Volume Ii Part 64 (1/2)
14.-The last sections of the line of railway from Wroxham to the Wells branch of the Great Eastern Railway Company, by which the union of East and West Norfolk was effected, was inspected, on its completion, by Major-General Hutchinson. The line was opened for traffic on May 1st.
15.-A party of about twenty members of the North Walsham and Aylsham Agricultural a.s.sociation started from Norwich on a trip to Holland, the expenses of which were defrayed by Mr. Samuel h.o.a.re and Sir T. Fowell Buxton, Bart. They arrived at Rotterdam on the 16th. In the course of the tour much valuable information was obtained regarding the Dutch systems of agriculture and dairying.
18.-The portrait of Mr. Harry Bullard, to which fifteen hundred persons subscribed, in recognition of his eminent services to the city, was hung in St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich. It was painted by Mr. Frank Holl, A.R.A.
22.-A county meeting, in furtherance of the movement originated by the Prince of Wales for establis.h.i.+ng a Royal College of Music, was held at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, under the presidency of the Earl of Leicester.
25.-Mary Ann Plunkett, aged nineteen, was murdered at Mill Hill, Catton, by a youth of twenty-two, named William George Abigail, who shot her in the head with a revolver. He was tried at Ipswich a.s.sizes, before Mr.
Baron Pollock, and sentenced to death. The execution was carried out at Norwich Castle, by Marwood, on May 22nd.
MAY.
13.-The Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture discussed the financial proposals made by Government with regard to the maintenance of highways. The following motion, by Mr. C. S. Read, was adopted: ”That this Chamber approves of the principle of relieving local rates by applying some special taxes towards the repair of main roads, but considers the proposals of the Government are no sufficient remedy for the extra cost of maintenance of main roads, and expresses its disappointment that a contribution of only 250,000 from the Imperial finances can be given in aid of local rates without the imposition of additional taxation.”
17.-Cardinal Manning addressed a great meeting at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, in furtherance of the principle of Local Option. His Eminence, on August 30th, again visited Norwich, and at the Victoria Hall addressed the members of the Roman Catholic temperance society-the League of the Cross.
21.-Died at his house in Grosvenor Square, London, William Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Grafton. His Grace was the eldest son of Henry, fifth Duke, by Mary Caroline, third daughter of Admiral the Hon. George Cranefeld Berkeley. He was born on August 4th, 1819; served as an _attache_ of the British Legation at Naples in 1841, and represented Thetford in the House of Commons from 1847 to 1863. In politics his Grace was a Whig of the old school.
31.-The new Town Hall at Yarmouth was opened by the Prince of Wales.
After the ceremony, at which a loyal address was read on behalf of the burgesses by the Recorder (Mr. Simms Reeve), the Mayor (Mr. C. C. Aldred) entertained his Royal Highness and a distinguished company to luncheon.
On June 1st the Prince of Wales inspected the Norfolk Artillery, and left the town on June 2nd.
JUNE.
1.-A sacred and operatic concert was given at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, under the direction of Sir Julius Benedict, in aid of the funds of the Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children. The performers included Madame Blanche Cole, Miss Lucy Franklein, Madame Alice Barth, Mr. Faulkner Leigh, Mr. Aynsley Cook, &c., and the band and chorus were composed of the opera company performing at the Theatre Royal and of the members of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival Choir.
2.-At Norwich Theatre was produced Sir Julius Benedict's romantic opera, ”The Lily of Killarney,” under the personal direction of the composer.
The performance was repeated on the 3rd.
22.-The Summer Show of the Norfolk Agricultural a.s.sociation was opened at Norwich, in the grounds of Mr. A. R. Chamberlin, Ipswich Road, and was continued on the 23rd. Mr. Henry Birkbeck presided at the public luncheon.
JULY.
2.-The Right Rev. Samuel Crowther, D.D., Bishop of the Niger district of Africa, preached at St. Giles' church, Norwich, and at the Cathedral.
Originally an African slave-boy, he was the first Bishop of the negro race, and at the time of his visit to Norwich was 70 years of age.
8.-It was announced that Sir Willoughby Jones, Bart., had resigned the senior chairmans.h.i.+p of the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, to which position he was elected in October, 1856. On October 19th, Mr. J. R. Bulwer, Q.C., M.P., Recorder of Cambridge, was elected to fill the vacancy.
22.-The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions of Norfolk Rifle Volunteers went into camp at Yarmouth, under the respective commands of Lieut.-Colonel H.
E. Buxton, Lieut.-Colonel Bulwer, and Lieut.-Colonel R. T. Gurdon, M.P.
24.-Bishop Pelham, who, on June 11th, completed the twenty-fifth year of his episcopate, received at the Palace, Norwich, a congratulatory address from the clergy of the several archdeaconries. (A portrait of his lords.h.i.+p, painted by Mr. W. Owles, R.A., was presented to him on October 18th, 1883.)