2.*—[Advt.] “A grand main of cocks will be fought at the Black Boys Inn, Aylsham, on February 12th, and two following days, between the gentlemen of Norwich and Aylsham, for 5 sovereigns a battle and 50 sovereigns the odd. Feeders: Stafford for Norwich; Overton for Aylsham.”
5.—A barque of 220 tons burden, designed for the West India trade, was launched from the yard of Mr. Preston, at Yarmouth.
22.—Died at Winfarthing, Sarah Jessup, aged 101 years, “the last 30 of which, till a year and a half ago, she was employed as walking post from the Post Office at Diss to Winfarthing, a distance of four miles, which she constantly performed in all weathers, and is computed to have travelled more than 13,400 miles. She was married in the reign of George II. She had 16 children, who multiplied to the fourth generation, so that her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren at the time of her decease amounted to 444. Besides these, great-great-grandchildren, some of every degree and age, to the number of 200 and upwards, followed her to the grave, to which she was carried by her four sons.”
26.—A desperate affray took place between the coastguard, under Lieut. George Howes, R.N., and a large party of armed smugglers, at Cley-next-the-Sea. The coastguard were obliged to fire several times in self-defence. The contraband goods seized consisted of 127 half-ankers of brandy and between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds of manufactured tobacco.
—At a public meeting held at the Guildhall, Norwich, under the presidency of the Mayor, it was decided to petition the House of
Commons to protect children employed in factories from severe and injurious labour, by limiting the hours of their employment.
26.—The Lynn and Newmarket mail was proceeding through Methwold when the coach was upset in a deep drain, and one of the horses falling upon Booty, the coachman, he was suffocated.
MARCH.
19.—The barque Crawford Davison (George Sandford, master), from Hamburg to London, with 40 horses, of the value of £2,000, on board, struck upon Happisburgh Sand and was lost. The captain and crew were saved. All the horses were drowned, and their carcases sold for £12.
—At a special general meeting of the subscribers to the Norfolk and Norwich Museum, plans and specifications prepared by Mr. J. Brown, architect, were adopted for the erection of a building “on an eligible site in Exchange Street, near the new Post Office,” at the cost of £1,500, raised in shares of £50 each, to bear interest of 4 per cent. “The front of the intended building will be similar to that of the Temple of Jupiter Ammon.” The first stone was laid on May 27th.