26.—The Theatre Royal, Norwich, was occupied during the Christmas holidays by Mr. Ducrow’s equestrian company from the Royal Amphitheatre, London. Among the pageants produced were “Charlemagne,” “St. George and the Dragon,” “Mazeppa,” and “Timour the Tartar.” The season closed on January 26th, 1839.
1839.
JANUARY.
5.—Died at Braconash, aged 85, Elizabeth, widow of Mr. Thomas Berney, and third and last surviving daughter of Sir George Duckett, Bart., of Hartham, Wilts. “Mrs. Berney was a true representative of an English lady of times past, in its dignified and most attractive form.” At the funeral at Braconash, on the 15th, the hearse was preceded by “a canopy of plumes of feathers, borne by a mute with two others, one on each side.”
7.—A severe gale raged on the Norfolk coast, and many vessels were wrecked. Thirteen sail of vessels belonging to Yarmouth, with 100 hands on board, were missing, and at a public meeting held in the borough on the 23rd, a fund was started for the relief of the widows and children.
14.—At Lynn Quarter Sessions, before the Recorder (Mr. Martin John West), an indictment was preferred by Dr. John Tweedale, of that town, against Mr. William Drake, of East Dereham, and Mr. James Bowker, charging the defendants with provoking him to fight a duel, and with common assault. Mr. Drake, a solicitor, was employed by the Conservative party in the borough to attend the revision of the municipal voters’ lists, and a quarrel arose in consequence of certain evidence given by Dr. Tweedale as a charity trustee. The defendant Drake was found guilty of a common assault, and fined £5; and Bowker was acquitted.
—The agitation for the repeal of the Corn Laws was commenced in Norwich by the holding of a preliminary meeting, at which a petition in favour of the movement was agreed to. A common hall was held on February 7th, presided over by the Mayor (Mr. J. Marshall), when the Chartists attended and created a great disturbance. A resolution in favour of repeal was adopted. The Town Council discussed
the subject on February 8th and 11th, and a motion for petitioning both Houses of Parliament for a total repeal was carried by 26 votes to 20. Meetings with the same object became general throughout the county.
16.—Heigham Episcopal chapel, Norwich, was consecrated by the Bishop of the Diocese, and was known afterwards as the chapel of the Holy Trinity.
21.—Died at Catton, aged 38, the Rev. Dacre Barrett Lennard, sixth son of Sir Thomas Barrett Lennard, of Belhus, Essex, rector of St. Michael at Plea, Norwich, and chaplain to H.R.H. the Duke of Sussex and Lord Western. His remains were interred on the 28th “in a vault near the altar of his church.”