5.--Died at his house in Hereford Street, London, the Right Rev. Henry
Bathurst, Lord Bishop of Norwich. His lordship was in the 94th year of
his age, and had been Bishop of the diocese for 32 years. He was
appointed in 1805 when Bishop Manners Sutton was translated to the
Archbishopric of Canterbury. The funeral took place on the 14th at
Malvern Church, Worcestershire, and a memorial service was held on the
same day at Norwich Cathedral. A funeral sermon was preached on the 16th
by the Dean of Norwich. The sale of the late Bishop's effects, by Mr.
William Spelman, commenced at the Palace on June 26th, and concluded on
July 5th. The stock of wine consisted of 2,650 bottles, and the library
of 2,000 volumes.
6.--At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Justice Coltman, John Smith,
George Timms, and John Varnham, were indicted for the murder of Hannah
Manfield (or Saddler), on the night of the 2nd, or morning of the 3rd of
January. The trial commenced at 10.20 in the morning, and concluded at
fifteen minutes past midnight, when the jury returned a verdict of
guilty, and the prisoners were sentenced to death. The sentence on
Varnham was commuted on an ample confession by the other prisoners.
Large numbers of persons arrived at Norwich on April 22nd, to witness the
execution, which, however, had been ordered for the 29th. A full
descriptive account of the supposed execution, and of the behaviour of
the men on the gallows, with a copy of their confessions and their "last
dying words," was hawked about the streets of the city. The capital
sentence was duly carried out on the 29th. The procession issued from
the castle doors at noon, headed by a number of javelin men of the High
Sheriff's posse. Smith, who was in the last stage of a rapid decline,
was assisted to the scaffold. "After the bolt was drawn and the bodies
swung round, a piercing cry of horror rose from the dense mass of people
of both sexes. After hanging the usual space of time the bodies were
taken down and carried into the interior of the gaol, when all the
prisoners were brought forward to view them in the place where they lay."
7.--North Walsham Steeplechases took place over a four mile course on the
estate of Mr. Bidwell, at Swafield. The heavy weight race was won by
Lord Suffield's Metternich (Capt. Lawrenson, 17th Lancers), second Mr.
Thompson's Mungo (owner); and the light weight race by Mr. Sandiford's
Gulnoire (Mr. Brown); Mr. Hornor's O'Connell (owner) second. Lord
Suffield presided at the race dinner, afterwards held at the King's Arms
Inn, and presented the silver tankard, given and won by himself in the
heavy weight race, to Capt. Lawrenson. A large coloured plate,
illustrating the start of the eleven horses for the heavy weight race,
"with a distant view of the country, from sketches made on the spot by
George Fenn, animal portrait painter, Beccles," was subsequently
advertised.
11.--James Greenacre, who on this day was found guilty, at the Central
Criminal Court, of the murder of Hannah Brown, in the Edgeware Road, was
a Norfolk man, and was born in 1785, at North Runcton, near Lynn. His
victim, whose maiden name was Gay, was a Norfolk woman, and was in the
service of Lord Wodehouse, at Kimberley Hall, where she remained four
years. Greenacre (who was executed on May 2nd) was concerned in the Cato
Street Conspiracy.
14.--Sir James Flower closed his hunting season by entertaining his
sporting friend's at the Swan Inn, East Harling. The dinner was of the
most sumptuous character, and "a band of fourteen men in scarlet played
numerous airs and concerted pieces."
19.--Mr. G. V. Brooke (then under twenty years of age) made his first
appearance at Norwich Theatre as Romeo. "His performance was of that
superior kind, exhibiting all the fervour and enthusiasm of youth
attempered by that discriminating judgment and illumined by those nice
and acute perceptions which belong to the faculties of much maturer
years." He afterwards appeared as Ion, Othello, Rolla, Richard the
Third, William Tell, Hamlet, Rosenberg ("Ella Rosenberg"), Macbeth, and
Teddy ("Teddy the Tiler"), and concluded his engagement on May 20th.
Brooke was re-engaged for two nights' performances, commencing on August
1st, when he played the part of Walter Tyrrel, in a new drama of that
title, and of Frederick Bury ("The Youthful Queen").
20.--A meeting, presided over by Col. Harvey, was held at the Guildhall,
Norwich, when, on the motion of Mr. J. J. Gurney, it was decided to form
a District Provident Society, for the promotion of frugal and provident
habits among the industrial poor.
--The ship Anne, of 400 tons burden (Captain John Long), sailed from Lynn
with 171 emigrants, for Quebec.
22.--The announcement was made on this date: "The Eastern Counties
Railway has been commenced in good earnest."
24.--A curious wager was decided at the Angel Gardens, New Catton,
Norwich. "Joseph Turtle, aged 60, engaged to pick up 100 eggs laid at a
yard distance from each other, in a shorter time than David Lambert, aged
20, should pick up 100 stones at the same distance, which was won by
Lambert only by half a minute."
29.--Announcement was made of the appointment of the Rev. Edward Stanley,
rector of Alderley, Cheshire, to the Bishopric of Norwich. Agreeable to
the _conge d'elire_, the Dean and Chapter elected him Bishop on April
29th; by Royal command the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred
upon him on May 10th, and on May 11th he arrived at Norwich, accompanied
by Mrs. Stanley and his daughters. On June 29th his lordship was
consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and on the same day did
homage to Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace. The enthronement took
place at Norwich Cathedral on August 17th, when all the usual ceremonies
were observed, and the sermon was preached by his lordship. "The
interior of the Cathedral presented a most magnificent _coup d'oeil_. A
gallery had been erected from the foot of the railing before the altar up
to the centre of the east window, and occupied the entire breadth of the
east end. It afforded accommodation for 1,150 children of the city. All
the side galleries and closets were filled with ladies elegantly dressed,
and even the walks above were crowded with spectators." At five o'clock
the Bishop attended a dinner, presided over by the High Sheriff (Mr. J.
Petre) at the Norfolk Hotel. On the 18th the Mayor, Sheriff, and several
members of the Corporation waited upon his lordship at the Palace, and
presented him with a congratulatory address.