26.—Lord Hartington arrived at Westacre as the guest of Sir Henry James. After three days’ shooting his lordship proceeded to Sandringham on a visit to the Prince and Princess of Wales, and remained there until January 6th, 1890, when he left for Merton Hall on a shooting visit to Baron de Hirsch, the then tenant of the Hall. Lord Hartington was taken ill immediately on his arrival, and was confined to bed for nearly three weeks by severe congestion of the lungs. His lordship was enabled to return to town on January 30th.
1890.
JANUARY.
7.—Died, at St. John’s House, Norwich, Mr. Samuel Grimmer, in his 76th year. Mr. Grimmer for many years sat in the Town Council as a representative of the Second Ward, and was chairman of the Sewerage and Irrigation Committee. He was Mayor in 1880–81, and entertained the Prince and Princess of Wales and other distinguished visitors on the occasion of the opening of the Fisheries Exhibition.
8.—Maria Brown, aged 62, wife of a labourer, was murdered at Pulham St. Mary Magdalene, by Elijah Snelling, her son-in-law. Snelling was tried at the Norfolk Assizes on March 5th before Mr. Justice Denman, found guilty, and sentenced to death. The sentence was afterwards commuted to penal servitude for life.
10.—A white-tailed eagle of nine pounds weight was shot near Wretham decoy.
—Died, at Brundall, Mr. George Lovick Coleman, in his 78th year. He was for more than half a century proprietor of a well-known drapery establishment in St. Giles’ Street, Norwich. In 1843 Mr. Coleman was appointed Sheriff, and four years subsequently was elected Mayor, and at the close of his term of office was presented by the citizens with a handsome epergne in recognition of his services to the city. He took great interest in the Volunteer movement, served originally in the Rifle Corps, afterwards in the Norwich Light Horse, and finally in the Artillery, of which he ultimately became captain commandant. In his early days Mr. Coleman professed Liberal principles, but became Conservative.
11.—Mr. C. S. Read gave an address at the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture, in which he adversely criticised the working of the Agricultural Holdings Act, and moved and carried a resolution affirming that the failure of the Act demanded the attention of the President of the Board of Agriculture. Mr. Read addressed the Farmers’ Club, in London, on the same subject, on March 31st, when a similar resolution was adopted.
14.—Mrs. Punt, of East Wretham, the oldest pauper upon the relief books of the Thetford Union, attained her 102nd year.
18.—Many persons in Norwich were reported to be suffering from influenza. Several men at the Cavalry and the Britannia Barracks were attacked by the complaint, which, however, was not of an aggravated character.