1842.
Jan. 1st.—The half-yearly Hospital meeting had been held.
The prisoners had been regaled by the Mayor with roast beef, plum pudding and one pint of beer each.
Jan. 8th.—Some boys had made a “slider” near Dr. Borrett’s house, upon which Mrs. Borrett had fallen and broken one of her arms.
Jan. 20th.—A public meeting of the inhabitants had been held for the purpose of considering the way in which they should celebrate the Royal Christening, when Sir E. Lacon, the Hon. and Rev. E. Pellew, Messrs. G. D. Palmer, J. Brightwen, W. N. Burroughs, I. Preston, C. Nichols, and J. F. Costerton were, with others, present.
The members of the “Loyal Prince of Wales” Lodge of Oddfellows, which had then been “newly formed,” dined together at the Black Lion, Bro. W. N. Turner, N.G., presided, supported by Bro. Loft, P.G.M., and Bro. Raven, P.D.G.M.; F. Palmer, Esq., surgeon to the Order, occupied the Vice-chair, and about 50 Brethren were present; the following toasts were drunk:—“The Queen,” “Prince Albert,” “The Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales,” “The Duke of Sussex and the rest of the Royal Family,” “The Army and Navy,” “Our Glorious Institutions,” and “The Loyal Prince of Wales’ Lodge of O.F. of the M.U.”
Jan. 27th.—The Christening of the Prince of Wales had been commemorated by a dinner at the Crown and Anchor Hotel, where the Mayor and a large number of his friends dined together, and by a ball at the Town Hall (opened by C. J. Palmer, Esq., and the Mayoress), at which about 200 persons were present.
A meeting had been held to consider the question of the erection of a Corn Exchange.
The inmates of the Workhouse and Fisherman’s Hospital returned thanks to S. Palmer, Esq., for an excellent dinner provided for them by that gentleman on the “Christening Day.”
Feb. 3rd.—The London Mail did not get in until 12.38; the frequent delays in these Mails were a source of serious inconvenience.
Feb. 10th.—The Vicar had issued an address, calling attention to the spiritual destitution of the town, and the restoration of St. Nicholas’ Church.
A correspondent states, “Never, perhaps, has a church been so disfigured; the introduction of that deformity, the Fisherman’s Gallery, that wretched ‘gew-gaw’ the Mayor’s seat, those laternal deformities, the desk and pulpit, and in a word those violations of every principle of taste by which the building has been defaced, have rendered it the ugliest as well as the dirtiest church in the Kingdom.”
Feb. 17th.—Great excitement had been caused in the town by the death of James Duck, aged 69, after having been pushed or knocked down by Mr. Francis Paget. The Coroner’s Jury found, “That deceased died of apoplexy, aided and accelerated by a fall he received shortly before his death, but how or in what manner the fall was received doth not appear to the said Jurors,” only 12 (of the 18 Jurors) signed this inquisition.
Feb. 24th.—From a petition presented as to the Mail service, it appeared there were then 574 ships of an aggregate burden of 50,325 tons, belonging to this port.
Mr. Christopher Taylor had been appointed agent and surgeon to the sick and wounded seamen, in the place of Wm. Taylor, Esq., deceased.
March 3rd.—2,300 inhabitants of Yarmouth had signed the petition for the total Repeal of the Corn Laws.
March 10th.—Wm. Worship, Esq., had been elected a Councillor for the North Ward.
March 31st.—A “Gold Coronation Medal” had been presented by the Queen to Capt. Manby, for preservation of lives from shipwreck.
A meeting, convened by circular, had been held to consider Sir Robert Peel’s proposed “Income Tax.” The Mayor presided; Mr. S. Cobb moved and Mr. G. D. Palmer seconded, a resolution to the effect “That it is the duty of the meeting by every constitutional means in its power to resist the income tax proposed by Sir R. Peel.”
Mr. E. H. L. Preston moved, and Mr. C. Cory seconded as an amendment, “That the Mayor be instructed to call a meeting of the public,” which was lost by 31 to 34.
A petition was to be “got up” against the tax.
April 7th.—It was rumoured that Jas. M. Cox had been killed by W. B. Ebbage, but the Jury found that he died from “mis-adventure.”
April 14th.—A Hemsby boat, which had put off to a vessel, had been lost and nine hands drowned out of her.
May 5th.—The Vauxhall Gardens had been opened for the season, and 100 gentlemen had partaken of a cold collation there on the occasion.
Charges of manslaughter had been preferred before the Magistrates in respect of the cases of Ebbage and Cox.
May 19th.—The Mayor had attended the Leveé and presented addresses to H.M. the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Duke of Kent, on the birth of the Prince of Wales.
June 9th.—Mr. Matthew Hastings Swann had had the degree of “Doctor of Philology” conferred on him by the University of Berlin.
The Victoria hotel had been completed, and was to be opened by Mr. Balls of St. James’ Square, London.
June 23rd.—The Victoria hotel had been opened with a public dinner, at which J. E. Lacon, Esq., presided.
June 30th.—At the Hospital meeting it was stated that the annual subscriptions had amounted to £334 9s., and the benefactions to £150 0s. 5d., the expenditure being £357 18s. 3d. 76 in-patients and 829 out-patients had been relieved. Geo. Penrice, Esq., M.D., was re-elected physician, and J. C. Smith and Geo. Bateman, Esqs., were re-elected surgeons.
July 14th.—Commissioners had been appointed for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of the Income Tax Act.
July 21st.—Samuel Palmer, Esq., had been chosen clerk to such Commissioners.
July 28th.—A prospectus had been issued for the purpose of establishing “Shampooing Baths” at Yarmouth.
The Mayor had attended the Water Frolic; the first match was won by the “Red Rover” (S. C. Marsh, Esq.)
August 4th.—There had been a fire at Mr. Harvey’s tan yard.
August 11th.—The first general meeting of the shareholders in the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway had been held at the Victoria hotel, Geo. Stephenson, Esq., in the chair. It was stated that the line would be probably opened in the Spring of 1844, that the expenses already incurred would not exceed £10,000, and that 8,000 shares had been taken up.
August 25th.—A “young lady from Lincolnshire,” about 18 years of age, had eloped from lodgings on the Beach with a Yarmouth gentleman.
Sept. 8th.—At the Races, the Gold Cup was won by Mr. Wilshere’s “Evasion”; the Vauxhall Stakes by Mr. H. Stracey’s “Protempore”; the Member’s Plate, and the Gentlemen’s Plate by Mr. S. Palmer’s “Everilda”; and the Handicap Stakes by Mr. Bignold’s “Camille.”
Strenuous endeavours were made to “put down low gambling,” but the gamblers appeared to have found refuge in the public-houses, notably at the King’s Head Inn, Market Place.
The “Bruce” had been launched from Mr. Chapman’s yard.
Sept. 15th.—The Mayor (W. Johnson, Esq.), had entertained 100 friends at luncheon, on Sunday, after attending Church, where the Hon. and Rev. E. Pellew had preached in aid of the Charity Schools, established in 1713.
The Race ball had been held at the Bath Rooms, which only 68 persons had attended.
Sailing matches had been held on the river, the starting place had being opposite the monument, when the “Red Rover” (S. C. Marsh), beat the “Maria” (Sir J. Preston), and the “Neptune” (J. Green). The Royal Sovereign won the Yawl Match.
Sept. 22nd.—H.M. the Queen had passed through the roads in the “Trident,” accompanied by two other steamers.
Sept. 29th.—The “India” had, after extensive repairs, been launched from Mr. A. R. Palmer’s yard.
Mr. R. Lubbock had launched the “Isabella” (200 tons) for S. Sherrington, Esq.
Oct. 6th.—One of Mr. Shuckford’s boats had brought in 23½ lasts of herring, valued at £700.
Oct. 13th.—The Corn Exchange in Regent Street had been opened, when 150 gentlemen dined together. B. Dowson, Esq., was chairman, and Messrs J. E. Laws and Thos. Barber were vice-chairmen. The Mayor, G. Danby-Palmer, Esq., Sir E. Lacon, Bart., and others being present.
Oct. 20th.—There had been a fire at the “New Commercial” club house.
Nov. 3rd.—A prisoner named Lessey complained to the Judge of the Insolvent Debtors’ Court that he had lain in prison for 23 weeks before he obtained his discharge, and had then been arrested again at the suit of his solicitor for £19 19s. 4d. and was thus again a prisoner.
The following Councillors had been elected:—
North Ward: Mr. W. H. Bessey and Mr. C. May (vice Mr. E. H. L. Preston retired.)
Market Ward: Mr. E. Sewell and Mr. S. Miller, jun. (vice Mr. E. N. Clowes, resigned). The polling being for
| Sewell | 162 |
| Miller | 142 |
| Richmond | 29 |
| J. Lawn | 29 |
Regent Ward: Messrs. C. Davie and J. Fish (re-elected.)
St. George’s Ward: Mr. Lettis and P. Pullyn, Esq. (vice A. Woods, Esq., resigned.)
Nelson Ward: Messrs. Robinson and Symonds (re-elected.)
St. Andrew’s Ward: Messrs. Thrower and W. H. Palmer (re-elected.)
Nov. 10th.—At the Council meeting on the 9th, Mr. R. Hammond proposed and Capt. Pearson seconded, the election of Samuel Palmer, Esq., as Mayor; and Mr. Brightwen moved and Mr. C. Davie seconded, William Hurry Palmer, Esq., for that office. A warm debate ensued, during which Mr. S. Cobb was somewhat violent, and in the result Mr. S. Palmer was elected by 23 to 13 votes.
Those voting for Mr. S. Palmer were Messrs. W. Hammond, C. Pearson, W. D. Palmer, G. D. Palmer, J. Fiddes, H. Fellows, T. Lettis, jun., S. C. Marsh, J. Tomlinson, T. Hammond, J. G. Cannell, J. Fish, M. Butcher, J. Crow, W. Chambers, J. L. Cufaude, J. Bayly, T. Lettis, R. Hammond, J. Barker, B. Fenn, A. Thrower, and S. Cobb. And for Mr. W. H. Palmer—Messrs. J. Brightwen, C. Miller, E. Sewell, C. Davie, S. Robinson, D. A. Gourlay, S. Miller, jun., W. Worship, C. May, J. Owles, J. N. Sherrington, J. Symonds, and W. N. Burroughs.
In the evening a dinner took place at the Star Hotel, the Mayor in the chair.
A meeting of the Victoria Building Company had been held, when it appeared that £14,000 raised by shares and £6,000 raised on mortgages, had been expended on the buildings.
Nov. 17th.—A “Total Abstinence” lecture had been delivered by Mr. Smeeton, at the Guild Hall.
Nov. 24th.—The Amateur Musical Society had held a concert at the Town Hall, when Mr. Suggate, Mrs. Barnwell, and Mr. Norfor’s performances were specially praised.
The opening dinner had been held at the “Bear.”
Nine hundred lasts of herring had been caught “between Thursday se’night and the succeeding Sunday,” which was considered an extraordinary catch of fish.
Dec. 22nd.—Savings’ Bank meeting showed 2507 depositors and upwards of £75,591 funds. The Rev. M. Waters was elected a trustee of the institution.
The Poor Law Commissioners having refused to sanction a Christmas Dinner at the Workhouse, a subscription was being got up to provide the inmates with one.