1.--Died at Dean Street, Park Lane, London, the Hon. Frederick Walpole,
M.P. He was third son of Horatio, third Earl of Orford, by Mary, eldest
daughter of Mr. W. Fawkner, and was born September 18th, 1822. In 1837
he entered the Royal Navy, became Lieutenant in 1845, and retired from
the service in 1864, as Commander. He served in the first China War, in
India, and in the campaign on the Danube. Mr. Walpole unsuccessfully
contested King's Lynn at the General Election in November, 1865, when Sir
Thomas Fowell Buxton and Lord Stanley (afterwards Earl of Derby) were
returned. At the General Election in November, 1868, he was elected one
of the members for the Northern Division of Norfolk, and at the next
General Election was returned unopposed. Mr. Walpole was the author of
"Five Years in the Pacific," "The Ansayrii, or Further East," and a
novel, "May and December." He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of
Antiquaries and of the Geological Society. Mr. Walpole also served in
the West Norfolk Militia, of which he was Major, and shortly before his
death received the honorary rank of Lieut.-Colonel. He married, on
February 12th, 1852, his cousin, Laura Sophia Frances, only daughter of
Mr. Francis Walpole, by whom he left issue two sons and a daughter. Amy
Rachael, who married the Hon. Henry Charles Manners Sutton, eldest son of
Viscount Canterbury. One of the last acts of Mr. Walpole's Parliamentary
career was the introduction of the Bill for the protection of the crab
and lobster fisheries on the Norfolk coast.
3.--A serious disturbance took place at Hethersett, on the occasion of
the Norfolk and Norwich Steeplechases. A large number of roughs from
Norwich had planned the robbery of the tills of the person who had
received the gate-money and had charge of the refreshment department. An
effort was made to unhorse Hickman, Mr. Angerstein's huntsman, who was
engaged in keeping the course, and in the _melee_ which ensued an officer
of the Carabiniers brought up at the trot a mounted detachment on duty at
the races, and speedily quelled the disturbance.
5.--The Norwich Town Council, on the recommendation of the Executive
Committee, decided to proceed with the work of widening London Street,
from the Market Place to Castle Street, at a cost not exceeding 22,000,
and appointed a committee to negotiate with owners of property and to
inquire into the best mode of carrying out the improvement. The subject
was discussed in detail at various meetings during the year. (_See_
April 7th, 1877.)
10.--At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Baron Cleasby, Henry Webster,
aged 61, a labourer, was found guilty of the murder of his wife, Sarah
Webster, aged 53, at Cranworth, on September 17th, 1875. Sentence of
death was passed, and the culprit was executed at Norwich Castle on May
1st. Marwood was the executioner.
17.--Mr. Charles Durand's Grand English Opera Company commenced an
engagement at Norwich Theatre, in Rossini's comic opera, "Cinderella, or
the Fairy of the Glass Slipper." Miss Florence St. John was a member of
the company.
18.--At an early hour in the morning the emigrant ship Humboldt, of
Hamburgh, 729 tons register, bound from Hamburgh to the Brazils, with 349
emigrants on board, ran ashore on Winterton beach. With the assistance
of tugs the vessel was got off and taken to Yarmouth Roads for repair.
The master, Henrisch Detlof Busch, had lost his bearings, and believed
himself to be off the coast of France!
20.--The first Starr-Bowkett Building Society was established at Norwich,
by Mr. Starr, one of the originators of the system.
--The nomination of candidates for the election in the Northern Division
of the county, consequent upon the death of the Hon. Frederick Walpole,
M.P., took place at Aylsham. The candidates were Lieut.-Colonel James
Duff, of Westwick House, and Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart., of Warlies,
Waltham Abbey. The polling, which took place on the 21st, resulted as
follows: Duff, 2,302; Buxton, 2,192. Colonel Duff, during the election
campaign, was confined to his house by sickness.
29.--A meeting of gentlemen interested in the field sports of the county
was held at the Royal Hotel, Norwich, to consider the advisability of
accepting the offer made by Mr. Angerstein, namely, that he would give to
the county his pack of staghounds and deer, on condition that the county
subscribed a sufficient sum "to hunt them in a proper manner." The
meeting agreed to take over the hounds if adequate funds were
forthcoming.