3.--At the Norfolk county magistrates' meeting, a report was received
from the Committee of Visitors that several serious cases of erysipelas,
sore throat, and diarrhoea had occurred at Thorpe Asylum, "and it would
appear that the very offensive smell which pervades the Asylum whenever
the wind blows from the Sewage Farm on the opposite side of the river is
the cause of the above-named epidemics."
4.--In the House of Commons, Mr. C. S. Read supported, in a long and able
speech, Mr. Chaplin's motion, for a Royal Commission to enquire into the
depressed condition of the agricultural interest.
6.--Died at the Vyne, Basingstoke, Mr. W. L. Wiggett Chute, aged 79,
formerly of Pickenham Hall, near Swaffham. He was called to the Bar by
the Middle Temple in 1827, in which year he assumed, by Royal licence,
the additional name and arms of Chute, on inheriting the estates of that
ancient family in Hampshire and Norfolk. He was elected with Sir William
Bagge in the Conservative interest at the General Election of 1837, and
held the seat until 1847, when he retired. In 1837 he married Martha,
second daughter of Mr. Theophilus Russell Buckworth, of Cockley Cley.
9.--A "silver cradle," in the form of a massive epergne, was presented by
the Corporation to the Mayor of Norwich (Mr. Harry Bullard), "in
commemoration of the birth of his daughter, Hilda May, on May 13th,
1879."
11.--Died at Kett's Castle Villa, Mousehold, Norwich, Mr. John Berney
Ladbrooke. Born in 1803, he was a son of Robert Ladbrooke, painter and
drawing master, and nephew of Old Crome, whose pupil he became after he
had received rudimentary instruction from his father. "Crome's influence
is traced in nearly all his pictures, although of late years in tone and
colour they more closely resemble the best works of Henry Bright. He
especially excelled in the representation of woodland scenery." As a
drawing master Ladbrooke was much valued.
12.--Died at Norwich, Mr. John Withers Dowson. A son of Mr. Benjamin
Dowson, merchant, of Geldeston, he was born in 1800. Educated at Norwich
Grammar School, he was articled to a London firm of solicitors, and
afterwards commenced practice in Norwich. The pursuit of professional
emolument was, however, less an object with him than the furtherance of
the education and the improvement of those around him, especially the
poor, and probably no one in the city or county had in his time done more
practical work in the cause of education.
14.--An inter-county bicycle race, between Norfolk and Suffolk cyclists,
was ridden from Ipswich to Norwich. The competitors started from Ipswich
at 3.5 p.m., and the race was won by Popplewell, of Ipswich, who arrived
at the Boileau fountain, Norwich, at 6.5 p.m. Morgan, of Yarmouth, was
second. The distance ridden was forty-three miles.
15.--An important question affecting the boundary of the city came before
the Norwich Town Council. The Town Clerk reported that, in the
preparation of the Ordnance Survey, a question had arisen as to whether
two pieces of land, one containing about 38 acres, situate in the parish
of Catton, and the other of about 45 acres, with 150 houses thereon,
situate in the parish of Sprowston, should not be included within the
Parliamentary and municipal boundary of the city and county of the city
of Norwich. On investigating the matter, it appeared that, by the
charter of Philip and Mary, granted to the city in 1556, these two
inclosures of land were clearly defined as being within the city
boundary, and by several ancient manuscripts and books, including
Blomefield's "History of Norfolk," reference was also made to these lands
as belonging to the city. It also appeared by the report of the
Commissioners appointed to report on the boundaries of boroughs and
corporate towns, by order of the House of Commons, on April 25th, 1837,
that such lands were within the city jurisdiction, and a plan attached to
such report corroborated the fact. The matter being important, and the
Town Clerk having been requested to state whether the city authorities
were willing in the new survey to allow such lands to be shown as forming
part of the county of Norfolk, it was referred to the Parliamentary and
Bylaws Committee, for further investigation and consideration. On August
26th, the Committee reported that they had consulted the Town Clerk and
Major Jones, of the Ordnance Survey, had referred to extracts from
charters and from Blomefield, and had resolved that sufficient evidence
had not been produced to set forth where the boundary of the city of
Norwich should be drawn, and that, therefore, they left Major Jones to
define it as he might think best, without prejudice to the rights of any
party.
19.--The 3rd and 4th Battalions of Norfolk Rifle Volunteers went into
camp on Yarmouth South Denes. Colonel Bulwer, who had succeeded Colonel
Duff, was in command of the 3rd Battalion, and Lieut.-Colonel Gurdon
commanded the 4th Battalion.
20.--Owing to a heavy and continuous downpour of rain and a strong wind
blowing from the north-west, the waters of the Yare were "backed up,"
overflowed the banks of the river, and submerged many thousand acres of
marshes between Norwich and Yarmouth. Most of the hay crop in Norfolk
was ruined by the wet weather.
23.--A silver epergne was presented to Mr. E. H. H. Combe, Mayor of
Yarmouth, as a "silver cradle," to commemorate the birth of a daughter in
his year of office.
26.--Particulars were published on this date of the establishment of the
Norwich Steam Laundry and Public Baths, at North Heigham.
27.--A remarkable landslip occurred at Attleborough. As Mr. Gathergood,
a farmer, whose land lay partly in Attleborough and Rockland, was
crossing a turnip field, he was stunned by a loud report resembling the
roar of a cannon, immediately followed by a rustling noise within a yard
or two of him. On recovering his presence of mind, he discovered that a
space of land twenty-four yards in circumference had sunk out of sight,
and water was rising in its stead. On the 28th the water subsided, and
revealed a chasm from thirty-five to forty feet deep, with perfectly
perpendicular sides. This strange phenomenon was attributed to the
action of the heavy rainfall.