5.--Died at Braconash, aged 85, Elizabeth, widow of Mr. Thomas Berney,
and third and last surviving daughter of Sir George Duckett, Bart., of
Hartham, Wilts. "Mrs. Berney was a true representative of an English
lady of times past, in its dignified and most attractive form." At the
funeral at Braconash, on the 15th, the hearse was preceded by "a canopy
of plumes of feathers, borne by a mute with two others, one on each
side."
7.--A severe gale raged on the Norfolk coast, and many vessels were
wrecked. Thirteen sail of vessels belonging to Yarmouth, with 100 hands
on board, were missing, and at a public meeting held in the borough on
the 23rd, a fund was started for the relief of the widows and children.
14.--At Lynn Quarter Sessions, before the Recorder (Mr. Martin John
West), an indictment was preferred by Dr. John Tweedale, of that town,
against Mr. William Drake, of East Dereham, and Mr. James Bowker,
charging the defendants with provoking him to fight a duel, and with
common assault. Mr. Drake, a solicitor, was employed by the Conservative
party in the borough to attend the revision of the municipal voters'
lists, and a quarrel arose in consequence of certain evidence given by
Dr. Tweedale as a charity trustee. The defendant Drake was found guilty
of a common assault, and fined 5 pounds; and Bowker was acquitted.
--The agitation for the repeal of the Corn Laws was commenced in Norwich
by the holding of a preliminary meeting, at which a petition in favour of
the movement was agreed to. A common hall was held on February 7th,
presided over by the Mayor (Mr. J. Marshall), when the Chartists attended
and created a great disturbance. A resolution in favour of repeal was
adopted. The Town Council discussed the subject on February 8th and
11th, and a motion for petitioning both Houses of Parliament for a total
repeal was carried by 26 votes to 20. Meetings with the same object
became general throughout the county.
16.--Heigham Episcopal chapel, Norwich, was consecrated by the Bishop of
the Diocese, and was known afterwards as the chapel of the Holy Trinity.
21.--Died at Catton, aged 38, the Rev. Dacre Barrett Lennard, sixth son
of Sir Thomas Barrett Lennard, of Belhus, Essex, rector of St. Michael at
Plea, Norwich, and chaplain to H.R.H. the Duke of Sussex and Lord
Western. His remains were interred on the 28th "in a vault near the
altar of his church."
28.--Died at Hampstead, Sir William Beechey, R.A., aged 86. He was a
native of Burford, Oxfordshire, and in early life settled and married in
Norwich. Elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1793, he painted
in the same year a full-length portrait of Queen Charlotte, who honoured
him with the appointment of Queen's portrait painter. In 1798 he painted
an equestrian portrait of George III., with the Prince of Wales and Duke
of York, reviewing the 3rd and 10th Dragoons, attended by Lieut.-General
Dundas, General Sir William Fawcett, and Major George Goldsworthy. In
the same year he received the honour of knighthood, the first instance of
its being conferred on an artist since the time of Sir Joshua Reynolds.
At St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, there are four portraits by Sir William,
namely, those of Admiral Lord Nelson, Mr. John Patteson, Mr. Elisha de
Hague, and Mr. J. S. Patteson. His son, Capt. Beechey, R.N., was one of
Capt. Sir Edward Parry's lieutenants in his second expedition towards the
North Pole.