27.—The Blake-Bignold incident occurred at the Norwich Police-court. Mr. Blake, on September 2nd, was charged with assaulting a publican, and fined, and, on his leaving the court, was followed by a mob, who endeavoured to overturn the cab in which he had taken refuge.
28.—Lord Walsingham, while shooting on Blubberhouse Moor, Yorkshire, killed with his own gun 842 head of grouse, between the hours of 5.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The birds were driven, and before one o’clock 550 had been bagged.
29.—A portion of the Reserve Squadron, consisting of nine ironclad war vessels, under the command of Admiral Randolph, entered Yarmouth Roads, and sailed on the 30th for the Nore. The officers and men numbered 4,500.
—A 300 yards swimming match took place at Thorpe, between John Morris, ex-champion of England, and “Victor Natator, the champion under-water performer,” for £10 a side. “Natator” received ten yards’ start, and, after an exciting race, was beaten by three yards.
SEPTEMBER.
2.—Died at Slough, Buckinghamshire, aged 95 years, Mrs. Anne Rigby, widow of Dr. Rigby, of Norwich, whom she survived 51 years.
5.—The Norwich Board of Guardians, after a long and acrimonious discussion, agreed, on the motion of the Rev. A. C. Copeman, seconded by Dr. Bateman, to accede to the request of Professor Humphrey, of Cambridge, that he be supplied, for the purposes of dissection, with the unclaimed bodies of persons who died in the Workhouse. At a meeting on October 3rd an attempt was made to rescind the resolution, which, however, was confirmed by 16 votes against 12. On December 12th a third debate resulted in the rescission of the original motion by one vote.
9.—The first election in the Eastern Counties under the new Ballot Act took place at Great Yarmouth, when a councillor was returned to fill in the Town Council the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Preston.
10.—Lord Walsingham was presented by his Merton tenantry with an address of welcome upon his return after a prolonged visit to America.
16.—Norwich Theatre was opened for the winter season, under the management of Mr. G. H. Chaplin. “It has been our lot to witness some very indifferent acting upon the Norwich boards, but we never remember having seen a whole company (with the exception of Mr. Chaplin) so thoroughly destitute of histrionic talent, or so wretchedly poor in the dresses whereby to represent the characters.”