12.--The old parish church of St. Bartholomew, Heigham, Norwich, which
had undergone complete restoration and enlargement, by the addition of a
north aisle, at the cost of 2,500, was opened by the Lord Bishop of
Norwich.
17.--A special meeting of the Norwich Town Council adopted a vote of
sympathy with the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, on the
death of the Grand Duchess of Hesse (Princess Alice of England), and a
muffled peal was rung upon the bells of St. Peter Mancroft. Similar
votes were adopted by the Corporations of Yarmouth and Lynn; and the
county magistrates voted an address to her Majesty on January 4th, 1879.
19.--Mr. E. C. Bailey resigned the office of Clerk to the Norwich Board
of Guardians, after a service of thirty-four years. He was succeeded in
the appointment by Mr. John Cross.
22.--Died at his residence, Surrey Street, Norwich, Mr. William Peter
Nichols, F.R.C.S., aged 77. Mr. Nichols was born at Yelverton, and was
educated at King Edward VI. School, Norwich, under Valpy. He was
subsequently articled to Mr. Dalrymple, and, having studied at St.
Thomas' and Guy's Hospitals, under Sir Astley Cooper, passed his
examinations, and in 1823 established himself in Norwich, where he
speedily made a reputation, although it was not until late in life that
he reaped the full honours he deserved. On the death of Mr. J. G.
Crosse, Mr. Nichols was elected surgeon of the Norfolk and Norwich
Hospital, a position he held for twenty-two years, and relinquished the
post in 1872, when probably the highest possible testimony was paid to
his skill as an operator by Dr. Copeman, who mentioned that in lithotomy
his average of successful cases was higher than that of Dr. Donne, Dr.
Martineau, or Mr. Norgate, all giants in their day. On his retirement
from office he was unanimously appointed honorary consulting surgeon.
Mr. Nichols was also consulting surgeon to the Bethel Hospital, and, with
Mr. J. F. Watson, successfully carried on for many years the private
asylum at Heigham Hall. He was elected Mayor of Norwich in 1865, and had
the honour to take the lead in the reception of the Prince and Princess
of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Queen of Denmark, when they
visited the city in 1866. In politics he was a Liberal, and occupied at
various times a seat in the Town Council. He was also a magistrate of
the city.
23.--Died at his town residence, 36, Upper Brooke Street, Lieut.-Colonel
James Duff, M.P. He was born at Innis House, Elgin, on July 29th, 1831,
and was the son of General Sir James Duff, who married Miss Eliza
Charlotte Prescott, eldest daughter of General Sir Beeston Prescott,
Bart., of Theobald's Park, Herts. Educated at Rugby, he entered the Army
in 1851, as ensign in the 23rd Fusiliers, with which regiment he
afterwards went to the Crimea, and obtained his captaincy in 1854. At
the battle of Inkerman he was taken prisoner, and on his release acted as
_aide-de-camp_ to General Syssons, who commanded the Second Brigade Light
Division until the end of the war. Captain Duff then embarked with his
regiment for China, but the Indian Mutiny breaking out meanwhile, they
were ordered to Calcutta, to assist in its suppression. Captain Duff was
present with Lord Clyde at the capture of Lucknow, and was specially
mentioned in dispatches for his services. He received the Crimean medal
with two clasps, the Turkish medal, the 5th class of the Medjidie, &c.
In 1858 he left the service, and the following year married Mary, only
daughter of Mr. Edward Dawkins, of Upper Brooke Street, London, and niece
of Mr. John Berney Petre, of Westwick House. On taking up his residence
in the county, he was appointed to the command of the 3rd Administrative
Battalion of Norfolk Rifle Volunteers, and, on the death of the Hon.
Frederick Walpole, was returned as Conservative member for North Norfolk.
In conjunction with Sir Robert Buxton, Mr. Clare Sewell Read, Mr. Colman,
and Sir Edmund Lacon, he was unwearied in his exertions to secure the
passing of the Norfolk and Suffolk Fisheries Preservation Act, and the
modification of Mr. Mundella's Fisheries Bill to the advantage of the
district which he represented.
26.--The Christmas amusements at Norwich included Messrs. Edwards and
Waldegrave's pantomime of "The Children in the Wood, or Harlequin Good
Humour, the Wicked Uncle, and the Good Fairy Birds of the Forest," at the
Theatre; and Bostock and Wombwell's Menagerie on the Castle Meadow.
1879.