5.--An extraordinary will was left by Miss Margaret Creake, of St.
Andrew's, Norwich, whose death occurred on this date. She was the last
of three sisters, very eccentric in their manners and parsimonious in
their way of living. She directed that her relatives who chose to prove
their identity should receive one shilling each; a legacy of 20 pounds
was left to one neighbour, and of 10 pounds to another. She directed
that 50 pounds be given to each homeless person above 68 years of age in
London, Ireland, and Scotland, and that all her real estate be employed
in founding a hospital for aged persons, the hospital to be built and the
inmates habited according to her directions. The property, valued at
20,000 pounds, being insufficient, the wishes of the testatrix could not
be carried out. Upwards of 1,000 persons visited the late residence of
the deceased, "the filthiness of which was beyond description." Shortly
after the death of Miss Creake, a chemist named Woolner, with whom she
had been intimate, committed suicide by poisoning himself. It was then
rumoured that the woman had met with her death by foul means. The
Coroner (Mr. Wilde) ordered the exhumation of the body from St. Clement's
churchyard. An examination of the remains was made by Mr. T. W. Crosse,
who attributed death to natural causes.
9.--Died at Norwich, aged 60, Mr. John Green Crosse, senior surgeon of
the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Mr. Crosse was a native of Suffolk,
and received his early professional education under Mr. Bailey, at
Stowmarket. After a distinguished career as a medical student in London,
he became demonstrator of anatomy in Dublin. He visited Paris, where he
made himself sufficiently acquainted with the French schools of medicine
to enable him on his return to publish "Sketches of the Medical Schools
of Paris." He settled in Norwich in 1815, and in the following year
married a daughter of his former master and friend. In 1825 he was
elected assistant-surgeon of the Hospital, and on the death of Mr. Bond
succeeded to the surgeoncy on August 25th, 1826. There he gained for
himself a surgical reputation which was described as "not local, not
provincial, not British, not European, but universal." Mr. Crosse was
one of the founders of the Pathological Society; he was a Fellow of the
Royal Society, a Fellow of the College of Surgeons of England, a Doctor
of Medicine in the Universities of Heidelberg and St. Andrew's, a member
of several scientific bodies, and the author of many valuable
professional works and papers. His remains were interred on June 14th,
in the burial ground of Norwich Cathedral.