1.--Died, at his residence, Thickthorn, near Norwich, Mr. Francis Hay
Gurney, in his 65th year. Mr. Gurney was a son of Mr. Daniel Gurney, of
North Runcton, by Lady Harriet Hay, daughter of William, sixteenth Earl
of Errol. In 1847 he married Margaret Charlotte, daughter of Sir W. H.
Browne ffolkes, Bart. A partner in the banking firm of Messrs. Gurneys
and Co., he discharged with conspicuous courtesy and ability all the
duties that devolve upon a country gentleman. For many years he presided
as chairman of the Committee of Management of the Norfolk and Norwich
Musical festival, and in politics was a staunch Conservative. In 1859 he
took an active part in the Volunteer movement; subsequently he raised and
commanded a troop of Light Horse, and ultimately joined the Suffolk
Yeomanry Cavalry, from which he retired with the brevet rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel.
2.--The first lecture of a series inaugurated by the Norwich Free Library
Committee was given at Blackfriars' Hall, Norwich, by the Rev. H. H.
Snell on "Books and Readers." (_See_ January 12th, 1891.)
5.--Died, at his residence, 43, Ennismore Gardens, South Kensington, Mr.
Baron Huddleston, formerly member of Parliament for Norwich. The son of
a merchant captain, Thomas Huddleston, he was born in 1817, and
matriculated at Trinity College, Dublin. He came to England to seek his
fortune as usher in a school, but afterwards made a more promising start
in life as a barrister at the Central Criminal Court. Admitted a student
at Gray's Inn on April 18th, 1836, and called to the Bar by that society
in the summer of 1839, he accepted silk in 1857 from Lord Cranworth, then
Lord Chancellor. He had unsuccessfully contested, as a Conservative,
Worcester, Shrewsbury, and Kidderminster, but was returned for Canterbury
in 1865. In 1870 he made an unsuccessful assault on Norwich, but four
years later defeated Mr. Tillett by forty-seven votes. In 1875 he was
appointed judge in the Court of Common Pleas, was duly knighted, and
ultimately transferred to the Court of Exchequer on the death of Mr.
Baron Pigott. He married Lady Diana Beauclerk, sister of the Duke of St.
Albans.
14.--Died, at Clermont Terrace, Queen's Road, Norwich, Sarah, widow of
John Barnard, formerly of Beccles, in her 101st year.
18.--Mr. S. Hoare, M.P., delivered a farewell address to his
constituents, at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, previous to his departure
for India.
19.--A heavy fall of snow, accompanied by sharp frost, occurred on this
date. Skating became general throughout the county.
26.--Ginnett's Circus opened for the winter season at the Agricultural
Hall, Norwich.
27.--Died, at Lynn, Mr. John Osborne Smetham, aged 78. He was six times
Mayor of the borough, and had been an alderman thirty-four years, and
held various public offices in the town.
30.--An influential meeting, convened by the Mayor, was held at the
Guildhall, Norwich, to inaugurate a fund for the relief of the unemployed
and necessitous poor of the city. About 900 was subscribed in the room,
and active measures were taken for the relief of public distress.
1891.