FEBRUARY.
2.—A large sea-borne vessel, heavily laden with coal, and between 60 and 70 tons burden, was brought up to the head of the navigation at Norwich, the first vessel of the kind that had ever got beyond Foundry Bridge. It was a Dutch-built craft, drawing only two feet of water, and was the property of Messrs. Bullard and Watts, St. Michael-at-Coslany Bridge.
6.—Mr. D. N. Fisher gave the first of three subscription concerts at the Assembly Rooms, Norwich. The artistes included Mdlle. Schloss, Madame and Signor F. Lablache, Mr. W. L. Phillips (principal violoncello), Mr. D. N. Fisher (leader), Mr. William Sterndale Bennett (director), and Mr. James Harcourt (director of rehearsals). “The musical world of Norwich owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Fisher for introducing to them Mr. William Sterndale Bennett. As a pianist, Mr. Bennett, without the extravagance and with less fire and brilliance than Liszt, has all the expression and musical enthusiasm of that performer.”
MARCH.
27.—At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Justice Maule, Samuel Yarham was indicted for the murder of Harriet Candler, at Yarmouth, on November 18th, 1844. The prisoner, who at the Spring Assizes in 1845 turned Queen’s evidence against three other men (Hall, Mapes, and Royal) charged with the murder, had made certain admissions which led to his apprehension at Gloucester, where he had gone to work. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death. The execution took place on the Castle Hill, Norwich, on April 11th (Tombland Fair-day), in the presence of 30,000 spectators. “Eight hundred persons came from Wymondham in one train; it was found necessary to use bullock-trucks to convey the people, there not being a sufficient number of regular carriages.” The fancy fair (the Sick Poor Repository) and all business in the city was suspended during the morning. “After the execution, gongs, drums, and other instruments commenced their uproar, mountebanks and clowns their antics, the vendors of wares and exhibitors of prodigies their cries, while the whirligigs and ups-and-downs were soon in full swing. The public-houses round the Hill were crowded, and hundreds finished the day in riot and intoxication. Royal and Hall were on the Hill during the execution, and got jostled by the crowd. They were turned out of the Golden Ball public-house and other houses where they presented themselves.” Owing to the scandalous character of the proceedings, a public meeting was held at St. Andrew’s Hall on April 17th, under the presidency of the Mayor, when it was decided to petition Parliament for the abolition of capital punishment.
APRIL.
1.—The first general meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Archæological Society was held at the Norfolk and Norwich Museum, under the presidency of the Lord Bishop of Norwich.
8.—Died at his residence at Lakenham, aged 81, Mr. Thomas Thurtell, formerly an Alderman of Norwich, who served the office of Sheriff in 1815, and of Mayor in 1828. “He was universally esteemed as an honest and upright man.” (See April 30th.)
11.—George Clarke, a Norwich pedestrian, commenced a walk of 1,500 miles in 1,000 successive hours, “a mile and a half at the beginning of each hour,” at the West End Retreat Gardens, Norwich. (The result was not recorded.)
16.—The Rev. R. F. Elwin, of Norwich, was presented with a silver coffee service, in recognition of “his promotion of the objects of the Norfolk and Norwich Musical Festival from its institution, in 1824.”