5.--Joseph Wiggins, driver of the Norwich Phenomena coach, was fined at
Ixworth in the mitigated penalty of 90 pounds for having 36 head of
partridges in his possession, contrary to the statute 5 Anne c. 14, s. 2.
11.--Died in Goat Lane, Norwich, aged 75, Mr. John Reynolds, who served
the office of Sheriff in 1796.
17.--At Norwich Quarter Sessions a committee of justices reported that
the Bridewell was "insufficient, inconvenient, and inadequate to give
effect to the rules and regulations enforced in recent legislation, and
it was necessary from the increased number of commitments to such
Bridewell that some other and more commodious building should be erected
or substituted."
19.--A meeting was held at the Angel Inn, Norwich, under the presidency
of Mr. Unthank, at which was passed a resolution to the effect "that by
the present mode of electing Guardians the great body of the payers of
the poor-rates are entirely unrepresented, that the extraordinary
increase in the poor-rates of the city within the last six months has
caused the greatest alarm and demands the strictest scrutiny, and that it
is desirable a Bill should be brought in to amend the present Court of
Guardians Act so far as to the choosing members of the Court." A
petition embodying the principle of this resolution was ordered to be
presented to the House of Commons.
21.--Died, Mr. John Ansell, plumber and glazier, St. John Maddermarket,
who served the offer of Sheriff of Norwich in 1806.
--At about this date large numbers of people assembled nightly on Orford
Hill, Norwich, to watch for a "ghost" which was said to haunt the
premises of a Mr. Hart. Martin, a police officer, examined some
unoccupied premises adjoining, and discovered a hiding-place which had
evidently been used by the person who had annoyed Mr. Hart's family.
--Mr. Stone, the County Surveyor, was reported to have "discovered rooms
and passages within the walls of the Keep of Norwich Castle which have
been unknown since it has become a county gaol, a period of nearly 500
years."
22.--The Friends' Meeting House in Goat Lane, Norwich, erected on the
site of the old Meeting House demolished in 1825, was opened for public
worship. The architect was Mr. Patience, and the builder, Mr. John
Bensley.
28.--At the adjourned Quarter Sessions at Norwich, Mr. Alderman Crisp
Brown made serious allegations as to the way in which the contractors for
the new Gaol had done their work. The court appointed Mr. Nicholls, of
London, to survey the work. Vestry meetings were held in St. Giles', St.
Peter Mancroft, St. Andrew's, and St. Julian's, at which resolutions were
adopted expressing approval of Mr. Brown's action. On May 12th, 1827, it
was announced that Mr. Nicholls had awarded the sum of 1,552 pounds to
the contractors over and above the balance previously due to them.