 1797 to the Archdeaconry of Norfolk, and was soon after nominated to the rectory of Redenhall-with-Harleston. Archdeacon Oldershaw was for many years one of the most active magistrates in the county.

FEBRUARY.

5.-At a meeting held at the Guildhall, Norwich, presided over by the Mayor, it was decided to open a public subscription for the relief of the distress among the Irish peasantry, consequent upon the failure of the potato crop. For the same object collections were made in the places of wors.h.i.+p in city and county.

6.-The warehouse in Rose Lane, Norwich, belonging to Mr. Kitten was burnt down, and its contents, consisting of barrels of grease, resin, and other inflammable materials, destroyed. Another serious fire occurred on the same premises on May 20th.

15.-The opening of the Wymondham and Dereham Railway for pa.s.senger traffic was celebrated with great festivities. Mr. Gidney, of Dereham, one of the princ.i.p.al promoters of the line, entertained a large company at luncheon at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, and in the evening a dinner took place at the King's Arms Hotel, Dereham, in which town the day was observed as a general holiday. ”Along the road from the station,” it was stated, ”many new and handsome-looking houses have been built, far superior to any modern houses in Norwich.”

17.-Died at his residence in the Cathedral Precincts, Norwich, the Rev.