9.*—“During the last week as many as 18 seaborne vessels, via Lowestoft, many of them of considerable burden, have been lying at Foundry Bridge, Norwich, laden with coke, coals, and other materials, for delivery at the railway station. This proves how excellent and how practical was the plan of our late fellow-citizen, Mr. Crisp Brown, and must cause universal regret that it then failed.”
18.—An inquest was opened at Happisburgh by Mr. Pilgrim, one of the County Coroners, upon the bodies of Jonathan Balls, his wife, and four grandchildren, who were believed to have been poisoned. The bodies had been exhumed, and were placed in a tent erected in the churchyard; peace officers were sworn to prevent the incensed villagers
from rushing into the tent. Several other bodies were disinterred, and in nearly every instance traces of arsenic were found. At the adjourned inquiry some curious facts were elicited. Suspicion pointed to Balls as having destroyed his wife and grandchildren, and then poisoned himself. His conduct years previously had been suspicious, children having died suddenly while at his house. What number of persons had been thus destroyed it was impossible to ascertain. The jury found that, in the majority of the cases, death resulted from the effects of poison, but how it was administered there was no evidence to show.
26.—The bells of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, were rung on the reception of the news of the birth, on the previous day, of a Princess (Princess Helena Augusta Victoria).
31.—Died at Kimberley Hall, in his 76th year, the Right Hon. John Baron Wodehouse. He was born January 11th, 1771, and married November 18th, 1796, Charlotte Laura, only child and heiress of Mr. John Norris, of Witton Park. He succeeded to the peerage on the death of his father in 1834. He was made Lord Lieutenant of the county and Vice-Admiral of the coast in the room of Lord Suffield in 1821, and he had also served as Colonel of the East Norfolk Militia, and was Steward of Norwich Cathedral. His lordship was succeeded in his title and estates by his grandson, John Gurdon Wodehouse, son of Henry Wodehouse and of Anne, only daughter of Mr. T. T. Gurdon. The deceased nobleman was a staunch Conservative. “He was of commanding appearance, both in personal figure and dignity of deportment. During the contest for the representation of Norfolk in 1806 it was remarked with perfect truth that three finer men or more perfect gentlemen than Mr. Windham, Mr. Coke, and Col. Wodehouse never presented themselves together as candidates for the electoral suffrages of a great county.”
JUNE.
5.—A fire occurred at St. James’s Factory, Norwich. Upwards of one thousand persons were, in consequence, thrown out of employment.
25.—The first meeting of a new archery society, known as the West Norfolk Bowmen, of which Sir William B. ffolkes was “Prime Warden,” and Lady ffolkes “Lady Patroness,” was held at Reffley Wood, near King’s Lynn.
27.—The first excursion train from London arrived at Norwich. It conveyed 800 passengers, who left Shoreditch at one p.m., and reached Norwich at eight p.m. The first excursion train from Yarmouth to London was run on June 29th. “There were 1,500 persons when it left Trowse Station at a quarter to nine, in 37 carriages. The passengers had increased to 2,000, and the carriages to 52, before it reached London, at 5.15 p.m.” The return fare was 7s. 6d. On June 30th 6,000 passengers were conveyed by two special cheap trains to Yarmouth and back. Hundreds of Nonconformist Sunday School children were taken at threepence a head, and the return fare for ordinary passengers was one shilling. Ten thousand persons assembled at Thorpe Station to witness the return of the excursionists.