February 24th. At a quarterly assembly of the corporation a lease was granted to the magistrates of the city, for 500 years, of the piece of land outside of St. Giles’ Gates, on which it had been decided to build the new jail, at the annual rent of £50.
March 4th. At a meeting held at the Guildhall, petitions to parliament were adopted against the Insolvent Debtors Act.
March. Cleansing Week for the ward elections passed off without any opposition; the orange-and-purple party kept the Conisford, Mancroft, and Wymer wards, and the blue-and-white the Northern ward.
April 14th. At a special assembly of the corporation, a petition to His Majesty was adopted, praying for two jail deliveries in the course of the year.
April 25th. At a meeting held at the Guildhall, to take into consideration the state of the West India Colonies, with a view to promote the abolition of slavery, resolutions in favour of the object were carried.
May 1st. The election of mayor took place, and at the close of the poll the numbers were, Alderman J. S. Patteson 835, Alderman Francis 774, Alderman Leman 101, Alderman Yallop 94. The two former were returned to the court of aldermen, who elected J. S. Patteson, Esq., to serve the office of chief magistrate.
May 3rd. At a quarterly assembly of the corporation, the freedom of the city was voted to the Hon. John Wodehouse, lieutenant of the city and county.
June 17th. This being Guild day, J. S. Patteson, Esq., was sworn in mayor; and he gave a splendid dinner to a large party in St. Andrew’s Hall.
1824. In September of this year the first Norfolk and Norwich Musical Festival was held in St. Andrew’s Hall, and the concerts given were well attended by the nobility and gentry of the county. This Festival was very much promoted by Mr. Edward Taylor, Mr. R. M. Bacon, then editor of the Mercury, and other amateurs in the city, and proved eminently successful, the hospital receiving the sum of £2,399 out of the profits. In 1825, King George IV. presented the hospital with a copy of Arnold’s edition of Handel’s Works. It was determined that a triennial festival should be held in aid of the funds of the institution, and that the Norwich Choral Society should be maintained in an efficient state for that purpose.