8.—Arthur Riches (36), fishhawker, murdered his wife by stabbing her on the Walk, in the Haymarket, Norwich. He was tried at Norwich Assizes on November 23rd, and found guilty, but strongly recommended to mercy on account of the great provocation he had received. The prisoner was sentenced to death, but the punishment was afterwards commuted to penal servitude for life. (Riches died at Parkhurst Convict Prison, Isle of Wight, in April, 1898.)
9.—Mr. Harry Bullard was for the third time elected Mayor of Norwich. Mr. Frederick Oddin Taylor was appointed Sheriff.
10.—Died, at Scoulton Rectory, the Rev. John Munnings Johnson, in his 93rd year. A son of the Rev. Paul Johnson, of Runton, he entered the Navy as a lad, and after serving a short time in the Royal Billy, joined the Gibraltar, 80 guns, commanded by Captain Lukin, afterwards Admiral Windham. After seeing much fighting he was transferred to the Mars, 74 guns. In 1807 he was ordered out to the Baltic with the armament which attacked Copenhagen, and captured the entire Danish fleet. The years 1808 and 1809 were employed in the blockade of the French fleet in Brest. In 1810 he was called to the Tagus, and in 1811 accompanied Sir J. Moore, who went with a large armament to protect British traders from the Danes and Prussians. After passing for his lieutenancy in January, 1812, Mr. Johnson went with Sir James Lucas Yeo to the Lakes of Canada, where they contended at great disadvantage with the American squadron. In 1814, after the storming of Oswego, Mr. Johnson was made lieutenant, and at the close of the war in 1815 he returned to England with a large portion of the Duke of Wellington’s army, which, after the peace with France, had been sent to America. He then went on half-pay, and in 1824, determining to take holy orders, entered as an undergraduate at Cambridge University. In 1828 he took his degree, and the following year was ordained by Bishop Bathurst. Mr. Johnson became curate in charge of Scoulton in 1831, and was presented to the rectory in 1846. There he remained until 1878, when he went to reside at Gurney’s Manor, Hingham. He resigned the living in 1883, and was succeeded by his son, the Rev. Henry Johnson, with whom he resided until his death. Mr. Johnson married, in 1833, Miss Anne Wilson, daughter of the Rev. Henry Wilson, of Kirby Cane, afterwards Lord Berners.
11.—Melton, the property of Lord Hastings, won the Liverpool Cup, beating Oberon, Bird of Freedom, Sailor Prince, and fourteen others. Ridden by Watts, Melton carried 9 st. 3 lb. and started at 100 to 8 against.
15.—At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Justice Field, Elizabeth Hamlinton (34), dressmaker, was found guilty of the murder of her infant daughter, at Fakenham, on October 16th. She was strongly recommended to mercy. “The prisoner almost fainted when the judge put on the black cap; her face indicated terror, and when the dread sentence was pronounced she moaned, and at its conclusion cried out despairingly.” The Mayoress of Norwich (Mrs. Bullard) interested herself on behalf of the unhappy woman, and forwarded an influentially signed memorial to the Home Secretary. In due course the prisoner was respited.
16.—The Norwich Town Council assented to an application by Mr. Joseph Kincaird, of 3, George Street, Westminster, to construct tramways in the city upon certain routes, on condition that an amount equal to the cost of removing the lines and reconstructing the streets in case the tramways were not worked for a given period, be placed on permanent deposit. Other conditions as to the control of traffic, &c., were imposed. The Norwich Tramways Company, Limited, with a capital of £30,000, was registered on December 23rd. (See December 17th, 1889.)
27.—Died, at 41, Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, London, Mr. Octavius Edward Coope, M.P. He was first returned to the House of Commons in July, 1847, as Conservative member for Yarmouth. Mr. Coope was born in 1814, and was a partner in the firm of Ind, Coope, and Co.
30.—A military tournament by the 19th (Princess of Wales’ Own) Hussars commenced at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich, and concluded on December 4th. The proceeds were in aid of local charities.
DECEMBER.
4.—A remarkable phenomenon was recorded at Yarmouth. “The tide twice flowed and ebbed within three hours. At 9.42 p.m., the calculated time for dead low water, the gauge registered only six feet above zero. Thus high and low water were practically reversed, a most uncommon phenomenon.” On the night of the 8th “the barometer fell to 28.20, the lowest local reading for the past twenty years.”