12.—The Donegal Militia, 300 strong, arrived at Yarmouth, in the ss. Himalaya. Lieut.-Col. Lord Claud Hamilton was in command of the regiment, which relieved the Louth Rifles (Militia).
13.—A meeting of landowners and others interested in a proposed line of railway from Norwich to Aylsham and Cromer was held at the Royal Hotel, Norwich, under the presidency of Sir Henry Stracey, Bart., M.P. The meeting favoured the scheme, and appointed a provisional committee.
18.—The first recorded angling match took place on this date, at Limpenhoe Reach, on the Yare, for prizes given by Mr. C. J. Greene, of Rose Lane, Norwich. The total weight of fish taken by the 28 competitors in the course of eight hours was 16 st. 7 lbs. 1 oz. Mr. G. Harman secured first prize, with a catch of 33 lbs. 3 ozs.
28.—A remarkable case of protracted abstinence from food was discovered at St. Faith’s. A man, who gave the name of William Watling, of Felmingham, aged 60, was found in a prostrate and apparently dying condition in a plantation. His statement was to the effect that five weeks previously, when tramping the country, he was overcome with heat and crawled into the plantation. From that spot, he declared, he had not moved for five weeks, and although persons passed very near the wood, he failed, in consequence of physical exhaustion, to attract their attention. He had neither food nor drink during the whole time, and ate nothing but the grass and leaves around him, and a few blackberries. “His bones almost protruded through his skin, and his flesh was nearly all dried up.” The medical opinion was that he would not recover, but there is no further record of the case.
31.—The ceremony of laying the first stone of the new church of Holy Trinity, Norwich, was performed by the Mayor (Mr. Middleton). A special service was held at St. Peter Mancroft, when the sermon was preached by the Ven. Archdeacon Bouverie, and, after the laying of the stone, a large gathering was held in a temporary building adjoining the site. (See August 8th, 1861.)
SEPTEMBER.
2.—Died Mrs. Sarah Bickersteth, widow of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, rector of Watton, Herts. She was the eldest daughter of Mr. Thomas Bignold, of Norwich, and sister of Sir Samuel Bignold. Born on October 3rd, 1788, she married, on May 5th, 1812, Mr. Edward Bickersteth, who was then a solicitor practising in Norwich. Two years afterwards, at the call of the Rev. Josiah Pratt, he gave up a lucrative business for the laborious post of co-secretary in the Church Missionary House, and visited the missions on the West Coast of Africa. Four fourteen years Mrs. Bickersteth shared all his toils, until 1830, when he was presented to the living of Watton, by Mr. Abel Smith, M.P. He died in February, 1850, and Mrs. Bickersteth, for the last nine years of her life, divided her time among her children. She spent the last month with her son, the incumbent of Christ church, Hampstead.
15.—The church of Framingham Pigot, built through the munificence of Mr. G. H. Christie, at a cost exceeding £5,000, was consecrated by the Bishop of Norwich.
OCTOBER.
8.—Died, in the 100th year of her age, Mary Tallowin, of Bowthorpe.