1.—Another instance of the holding in church of a public meeting for secular purposes occurred on this date. The inhabitants of Stoke
Holy Cross assembled at the parish church to discuss the propriety of establishing a benefit society. Mr. T. Brightwell presided over the meeting.
14.—Died, aged 65, at Long Island, United States, Mr. John Hunt, engraver, formerly of Norwich. He was the author of a work on British ornithology.
19.—A severe thunderstorm occurred at Norwich. “The wind blew a perfect hurricane. Rushing in a straight line for Catton, it caught the high wall in St. Clement’s Square, and blew down about 30 yards of solid brickwork.” The sails of Catton mill were blown off, trees were torn up by the roots, and the river suddenly rose above the banks in places. At Harleston a marsh mill was overturned and houses were unroofed.
21.—Died at the Euston Hotel, London, Mr. Fred. Yates, aged 45, manager of the Adelphi Theatre. He married, in 1823, Miss F. Brunton, granddaughter of Mr. John Brunton, of Norwich.
30.—Died at Longford Hall, Derbyshire, aged 88, Thomas William Coke, Earl of Leicester. His lordship was born on May 6th, 1753, and was returned for Norfolk in 1776. With one brief intermission, he continued to represent the county until 1832. He was created Earl of Leicester in 1837. He married, in his twenty-third year, his cousin Jane, youngest daughter of Mr. James Dutton, who died June 2nd, 1800, leaving no male issue. After remaining twenty-two years a widower, he married, February 26th, 1822, Lady Anne Amelia Keppel, third daughter of the Earl of Albemarle, her ladyship being then 19 and Mr. Coke 70 years of age. The issue of the marriage were Thomas William, born in 1822; Edward Keppel, 1824; Henry Coke, 1827; Wenman Clarence Walpole, 1828; and Margaret Sophia, who, at the Earl’s death was only ten years of age. The remains of the deceased nobleman arrived at Swaffham on July 10th, and were placed in the large room at the Crown Inn. From four o’clock in the afternoon until nine in the evening the body lay in state, and immense numbers of persons passed through the apartment. At nine o’clock on the morning of the 11th, muffled peals were rung, and at eleven o’clock the funeral procession started for Tittleshall. It passed through Castle-acre, the Lexhams, and Litcham. “At every spot where the main road crossed the cross roads were carriages in waiting to fall into the procession, which, marching in close order, was two miles in length.” At Tittleshall church, where the interment took place, there was a great gathering of the personal friends and tenantry of the deceased earl.
JULY.
2.—Died at Hexham, Northumberland, aged 86, Mr. William Cooke, formerly of North Creake. “About 60 years ago, under the auspices of Mr. T. W. Coke, and upon the estate of Earl Spencer, he introduced into Norfolk the drill system for corn. He subsequently introduced into the same county the Northumberland turnip husbandry, and, in conjunction with Sir Mordaunt Martin and Dr. Letsome, established the cultivation of mangold wurzle in England. During his latter years he devoted much time and his high mathematical attainments to perfecting the plough.”
4.—The first meeting for enforcing the Income-Tax was held at the Shirehall, Norwich, when Commissioners were appointed for the several Hundreds named in the Act of Parliament. Similar meetings took place at Yarmouth and Lynn.
6.—Races were held at East Dereham. The other meetings this season were at Norwich on July 12th and 13th, Downham July 22nd, and Yarmouth September 6th and 7th.