MARCH.
1.—Jim Mace, “retired champion of the world,” appeared at Norwich Theatre in a series of exhibition sparring contests with Wolf Bendoff, Pooley Mace, and Mike Jennett. The entertainment was repeated on the 2nd and 3rd.
3.—Lord Harris, Under-Secretary for War and chairman of the Grand Council, addressed a Primrose League meeting held at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich.
6.—Hengler’s Grand Cirque opened at the Agricultural Hall, Norwich.
8.—Died, at his residence, St. Giles’ Street, Norwich, Mr. Charles Suckling Gilman, in his 81st year. Mr. Gilman for many years spent an active and busy life in the city. He initiated the Norwich Law Students’ Amicable Society, founded the Norfolk and Norwich Aquatic Club, whose members at one time engaged in rowing contests with the crews of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; and aided the inauguration of the Norwich Athenæum. In 1834 Mr. Gilman founded the Militia Substitute Insurance Association, and after the memorable hailstorm in August, 1843, he established the General Hailstorm Insurance Society. In 1846 he became the leading promoter and secretary of the Norwich Mutual Marine Insurance Society, in 1849 he founded the Norfolk Farmers’ Cattle Insurance Society, and in 1856 assisted his son, Mr. C. R. Gilman, in the formation of the Norwich and London Accident Insurance Association. Mr. Gilman was the last surviving member of the Norwich Corporation of pre-Reform days, having been elected for the Wymer Ward in March, 1830. For some time he was a member of the new Corporation, a revising assessor and member of the old Court of Guardians, and a member of the old Paving Commission. Mr. Gilman was engaged with Mr. Joseph John Gurney and others in founding and organizing the Norwich District Visiting Society, and was one of the oldest life governors of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, and a member of the Festival Committee and of the Committees of the Blind Institution, the Norfolk and Norwich Eye Infirmary, the Norfolk and Norwich Dispensary, and the Jenny Lind Infirmary. With Mr. John Henry Gurney and Sir Samuel Bignold, he took an active part in the formation of the original Norwich Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Gilman was descended from an old Norfolk family which goes back into the sixteenth century, and one of his maternal ancestors was the great Norfolk hero, Nelson.
—The first of a series of “Health Lectures for the People,” arranged by the Corporation of Norwich, was delivered at Prince’s Street Lecture Hall by Mr. S. H. Burton. The subject was “Healthy Homes and how to keep them so.” On the 15th Mr. Donald Day lectured on “Foods and Drinks,” and on the 22nd Dr. S. J. Barton on “Personal Health.”
10.—The silver wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales was celebrated in Norwich and the county. Congratulatory addresses were adopted by the Corporations of Norwich, Yarmouth, and Lynn; and on April 2nd the citizens of Norwich presented their Royal Highnesses with replicas of portions of the Corporation plate. Presents were also given by the tenants on the Sandringham estate and by the West Norfolk Hunt. In commemoration of the event the Mayor and Sheriff of Norwich (Mr. Harmer and Mr. Bagshaw) entertained 950 of the aged poor of the city to dinner at St. Andrew’s Hall; and on August 24th Mr. Samuel Hoare, M.P., gave a treat to the inmates of the Workhouse.
22.—Died, at his residence, Willow Lane, Norwich, Mr. Charles Goodwin, formerly house surgeon of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Mr. Goodwin held important posts in connection with other city charities, and was on the commission of the peace for Norwich.
23.—At the Norwich Police Court, Mr. Edward Burgess, accompanied by several members of the committee of the Unemployed Relief Fund, applied for the issue of a summons for libel against the Norwich District Visiting Society and the editor of the Norfolk Chronicle. The newspaper had published an article in which the committee were referred to “as certain persons who are not entitled to constitute themselves almoners of the general public as an excuse for pursuing their favourite policy of sending round the hat and beating a drum in the manner of other mountebanks.” This article had been reprinted and circulated by the officers of the Visiting Society. The magistrates were of opinion that the article was not libellous, and dismissed the application.