10.--The Supervisor and officers of Excise belonging to the East Dereham
district seized at Melton a horse and cart, with 80 gallons of Geneva and
four gallons of brandy.
11.--A murderous poaching affray occurred in Thorpe Wood, near Aylsham,
when several game watchers, in the service of Lord Suffield, were
severely wounded. At the Norfolk Assizes at Thetford, in March, six of
the poachers, indicted under the Black Act, were found guilty and
sentenced to death. Lord Suffield and the Hon. Edward Harbord pleaded
that their lives might be spared, and the sentence was ultimately
commuted to transportation. When the gang were being conveyed by the
Expedition night mail coach from Norwich, on their way to Portsmouth, the
convicts got free from the chain and made a desperate attempt to escape,
but were too heavily ironed. They attacked the coachman, and one of the
guards presented a pistol, which missed fire; Johnson, the gaoler, rushed
amongst them with a cutlass, and subdued them. One prisoner escaped, and
the others were lodged in the Surrey New Gaol on the following morning.
17.--At a public meeting held at the Guildhall, Norwich, it was resolved
to establish a Hospital and School for the Indigent Blind in Norfolk and
Norwich; towards the foundation of which Mr. Thomas Tawell contributed a
house and 3.5 acres of land in Magdalen Street, valued at 1,050 pounds.
Mr. Tawell, who was himself blind, made an eloquent and successful
appeal, and the institution was opened on October 14th.
28.--The pantomime, "Don Juan," was produced at Norwich Theatre "in a
style which, for the display of beautiful scenery and of appropriate
decorations and costumes, is very rarely to be witnessed on provincial
boards."
29.--Died, aged 57, Mr. Thomas Wodehouse, of Sennowe Lodge. He was one
of the gentlemen of his Majesty's Privy Chamber, in which office he was
succeeded by Mr. J. W. Thomlinson, of Cley.