2.--Died at Slough, Buckinghamshire, aged 95 years, Mrs. Anne Rigby,
widow of Dr. Rigby, of Norwich, whom she survived 51 years.
5.--The Norwich Board of Guardians, after a long and acrimonious
discussion, agreed, on the motion of the Rev. A. C. Copeman, seconded by
Dr. Bateman, to accede to the request of Professor Humphrey, of
Cambridge, that he be supplied, for the purposes of dissection, with the
unclaimed bodies of persons who died in the Workhouse. At a meeting on
October 3rd an attempt was made to rescind the resolution, which,
however, was confirmed by 16 votes against 12. On December 12th a third
debate resulted in the rescission of the original motion by one vote.
9.--The first election in the Eastern Counties under the new Ballot Act
took place at Great Yarmouth, when a councillor was returned to fill in
the Town Council the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Preston.
10.--Lord Walsingham was presented by his Merton tenantry with an address
of welcome upon his return after a prolonged visit to America.
16.--Norwich Theatre was opened for the winter season, under the
management of Mr. G. H. Chaplin. "It has been our lot to witness some
very indifferent acting upon the Norwich boards, but we never remember
having seen a whole company (with the exception of Mr. Chaplin) so
thoroughly destitute of histrionic talent, or so wretchedly poor in the
dresses whereby to represent the characters."
--The Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival commenced with an
evening performance of the "Festival Te Deum" (composed in celebration of
the recovery of the Prince of Wales) and of "The Creation." The morning
performance on the 18th was "Elijah," on the 19th "St. Peter" (first time
of performance in Norwich); and on the 20th "The Messiah." On the
evening of the 17th a grand ballad concert took place, and on the 18th
and 19th miscellaneous concerts. The principal vocalists were Mdlle.
Tietjens, Mdlle. Florence Lancia, Mdlle. Albani, Madame Patey, Madame
Trebelli-Bettini, Mr. W. H. Cummings, Mr. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Kerr Gedge,
Mr. J. G. Patey, and Mr. Santley. Sir Julius Benedict conducted. The
Festival ball was held on the night of the 20th.
25.--Great rejoicings took place at Gunthorpe, in celebration of the
return of Mr. and Mrs. E. Bowyer Sparke, from their wedding tour. The
squire was presented by the tenantry with an illuminated address.
27.--Died, Mr. John Longe, of Spixworth Park. He was the second son of
the Rev. John Longe, vicar of Coddenham, Suffolk. Educated at Norwich
Grammar School, under Valpy, and subsequently at Cambridge, he succeeded
to the estate in 1828, on the death of the widow of his cousin, Mr.
Francis Longe, who was High Sheriff in 1786. He married, in 1829,
Caroline Elizabeth, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Lieut.-Colonel
Warnford, of Warnford Place, Wilts., and niece of Henry, fourth Viscount
Ashbrook. As a Valpeian, Mr. Longe always took the greatest interest in
the success of the Norwich Grammar School, of which he was a governor.
He was a Deputy-Lieutenant of the county, and for some years captain in
the East Norfolk Militia, and was succeeded in his estates by his
brother, the Rev. Robert Longe, vicar of Coddenham, who was born in 1800.
--A heavy gale prevailed off the East coast, and many shipping casualties
were reported.
28.--Died at his seat, Melton Constable, the Right Hon. and Rev. Delaval
Loftus, ninth Baron Hastings, in his 48th year. His lordship had been
summoned from Wiesbaden, in consequence of the alarming illness of Lady
Hastings. He was at the time recovering from a severe attack of gout,
and little fitted to undertake a long journey. On reaching Melton
Constable he was seized with an illness which proved fatal. Lord
Hastings was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and, on taking holy
orders, was appointed to the family living of Foulsham, and subsequently
to that of East Barsham and Little Snoring. He married, in 1848, the
Hon. Frances Diana Manners Sutton, daughter of the first Viscount
Canterbury, by whom he left three sons and a daughter, and succeeded to
the title and estates on the death of his brother, in March, 1871. His
successor was the Hon. Bernan Edward Delaval Astley, who was born in
1855, and was, at the time of his father's death, completing his term at
Eton.