24.—Madame Vestris and Mr. Charles Mathews commenced a short engagement at Norwich Theatre, in “Patter versus Clatter,” “Loan of a Lover,” “Grist to the Mill,” and “Follies of a Night.”
JULY.
13.—At Marsham, near Aylsham, were rung 10,080 changes of Oxford treble bob major, “the longest peal on eight bells ever completed in
this county.” It was composed by Eversfield, of London, and rung in 5 hours 44 minutes.
22.—Died at Longford Hall, Derbyshire, whither she had retired for her accouchement, Anne Amelia Dowager Countess of Leicester, wife of the Right Hon. Ed. Ellice, M.P. for Coventry. The third daughter of the Earl and Countess of Albemarle, and born on June 16th, 1803, she married, on February 26th, 1822, Mr. Thomas William Coke, of Holkham, who was created Earl of Leicester in 1837, and died in 1842. Her ladyship married Mr. Ellice on October 25th, 1843.
25.—A cricket match, Marylebone Club and Ground against Norfolk with Fuller Pilch, commenced at Lord’s. Norfolk, 60-111; Marylebone, 79-71. The return match commenced at Swaffham on Sept. 5th. Marylebone, 19-32; Norfolk, 45-6.
29.—The celebrated dwarf, Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), made his first appearance in Norwich at the Theatre Royal, where he was introduced by Mr. Barnum, the equally famous showman.
30.—Mr. Justice Williams, in charging the Grand Jury at the Norfolk Assizes, dwelt upon the alarming increase of incendiarism.
AUGUST.
1.—Madame Céleste and Mr. Webster commenced an engagement at Norwich Theatre. One of the features of the entertainment was the dancing of “le Polka.” This dance, which was introduced for the first time in Norwich, was described as “a mixture of the waltz and the cracovienne, and extremely pretty when danced well.” All the local dancing masters advertised it, and it gave fresh life and animation to the ball rooms. “Nothing was more wearisome,” it was said, “than the eternal first set of quadrilles, and comparatively few joined in the waltz; in the polka we have a dance full of life, elegant in its figures, and with the additional charm of being accompanied by music of the most attractive character.” At the Norwich Sessions Ball, on Sept. 16th, it was a great attraction; Mr. Frank Noverre gave a “polka ball” at the Assembly Rooms on December 2nd; and at Miss Bidwell’s ball, at the same place, on December 5th, “these ladies danced the polka in character, giving a good delineation of Madame Céleste and Mr. Webster.”