14.—In the House of Commons, Mr. C. S. Read called attention to the report of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act Committee, 1873, and moved, “That, in the opinion of this House, the general orders and regulations for the stoppage of disease should cease to be varying or permissive, and should be uniform throughout Great Britain and Ireland.” On an assurance from Viscount Sandon that the Government accepted the principle of uniformity, Mr. Read said he would not be justified in asking the House to divide, and withdrew the motion.
15.—The Norwich Election Commissioners issued their report. They found that corrupt practices extensively prevailed in Norwich at the election in March, 1875, and in February, 1874. The number of persons scheduled was as follows: Schedule I., persons guilty of bribery at the election of 1874 or 1875, 72; Schedule II., persons bribed at the election of 1874 or 1875, 31; Schedule III., guilty of personation, 1; Schedule IV., persons guilty of procuring personation, 2. In the House of Commons, on May 29th, the Attorney-General announced that the scheduled voters were to be disfranchised, and the writ for the vacant seat suspended during the then Parliament. At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, on February 26th, 1878, the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty’s Treasury requested payment by the city of £3,943 19s. 2d., the cost of the Commission. This charge was equal to a rate of 5d. in the pound.
APRIL.
1.—Died at Dean Street, Park Lane, London, the Hon. Frederick Walpole, M.P. He was third son of Horatio, third Earl of Orford, by Mary, eldest daughter of Mr. W. Fawkner, and was born September 18th, 1822. In 1837 he entered the Royal Navy, became Lieutenant in 1845, and retired from the service in 1864, as Commander. He served in the first China War, in India, and in the campaign on the Danube. Mr. Walpole unsuccessfully contested King’s Lynn at the General Election in November, 1865, when Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton and Lord Stanley (afterwards Earl of Derby) were returned. At the General Election in November, 1868, he was elected one of the members for the Northern Division of Norfolk, and at the next General Election was returned unopposed. Mr. Walpole was the author of “Five Years in the Pacific,” “The Ansayrii, or Further East,” and a novel, “May and December.” He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries and of the Geological Society. Mr. Walpole also served in the West Norfolk Militia, of which he was Major, and shortly before his death received the honorary rank of Lieut.-Colonel. He married, on February 12th, 1852, his cousin, Laura Sophia Frances, only daughter of Mr. Francis Walpole, by whom he left issue two sons and a daughter. Amy Rachael, who married the Hon. Henry Charles Manners Sutton, eldest son of Viscount Canterbury. One of the last acts of Mr. Walpole’s Parliamentary career was the introduction of the Bill for the protection of the crab and lobster fisheries on the Norfolk coast.
3.—A serious disturbance took place at Hethersett, on the occasion of the Norfolk and Norwich Steeplechases. A large number of roughs from Norwich had planned the robbery of the tills of the person who had received the gate-money and had charge of the refreshment department. An effort was made to unhorse Hickman, Mr. Angerstein’s huntsman, who was engaged in keeping the course, and in the mêlée which ensued an officer of the Carabiniers brought up at the trot a mounted detachment on duty at the races, and speedily quelled the disturbance.
5.—The Norwich Town Council, on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, decided to proceed with the work of widening London Street, from the Market Place to Castle Street, at a cost not exceeding £22,000, and appointed a committee to negotiate with owners of property and to inquire into the best mode of carrying out the improvement. The subject was discussed in detail at various meetings during the year. (See April 7th, 1877.)
10.—At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Baron Cleasby, Henry Webster, aged 61, a labourer, was found guilty of the murder of his wife, Sarah Webster, aged 53, at Cranworth, on September 17th, 1875. Sentence of death was passed, and the culprit was executed at Norwich Castle on May 1st. Marwood was the executioner.
17.—Mr. Charles Durand’s Grand English Opera Company commenced an engagement at Norwich Theatre, in Rossini’s comic opera, “Cinderella, or the Fairy of the Glass Slipper.” Miss Florence St. John was a member of the company.
18.—At an early hour in the morning the emigrant ship Humboldt, of Hamburgh, 729 tons register, bound from Hamburgh to the Brazils, with 349 emigrants on board, ran ashore on Winterton beach. With the assistance of tugs the vessel was got off and taken to Yarmouth Roads for repair. The master, Henrisch Detlof Busch, had lost his bearings, and believed himself to be off the coast of France!
20.—The first Starr-Bowkett Building Society was established at Norwich, by Mr. Starr, one of the originators of the system.