19.—Died at Hilgay rectory, Downham, the Rev. St. Vincent Beechey, rector of the parish, and honorary canon of Manchester, in his 94th year. Canon Beechey was born August 7th, 1806, at Harley Street, Cavendish Square, and was the son of Sir William Beechey, the eminent painter and friend of Lord Nelson, whose portrait, limned by him, is one of the most valuable of the pictures in St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich. Young Beechey was educated at Boulogne, where he not only acquired a thorough knowledge of the French language, but became an expert swordsman. Thence he proceeded to a school at Sidcup, kept by the father of Sheridan Knowles, and at the age of 16 he matriculated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and obtained two scholarships. While preparing for Holy Orders he studied medicine at the Western Hospital. In 1829 he was ordained by the Bishop of Rochester, and received the curacy of Aylesford, near Maidstone. He next became curate of Hilgay, and in 1841 was appointed to the living of Thornton le Fylde, with Fleetwood, Lancashire. Acting on the suggestion of a Corsican named Vantine, he established Rossall School, one of the most successful educational institutions in the north, and of which he was secretary for 28 years. In 1852 he was appointed to the vicarage of Worsley, near Manchester, and in 1872, at the age of sixty, he accepted the living of Hilgay, where for 27 years he faithfully ministered to the parishioners. Canon Beechey took great interest in astronomical studies, and was a popular lecturer. His favourite topics were the expansion of the empire, the origin of writing, and, in the last years of his life, the Röntgen rays.
20.—A serious fire occurred on the premises of Mr. Thomas Wright, boot manufacturer and clothier, High Street, East Dereham. The damage was estimated at upwards of £1,000.
26.—Kimberley Hall, the seat of the Earl of Kimberley, narrowly escaped total destruction by fire. The outbreak was confined to one portion of the house, and the damage was estimated at £2,000.
27.—North Walsham Town Hall was destroyed by fire.
SEPTEMBER.
5.—At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council a report was received from the City Committee recommending that they be empowered to submit a scheme for the erection of municipal buildings. The debate was adjourned, and Mr. L. J. Tillett gave notice of his intention to move “That the financial position of the city at the present time is such that it is undesirable to now embark upon any scheme of whatsoever nature for the erection of a new town-hall, which would involve the expenditure of a large amount, and thereby greatly increase the rates and the debt of the city, and that the preparation of such scheme do stand over until the re-valuation of the city has been completed.” At an adjourned meeting on the 26th a resolution was adopted empowering the City Committee to submit a scheme to the Town Council. Meanwhile the proposal was adversely criticised by the citizens, and at a meeting of ratepayers held at Noverre’s Rooms on October 11th, a strong protest was made in opposition to the scheme. At a special meeting of the Town Council on December 8th a petition was presented against the scheme, and ultimately a resolution was adopted for rescinding the former motion.
9.*—“Messrs. J. H. Walter and Co., proprietors of Taverham Mills, the last remaining of the old paper mills in Norfolk, have issued a circular stating: ‘Early in the year we had to submit to a very heavy reduction in the price of our paper. We felt that we could only carry on the mills at a serious loss, and the balance-sheet, which we have just got out, fully confirms our impression. We have, therefore, decided to shut down as soon as possible.’ Messrs. Delane, Magnay, and Co. took over the mills in 1846, and the present proprietors in 1884.”
29.—A violent gale occurred on the east coast. “At Yarmouth the velocity of the wind reached 55 miles per hour, and the rainfall was 1¼ inches.”
OCTOBER.
3.—The twenty-sixth Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival commenced at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich. The principal vocalists were Madame Albani, Miss Clara Butt, Miss Marie Brema, Miss Ethel Wood, Miss Kelyn Williams, Miss Edith Nutter, and Mrs. Julia Franks; Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Ben Davies, Mr. Andrew Black, Mr. David Bispham, Mr. Whitworth Mitton, Mr. Robert Radford, and Mr. F. Ranalow. Mr. Alberto Randegger conducted. At the opening performance “Faust” (Berlioz) was produced; 4th: morning, symphony in B minor (Schubert), “Biblical Songs” (Dvorák), “Hymn of Praise” (Mendelssohn), evening, opera, “Sampson and Delilah” (C. Saint-Saëns), first time in Norwich; 5th: morning, Meditation (Edward Elgar), first time in Norwich, conducted by the composer, sacred trilogy, “Passion of Christ” (Don Lorenzo Perosi), first performance in England, ode, “A Song of Darkness and Light” (C. Hubert H. Parry), first time in Norwich, conducted by the composer, evening, overture, “Mignon” (Ambroise Thomas), cycle of songs, “Sea Pictures” (Edward Elgar), composed expressly for the Festival and conducted by the composer, trio des flutes, “Dall’ Aurora” (Weyerbeer), new suite, “The Seasons” (Edward German), composed expressly for the Festival and conducted by the composer, “Ode to the Passions” (written by William Collins, 1721–1759, set to music for chorus and orchestra by Frederic H. Cowen), first time in Norwich, and conducted by the composer, “Tristan and Isolde” (Wagner), scena, “The Dream of Endymion” (F. F. Cowen), conducted by the composer, overture, “Di Ballo” (Sullivan); 6th: morning, “The Messiah,” evening, cantata, “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast” (S. Coleridge Taylor), first time in Norwich, conducted by the composer. The receipts amounted to £5,398, and the payments to £4,998.