28.—A cricket match was played on the ice on Scoulton Mere, between two selected elevens from the parish of Hingham. “Mr. W. Waller’s side went in first, and after some fine play, and still finer falls, were out for 66 runs. Mr. W. Roberts’ side then took the bat, and scored 170 runs in the most slashing style, hitting the ball quite off the ice in all directions. Some of the players wore skaits, and others their stump shoes, &c., to prevent falling.”
30.—At a meeting held at the East India and Colonial Rooms, Pall Mall, under the presidency of Mr. W. L. W. Chute, M.P., the Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridge Railway Company was formed, for the purpose of constructing a line to proceed from Yarmouth to Bishop’s Stortford, by way of Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough, Thetford, Newmarket and Cambridge. The principal promoter was Mr. J. W. Rastrick, and the adoption of the scheme was agreed to on the motion of the Marquis of Douro, seconded by Mr. Samuel Bignold. The estimated cost of the line was two millions, and of locomotives and carriages, £200,000.
31.—The weather “was warmer and more brilliant than the last days of May are sometimes found to be.” In the previous week the thermometer stood at eleven degrees below freezing point.
1841.
JANUARY.
3.—A severe gale, with thunder, lightning, and hailstorms, occurred.
4.—A correspondent writing to the Norfolk Chronicle on this date announced the discovery, in the old Library Room at St. Andrew’s Hall,
Norwich, of an antique chest containing the remains of a valuable collection of Roman and English coins. John Kirkpatrick, in his will, dated July, 1727, made the following bequest: “I give to the Mayor, Sheriffs, citizens and commonalty of Norwich all my ancient MSS. and all my medals and antient coins of silver and brass, to be deposited in the library of the new Hall” (the Guildhall). The coins found at St. Andrew’s Hall formed the remnant of that collection.
7.—The thermometer fell to zero at Norwich. The cold was so intense that fowls under cover were frozen to death. Great distress prevailed, and meetings were held at Norwich, Yarmouth, and Lynn, to adopt measures for the relief of the poor.
9.—Died in the Cathedral Precincts, Norwich, in his 77th year, the Rev. Peter Hansell, one of the Minor Canons of the Cathedral, an office which he had held for upwards of fifty-four years. For more than half a century he was minister of St. John de Sepulchre. His remains were interred, on the 15th, in the south transept of the Cathedral.