1.--The non-commissioned officers and privates of the 1st Royal Dragoons
were entertained by public subscription at dinner at the Assembly Rooms,
East Dereham, in recognition of their services during the recent
disturbances.
5.--Died at Hilborough Hall, aged 54, Mr. Ralph Caldwell. "He was among
the first promoters of the Norfolk Foxhunting Society."
--The calendar of the Norfolk Quarter Sessions contained the names of 205
prisoners, of whom 108 were indicted for taking part in the
machine-breaking riots during November and December, 1830. The trials,
which took place before Mr. Serjeant Frere, Lord Suffield, and other
magistrates, concluded on the 12th. Sixty-seven of the rioters were
found guilty of machine-breaking, and 41 were acquitted or otherwise
discharged. One was sentenced to 14 years' transportation; 8 to seven
years; 1 to two years' imprisonment; 1 to fifteen months; 4 to one year;
5 to nine months; 10 to six months; 6 to four months; 14 to three months;
8 to two months; 4 to one month, and 1 to fourteen days. Fifty were
charged with rioting and other outrages. Of these, 18 were discharged on
their own recognisances; 9 were acquitted, and 23 convicted. One was
sentenced to imprisonment for two and a half years; 2 for two years; 3
for eighteen months; 4 for one year; 2 for six months; 3 for four months;
4 for three months; 2 for one month; 1 for three weeks; and 1 for one
week. There were reserved for a higher tribunal three capital offences
of machine-breaking, and five or six cases of arson.
17.--At the Norwich Quarter Sessions, an indictment was preferred against
one William Lamb, for receiving a bribe at the election of Mr. Alderman
Steward. The Grand Jury made a presentment that the bill of indictment
should have included Mr. Charles Turner and Mr. Samuel Woodcock Mealing,
as there was conclusive evidence that they had bribed the defendant. The
Recorder (Mr. Preston) adjourned the case until January 31st. A further
adjournment was made till February 1st, when the Recorder, after a long
legal argument with counsel, decided that the case could not proceed. A
rule absolute was obtained in the Court of King's Bench against Mr.
Mealing, and the case came on for trial before Lord Lyndhurst at the
Norwich Assizes on July 29th, when the jury found the defendant guilty,
and recommended him to mercy. In the Court of King's Bench, on November
8th, an unsuccessful motion was made for arrest of judgment. Finally the
defendant appeared before that Court on November 23rd, and was sentenced
by Mr. Justice Parke to pay a fine of 100 pounds.
19.--The honorary freedom of the city was conferred upon the Right Hon.
Lord Viscount Sidmouth, on the occasion of a visit to his son-in-law, the
Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean of Norwich.
--The agitation for Parliamentary Reform began at Norwich, this year,
with a meeting held at St. Andrew's Hall, when resolutions were passed in
favour of the measure. On March 19th the Right Hon. Robert Grant, member
for Norwich, presented in the House of Commons a petition signed by 7,000
citizens in support of the Bill, and Sir William ffolkes presented
similar petitions from the inhabitants of the several Hundreds in the
county. A great meeting took place at St Andrew's Hall on September
29th, at which it was decided to petition the House of Lords on behalf of
the Bill, on the ground "that the tranquillity and happiness of this
kingdom depend on the complete passing of this great national measure."
The Bill having been thrown out by the Peers, a requisition was presented
to the Mayor of Norwich for a Common Hall, which was held at St. Andrew's
Hall on October 18th. A procession, headed by bands of music, started
from the Castle Ditches at ten o'clock, and, after parading the streets
of the city, arrived at the Hall at noon. About 5,000 persons were
present, and the Mayor presided. Mr. Thomas Bignold, jun., one of the
principal speakers, moved a series of resolutions expressive of the
"ardent hope that such constitutional measures as may be completely
effectual for the attainment of this most important object will be
forthwith adopted by his Majesty, under the advice and with the
assistance of his Ministers." An address founded on the resolutions was
ordered to be presented to the King. A county meeting took place at the
Shirehall on November 19th, under the presidency of Mr. Anthony Hamond,
"for the purpose of expressing confidence in his Majesty's Ministers, and
of adopting such proceedings as may be deemed expedient to forward the
great measure of Reform." On the 26th was issued for signature "the
Norfolk Declaration" which expressed "alarm at the extensive innovations
proposed by the late Reform Bill," and gratitude to the House of Lords
for "generously exercising the prerogative power vested in them for the
good of the people, and for refusing to concur in so dangerous an
experiment." The year's agitation closed with the issue, on December
3rd, of another Declaration, "founded on a constitutional basis and
manifesting a conciliatory spirit." This movement was known as "the
Conservative Reform." (The word "Conservative," in the political sense,
was, on this occasion, used locally for the first time.)
21.--At the county magistrates' meeting, Mr. John Stracey reintroduced
the subject of the removal of the Lent Assizes from Thetford to Norwich,
and announced that Lord Chancellor Brougham had addressed to the
Lieutenant of the County a letter, in which he promised to advise the
Secretary of State to cause the Assizes to be held in future at Norwich.
On February 1st the Corporation of Norwich petitioned the Lord Chancellor
in favour of the removal. On March 9th the Home Office intimated that
the Judges of Assize for the Norfolk Circuit proposed to hold an
adjourned Assizes for the trial of eight prisoners at Norwich on March
24th. The Assizes were held accordingly on that date by adjournment from
Thetford.
26.--Died at his house in Portland Place, London, aged 86, Mr. Richard
Paul Jodrell, F.R.S., F.A.S., D.C.L., formerly member of Parliament for
the borough of Seaford. "It may be regarded as an almost unprecedented
instance, that Mr. Jodrell had lived to be in possession of his paternal
estates 80 years, his father having died at an early age in 1751." He
was distinguished as a scholar, and as author of "The Illustrations of
Euripides" and other literary works. Mr. Jodrell was the last surviving
member of Dr. Johnson's Club.