9.—The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of the new dock at Lynn was performed by Mrs. Jarvis, wife of Mr. L. W. Jarvis, chairman of the Dock Company. (See July 7th, 1869.)
10.—The first screw steamboat built in Norwich was launched from Field’s boatbuilding yard, Carrow Abbey. She was named the Alexandra, and was intended for passenger traffic on the local rivers. Mr. John Hart Boughen was the owner of the vessel.
—Mr. Elijah Crosier Bailey was appointed Clerk of the Peace for the city and county of the city of Norwich.
—The Norwich Town Council, on the motion of Mr. Field, adopted a resolution affirming the desirability of arranging with the Board of Guardians for the collection by one set of paid collectors of all the public rates within the corporate district of Norwich. On April 21st the Town Council adopted the report of a joint committee of the Corporation and the Guardians, who recommended that the corporate district be divided into eight districts; that the then four collectors be retained at the salary of £140 per year each; that four new collectors be appointed, at the salary of £100 a year each; that in future two poor rates be made yearly, namely, one in January and one in July, both of such rates to be collected in two instalments, the first in January and July, and the second in April and October; and that a like arrangement be made as to the making and collection of the rates of the Board of Health. This arrangement was known as the consolidation of the rates.
27.—Died at North Creake, in his 71st year, the Ven. R. E. Hankinson, M.A., Archdeacon of Norwich. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he took his B.A. degree in 1821, and was ordained in the same year by Bishop Bathurst, of Norwich. For some years he was minister of Well Walk Chapel, Hampstead; in 1847 was presented by the Dean and Chapter of Norwich to the incumbency of St. Margaret and St. Nicholas, King’s Lynn, which he held until 1863, when he was presented to the rectory of North Creake; and was appointed to the Archdeaconry of Norwich in 1857. He was succeeded by the Rev. Augustus Macdonald Hopper, honorary canon and rural dean, and proctor for the Archdeaconries of Norfolk and Norwich, who was collated on April 26th.
31.—At the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, a meeting of the Conservative and Constitutional Association passed a resolution condemnatory of Mr. Gladstone’s resolutions on the Irish Church. Many meetings were held for the same purpose in different parts of the county, and on April 23rd the Norwich Diocesan Church Association recorded its protest against the measure.
APRIL.
8.—A complimentary dinner, attended by about 150 gentlemen, was given to Lord Hastings at the Royal Hotel, Norwich, in recognition of the successful manner in which he had hunted the East Norfolk Foxhounds.
13.—The English Grand Opera Company, managed by Mr. G. B. Loveday and Mr. Oliver Summers, commenced a season’s engagement at Norwich Theatre. Madame Haigh-Dyer was the prima donna, and Mr. Henry Haigh and Mr. Henry Rowland were members of the company. The works produced included “Un Ballo in Maschira,” “Fidelio,” “Masaniello,” “Faust,” “Lurline,” “Il Trovatore,” “Satanella,” “Rose of Castile,” and “Crown Diamonds.”
14.—The headquarters of the 15th Hussars marched from Norwich Cavalry Barracks, en route to York.