MARCH.
7.—The honorary freedom of Norwich was presented to Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P., by the Town Council, in recognition of his distinguished services to the city.
12.—The thermometer on the afternoon of this date registered 60 deg. Fah. in the shade; on the 17th there was a downfall of snow.
23.—The Norwich Isolation Hospital, erected upon a site near the Cemetery, was opened by the Mayor (Mr. A. R. Chamberlin). It was designed by Mr. P. P. Marshall, City Engineer, and the tender for its erection amounted to £4,290.
25.—Particulars were published of the measures to be adopted in Norwich in the event of the threatened outbreak of cholera. During the week ending this date official visits were made to Yarmouth, Cromer, and other places on the Norfolk coast by Dr. S. Monckton Copeman, one of the Medical Officers of the Local Government Board.
27.—Died, at Bracondale, Norwich, Mr. Thomas Gabriel Bayfield, aged 76. In his school days he formed the acquaintance of Mr. B. B. Woodward, afterwards Queen’s Librarian, and of Mr. S. P. Woodward, the subsequent author of the manual on Mollusca, both sons of Samuel Woodward, and from them he imbibed a love for archæology and natural history. Mr. Bayfield was regarded as an authority on ancient seals, and rendered great assistance to Dean Goulburn in the compilation of his work on Norwich Cathedral. In geology he laboured at the chalk and Norwich crag, and made a valuable collection of fossils; those from the chalk were subsequently acquired by the British Museum. He was one of the most active members of the Norwich Geological Society, and an enthusiastic member of the Norwich Science Club and of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society. Upon relinquishing his business as an ironmonger in Magdalen Street, Mr. Bayfield obtained the appointment of master of the Blind School.
30.—Died Mr. Richard Charles Browne, of Elsing Hall, East Dereham, in his 63rd year. “A son of the Rev. Richard Browne, he was head of one of the oldest houses in England, the Hastings, of Elsing. He was lineally descended from Hugh Hastings, of Elsing, and consequently from Malcolm, King of Scotland. On the death of Hugh Hastings in the sixteenth century, the Barony of Hastings (1264) fell into abeyance between the two daughters, Anne, the elder, and Elizabeth. Mr. Browne descended from the latter. The abeyance lasted till about 1840, when Lord John Russell advised her Majesty to terminate it in favour of Sir Jacob Astley, who descended from Hugh Hastings’ brother. It was thought that Lord John’s decision was not unconnected with politics.”
APRIL.
6.—The Norwich Diocesan Conference commenced its two days’ sittings at Noverre’s Rooms, Norwich. Bishop Pelham presided for the last time, and in his presidential address alluded to his approaching retirement.
8.*—“The Hon. Robert Marsham having received Royal Licence to take the additional name of Townshend, the surname of himself and his family will henceforth be Marsham-Townshend instead of Marsham.”