APRIL.
10.—A statement was published as to the proposed disposal of the sum of £1,263 4s. 5d. realised by the two concerts given by Jenny Lind in 1849. It was her wish “that the money should be employed in founding and supporting some new charity, and, if possible, a lasting one, for the poor of Norwich.” The committee, “feeling that no charity could be permanent which was not in a great measure self-supporting,” resolved to devote the money to establishing public baths and wash-houses. A large malthouse in St. Stephen’s, formerly the property of Mr. Crawshay, was to be purchased for £700, and plans and specifications for converting the building into baths had been prepared by a London architect, “but unfortunately the lowest tenders exceed by a very large amount the sum at the disposal of the committee. They find that unless they can raise £1,000 in addition to their present fund, they must entirely give up the undertaking.” The Mayor was requested to convene a public meeting, which was held at the Guildhall on April 21st, when Mr. Samuel Bignold moved a resolution in favour of the adoption of the baths scheme. Mr. Henry Browne strongly protested against the proposed misappropriation of the money, and the question was adjourned for a month. Meanwhile several local charities made claims for assistance, and on May 27th a further adjournment was decided upon. The matter was in abeyance until February 7th, 1853, when Dr. W. H. Ranking, in a letter to the Norfolk Chronicle, advocated “the endowment of an additional ward or wards in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, to be appropriated to the treatment of diseases of children.” On May 30th, 1853, a public meeting was held at the Guildhall, under the presidency of the Lord Bishop, “for the purpose of promoting the establishment of an institution for sick children.” It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. J. G. Johnson, seconded by the Mayor (Mr. Coaks), “That an infirmary for the treatment of the diseases of sick children be established in Norwich, to be called the Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children.” The first meeting of the supporters of the new institution was held under the presidency of the Mayor (Mr. Samuel Bignold), “in the house in Pottergate Street taken for the Charity,” on December 16th, 1853.
17.*—“The premises of the old Waterworks Company have been purchased of the Corporation by the new company, who have liberally offered to give up their interest in Chapel Field to the Corporation on condition that the latter shall undertake to lay out the Field as a park and pleasure-ground, so as to render it an ornament to the city. The Corporation will have a considerable surplus fund in hand when the company have paid the purchase-money for the Waterworks. By a plan submitted by Mr. Lynore, engineer of the Waterworks, the Field will be enclosed by a dwarf wall and railings, with handsome entrance-gates at the Theatre Street, Crescent, and St. Giles’ corners, and a porter’s lodge at the latter. The interior is to be laid out in the style of the London parks, the reservoir to be retained, but altered in shape, and the present tower to be ornamented and furnished with waiting-rooms, it is also proposed to place the Nelson statue on an elegant fountain pedestal in the centre of the reservoir.”
18.—Died, Mr. George Bennett, comedian, aged 76.
MAY.
1.—A detachment of the 4th (Queen’s Own) Light Dragoons arrived at Norwich Cavalry Barracks, to relieve the Queen’s Bays, who had marched for Manchester.
—*“We have now had ten weeks’ drought, the last wet day being the 18th of February.”
2.—Died, in his 49th year, at his residence, Grosvenor Street, London, Mr. John Dalrymple, F.R.S. He was the eldest son of Mr. William Dalrymple, the distinguished Norwich surgeon. After studying under his father and at Edinburgh University, Mr. Dalrymple passed his examination before the College of Surgeons in 1827, and commenced practice in Norwich. In 1832 he was elected an assistant surgeon to the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital, of which institution he became, in 1843, full surgeon. In 1847 he was appointed consulting surgeon to the North London Infirmary, and in 1851 became a member of the Council of the College of Surgeons. Mr. Dalrymple was one of the founders of the Royal College of Chemistry.
7.—In the Court of Queen’s Bench an important decision was given in the case of the Queen v. Robert Wiffin Blake, who had been required to show by what authority he had exercised the office of town councillor at Norwich. At the previous municipal election Mr. Blake, who was then one of the six aldermen of the city, became a candidate for the office of councillor of the Fourth Ward. Mr. Cundall, a Conservative, was his opponent. Mr. Blake having a majority of five votes, the presiding alderman and assessor returned him as duly elected, notwithstanding that notice had been given of his ineligibility. The Court decided that Mr. Blake could not be elected a councillor while holding the office of alderman. The defendant filed a disclaimer of the office of town councillor, and therefore allowed judgment of ouster to pass against him, with costs. (See November 23rd.)
8.—Died at Nice, in his 85th year, General Auguste De Bardelin. For many years the deceased was a highly respected resident in Norwich. A native of Aix, in Provence, and born of a noble family, he was appointed one of the garde du corps of Louis XVI., and was on duty at Versailles on October 6th, 1789, when the Royal palace was assailed by the insurrectionary mob of Paris, and the King and Queen were defended from assassination through the heroic sacrifice of life by many gentlemen of their bodyguard. M. De Bardelin accompanied the French princes in their exile, and afterwards came to England and settled in Norwich. There he remained about twenty-two years, supporting himself by teaching the French and Italian languages. In 1814 he accompanied Louis XVIII. to Paris, and the Government of the Restoration being established, he resumed his military occupation. After Bonaparte’s second abdication, he returned with has lawful Sovereign. For ten years from that time M. De Bardelin continued to reside at the Royal chateau at St. Germains, in which a handsome suite of apartments was appropriated to his use, where he always delighted in welcoming the visits of his Norwich friends. In 1830 he was promoted to be Général Maréchal de Camp. In 1815 or 1816 the Chevalier married Miss Sutton, a lady well-known to Roman Catholic families of distinction in Norfolk and Suffolk. Madame De Bardelin died in 1826. In 1830 General De Bardelin resigned has command and resided in Paris till 1848, when the Republic being proclaimed, he went to his native province, and in the winter of 1851 sojourned at Nice. “He always referred to his residence at Norwich as the best period of his life. His pupils at Thurgar’s school were enquired after with affectionate interest; he remembered the hospitalities at Crown Point, where General Money gave him a second home, and he never could forget the day when he quitted Norwich by the mail coach from the Angel Inn, on the restoration of the Bourbons;—passengers, horses, and all were decorated with white cockades, and a host of friends assembled to cheer and bid him farewell in true old English style.” The daughter of General De Bardelin became the Baroness de Fabry.