MARCH.
3.—A fine specimen of the sea eagle was shot at Blickling. It measured from tip to tip of the extended wings 7 ft. 3½ inches, and from the head to the tail 3 ft. Dowager Lady Suffield presented it to the Norfolk and Norwich Museum.
13.—The tolls arising from the Norwich provision and cattle markets, and from Tombland Fair, were, for the first time, put up to public auction and let for the term of two years. The dues and stallage accruing from the provision and vegetable markets were let to Mr. Eccleston, jun., for £985; of the cattle market on the Castle Ditches to Mr. Liddelow, for £480; and of Tombland Fair, &c., to Mr. Cooke for £250.
16.—Died at his residence, Chapel Field, Norwich, aged 48, Mr. Alfred Pettet, organist of St. Peter Mancroft and St. Stephen’s. Mr. S. Critchfield was elected his successor at St. Peter’s, and Mr. Harcourt was appointed organist at St. Stephen’s. A performance of “The Messiah” was given at St. Andrew’s Hall on May 26th for the benefit of the widow and family of the deceased, by the choir of the Cathedral and the members of the Choral Society, under the direction of Mr. Buck.
18.*—“From an idea that when the new Registration Act comes into operation the fees will be increased, numbers of persons have thronged Yarmouth parish church for several Sundays past, to have their children baptised, in order to avoid additional expense.”
—Matters were brought before the Lord Chancellor in relation to affairs of the Norwich charities arising from the Master’s report assigning the several charities to certain lists of trustees, and naming the parties to execute the respective trusts. The only new point noticed was the exception taken by a cross petition on the part of Mr. Bignold and Mr. Rackham to the Master’s report, first as to his rejecting en masse every individual who was at its close, or ever had been, a member of the old Corporation; and, secondly, in not assigning to the Church list the Boys’ and Girls’ Hospital trusts. The Chancellor decided against the cross petition. (The leading charity of the city, the Bishopgate Street Hospital, whose revenues formed two-thirds of the whole of the trusts, was secured to a body of trustees composed exclusively of members of the Church of England.) In the House of Lords on April 24th Mr. Samuel Bignold and Mr. William Rackham appealed from the order of the Lord Chancellor referring it to the Master to approve of the trustees of the charity estates of the Corporation. Their lordships decided that they had jurisdiction to hear the appeal, and time was given for the respondents to prepare their case.
20.—Mr. Villebois’ staghounds had a remarkable run. The stag was uncarted on Bradenham Green, and ran to Shipdham. It was then headed back to Saham, after which it went to Ovingon, and thence to Watton, Scoulton, Ellingham, Caston, and Rocklands. Bearing away for Attleborough and Besthorpe, it crossed the stream and went through Snetterton, Eccles, and Larlingford, to Roudham, where it was taken after a run of 35 miles. “James Lynn, the huntsman, rode his favourite horse, Cockfighter, which carried him at least eighty miles that day. What makes the run more remarkable is that the deer did
not run more than 200 yards upon any roads during the whole distance.”
22.—A fire occurred at Rollesby Workhouse, which completely destroyed one half of the building. “The clause of the Poor Law Bill, by which men are separated from their wives, being carried into effect, caused a great disturbance,” and it was supposed that the fire resulted from motives of revenge.
27.—Mr. G. V. Brooke appeared at Lynn Theatre in the character of Romeo.