21.—The Norwich Central Conservative Club was formally constituted at a meeting of the party, held at the Bell Hotel.
22.—Died at Cardiff, aged 38, Mr. Henry Powel Smith, fourth son of Mr. George Smith, formerly manager of the Norwich Theatrical Circuit.
24.—In pursuance of a writ from the Exchequer Division of the High Court of Justice, the Sheriff of Norwich, by his Under-Sheriff (Mr. F. Fox), empanelled a jury at the Royal Hotel to inquire what lands and tenements, and their yearly value, were possessed by James Frederick Neale, of St. Andrew’s Hall Plain, grocer, and what goods and chattels any person had in trust for him, as he was truly indebted to the Crown in the sum of £801 10s., “which sum was in danger of being lost unless some method more speedy than the ordinary course of procedure at law be had.” These proceedings constituted another phase of the notorious Creak case. The jury found that Mr. Neale possessed property to the amount of £855, including £300 book debts, £505 stock-in-trade, and £50 paid on a life insurance policy, besides freehold property of the value of £16 a year. The jury thought they were not bound to find what was Mr. Neale’s indebtedness to the Crown, or what was the yearly value of the property he held belonging to the late Margaret Creak.
29.—The 1st Dragoons (Royal)—five troops with headquarters—arrived at Norwich, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Graham.
AUGUST.
11.—A fire, involving damage to the amount of about £10,000, occurred at Messrs. Boulton and Paul’s Ironworks, Rose Lane, Norwich.
12.—Died at his residence, Unthank’s Road, Norwich, Mr. Josiah Fletcher, aged 70. He was born at Henley-on-Thames, and in 1822 was apprenticed to Mr. Simon Wilkin, printer, &c., of the Haymarket, Norwich, with whom, on the completion of his term, he entered into partnership. Mr. Fletcher, in 1834, succeeded to the business, which was subsequently removed to the Market Place, and was there carried on by him until 1871, when, in consequence of his failing health, he retired, and was succeeded by his only son, who erected the extensive premises at Davey Place Steps. “Mr. Fletcher may be said to have been the originator of the ‘Norfolk News,’ of which journal he was for some time the editor and chief manager.”
18.—Died at Ingoldisthorpe Hall, in his 88th year, Captain John Davy, R.N. He entered the Navy in 1803, was midshipman of the Barfleur in Sir Robert Calder’s action in 1805, saw much gunboat service in 1807 and 1808 in the Faro off Messina, and was present at the reduction of the islands of Ischia and Procida.
29.—At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, it was decided to purchase the Oxford Hotel for a sum not exceeding £2,000, for the purpose of converting it into municipal offices. A special meeting was held on September 19th, at which it was reported that immediately after the decision of the Council a Norwich solicitor had offered £2,250 for the building. Mr. J. D. Smith, on behalf of the Corporation, offered £2,275, at which price it became city property. Considerable indignation was expressed at the action of the solicitor in question, which, it was pointed out, involved an increase in the rates of one farthing in the pound.