3.--Died at Christiania, Mr. Joseph Stanley, who formerly practised as a
solicitor at Norwich. He for several years represented the First Ward in
the Town Council, and on the death of Mr. Robert Culley was elected
County Coroner after an exciting contest. He it was who served a writ
upon the Mayor of Norwich in the matter of the Town Close Estate, with
the result that the estate, which had long been regarded as the exclusive
property of the freemen, was declared to be a charity. Mr. Stanley had
resided in Norway ten years preceding his death.
4.--Died, Mr. James R. Bulwer, Q.C., one of the Masters in Lunacy. Mr.
Bulwer was the eldest son of the Rev. J. Bulwer, rector of
Hunworth-with-Stody, and was born in 1820. He was called to the Bar by
the Inner Temple in 1847, and became treasurer in 1880. He took silk in
1865. From 1861 to 1866 he was Recorder of Ipswich, and from 1866 to
1898 he held the like office at Cambridge. He was also a justice of the
peace for Norfolk, and was one of the chairmen of Norfolk Quarter
Sessions, a post which he resigned on December 31st, 1898. Mr. Bulwer
was Conservative member for Ipswich from 1874 to 1880, and represented
Cambridgeshire from 1881 to 1885. From 1873 to 1884 he was
lieutenant-colonel of the Inns of Court Volunteers.
12.--Mrs. Keeley, for many years one of the leading actresses on the
English stage, died at her residence in London, in her 93rd year. She
was a native of Ipswich, and in her young days, as Miss Annie Goward, was
a popular member of the Norwich Company.
16.--Paderewski, the famous pianist, appeared at St. Andrew's Hall,
Norwich.
--The election of a member to fill the vacancy in the representation of
North Norfolk by the elevation of Mr. H. H. Cozens-Hardy to the judicial
bench, took place on this date. The candidates were Sir Kenneth Kemp,
Bart. (U.), and Sir William Brampton Gurdon, Bart. (L). The poll was
declared at Aylsham Town Hall on the 17th as follows: Gurdon, 4,775;
Kemp, 3,610.
19.--After a winter of exceptional mildness very severe weather set in.
In some localities the readings of the thermometer were the lowest since
1895. On the 20th a remarkable whirlwind, which did considerable damage
to three cottages, occurred at Worstead. February 10th was recorded as
"the hottest day for half a century for the time of year."
25.--An effort was made at Norwich to inaugurate a public subscription
for the erection of a memorial to Sir Thomas Browne, the famous author of
"The Religio Medici" and other works.
--Died at Thorpe Road, Norwich, Mr. Joshua Womersley, an alderman of the
city, aged 77. A native of Yorkshire, he came to Norfolk in 1811 and
took employment with the firm of Messrs. Colman at Stoke. He devised a
method of making starch from rice, and received the congratulations of
the Patent Office on having overcome difficulties in starch making which
had hitherto been considered insurmountable. In politics Mr. Womersley
was strongly Liberal, and admitted at the Royal Commission in 1868
"having kept certain voters in tow with the object of preventing them
being tampered with by the other side."
28.--The sale took place at Easton Lodge Farm by Mr. John Thornton of the
red-poll herd of Mr. J. J. Colman. The total sum realised was 4,262.5
guineas, of which 1,114 guineas were paid for the bulls. The average per
head was a little over 77. The sale of Mr. Colman's flock of Southdowns
took place at Crown Point on August 9th, and was attended by leading
sheep breeders and flock masters from all parts of the kingdom. Mr.
Thornton disposed of 999 lots, which realised a grand total of 5,347 6s.
6d.