—Permission was given by the authorities of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital for the formation of a hospital museum, on the understanding that there should be no alienation of the funds of the institution. On October 19th it was reported to the Governors that the museum had been completed, and an inscription on vellum was voted to Mr. William Dalrymple, in grateful acknowledgment of his donation of his entire collection in anatomy and pathology, and to Mr. J. G. Crosse for his valuable contributions. (See September 10th, 1845.)
7.—John Franklin, “known by the name of Bill Downey, the celebrated Southtown pedestrian,” for a wager of £10 walked from the Duke’s Head Inn, the Quay, Yarmouth, to the Shirehall, Norwich, and back, in eleven and a half hours.
8.—A meeting was held at North Walsham, for the purpose of forming a Protection Association against the attacks of the Anti-Corn Law League. Similar associations were formed in other parts of the county, and about fifty petitions were sent to Parliament, praying that no alteration be made in the state of the law.
10.*—“A society for insurance against damages by hail has been established in Norwich, an influential body of gentlemen having accepted the office of directors, and numerous parties have intimated their intention to take advantage of this institution.”
13.—A new historical play, entitled, “Zopyrus, the Hero of Persia,” by Mr. William Cooper, barrister, of Norwich, was produced for the first time at Norwich, Theatre.
15.—A singular person, named Jemima Cock, died at Long Stratton. “She was 78 years of age, and was known for many years as a letter-carrier of the Post Office, and although no scholar, was never known to make a mistake in that department. She once travelled the country as a seller of rakes and other implements. She wore top boots, kindly given to her by gentlemen of the village, and dressed her head with a hat like Mrs. Twankey’s in the play of the ‘Ladies’ Club,’ and long
before, and at the time of her demise was, by order of the parish, made governess of the clink. She leaves no relative or friend to mourn her loss, save one, and those placed under her kind attention in prison-like confinement, and the poor weary barefooted traveller who wandered thither for shelter (and repose) from the fury of the pelting storm.”
20.—It was announced in the “London Gazette” that Sir E. L. Bulwer, Bart., in compliance with a direction contained in the will of his late mother, Elizabeth Barbara Bulwer Lytton, of Knebworth, would thereafter use the surname of Lytton in addition to and after that of Bulwer, and also bear the arms of Lytton quarterly in the first quarter with his own family arms.
26.—An information was laid before the Docking magistrates by Robert Bullock, a common informer, against Mr. William Shearman, of Burnham, under 52 Geo. III., cap. 93, for having, on November 17th, 1843, “assisted Mr. Charles Edward Overman and 20 other persons in the taking of a hare by means of two greyhounds, the said act of assisting not being done in the company or presence and for the use of any person who had then duly obtained a certificate in his own right and who then and there used his own dogs for the taking of the said hare,” whereby he rendered himself liable to a penalty of £20. Evidence was adduced showing that the dogs which ran at the West Burnham Coursing Meeting, where the alleged offence took place, belonged to qualified persons. The Bench recorded a conviction, against which the defendant appealed, at the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, held at Norwich on March 13th. The Court quashed the conviction. Twenty other cases depended upon the result of this appeal.
—Died in London, aged 73, Mr. John Wright. He was a native of Norwich, and going early in life to the Metropolis, where he had the superintendence of Hookham’s Reading Rooms, in Old Bond Street, he became acquainted with many of the leading political and literary characters of the day, by whose support he entered into business as a publisher, in Piccadilly. He was the particular friend of Gifford, the poet, and the rencontre between that individual and Peter Pindar took place at Wright’s house. He was afterwards connected with Cobbett in the publication of the “Weekly Register,” but this terminated in a lawsuit, in which the latter gained little credit. Literary pursuits of various kinds occupied Mr. Wright’s attention for the remainder of his life, and his assistance was much sought after by publishers and others, in affording which and in attendance at the House of Commons he generally spent his time. He was supposed to have had the superintendence and correction of “Hansard’s Debates.”