5.--Mr. Charles Tadman, for many years manager at Norwich Gasworks,
committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver.
8.--Mr. Anthony Hamond, Master of the West Norfolk Hunt, was presented
with his portrait, painted by Mr. Graves, R.A. Sir William ffolkes,
Bart., made the presentation, on behalf of 400 subscribers.
9.--Mr. Jacob Henry Tillett was elected Mayor, and Mr. Henry Stevenson
appointed Sheriff of Norwich.
10.--The first Poor-law Conference, attended by delegates from twenty-two
Norfolk unions, was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, under the presidency
of Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., "to take counsel on the important point of the
more uniform administration of poor relief."
13.--Died at St. Leonard's, the Rev. Dr. William Brock. Dr. Brock, who
was upwards of 70 years of age, was formerly minister of the Baptist
congregation, in Norwich, and resigned that post about twenty-five years
previously, and became minister of Bloomsbury chapel, London, then
recently built. There he remained until he retired from the ministry.
Dr. Brock was one of the most popular ministers in the Baptist
denomination, and took an active part on the Liberal side in many of the
political movements of his time.
--An extremely high tide occurred at Lynn, owing to heavy rains and
strong gales. On the 15th Denver Sluice was in jeopardy, and large
numbers of men were employed to strengthen the banks. At Hunstanton
great masses of cliff were washed away; on the 19th railway traffic
between Brandon and Ely was suspended, owing to the floods, and
considerable damage was done to the line between Reedham and Haddiscoe by
the overflow of water.
17.--Sir William Bagge, Bart., M.P., presided at a luncheon at Downham
Market, held in celebration of the opening of the new Public Hall. The
building was converted from the old Theatre by a company formed for the
purpose of carrying out the project.
18.--At the adjourned Norfolk Quarter Sessions, held at the Shirehall,
Norwich, a report was received on the advisability of amalgamating the
county prisons and of transferring the Governor of Swaffham Prison to
Norwich Castle, the Governor of the latter prison, Mr. Pinson, having
given notice of his resignation of office. The report recommended that
Swaffham Prison be discontinued from January 13th, 1876; that the
prisoners at the time under detention be removed to Norwich Castle; and
that Mr. Duncan Stuart, Governor of Swaffham Prison, be appointed to
succeed Mr. Pinson at Norwich. The report was adopted. Mr. Stuart took
over the governorship of Norwich Castle in January, 1876, but resigned
office in the following month, when he was succeeded by Mr. Miles Joseph
Walker.
19.--A gale, the severity of which had been unequalled for many years
previously, visited the coast of Norfolk. Several wrecks occurred off
Yarmouth and Caister, and many lives were lost in the Wash. The Scotch
fishing fleet suffered terrible privations. Five bodies of the crew of
the smack Beautiful Star, of St. Monance, Fifeshire, were picked up at
the entrance to Lynn Well, and at a subsequent date the bodies of other
unfortunate fishermen from the North were discovered in the same
locality.
20.--The Hon. Frederick Walpole, M.P., F.R.G.S., was installed Grand
Master of the Norfolk Provincial Grand Lodge of Freemasons, in place of
Mr. Benjamin Bond Cabbell, deceased.
21.--On this day (Sunday) a mad freak was perpetrated at Yarmouth by a
Scotch fisherman, named Watson. Having gained admittance to the Nelson
column, he climbed the figure of Britannia and clasped his arms about its
neck. He then came down to the platform, and, dangling his legs over the
edge of the capital, took off his shoes and proceeded to descend by the
lightning conductor which runs down the outside of the column. The
conductor was only seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, and placed close
to the stone work, "and how he managed to get over the edge of the
projecting capital was a marvel." The man, however, reached the ground
in safety; but his hands were terribly lacerated, "as in several
instances he had to pull the conductor from the wall to get his fingers
in. He was under the influence of drink when he performed the feat."
30.--Died, in his 75th year, Mr. Francis John Blake, solicitor, for forty
years treasurer of the Norfolk County Lunatic Asylum, and thirty-eight
years Superintendent Registrar for the city of Norwich. Mr. Blake was
for many years treasurer of the Norwich Musical Festival, and a director
of several public companies.
--St. Andrew's Day was celebrated in Norwich by the members of the
newly-formed St. Andrew Society dining at the Maid's Head Hotel. Mr. T.
Muir Grant, the founder and president of the society, was in the chair,
and Dr. Waddell, the vice-president, officiated as croupier.
--A suit, the Archdeacon of Norwich _v._ William Delph and William Thomas
Gilbert, churchwardens of St. Augustine, which came before the Consistory
Court at Norwich, excited much public comment. The case was heard
originally in November, 1874, when the Chancellor decreed that the
respondents, who had desecrated the churchyard by throwing a portion of
it into the public road, should, by placing certain stones in the pathway
and wall, mark the ancient boundary of the churchyard. The respondents
not having obeyed the decree of the court, application was made on
October 5th by Mr. Walter Overbury, as Proctor for the Archdeacon, that
they might be pronounced contumacious. The case was adjourned until this
date, and the decree not having been obeyed, the Chancellor pronounced
the respondents contumacious, and issued a certificate to her Majesty in
the High Court of Justice, in order that an attachment might forthwith
issue against them. This action resulted in the arrest and imprisonment
of Mr. Gilbert. At a meeting of the Town Council, on December 21st, Mr.
J. D. Smith called attention to the case, and stated that Mr. Gilbert was
imprisoned for alleged contempt of court in not paying the costs of the
suit. He moved a resolution expressing regret that the ecclesiastical
authorities should have instituted the prosecution, and urging that the
Parliamentary and Bye-Laws Committee confer immediately as to the best
steps to be taken to obtain the release of the prisoner. The motion was
carried by 27 votes against 1, "the Conservatives having vacated their
seats, leaving only Mr. H. W. Stafford, who voted against the motion."
Mr. Gilbert was liberated on December 24th, an undertaking having been
given on the part of Mr. Delph that the decree of the Consistorial Court
should be carried out.