—The ship Anne, of 400 tons burden (Captain John Long), sailed from Lynn with 171 emigrants, for Quebec.
22.—The announcement was made on this date: “The Eastern Counties Railway has been commenced in good earnest.”
24.—A curious wager was decided at the Angel Gardens, New Catton, Norwich. “Joseph Turtle, aged 60, engaged to pick up 100 eggs laid at a yard distance from each other, in a shorter time than David Lambert, aged 20, should pick up 100 stones at the same distance, which was won by Lambert only by half a minute.”
29.—Announcement was made of the appointment of the Rev. Edward Stanley, rector of Alderley, Cheshire, to the Bishopric of Norwich. Agreeable to the conge d’élire, the Dean and Chapter elected him Bishop on April 29th; by Royal command the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him on May 10th, and on May 11th he arrived at Norwich, accompanied by Mrs. Stanley and his daughters. On June 29th his lordship was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and on the same day did homage to Queen
Victoria at Kensington Palace. The enthronement took place at Norwich Cathedral on August 17th, when all the usual ceremonies were observed, and the sermon was preached by his lordship. “The interior of the Cathedral presented a most magnificent coup d’œil. A gallery had been erected from the foot of the railing before the altar up to the centre of the east window, and occupied the entire breadth of the east end. It afforded accommodation for 1,150 children of the city. All the side galleries and closets were filled with ladies elegantly dressed, and even the walks above were crowded with spectators.” At five o’clock the Bishop attended a dinner, presided over by the High Sheriff (Mr. J. Petre) at the Norfolk Hotel. On the 18th the Mayor, Sheriff, and several members of the Corporation waited upon his lordship at the Palace, and presented him with a congratulatory address.
MAY.
3.—At the Norwich Theatre was produced for the first time “an entirely new comedy, written by a gentleman of the city, called ‘Come of Age, or the Happy Return.’” The critic of the Norfolk Chronicle described it as “a play without a plot, and a comedy without comicality.”
4.—Mr. Clifford, who had been for thirty-six years a member of the Norwich Company, took his farewell benefit at the Theatre. Mr. G. V. Brooke appeared in the character of Virginius. Clifford died on June 8th, aged 68. “During the 36 years that he filled the office of prompter, he discharged his arduous duties in a way that ensured him the attachment of every member of the company. A man of highly-cultivated intellect, Mr. Clifford was not less distinguished for his goodness of heart, manliness of disposition, and integrity of principle.”
11.—Mr. Gepps, of the White Lion Inn, Beccles, for a wager of £200, drove his “celebrated bay pony” one hundred miles in twelve hours. He started from the Swan Inn, Harleston, at 4 a.m., drove to the Ram Inn, Newmarket, and returned to the Round House at Denton, midway between Harleston and Bungay. The journey was performed 35 minutes within the time stipulated. “The pony received no punishment from the whip, yet the wantonness of the act is much to be regretted.”
19.—Died at Kempstone, Lieut.-General the Hon. William FitzRoy. He was the seventh son of Charles, first Lord Southampton, and had served in the campaigns in Holland and Egypt. Upon retiring from the Army, he applied himself to agricultural pursuits.