7.*--"The gales that have visited the coast during the last week have
been terrific. For days there has been an enormous fleet of southward
bound colliers in Yarmouth Roads. With other vessels, the coast,
extending from Caister to Corton, a distance of several miles, has been
crowded with shipping, and several shipwrecked crews have been landed at
the Sailors' Home."
9.--Died at Norwich, in his 76th year, Mr. William Stark, F.G.S. He was
well-known in his day as an able chemist, and was one of the first dyers
of fabrics of Norwich manufacture, "particularly of the colour called
Turkey red, the manufacturers in the North sending large quantities of
goods for dyeing." He devoted much of his time to the prosecution of
scientific studies, and was a Fellow of the Geological Society. In the
days when Dr. Rigby, William Taylor, Dalrymple, Crosse, C. Austrin, Dr.
Evans, &c., belonged to the Norwich Philosophical Society, Mr. Stark
contributed many papers at its meetings, in which he bore a distinguished
part. For many years he had been afflicted by partial loss of sight, and
a few months before his death became totally blind.
9.--Mr. Osborn Springfield was elected Mayor, and Mr. Frederick Brown
appointed Sheriff of Norwich.
14.--A meeting for the promotion of the East Norfolk Railway was held at
the Swan Hotel, St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, under the presidency of Lord
Suffield. A resolution emphasising the importance of the scheme was
adopted, and the following motion was also unanimously passed: "That the
offer of the Great Eastern Railway Company to render substantial help in
the formation of lines of railway to North Walsham, Aylsham, and Cromer,
and to work the same when made at 50 per cent. upon the gross receipts,
should be cordially accepted by the district, as conferring the means of
accomplishing public works of the greatest benefit, and which otherwise
must have been indefinitely postponed." (_See_ May 5th, 1864.)
16.--Mr. James Caird, M.P., Mr. G. Shaw Lefevre, M.P., and Professor T.
H. Huxley, the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the condition of
the sea fisheries of the United Kingdom, attended at the Sailors' Home,
Yarmouth, for the purpose of hearing evidence. The objects of the
inquiry were to ascertain (1) whether the supply of fish from the
fisheries of the United Kingdom had increased of late years, remained
stationary, or diminished; (2) whether any of the methods of catching
fish involved the wasteful diminution of fish spawn, and whether
legislative interference was required to increase the supply; and (3)
whether any existing legislative enactments operated prejudicially
against fisheries. The Commissioners afterwards visited King's Lynn.
22.--The death occurred at Yarmouth, in his 43rd year, of Hales, the
Norfolk Giant. He was born at West Somerton, and for some years was
engaged in seafaring pursuits, until his enormous height, 7 ft. 6 inches,
gained for him such notoriety that he was induced to abandon the sea and
exhibit himself. During his nomadic career he visited almost every town
in the kingdom, and scarcely a fair was considered complete without the
huge yellow caravan which formed his temporary abode. Becoming tired of
his wandering life. Hales took up his abode in London, and whilst there
had the honour of appearing before the Court and of receiving from the
Queen a handsome gold watch and chain. Shortly after his appearance at
Court, the fame of the Norfolk Giant reached Barnum, who lost no time in
engaging his services. Hales remained with Barnum for some years, in the
course of which he visited most of the cities and towns in America. On
his return to England he resumed his wanderings, and, in the course of
the summer of 1862 came to Yarmouth, where his presence on the Britannia
Pier attracted large numbers of visitors. Hales's parents were
conspicuous for their great height, his father being 6 ft 6 ins., and his
mother 6 ft. He had five sisters, who averaged 6 ft 6 ins. One of them,
Mary, was 7 ft. 2 ins. in height, and for some years travelled with her
brother. She died in Guernsey. His four brothers averaged 6 ft 5
inches. A few days before his death, Hales was walking about Norwich,
where he attracted great crowds by his immense size.
23.--Died at the Rectory, Long Stratton, Mr. George Birch Jerrard, son of
Major-General Jerrard. Born at Bodmin, on November 24th, 1804, he
acquired considerable fame as a mathematician, and was the author of
"Mathematical Researches" and of "An Essay on the Resolution of
Equations." In his first-named work, "he made a great step in Algebra,
and one acknowledged by all mathematicians, namely, the taking away of
_three_ terms from equations of any degree. In his latter work he
maintains he has solved _the_ great problem of Algebra, namely, the
resolution of _all_ equations." At the time of his death he was engaged
in writing a work on "Prophecy," a subject in which he was greatly
interested.
26.--Brother Ignatius, "a clergyman of the English Church, who has the
temerity to come before a public audience attired as a Benedictine monk,
with bare head and bare feet, carrying a rosary and crucifix, which in
this country are regarded as symbolic only of the Romish Church, and
calling himself by a name not accorded to him by his godfathers and
godmother," lectured at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, on "Monks and
Monasteries for the English Church." (_See_ February 13th, 1864.)