1873.
Jan. 3rd. Three men lost in the North Sea out of the smack “Peep o’ Day,” belonging to Mr. Jex.
Jan. 6th. Boiler explosion on board the s.s. “Druid,” seven miles off Yarmouth, resulting in the death of two men and serious injury to three others.
Jan. 8th. Great Yarmouth Licensed Victuallers’ Association established through the exertions of Mr. R. S. Steele.
Jan. 10th. The new building annexed to the Priory Schools for the accommodation of some 200 children, opened by the Mayor.
Jan. 20th. Dr. Lushington, judge, philanthropist, and politician, and late M.P. for Yarmouth, died at his seat near Ockham, aged 91 years.
Jan. 20th. Charles H. Chamberlin, Esq., Registrar of the Yarmouth County Court and Borough Coroner, died, aged 51 years.
Jan. 22nd. Mr. Blyth, of this port, and second mate of the “Northfleet,” lost in that ill-fated vessel, with over 300 passengers.
Jan. 27th. A halibut, 4 ft. 6 in. in length and weighing about five stone, caught near Yarmouth.
Jan. Henry John Walker, Esq., solicitor of Brompton, appointed to the Registrarship of the Yarmouth County Court. In March, 1875, resigned for a Registrarship in Southampton, and in Dec., 1876, District Registrar of High Court of Justice at Manchester.
Jan. A very handsome silver waiter presented to Alderman W. Laws by the teachers of St. Nicholas’ Sunday School, in token of their respect.
Feb. 1st. Mr. Holmes’s new smack “Serjeant Ballantine” launched from Mr. Mack’s shipyard.
Feb. 7th. Great Yarmouth and Eastern Counties’ Aquarium Company registered, with a capital of £50,000 in shares of £2 each. (See June 18th.)
Feb. 26th. The Rev. J. Partridge, formerly head master of the Yarmouth Preparatory Grammar School, Southtown, died at Thornbury, near Bristol, aged 46 years.
March 17th. Mr. George T. Watson, Superintendent of Sailors’ Home, presented with a handsome gold ring by the members of the Beachmen’s and Fishermen’s Friendly Society, as a memento of respect.
March 24th. The steam tug “Minnet” stranded on the North Sand at the mouth of the harbour.
March. The Rectory of Buckenham, Kent, conferred upon the Rev. William Cator, B.A., curate of St. Nicholas’ Church.
March 25th. The new brick-built reservoir at Gorleston, belonging to the Great Yarmouth Water Works Company, opened. It is 115 feet square inside; height from floor to roof, 16 ft., and holds 800,000 gallons of water, being, when full, 1½ feet from the top.
March. The Rev. Dr. Raven was presented with a handsome silver-plated coffee pot, teapot, cream jug, and sugar basin, by the pupils of the Yarmouth Grammar School as a mark of their esteem.
April 11th. Loss of the fishing smack “Vesper,” off the Holland coast; on 19th, in the North Sea, the dandy “Morgan;” and on 27th, the smack “Proctor.” Crews all saved.
April 13th (Easter Day). The new peal of bells at Gorleston Parish Church first rung out. These six bells were cast by Messrs. Mears and Hainbank, of Whitechapel, and presented to Gorleston by Miss C. Roberts, of Hersham, Esher. The tenor bell, weighing 10 cwt., is in the key of G, and has a chiming apparatus.
April 14th. John Owles, Esq., died at Great Yarmouth, aged 65 years. (See Feb., 1858, and Oct. 29th, 1872.)
April 17th. H. E. Buxton, Esq., and Captain John Gilbertson elected Churchwardens of the Parish Church. Stormy vestry meeting.
April 18th. The Rev. R. Shelley, Unitarian minister of Yarmouth, died at Newbury, Berks, aged 39 years.
April 24th. The Rev. H. R. Nevill, M.A., vicar of Yarmouth, formally installed a Canon of Norwich Cathedral. (See Jan. 25th, 1874.)
April 29th. The schooner “Margaret” sunk in the harbour whilst crossing the bar. She subsequently broke up, and the wreck and stores were sold for £40.
April. Bat.-Sergt.-Major E. Cooke, 1st N.A.V., presented with a massive electro-plated cup by T. Dawson, Esq.
May 1st and 2nd. Sir John Coode, E.C., visited Yarmouth to inspect and report upon the South Pier and Haven works, and on the 30th forwarded his report to the Port and Haven Commissioners. The estimated cost of improvements was put down by Sir John at £12,880.
May 3rd. Mr. James Mitchell died, in the 100th year of his age.
May 11th. Robert Palmer Kemp, Esq., J.P. for the Borough, and also for the County of Norfolk, died at Coltishall, aged 70 years.
May 12th. The Rev. J. W. Colvin, M.A., minister of St. Andrew’s Church, presented with a pair of handsome oak study candlesticks and a plated-chased biscuit caddy, by the Sunday School teachers, and members of the choir and Bible classes, as a memento of their kindly feeling towards him.
May 25th. Loss of the smack “Active” and three of her crew in the North Sea, by being run down by the steamer “Iris.” Value of smack, £1,000.
May 29th. John Fisher Costerton, Esq., J.P., of this Borough, died at Yarmouth, aged 88 years. (See 1841.)
May 30th. About 50 members of the Hon. Artillery Company came from Finsbury, London, to this town by rail, and marched from Yarmouth to Brundall—a distance of 14 miles—on the following morning, en route for Norwich.
June 7th. Three of the crew of the smack “Pioneer,” and one of the “Ethelwolf’s,” lost at sea whilst ferrying fish to the London carrying steamers.
June 12th. Rear-Admiral Spencer Smyth promoted to retired Vice-Admiral in her Majesty’s fleet. (See April, 1870.)
June 12th. Gorleston Parish Church opened by the Lord Bishop of Norwich, after its restoration.
June 18th. A resolution passed at a meeting of the Directors in London to dissolve the first Aquarium Company, the shares allotted being inadequate to carry out the project as designed. (See Feb. 7th.)
June 24th. The new smack “Daniel” launched from Mr. J. H. Fellows’ shipyard.
June. New Wesleyan school at Gorleston completed.
June. Six guns, weighing five tons each, and carrying shot and shell weighing 50, 71, and 78 lbs. respectively, landed at Yarmouth from Woolwich for the North and South batteries, in place of the old 68-pounders.
July 2nd. A young live seal, 2½ feet long, brought ashore by the crew of the smack “Flying Fish,”‘ who had captured it in the North Sea.
July 2nd. The Rev. W. Sumpter Beevor, senior curate of St. Nicholas’ Church, had the degree of M.A. conferred by the Trinity College, Dublin.
July. Mr. Arthur Vores passed his preliminary examination for the Fellowship of the College of Surgeons.
Aug. 16th. Mr. H. Jay elected to the office of Fishwharf Master, on the resignation of Mr. W. Capon.
Aug. A fine new fishing smack, “The Shah,” launched, also the “Falcon” and the “Albion.”
Aug. 26th. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales consented to become a patron of the Yarmouth Marine Regatta, and forwarded a cheque of £26 5s. through Sir Wm. Knollys for a competition prize.
Sept. 12th. The King of the Belgians’ superbly-fitted yacht, “Prince Baudoin,” put into Yarmouth harbour for coal previous to conveying his Majesty across the Channel from Dover to Ostend on the 16th.
Sept. 15th. The new smack “Mercy” launched from Messrs. Mack’s yard.
Sept. 25th. The will of Mrs. Jemima Bacon Ciocci, formerly the wife of Raffaelle Ciocci, late of Yarmouth, proved under £25,000.
Sept. 29th. A new steam tug, the “Star,” the property of the Star Steam Tug Company, launched from Messrs. Beeching’s shipyard. Length, 88 feet; width, 16 ft. 7 in.; depth, 9 ft. 9 in.; builders’ measurement, 113 tons; gross register, 88 tons, and cost over £2,000. Her lever engine of 45 h.p. was saved from the “Minnet.” (See March 24th.)
Sept. Shadingfield Lodge, the Royal residence during the Prince of Wales’ stay in Yarmouth, in June, 1872, purchased by S. Nightingale, Esq., for £3,000.
Oct. 1st. Destructive fire at the farm of Mr. T. W. Daniel, at Caister; damage over £1,000.
Oct. 1st. Loss of the s.s. “Whittington,” of Newcastle, with 400 tons of coal, on the Middle Cross Sand.
Oct. 7th. Three men lost belonging to the smack “Ellen,” whilst ferrying 29 packages of fish to the London carrying steamer, near the Dogger Bank.
Oct. 7th. R. Morgan, Esq., C.E., visited Yarmouth on behalf of the Local Government Board, and took evidence upon the matter of the Market Gates’ Improvement, for which a loan of £2,500 was required for 30 years. Sanction to the loan given.
Oct. 8th. The lugger “Young Charles” run down by the s.s. “Osborne,” off Smith’s Knowl (14 miles off Lowestoft), and the whole of her crew, 10 hands, unfortunately lost.
Oct. 10th. Demonstration of Freemasons at Yarmouth, on the opening of the Provincial Grand Lodge at the Hospital School by the Hon. F. Walpole, M.P., Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Norfolk.
Oct. 11th. The reputed fastest schooner yacht afloat, the “Livonia,” 128 tons burthen, and a crew of 16 hands, put into Yarmouth harbour.
Oct. 11th. Dr. James Borrett, late of Yarmouth, died at Clifton, near Bristol. His remains were interred in Castleton Churchyard.
Oct. 15th. The high lights on the N.E. corner of the Sailors’ Home, at an altitude of 60 ft. above high water, and the lower light on the Britannia Pier, at an elevation of 20 ft., used for the first time.
Oct. 23rd. The new smack “Livonia,” belonging to Messrs. Smith and Son, launched from their shipyard.
Oct. 24th. Inspector Berry resigned from the borough police force, having been unanimously chosen Chief Constable of Police for Gravesend out of 40 candidates for the appointment, at a stipend of £200 per annum. He entered on his new duties on Nov. 1st. (See Jan., 1865.)
Oct. 30th. A testimonial, comprising a gilt-framed document and a sealskin purse, containing £20, presented to Police-sergeant Brown by Captain Matthews, on behalf of 64 subscribers, as a mark of respect from the inhabitants of Gorleston.
Oct. Mr. W. M. Vores resigned the office of house-surgeon to the Yarmouth Hospital.
Oct. A memorial window, admirable in design and execution, placed in the Parish Church by the eminent surgeon, Sir James Paget, a native of Yarmouth, and brother of Professor Paget, in memory of his father and mother. Samuel Paget died in 1857, aged 83; Sarah Elizabeth Paget in 1848, aged 65. Twelve of their children rest within and near the church. (See June 15th, 1858.)
Oct. Henry E. Buxton, W. P. Brown, G. B. Palmer, J. H. Orde, A. D. Stone, and E. H. H. Combe, Esqs., appointed as Magistrates for the Borough by the Lord Chancellor of England. (See Jan., 1874.)
Nov. 3rd. A Local Government Board Inquiry opened by Inspector H. B. Farnall, Esq., at the Tolhouse Hall, and resulted in the ejection of three Liberal Guardians from the Board in Feb., 1874. This inquiry cost the town £187.
Nov. 10th. Disgraceful riot in Middlegate Street and at the Fishwharf with Sherringham fishermen. (See Jan. 12th, 1874.)
Nov. 18th. Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P., died at Fontmell Lodge, Bournemouth, aged 73 years. The deceased represented this Borough in Parliament in 1835.
Nov. 20th. Mr. R. S. Steele presented with a handsome tea and coffee service by the members of the Perseverance Lodge of Nottingham Order of Oddfellows, in recognition of his valuable services.
Nov. 27th. The Rev. J. W. Colvin, minister of St. Andrew’s, presented with a water-colour drawing by Mr. W. Platt; and on the following evening, by his congregation, a marble timepiece, set of bronze chimney ornaments and candlesticks, and a pair of salts, as souvenirs of their esteem, previous to his leaving Yarmouth. (See May 12th.)
Nov. 30th. Fire at the warehouse of Mr. J. Green, King Street, and damage done to the amount of about £15.
Dec. 10th. A gold Albert chain presented by the Yarmouth Bathing and Swimming Association to Mr. John Page, secretary, in acknowledgment of his kindness to the members.
Dec. 12th. Samuel Brock, better known as “Brock the swimmer,” died at Yarmouth, aged 70 years. (See Oct. 6th, 1835.)
Dec. 17th. Fire at the premises of Mr. W. Lawrie, manufacturer of vegetable black, ink, &c., and damage done to the extent of about £150.
Dec. 21st. 18,806 lasts of herring delivered at the Fishwharf, and sold at the average price of £11 10s., 4,000 lasts (equal to £46,000) in excess of the previous year’s catch.
Dec. The Rev. Dr. Gott appointed by the Queen to the Vicarage of Leeds.
Dec. The cutters “Brilliant,” “Diamond,” and “British Lion,” the property of Mr. I. Shuckford, sold to the Steam-Cutter Carrying Company, for £2,000.
The rateable value of the parish in 1873 was £84,600, of which sum £68,200 was apportioned to Yarmouth and the remaining £16,400 to Gorleston and Southtown, including Cobholm Island; and the Corporation was indebted to the extent of £29,522 for town improvements (including Regent Street and the Marine Parade). £14,000 out of the above was an old Paving Bond debt contracted in 1810 and 1851, which was being paid off at £100 a year.
Godfrey’s “Finger Post Guide to Yarmouth and its Norfolk and Suffolk Environs, embracing every object of Interest to Visitors,” (an illustrated work from the pen of W. F. Crisp) published.