8.--Died at Yarmouth, aged 76, Lieut. William Simpson, R.M., of North
Walsham. He was one of the officers who received the Emperor Napoleon on
board the Bellerophon, on July 15th, 1815.
14.--A great public meeting, in support of the United Kingdom Alliance,
was held at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, and was addressed by General Neal
Dow, who had taken a prominent part in the passing of the Maine Liquor
Law.
18.--A meeting of the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture, presided over by
Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., was held "to discuss the future aggregate
representation of the county in Parliament, in the event of the loss of
three of its borough members," namely, of two on the disenfranchisement
of Yarmouth, and of one on Thetford being constituted a "single membered"
borough. The following motion was adopted: "That the attention of the
Chamber having been directed to the clauses in the Bill before Parliament
for the redistribution of seats, it is resolved that the proposal to take
away three members from the county is unjust, and that the most strenuous
efforts be made to retain twelve members, to which it is justly entitled,
by reason of its population, wealth, and importance." It was announced
on June 15th that, under the redistribution scheme, Norfolk would in
future have three divisions, namely, West, North-East, and South-East.
The Boundary Commissioners appointed under the provisions of the
Representation of the People Act held inquiries at Thetford on September
24th, at Norwich on September 27th and October 9th, at Lynn on October
2nd, and at the Shirehall, Norwich, on October 7th. (_See_ June 18th,
1868.)
21.--Died at West Bilney Hall, Mr. Thomas William Coke. He was born in
January, 1793, and was the eldest son of Edward Coke, of Longford,
Derbyshire. In his youth he was frequently at Holkham, and was long
regarded as heir to the estate, but this prospect ended by the marriages
in 1822, of his uncle, Thomas William Coke (created Earl of Leicester in
1837), to Lady Anne Keppel, the issue of which was the large family of
whom the present Earl is the head. Mr. Coke was very popular, and in
early life was a fearless and accomplished horseman.
24.--The Queen's birthday was observed at Norwich by a parade of the
Volunteers and the firing of a _feu de joie_ in the Market Place. The
Volunteers were entertained at dinner at the Drill Hall, 700 old people
were invited by the Mayor and Sheriff to a feast at the Corn Hall, and
luncheon was served at St. Andrew's Hall for many of the leading
residents in city and county.
28.--A modified observance of the old custom of "beating the bounds" took
place in the parish of Colkirk. "The existence of tithe maps and other
circumstances halving rendered actual perambulation comparatively
unnecessary, the circuit of the parish was omitted; but two brief
services were held in the pretty green lanes at the opposite extremities
of the parish, and were attended by 60 or 70 persons, including the
little children of the village school, who marched through the village
singing hymns, preceded by a modest banner." An address was given at
both services by the Rev. W. A. Chapman.