12.—Madame Albani gave a concert at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, in aid of the Jenny Lind Infirmary. She received the voluntary assistance of Miss Damian, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Santley, Lady Benedict (solo pianist), M. Carl Walther (solo violinist), Dr. Bunnett (organist), and the Norwich Gatehouse Choir. Signor Bisaccia conducted, and the proceeds amounted to £529 14s. 8d.
13.—Died, at Milgrove House, Fulham, Thomas Heron Jones, seventh Viscount Ranelagh. He was born at Fulham in 1812, and succeeded his father in 1820. His lordship took a prominent part in originating and forming the Volunteer force in 1859. For some time he served in the 1st Life Guards and in the 7th Fusiliers. By his death the title, which was created in 1628, became extinct. He was succeeded in his estates (principally at St. Faith’s, Norwich) by his cousin, Alexander Montgomery, son of Vice-Admiral the Hon. Alexander Montgomery Jones, son of the fourth Viscount. Lord Ranelagh served the office of High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1868.
13.—At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Justice Stephen, Robert Goodale, 45, gardener, was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife, Bathsheba Goodale, at Walsoken, on September 15th. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. The execution took place at Norwich Castle on November 30th. Berry, of Bradford, was the executioner. “As the clock of an adjacent church struck the hour of eight, Berry, who was stationed behind the prisoner with the lever in his hand, asked him, ‘Do you wish to say anything else before you go?’ to which Goodale replied in the negative, and before the eighth stroke had sounded, the lever was pulled, the trap-door fell, and the prisoner, who weighed 15 stone, and was 5 ft. 11 in. in height, and was allowed a drop just short of six feet, disappeared from view. To the horror of the bystanders the rope rebounded, and it was thought that by some means it had become unfastened. On looking into the pit below the scaffold the spectators observed the body lying on the ground, with the head still enveloped in the white cap, completely severed from the trunk.” At the subsequent inquest the jury found that death was caused by hanging, and “they imputed no blame to anyone for what had occurred.”
19.—A desperate encounter took place between a couple of tigers at Bostock and Wombwell’s menagerie at Norwich. One animal seized the other, named Tippo, by the throat, and although every effort was made to separate them, Tippo was laid lifeless upon the floor. The victim’s windpipe was crushed, and death resulted from suffocation. The animal, a fine specimen of the Royal Bengal tiger, was valued at £400.
23.—The General Election under the extended franchise commenced on this date. The nomination of candidates for the representation of Norwich took place at the Guildhall, before the Sheriff (Mr. J. J. Dawson Paul). The following were proposed:—Mr. Harry Bullard, of Hellesdon House (C.); Mr. Jeremiah James Colman, of Carrow House (L.); and Mr. Robert Samuel Wright, of 1, Paper Buildings, Temple, London, barrister-at-law (L.). The polling took place on the 25th, between the hours of eight a.m. and eight p.m. “The Market Place was the scene of a regular carnival. The principal form of practical joking was the discharge of small bags of flour at any prominent person who chanced to run the gauntlet of the crowd. No ill-temper was displayed, and probably no election ever took place in Norwich where so little animosity was exhibited. We think the keeping of the poll open until eight o’clock was generally admitted to be a mistake, as unnecessarily prolonging the excitement incidental to an election where party feeling runs high.” At the close of the poll the ballot boxes were conveyed to the Guildhall, where the counting immediately commenced, and the result was declared at 12.45 as follows:—Bullard, 7,279; Colman, 6,666; Wright, 6,251. On December 21st a petition was lodged against the return of Mr. Bullard. (See March 17th, 1886.)
—At Yarmouth, on the re-enfranchisement of the borough, Sir Henry Wheatley Tyler (C.) and Captain Cecil W. Norton (L.) were nominated. The polling, which took place on the 24th, resulted as follows:—Tyler, 2,661; Norton, 2,476.
—The Right Hon. Robert Bourke (C.) and Sir W. ffolkes, Bart. (L.) were nominated for King’s Lynn. The polling on the 25th resulted—Bourke, 1,472; ffolkes, 1,302.
24.—For South Norfolk Sir Robert Jacob Buxton, Bart. (C), and Mr. Francis Taylor, of Diss (L.), were nominated. The polling took place on the 27th, and the result was declared at the Shirehall, Norwich, on the 28th as follows:—Taylor, 4,580; Buxton, 3,588.
—The candidates nominated for East Norfolk were Mr. Edward Birkbeck (C.) and Mr. Philip Falk, of Kensington Palace Gardens, London (L.). The polling took place on the 30th, and the result was declared at the Shirehall, Norwich, on December 1st as follows:—Birkbeck, 4,682; Falk, 4,459.
25.—The nomination of candidates for North Norfolk took place at Aylsham. The nominees were Mr. Samuel Hoare, of Cliff House, Cromer (C), and Mr. Herbert Hardy Cozens-Hardy, Q.C., of 50, Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, London (L.). The polling was on December 1st, and the declaration, at Aylsham, on December 2nd. Result:—Cozens-Hardy, 5,028; Hoare, 3,342.