1.--Died at Thetford, aged 63, Mr. Thomas Withers Gill, an alderman of
the borough, who had twice served the office of Mayor.
--The publication commenced in bi-monthly shilling parts of "The Eastern
Arboretum: a new Botanical Work on the Trees of Norfolk," by James
Grigor; illustrated by T. Ninham. London: Longman and Co.; Norwich: John
Stacy, Old Haymarket.
4.--A public meeting, presided over by the Dean, was held in Norwich, "to
receive a report on the city National Schools, established in the year
1708, and to consider the best means of advancing the benevolent objects
of these most ancient charitable institutions." Resolutions were passed
pledging the meeting to support the schools, "which were the first and
for a long time the sole means of educating the children of the poor, and
also the cause of similar institutions in later years."
5.--The tender of the Rev. Mr. Kent, of East Winch, for the purchase of
the patronage of St. Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmund's, at 3,000 guineas,
was opened and accepted by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
9.--Mr. W. M. Warcup, surgeon, of East Dereham, was presented with a
piece of plate by the inhabitants of Swanton Morley, "in testimony of
their respect for his skilful and successful treatment of the poor of
that parish during fourteen months when typhus fever of a very malignant
character extended itself into the family of almost every poor person in
the village."
--The question of the practicability of paving Guildhall Hill, Norwich,
with wood, "in order to prevent the noise and interruption from carriages
passing up and down the hill during the holding of Quarter Sessions,
Assizes, and magistrates' sittings," was introduced by the Mayor (Capt.
Money) and referred to a Committee of the Paving Commissioners, who, on
October 13th, reported that "a wood pavement was not suitable for
declivities." A macadamised road was thereupon ordered to be made.
13.*--"We regret to find some of the finest parts of the antient church
of Yarmouth are doomed to destruction. Handbills inviting tenders for
the work have for some time been in circulation. The principal object of
demolition is the splendid east window of the south isle, one of the most
elaborate examples of a highly-enriched style of architecture in the
county. This capacious building has long been suffering from the effects
of mutilations which every admirer of our antient ecclesiastical
architecture must lament. The modern and ghastly eastern windows of the
north isle and chancel are deformities which would disgrace a dilapidated
church of the meanest village."
15.--Mr. Farren, of Covent Garden, and Mr. J. Vining, of the same
theatre, formerly a favourite actor in the Norwich Company, commenced a
short engagement at Norwich Theatre. The plays in which they appeared
included "The Clandestine Marriage," "The Day after the Wedding," "The
School for Scandal," &c.
--A public meeting, convened by the Mayor, was held at the Guildhall,
Norwich, "for the purpose of congratulating her Most Gracious Majesty and
his Royal Highness Prince Albert on their late most happy escape from the
atrocious attempt at assassination." The address was moved by Col.
Harvey, and seconded by Dr. Wright. The notorious Chartist, Dover, moved
a direct negative, which the Mayor refused to accept. The address was
then adopted. An address was also agreed to by the Town Council on the
15th, and on the 21st the Mayor and Corporation attended the thanksgiving
service at the Cathedral. Addresses were adopted by the Corporations of
Yarmouth and Lynn, by the clergy of the diocese, and by various public
bodies in the city and county, and a special form of prayer was used at
all the churches. A county meeting took place at the Shirehall, Norwich,
on June 27th, at which congratulatory addresses to the Queen, the Prince
Consort, and the Duchess of Kent were adopted. Dover and a party of
Norwich Chartists occupied the gallery and created much disturbance.
16.--John Mountjoy, the pedestrian, commenced a series of remarkable
feats at Norwich. At Ranelagh Gardens he performed the task of taking up
with his mouth, without touching the ground with his knees, 100 eggs
placed a yard apart and dropping them into a bucket of water without
breaking them, and leaping over 50 hurdles 4 ft. high placed ten yards
apart, making a distance of 6.5 miles. He undertook to do this in one
hour, and accomplished it in 58 minutes 56 seconds. On June 22nd he
began his walk from the Shirehall Tavern, Castle Ditches, to Symonds'
Gardens, Yarmouth, and back twice a day for six successive days, a
distance of 76 miles. He finished the undertaking on Saturday, June
27th. After he had crossed Foundry Bridge on his last return journey he
was followed by a tremendous crowd, who bore the toll collectors before
them and made a free passage. The only remuneration Mountjoy received
for his self-imposed task were the contributions prompted by the
generosity of the public. On July 13th, at Ranelagh Gardens, he ran a
mile, walked backwards a mile, ran a wheelbarrow half a mile, trundled a
hoop a mile, hopped 200 yards, picked up with his mouth 40 hazel nuts
placed a yard apart without putting his knees to the ground, and jumped
over 30 hurdles ten yards apart within five minutes of the time
stipulated, one hour. On August 31st he started to walk to London and
back, by way of Cambridge, in 48 hours. Leaving Ranelagh Gardens at four
o'clock in the morning, he reached Wymondham at 5.5 and Thetford at 9.20,
Barton Mills before 11, and Newmarket at 12.45. After leaving Newmarket,
he incautiously drank some cold water, which had such an effect upon him
that he lay for an hour and a quarter outside the Swan Inn at Bottisham.
Having somewhat recovered, he resumed his walk and reached Cambridge a
little before five o'clock, and Melbourne at nine, where he was again
taken ill and obliged to lie down for an hour. He then struggled on to
Royston, where "he was obliged to lie down under a hedge, with none but
strangers around him." On reaching Buntingford he was advised to give
in, but he pursued his course to within a mile of Ware, when he was
obliged to relinquish the undertaking. Mountjoy, on September 10th,
jumped 144 hurdles and ran twelve times round the racecourse on Mousehold
Heath in 1 min. 4 sees, under the hour (distance not stated); and on
September 13th walked 20 miles backwards and 20 forwards on the Catton
Road, starting at 9 a.m. and finishing at 7.4 p.m.
18.--Died at Coltishall, aged 62, Mr. Thomas Stallard Webb, historical
engraver to the Queen. "For the long term of 38 years this eminent
artist most assiduously devoted his great talents, in conjunction with
the late Thomas Holloway and Richard Slann, who survives, exclusively to
the engraving of the celebrated cartoons of Raphael from the original
paintings in the possession of her Majesty, the last plate of which
series was completed only a few weeks before his death. This splendid
work will carry down his name to posterity amongst the first artists of
the age."
23.--The foundation-stone of Christ church, New Catton, was laid by the
Hon. and Very Rev. Dean Pellew, after a special service at the mother
church of St. Clement, at which the sermon was preached by the Hon. and
Rev. J. T. Pelham, rector of Bergh Apton. The architect was Mr. Brown,
the contractors Messrs. Wright and Cattermoul and Messrs. Watson and
Neale, the site was given by Mr. S. D. Page, and the entire cost of the
work was 2,400 pounds. "More than 300 years have elapsed since a parish
church has been raised in this city. Of the 36 churches, St. Andrew's is
the last that was erected, or rather rebuilt, about the year 1500, on the
site of an ancient church."