5.—Mr. J. L. Toole commenced a two nights’ engagement at Norwich Theatre, and appeared in “The Spitialfields Weaver,” “Ici on parle Français,” and “The Area Belle.”
6.—Died, in his 70th year, at his residence, Surrey Road, Norwich, Mr. William Day, who for upwards of forty years had held the office of magistrates’ clerk.
9.—Died, Sir George James Turner, the senior Lord Justice of Appeal. He was born at Great Yarmouth in 1798, where his father, the Rev. Richard Turner, was for thirty years vicar. His education commenced at the Charterhouse (of which he was afterwards a governor), and finished at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where his uncle, Dr. Joseph Turner, Dean of Norwich, was then master. In 1819 he took his degree as wrangler, and was soon afterwards elected a Fellow of Pembroke. Having entered at Lincoln’s Inn, he was called to the Bar in 1821, and became Queen’s Counsel in 1840, and from 1847 to 1851 sat in the House of Commons as member for Coventry. In 1851 he was selected as a Vice-Chancellor, and in 1853, when Lord Cottenham was appointed Lord Chancellor, he was promoted Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal. Sir George married in 1823, Louisa, youngest daughter of Mr. Edward Jones, of Brackley, Northamptonshire.
AUGUST.
1.—A new lifeboat, the cost of which had been generously defrayed by a lady residing at Bath, was launched at Sheringham. It was named the Duncan, and was housed in a commodious building, with reading-room attached for the use of the fishermen.
8.—At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Justice Byles, Hubbard Lingley, aged 22, was indicted for the murder of Benjamin Black, his uncle, by shooting him at Barton Bendish, on May 17th. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to death. The execution was carried out by Calcraft, on the Castle Hill, Norwich, at eight a.m. on August 26. “The holding of an execution upon Monday instead of on the market-day (Saturday) is a vast improvement, but it is to be hoped the time is not far distant when executions will take place within instead of outside the prison walls.” (This was the last public execution in Norwich.)
—Died at her residence, at Weybridge, Mrs. Austin (Sarah Taylor, of Norwich). She was born in 1793, and married, in 1820, Mr. John Austin, a barrister on the Norfolk Circuit. A miscellaneous writer of some repute, she never aspired to original literary compositions, but devoted the singular power of her pen to the reproduction in English of many of the best contemporary works of German and French literature. Her translations, from the German especially, were of the highest excellence.
12.—Chapel Field, Norwich, which had for some months been closed to the public, was re-opened. Several portions of the old city wall had been removed, and railings erected, and efforts were also made to level the area.
14.—The Norfolk and Eastern Counties Working Classes Exhibition and Industrial Festival was opened at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, by the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Watson). The exhibition consisted of works of art, industry, and mechanical invention, and remained open for one month.
30.—Mr. George Buttler Kennett, formerly of Great Yarmouth, was appointed clerk to the justices of Norwich, in place of Mr. William Day, deceased.