March 1st. 1862 changes of grandsire triples, composed and conducted by Mr. William Lee, were rung on eight bells in the Parish Church Steeple.
April 9th. Suffolk Militia Artillery, commanded by Colonel Adair (460 men), arrived at Southtown.
May 5th. Corner stone of the Bethel laid, and the Chapel opened Aug. 15th. Cost about £300.
May 23rd. The Priory Musical Class presented Mr. Musgrave with a silver inkstand.
May 27th. A portion of the Channel Fleet anchored in the Roadstead. It comprised the “Revenge,” 91 guns; “Trafalgar,” 90; “Emerald,” 51; “Chanticleer,” 17; and the gunboat “Porpoise.” They waited the arrival of the “St. George,” the vessel in which H.R.H. Prince Alfred sailed.
May. C. J. Palmer, Esq., presented the Corporation with a scarlet gown and a black gown, originally worn by the Mayors. The former to be worn on extraordinary and the latter on ordinary occasions.
June 1st. The man-of-war ship “St. George,” 90 guns, with. 900 men on board, joined the Channel Fleet in the Roadstead. On the following morning (Monday) a royal salute of 21 guns was fired from the North Battery, and a gay display of colours hoisted by every ship in the Harbour, in honour of Prince Alfred. The same afternoon the Sailor Prince, accompanied by Major Cowell, the Rev. W. Lake Onslow, and the Hon. Manners Sutton, landed on the Beach, and proceeded to the South Denes, where a cricket match was played by 11 Officers of the Fleet against 11 Gentlemen of Great Yarmouth.
June 19th. Review of the Eastern Counties’ Volunteers at Yarmouth. No less than 30,000 spectators from all quarters of the country assembled on the South Denes to witness the review, which was of the grandest description. A dinner was afterwards given to the Volunteers (3,500) and about 250 other guests, on the St. George’s Denes, which passed off admirably. Purveyor, Mr. J. Franklin, Crown and Anchor. The cost to the town was about £530.
July 9th. Blondin, the Niagara rope-walker, appeared at the Victoria Gardens.
July 16th. Caister lifeboat, while lying on Caister Beach, was struck by lightning during a heavy thunderstorm.