6.—Mr. Ailwyn Edward Fellowes (C.) and Mr. Herbert Hardy Cozens-Hardy, Q.C. (G.) were nominated, at the Town Hall, Aylsham, candidates for North Norfolk. The poll was opened on July 10th: Cozens-Hardy, 4,084; Fellowes, 3,325.
7.—The nomination took place at East Dereham of Mr. R. T. Gurdon (L.U.) and Mr. James Toller, tenant-farmer, of Winfield Farm, Waterbeach (G.), as candidates for Mid Norfolk. The polling took place on the 15th: Gurdon, 3,032; Toller, 2,638.
8.—The nomination of candidates for the representation of Norwich took place at the Guildhall before the Sheriff (Mr. J. J. Dawson Paul). The candidates were Mr. J. J. Colman (L.), Mr. Samuel Hoare (C.), Mr. Jacob Henry Tillett (L.), and Mr. Clare Sewell Read (C.). The polling on the 9th resulted as follows:—Colman, 6,295; Hoare, 6,156; Tillett, 6,119; Read, 5,564.
12.—The show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England opened at Whitlingham, Norwich. There were 1,840 entries of stock and 4,656 entries of implements, as against 624 and 1,882 respectively at the former show held at Norwich in 1849. On the 13th the show was visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princesses Louise, Victoria, and Maud, who travelled from Sandringham and arrived at the temporary railway station adjoining the show-ground. Their Royal Highnesses made al tour of the show-yard, and the Prince of Wales presided at the annual meeting of the society; in the afternoon the Royal party returned to Sandringham. Their Royal Highnesses again came to the city on the 14th. They arrived at the City station of the Eastern and Midlands Railway, where they were received by the Mayor (Mr. John Gurney), the Sheriff (Mr. J. J. Dawson Paul), the Earl of Leicester, Mr. Colman, M.P., Mr. Hoare, M.P., Mr. Harry Bullard, Mr. C. R. Gilman, and other gentlemen. Escorted by the 19th (Princess of Wales’ Own) Hussars, their Royal Highnesses were driven through the gaily decorated streets of the city to St. Andrew’s Hall, where, by invitation of the Mayor, a large and distinguished company had assembled for luncheon. On the conclusion of the proceedings the Royal visitors drove to the show-ground, and after further inspecting the exhibits returned to the city and visited the Norfolk and Norwich Dog Show at the Agricultural Hall. On this day 200 of the Commissioners from the Colonial Exhibition in London were present at the Royal Show, by invitation of the Council of the Society. The Mayor and Mayoress held a reception at St. Andrew’s Hall on the evening of the 15th, and on the 16th the Prince of Wales paid a third visit to the show. In the evening a display of fireworks, provided by the Sheriff, was given on the Castle Meadow. The total number of visitors to the show during the week was 104,761, and the receipts, exclusive of the sum derived from the sale of season tickets, amounted to £6,784 3s. The loss to the society was £1,062 1s. 3d.
15.—A great sale of shorthorn cattle and Southdown sheep, the property of the Prince of Wales, was conducted at Sandringham by Mr. John Thornton. The Prince and Princess of Wales were present at the luncheon, at which there was a distinguished gathering. Fifty-two cows and heifers sold for 2,496 guineas, an average of £50 8s.; 17 bulls realised 840 gs., an average of £51 5s. 10½d. Good prices were obtained for the Southdowns.
—Died, at Golding Street, Heigham, Norwich, Mr. Obadiah Short, aged 83. Born in the parish of St. Augustine, he was employed from 1816 to 1829 as a journeyman weaver. Meanwhile he practised drawing and painting in his garret in St. Edmund’s, and became acquainted with Mr. Sparshall, a wine merchant and a local patron of art, who lent him some of Stark’s works for copying purposes. Soon afterwards Short made sketches of birds for the Norfolk and Norwich Museum, and was employed by Dalrymple and Crosse to make drawings of pathological subjects; the original drawings for Crosse’s work on the “Urinary Calculus,” published in 1841, were all from his pencil. In 1834 Short accepted an engagement as designer at the manufactory of Messrs. Willett, with whom he remained for more than fifty years. During his long life he painted a large number of pictures, principally in oil. “Although he did not attain to the production of ‘high art,’ his works were faithful delineations of landscape scenery selected with a fine taste, and pleasing to a vastly larger proportion of the lovers of pictures than many of the works of ‘high art’ which few people understand.”
22.—The Houghton Hall estate, the property of the Marquis of Cholmondeley, was offered for sale at Tokenhouse Yard under an order of the Court of Chancery. For Houghton Hall (built by Sir Horace Walpole at the cost of £450,000) and 10,564 acres of land, £300,000 was offered, at which sum the property was withdrawn.
24.—The camp of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Volunteer Battalions Norfolk Regiment commenced at Yarmouth.
AUGUST.
5.—The first of the Norwich Cricket Week amateur theatrical performances was given at Norwich Theatre under the management of Sir Kenneth Kemp, Bart. The programme, which was repeated on the 6th, included “A Fair Encounter” and Tom Taylor’s “Plot and Passion.”