4.--Died in London, aged 64, the celebrated engineer, Mr. John Rennie,
who a few weeks previously had attended the opening of the Eau Brink cut.
6.*--(Advt.) "Distressing case of long imprisonment. Christopher Wood,
formerly of Lynn, bricklayer, committed in 1813 to Norwich Castle for
contempt of the Court of Chancery, incurred by his inability through
poverty to put in an answer to a bill filed against him to foreclose a
mortgage on an estate of which, unfortunately for him, he became owner.
He has been in prison eight years, and has hitherto been supported by his
labour beyond the prison allowance of bread, but having lately nearly
lost his sight he must in future depend entirely on the latter. The
expense of putting in his answer will amount to 18 pounds, and being
totally unable to raise that sum must end his days in prison unless the
benevolent shall extend their bounty towards him by putting in his answer
to obtain his discharge, the Act for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors not
extending to persons in custody for contempts."
10.--Robert Skipper, the Norwich pedestrian, commenced the task of
walking 1,000 miles in twenty successive days at the Prussia Gardens,
Norwich. He had completed 100 miles on the evening of the 11th, and at
the 390th mile was compelled to give up in consequence of magisterial
interference.
27.*--"Lady Beevor, widow of the late Sir Thomas Beevor, has taken the
surname of Hare out of respect to the memory of her late father."
--Died, aged 74, Mr. Edward Rigby, M.D., of Norwich. He received his
medical education under Mr. Martineau, and first began practice in 1769,
when he distinguished himself as an accoucheur, and was the author of a
treatise on subjects connected with that branch of his profession. In
1814 he took his degree in physic. Dr. Rigby in 1786 established the
Benevolent Medical Society for the relief of the widows and orphans of
medical men; and in 1789 became a member of the Corporation of Surgeons
and of the Medical Society in London. He was assistant surgeon of the
Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on its establishment in 1771, surgeon in
1790, and physician in 1814. For many years he kept a private lunatic
asylum; and made constant and unremitted exertions in the cause of
vaccination. He wrote several treatises on agricultural subjects, and
was in 1820 elected an hon. member of the Philadelphia Society for
Promoting Agriculture. He was also a member of the Linnaean Society.
Dr. Rigby was elected an alderman in 1802, Sheriff in 1803, and Mayor in
1805. His remains were interred at Framingham, near Norwich, on November
5th.
28.--The county magistrates adopted a plan prepared by Mr. Wilkins for
the erection of a new county gaol on the Castle Hill, Norwich, "so far as
the sum of 26,000 pounds would carry it into effect." This plan included
the removal of the then Shirehouse and inconvenient courts of justice.
In order that the whole of the expense of the work should not fall upon
occupiers it was arranged that half only be paid by them, and the other
half by the owners of estates.--On December 1st a meeting of the county
magistrates was held at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, to remonstrate
against the selection of the Castle Hill as the site for the new gaol.
At the Norfolk Quarter Sessions in January, 1822, the subject was
reconsidered, and it was finally decided by 30 to 24 votes to adhere to
the Castle Hill site.--On July 29th the workmen began to prepare the
ground for the foundations of the Shirehall, and on September 9th the
foundation-stone was laid with "Masonic ceremony." Current coins were
deposited in the cavity, and upon the stone was a Latin inscription
composed by the Rev. F. Howes.--The demolition of the old debtors' court
commenced on May 7th, 1823, previous to which the prisoners committed on
criminal charges were removed to the different bridewells and houses of
correction in the county, the debtors only remaining in the Castle
keep.--On July 11th some workmen employed on the building were raising a
large stone, which fell and injured four of them, and one, Nicholas Mase,
died next day in hospital. The new Shirehall was completed in time to
admit of the Quarter Sessions being held therein on October 15th, 1823,
which was the first occasion on which the building was used. "As to the
prison buildings the ancient Saxon castle with Bigod's tower is left
entire in its pristine state. The hill is now surrounded with a
castellated wall of Aberdeen granite 20 feet high, leaving, however, in
general a space of nearly 20 feet for a public promenade on the summit of
the hill." The Castle ditches and meadow had previously been improved at
considerable expense by the city. These works completed the first part
of the extensive scheme undertaken by the county.
--Lord Suffield was elected one of the chairmen of Norfolk Quarter
Sessions, in the room of the late Sir Thomas Beevor, Bart.
31.--There were two candidates for the vacancy occasioned upon the
Norwich aldermanic bench by the death of Dr. Rigby--namely, Mr. Jeremiah
Ives and Mr. Thomas Osborne Springfield. Both political parties paraded
the streets with bands of music, flags, &c. The poll was declared as
follows:--Springfield, 430; Ives, 268. "The major part of the electors
of the Great Northern Ward received a couple of guineas each for their
free and independent votes."