Dec. 30th. H.M. paddle-steamer “Valorous,” and four iron twin-screw gunboats, of 360 tons each, arrived in the Roadstead.
Deaths: March 27th, Mr. J. Barney Beales, sheriff’s officer, aged 82.—Aug. 22nd, the Hon. Mrs. Harbord Harbord, daughter of Sir H. J. Stracey.—Oct. 21st, Mr. S. B. Cory, vestry clerk, aged 80.—Nov. 18th, H. E. B. Giles, solicitor, aged 65.
Launches: Jan. 30th, smack “Flash.”—May, smack “Ruby.”—July, yacht “Harry,” belonging to Mr. H. A. Morris.—July, fishing boat “Arab Steed.”—Aug. 19th, fishing dandy “Challenge.”—Oct. 4th, smacks “Sunbeam” and “Puss.”—Nov. 27th, schooner “Arthur.”—Dec. 11th, trawling smack “Carlisle.”
Jan. A portion of the North Denes levelled, preparatory to laying the rails of the North Norfolk Railway. (See Oct. 27th, 1875.)
Jan. 9th. Charles Diver, Esq., elected Justices’ Clerk for the East and West Fleggs, in place of the late Mr. S. B. Cory, deceased.
Jan. 9th. Fifteen fishing craft belonging to Messrs. Smith and Son, sold at the “Star” for £13,320; and on Feb. 5th ten of the late Mr. J. W. Parsley’s realised £5,615.
Jan. 16th. P.c. Edwards presented with a handsome timepiece and purse of £4 14s., by the salesmen, buyers, and boatowners, for his attention and courtesy to them at the Fishwharf.
Jan. 19th. The Stradbroke Road Board Schools, Gorleston, opened. Cost, with fittings, £3,000; accommodate 500 children. (See Nov. 9th, 1875.)
Jan. 30th. Very heavy gale and boisterous high tide, parts of the town being inundated. 18 Yarmouth smacks and over 100 hands were lost. The Yarmouth “Mark Lane” lifeboatmen bravely rescued the crew(12) of the barque “Constantia,” wrecked on Scroby. Fifty-five widows, 108 children, and 17 aged parents were left destitute in this locality. The local relief fund reached £2,540, and in London £6,800. The first grant voted for Yarmouth and district was £2,745.
Jan. 30th. Calico fancy dress ball at St. Andrew’s Hall, Gorleston.
Feb. 5th. Charles John Palmer, Esq., presented with a gold watch, a silver flower-basket, and a purse of 100 guineas, as a complimentary testimonial for his local literary researches &c.; 235 persons subscribed £233 9s. 6d. (See 1830.)
Feb. 18th. New oak pulpit in the parish church erected and used for the first time by the Vicar, the Rev. George Venables, S.C.L.
Feb. The Secretary of State for War decided on the formation of an Administrative Battalion, to consist of the 2nd Norfolk (Yarmouth), 4th Suffolk (Bungay), 14th Suffolk (Beccles), and 17th Suffolk (Lowestoft), under the title of the 1st Administrative Battalion Norfolk Rifle Volunteers, with headquarters at Yarmouth.
Feb. 19th. Sir James Paget, Bart., F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D., appointed one of the Serjeant-Surgeons in Ordinary to the Queen, in the room of Sir William Fergusson, Bart., deceased. He is the son of the late Mr. Samuel Paget, of this town, and was born in 1814.
Feb. 21st. John Clowes, Esq., solicitor, died, aged 67 years. This gentleman formerly filled the office of Town Clerk of the Borough; he was also a member of the Council and Board of Guardians for many years, besides being Lord of the Manor of Caister. (See 1822 and 1840.)
Feb. The body of a male child, about five months old, sent from Liverpool Station to the Vauxhall terminus in a small black bag; but no clue was ever found to the supposed murderess or the gentleman to whom it was consigned.
March. J. H. Orde, Esq., resigned after 18 years’ service in the 2nd Norfolk Rifle Volunteer Corps. On June 21st he was presented with a valuable gold repeater watch by the Corps, at the Drill Hall, as a memento of esteem.
March 5th. Major General Francis Montague Maxwell Ommanney, B.A., died at Yarmouth, aged 50 years.
March 6th. Benjamin Daniels, a farmer of Scratby (five miles from the birthplace of Hales), and the last of the East Anglian giants, died and buried at Ormesby St. Margaret, aged 45 years. Height, 6 ft. 6 in.; weight, 24 stone; width across the shoulders, 20 in.; and possessed great strength.
March 25th. Income of the Haven Commissioners for the past year, £11,927 12s. 11d.; an increase of £782 11s. 5d. on the previous year. The imports in 1877 included 87,729 tons of coal, 288,032 qrs. of corn, and tonnage dues 176,475 tons, &c.; on fish and fishing vessels, £2,110. Number of wherries trading on the Bure, 108, of 1,934 tons burthen, and the income from this source, £455 16s. 3d.
March 28th. First Military Assault-at-Arms at the Drill Hall by the Non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Royal Dragoons from Norwich; and a second on April 17th, 1879, by the 1st Norfolk Artillery Volunteers.
March 31st. The Registrar-General reported 300 births, 135 marriages, and 179 deaths, 66 of the latter being persons of 60 years old and upwards, in the Borough during the past three months.
April 16th. The schooner “Jane” (121 tons), of Colchester, lost, with six hands, in a heavy gale, on the Cross Sands; and on the 19th the Norwegian barque “Suez” was beached south of the Wellington pier, with the loss of one of her crew.
April 22nd. The Great Yarmouth Church of England, “Mission” opened, and lasted a week.
May 3rd and 5th. The CorporationversusJ. W. de Caux. Arbitration proceedings taken respecting the ownership of the Town wall, on the site of “Town Wall House,” Theatre Plain, and subsequently decided in favour of defendant.
May 4th. The National Lifeboat Institution reported the gallant services rendered by the Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat crews in saving 22 men from shipwreck during recent gales.
May 8th and 9th. A locomotive engine, intended for the North Norfolk Railway, drawn on rails through Regent Street and Market Placeen routeto the Beach Station. It was named the “Ormesby,” and weighed about 18 tons; on the 9th and 10th July a second engine, the “Stalham,” was dragged by horses along Regent Street, Regent Road, and Nelson Road North. On Sept. 13th, a third engine, the “North Walsham,” and a fourth, the “Martham,” on March 28th, 1879. The carriages also had to be conveyed in like manner. (See Aug. 7th.)
May 17th. Rev. S. Hooke presented with a handsome timepiece by the congregation of St. Peter’s Church.
May 24th. Sergeant-Major Britton, Colour-Sergts. J. Norton and J. Wall, Sergt. J. Steel, Corporal W. Page, and Privates T. Freebury and R. Hayes, belonging to the 9th Regiment, each presented at Southtown Armoury with a medal for long service and good conduct.
May 25th. The smack “Dauntless” lost on Haak Sand.
May 27th. Rev. Edward Venables, B.A., son of the Vicar of Yarmouth, ordained by the Bishop of Chichester, and was appointed to a curacy at Hastings.
June 8th. The Royal Hotel partly rebuilt and re-modelled.
June 16th. Five gentlemen belonging to the Britannia Amateur Rowing Club rowed from Wroxham to Norwich,viaYarmouth (63 miles), in 10 hrs. 40 min.
June 17th. Three Gorleston young men—Edwin Darby, Augustus Hawes, and Arthur Thrower—accidentally drowned in the river Wensum.
June 24th. On the death of his father, Viscount Canterbury, K.C.B., G.C.M.G., Henry Charles, fourth Viscount (who married in 1872 Amyée Rachel, the only daughter of the late Hon. F. Walpole, M.P.), succeeded to the title.
July 2nd. The Norfolk and Suffolk Fisheries Bill passed the House of Lords, and Royal assent given by Commission on July 19th.
July. The billyboy “Breeze,” of this port, collided with H.M.S. “Wye,” off Carlton, and foundered.
July 9th. The inhabitants and the Board of Trade awarded Thomas Love and William Mann, of the smack “Fawn” two medals and two watches for their bravery in rescuing five hands from the smack “Bessie,” of London, during the gale of Jan. 30th.
July 10th. Mr. I. S. Cooper’s tender of £325 10s. for each of the two brick mortuary chapels in the new Cemetery accepted by the Corporation.
July 11th. The Royal Assembly Rooms purchased by Mr. W. Butcher for £1,975. (See 1851, and April, 1869.)
July 21st to 27th. Encampment of the 3rd and 4th Norfolk Rifles (about 920 rank and file), under command of Lieut.-Col. Duff, M.P., and Lieut.-Col. R. T. Gurdon, on the North Denes. On the brigade day about 2,000 volunteers, divided into 30 companies, were manœuvred, and it was estimated that some 20,000 civilians were present.
July 24th. Mr. Charles John Stokes (22), a member of the Lynn Volunteers, mysteriously drowned in the river Yare. On the 28th the body was picked up, and subsequently buried at Lynn; but by order of the Secretary of State it was (Aug. 31st) exhumed, and apost-mortemexamination made, but no marks of violence were discovered.
July 25th. The two principal stones of the nave of St. James’ Church laid by the Mayor (T. B. Steward, Esq.) and Mayoress. Cost of the nave was given at £3,150.
July 27th. Capt. Stokes, of the smack “Falcon,” awarded a gold watch by the Emperor of Germany for rescuing the crew of the wrecked ship “Elise,” in Nov., 1876.
Aug. 7th. The North Norfolk Railway having been inspected the previous day by Major-General Hutchinson, R.E., was opened to the public as far ascompleted, namely, Yarmouth, Caister, and Ormesby (5½ miles). The line was constructed by Messrs. Wilkinson and Jarvis, of London. May 16th opened to Hemsby, and on July 15th, 1878, from this village to Martham. (See May 8th and July.)
Aug. 9th. St. George’s Board Schools, St. Peter’s Plain, opened, Mr. J. T. Bottle being the architect. This Gothic building comprises girls’ school, 64 ft. by 20 ft., and accommodates 200 children; infants’ room, 60 ft. by 23 ft., for 300 girls; and another room, 24 ft. by 20 ft.; also lobbies, offices, and an open and covered playground. Cost, £2,370.
Aug. 11th. Collision between the steam tugs “United Service” and “Express” at the Harbour’s mouth. Estimated damage to the latter, £200.
Aug. 21st. Mr. Charles Panchen, of this town, rescued from drowning a gentleman visitor whilst bathing from the South Beach, and in Nov. was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s bronze medal for his gallantry.
Aug. 21st. Miss Clementine Stirling-Graham died at Duntrune, aged 95. On the death of this lady, John Edmund Lacon, Esq., of this town, succeeded to her estates in Forfarshire, and to all papers and relics of the great Viscount Dundee.
Aug. 26th. Batt. Sergt.-Major Quince, (P.W.O.) Royal Artillery, rescued another gentleman in imminent danger of drowning, and in Jan., 1878, presented with the bronze medal of the Royal Humane Society for his bravery, and by order of H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge it was presented by Lord Suffield on May 29th at a full parade, and permission given him to wear it on his breast.
Aug. Captain Balls, of the schooner “Benjamin,” belonging to W. J. Foreman, Esq., awarded a silver medal and certificate by the King of the Netherlands for gallant services in saving the crew of the “Fortuna.” (See April, 1869.)
Aug. 30th. Miss Emma Maria Pearson lectured at the Town Hall on “Servia during the War.”
Sept. Rateable value of the Borough, after deducting allowances and losses, £73,400; Gorleston, Southtown, and Cobholm Island, £19,000.
Sept. A new organ, built by Mr. W. C. Mack, of Yarmouth, presented to the Queen’s Road Primitive Methodist Chapel by G. Baker, Esq. It is 8 ft. 6 in. wide and 17 ft. high. One manual from CC to G, 55 notes, and l½ octaves, German pedals, &c., and contains 398 pipes. Opened Sept. 9th.
Sept. 5th. The smack “Joseph and Ann,” belonging to Mr. G. Grief, of this port, run down by a steamer on Cromer Knowl, and three of her crew drowned.
Sept. 9th. The Rev. S. Hooke preached his first sermon at St. Peter’s Church after appointment as curate.
Sept. Mr. Ambrose Hulley presented with a silver-mounted piccolo, in morocco case, with silver plate, at the Aquarium, in appreciation of his talent as a musician.
Sept. 12th. Meeting at the Town Hall to raise subscriptions for alleviating the distress caused by the famine in India. Total collected here, £516 6s. 2d.
Sept. 13th. First annual regatta and fête of the Yarmouth Rowing Club on the river Bure.
Sept. 29th. Mr. Edward Garrett presented at the Royal Hotel with an elegant silver tea and coffee service, and a massive silver salver, as a mark of esteem on his retiring from the post of Master of the Norfolk and Suffolk Harriers, which he had held 12 years.
Oct. 1st. The Temporary Grammar School opened as a Board School.
Oct. 4th. The phenomenon of a water spout, in the form of three immense pillars of vapour, and afterwards a spiral column, passed over Gorleston, but did not discharge itself.
Oct. Additions made to the Parish Church organ, viz., a “third rank” to the “mixture,” and an orchestral hautbois, the latter with the cremona being enclosed in a new small “swell case.” The organ now contains 3,188 pipes in actual use.
Oct. 8th. High tide and heavy gale. Much damage done to shipping in the Roadstead and at sea.
Nov. The School Board spent during the past year £7,600; and the expenditure for building alone since the establishment of the Board was just under £7,700.
Nov. 1st. Great excitement at Gorleston over the Municipal contest between Messrs. S. S. Bately, F. Dendy, and H. Denton. Result of poll:—Bately, 420; Dendy, 360; Denton, 221.
Nov. 3rd. Riot in the town between Scotch and Yarmouth fishermen.
Nov. 9th. Messrs. A. D. Stone, Wm. Worship, and P. Case elected as Aldermen in the places of Messrs. R. Purdy, G. S. Shingles, and W. D. Palmer, resigned.
Nov. 11th. Heavy gale, disastrous casualties among the shipping and loss of life, the “Allerton Packet” and “Beatrix” being stranded on the North Beach. In another gale on Nov. 24th the hull of the latter was carried against the Britannia Pier, breaking the piles, and damaging them to the extent of £300.
Nov. 28th. Mr. J. F. Ryan, master of the School of Art, presented at the Town Hall with an elaborately-chased silver salver, and a purse of 20 guineas, by the past and present students for his efficient teaching.
Nov. 29th. Mr. George Tewsley, after 21 years’ service as Superintendent of the Borough Police, resigned on a superannuation fee. He had been 17 years previously in the Metropolitan Force. On March 18th, 1878, the Police Force presented Mr. Tewsley with a handsome marble clock, as a memento of esteem, prior to his removing to Diss.
Dec. 2nd. The fishing lugger “Ceres” on fire near the Fishwharf. Damage about £100.
Dec. 8th. H. R. Harmer, Esq., captured in the Norfolk Broads a pike 41½ in. long, 19 in. in girth, and weighing 20 lbs.
Dec. 31st. 188 shipwrecked seamen received at the Sailors’ Home in the year, and 4,660 since the opening of the institution.
Dec. 277 English and foreign vessels, and 605 coasters arrived in port in the year. During the year, 87 putin wind-bound and 37 with loss of anchors; 21 were totally lost off this coast, two with all hands; 36 assisted in by lifeboat crews, and 36 casualties occurred in the river.
Dec. 31st. For the past 21 weeks 61,928 passengers had been carried by the North Norfolk Railway, representing in receipts £1,267 15s., with goods, £1,460.
Dec. During the past year 1,571 births occurred, and 913 deaths—increase of population, 658.
Marriages: April 10th, William Towler, eldest son of J. P. Hall, Esq., to Miss Ellen E. Bunn.—June 14th, F. Burton, Esq., solicitor, to Miss M. I. Meadows.—June 19th, Rev. A. Hume, M.A., to Miss E. T. Waters.—July 5th, H. J. N. Stratton, Esq., to Miss E. M. Youell, of Gorleston.—July 20th, T. B. U. Lacon, Esq., to Florence Dunbar Banks.—Aug. 18th, J. S. Clowes, Esq., solicitor, to Miss Isabella M. Clowes.—Oct. 23rd, T. P. Burroughs, Esq., to Miss S. Fulcher.
Deaths: Jan. 6th, Francis Worship, Esq., J.P., aged 75.—Feb. 8th, Major R. B. Nesbitt.—Feb. 21st, John Clowes, Esq., aged 67.—March 9th, Mr. William Shipley, M.R.C.V.S.—March 2lst, Henry Hammond, Esq., at Southtown, aged 70.—April 15th, John Fenn, Esq., J.P., aged 81.—May 16th, Captain C. Small, Vice-Consul, aged 60. July 18th, Mr. James Beeching, shipbuilder, aged 65.—July 23rd, Captain William S. Scroggs, aged 60.—July 26th, Mr. H. Pestell, aged 77.—Sept. 8th, Isaac Strutt, Esq., aged 38.—Oct. 19th, R. F. Veale, Esq., J.P., aged 46. Nov. 2nd, W. Thurtell, Esq., J.P., aged 82.—Nov. 3rd, Mr. R. W. Durrell, of Gorleston, aged 44.
Launches: June 12th, smack “Emma Eliza.”—July 19th, trawling smack “Chatterbox.”—Aug. 14th, fishing lugger “Seamew.”—Aug. 28th, fishing boat “Norfolk.”—Sept. 1st, cutter “Flare.”
Jan. The Rev. A. J. Worlledge, M.A., appointed by the Bishop of Lincoln to an honorary canonry of Lincoln Cathedral, at the early age of 29 years.
Jan. 15th. Two fires broke out in fishhouses and premises belonging to Mr. R. T. Seago, Row 137, and Mr. Wisker, Row 138.
Jan. 16th. John Van Hutton died, aged 102, being born on March 10th, 1776, and his remains buried in the New Cemetery.
Jan. 31st. First triennial election of the School Board, who held office till Feb. 16th. The following 11 gentlemen chosen without going to a poll:—Messrs. J. H. Orde, H. E. Buxton, J. W. de Caux, (Rev.) A. Peaton, G. Baker, D. Tomkins, R. E. Dowson, S. J. F. Stafford, T. Saul, J. T. Waters, and (Rev.) J. F. Splaine, eight being re-elected. On Nov. 29th Mr. F. Dendy elected in the place of Mr. Stafford.
Feb. 8th. The Rev. E. Whitehead, M.A., incumbent of Southtown, presented with a chased silver salver by the parishioners of Denham, Suffolk.
Feb. 26th. William E. Pretyman, Esq., grandson of the late Bishop of Lincoln, died at Yarmouth. This gentleman, up to the time of his decease, spent the greater part of his time in fishing like an ordinary smacksman, for which pursuit he owned a smack—the “Lincoln”—fitted up in a superior style.
Feb. 28th. Mr. J. Ogden, Inspector of Police at Hanley, appointed, out of 50 candidates, Superintendent of the Yarmouth Constabulary in the place of Mr. Tewsley.
Mar. Rev. G. Merriman, Vicar of Martham, appointed domestic chaplain to the Marquis of Ailesbury.
March 7th. Mr. Walter Teasdel gallantly rescued a boy named Coen (12) from drowning in the river, and in April the Royal Humane Society acknowledged his bravery.
March 7th. High and boisterous tide, the lower parts of the town being inundated, and a wherry, belonging to Mr. Goff, and the smack “Two Brothers” sunk in the harbour.
March. Loss of the smack “Fawn” and all hands.
March 22nd. The claims of the shareholders in the Yarmouth and Eastern Counties’ Aquarium Company, after five years, finally wound-up, 15s. out of each £invested being refunded by the hon. liquidator, C. C. Aldred, Esq., who was presented with a magnificent silver salver by the shareholders. The amount invested was £3,431.
March 24th. The training-ship “Eurydice” wrecked off Dunnose, Isle of Wight, and over 360 lives lost. This vessel anchored in Yarmouth Roadstead in 1877.
March 25th. The annual income this year of the Port and Haven Commissioners was £12,478 10s. 3d., and for 1879, £12,110 15s. 1d.
March 28th. Loss of the smacks “Henry,” “Dairy Maid,” and “Deerhound;” also the barque “Theresa” and brig “Vladimir” in a gale.
April 1st. Major Hector Tullock, R.E., held an enquiry at Runham-Vauxhall respecting the borrowing of £1,000 for carrying out the water and drainage scheme; also on Feb. 11th, 1879.
April. Memorial window placed in the chancel-part of the Parish Church in memory of William Palgrave, Esq. (who died in 1838), and Elizabeth, his wife, by their surviving children.
April. Intelligence received at Yarmouth of the loss of the barque “Ponda Chief” off Natal. (See Aug. 2nd, 1875.)
April 17th. Public meeting at the Town Hall to oppose the Town Council in the proposed building of a new Town Hall, but on Jan. 16th, 1879, the loan of £30,000 was sanctioned by the Treasury.
April 20th. The Army and East Norfolk Militia Reserves called up, and subsequently the former sent to Colchester and the latter to Ireland.
April 23rd and 24th. Frank Buckland and Spencer Walpole, Esqs., two of her Majesty’s Commissioners, held an enquiry at the Sailors’ Home respecting the destruction of small soles and other trawl fish, by order of the Secretary of the Home Department.
April. A handsome and costly monument, rather above 20 feet in height, erected in the Cemetery. It bears the following inscription:—“Erected by his bereaved and sorrowing mother, in fond remembrance of Charles S. T. Mills, Esq. (the dearly beloved andonly son of Charles and Maria Mills), who died at Great Yarmouth on the 19th December, 1875, aged 29 years. Gone before.” This monument is of solid Aberdeen polished grey granite, surmounted by a beautiful marble upright figure representing “Truth,” the latter being the work of an Italian sculptor. The tomb is surrounded at the base by floral wrought-iron railings, fixed in 1879. (See Sept., 1883.)
April. The congregation of St. Andrew’s presented the Rev. E. G. H. Murrell with a silver salver and two silver napkin-rings, as a wedding present.
May 1st. The new nave of St. James’ Church built and opened at a cost of £3,250. Interior length, 103 ft.; width, 33 ft.; height, 53 ft.; exterior height, 70 ft. Accommodates about 700 worshippers. This nave forms only a third of the proposed entire building.
May 2nd. Mrs. T. Burton Steward, wife of the Captain of the 1st Norfolk Artillery Volunteers, presented with a handsome silver-plated épergne, subscribed for by the officers and men of the corps.
May 3rd. Mr. Archibald Forbes, war correspondent to theDaily News, lectured at the Aquarium on the leading episodes, from personal experience, of the Battle of the Shipka Pass, crossing the Danube, and the Battle of Plevna. Mr. Forbes’ first visit to Yarmouth was in 1872, during the stay of the Prince of Wales.
May 6th. H.M. steam-yacht “Hawk” and schooner “Mermaid” anchored in the Roadstead.
May 7th. Rev. F. C. Villiers presented with a handsome épergne by the North-end Mission congregation in this town.
May. Sir Francis Goldsmid, Bart., Q.C., F.R.G.S., died from an accident. In 1854 he was a candidate with Mr. Rumbold for the representation of the Borough.
May 9th. Quay House sold by auction for £1,720.
May 12th. Fire at Messrs. H. and E. Brand’s outfitting premises, South Denes Road.
May 23rd. Fire in a tar store at Gorleston belonging to Mr. J. Fleming Hewett; damage £80.
May 26th. Mr. H. S. Baumgartner, of Gorleston, passed the preliminary examination of the Apothecaries’ Hall.
May 29th. The Venerable Archdeacon Perowne made his first visitation since being appointed to the place of Archbishop Hopper, deceased.
June 20th. Mr. Edward T. Ayers, author of several legal works, passed the intermediate examination under the Solicitors’ Act, 1877, held by the Incorporated Law Society; and on the same date Mr. W. H. Cowl successfully passed a similar examination.
June 24th. The Wellington Pier Company let by public tender their pier to Mr. S. Boughton, for three years, the average receipts for the previous three years being £481 5s. per annum.
June 28th. The Rev. George Venables appointed one of her Majesty’s Commissioners to enquire into the law and the existing practice as to the sale, exchange, and resignation of Ecclesiastical Benefices, and to recommend remedies for abuses if any found to exist.
June. A large dredger for the Haven, named the “FitzRoy,” costing £5,495, ordered by the Port and Haven Commissioners, which arrived here April 6th, 1879.
June 28th. Major Dods, E.N.M., presented with an elaborate silver épergne, with a greyhound at the base, as a testimonial, by the gentlemen forming the Norfolk and Suffolk Coursing Meeting, in token of respect, after 15 years their hon. sec.
June. Mr. Leggett’s contract of £855 for building the north transept, aisle, and porch of St. John’s Church accepted. Entire cost, £1,050.
July 4th. The Council elected Mr. William Hurry Palmer as an Alderman; and on Aug. 26th Mr. Charles Diver to fill the vacancy in the Haven Commission caused by the death of Mr. J. W. Bunn.
July 9th. Winterton Church re-opened after being partly restored at a cost of £3,000.
July 11th. Mr. Charles Jennings, son of C. H. Wiltshire, Esq., passed the preliminary examination of the Incorporated Law Society.
July. Forty-one designs for a new Town Hall for the Borough open to public inspection at the old Town Hall, three prizes having been offered by the Corporation for the three best.
July 13th. The smack “Admiral” sunk off Southwold, and on the same day one of Messrs. Hewitt’s steam-cutters collided with the steamboat “Naiad” off Gravesend.
July 26th. Encampment on the South Denes during the past week of the 3rd and 4th Norfolk Rifles, there being over 200 tents erected for their accommodation. (See July 21st, 1877.)
July 31st. Rev. G. Venables, Vicar of Yarmouth, appointed by the Bishop of Norwich Rural Dean of Flegg.
Aug. 1st. Serious fire broke out on the premises of Mr. H. Teasdel, ship-chandler, Southtown. On Sept. 24th, 1845, Mr. Teasdel’s warehouses were destroyed by the same element.
Aug. 12th. Alarming thunderstorm, accompanied with vivid flashes of lightning, heavy hail and rainfall, and a hurricane. The electric fluid did considerable damage to several houses in the town and neighbourhood, and in more than one dwelling played sad havoc with the furniture, &c.—a house in Row 63 coming off worst. A part of one of St. Mary’s Church (Southtown) pinnacles was dislocated.
Aug. 22nd. Loss of the “Norfolk Lass” (140 tons), of this port, and five hands, including Capt. A. W. Vince and his son, aged 12, on Corton Sand. She was built by Messrs. Fellows in 1841.
Aug. An old wreck found under-water near the entrance of the Harbour, supposed to have been sunk two centuries before to prevent the old fort from being undermined by the current. In 1555 a vessel was sunk here, but whether the same, is doubtful. It was 77 ft. long by 27 ft. wide.
Aug. 28th. A horse and cart belonging to Mr. Norton fell over the Quay-head opposite Town Hall and the animal drowned.
Aug. 29th. Eight houses in St. George’s Terrace sold by public auction for £4,400.
Sept. 3rd. A member of Mr. B. Fielding’s Concert Party lost his wife and two children among the 600 drowned in the ill-fated steamship “Princess Alice,” which collided with s.s. “Bywell Castle” off Barking.
Sept. 19th. Fishing boat “Stately” wrecked on Yarmouth Beach.
Sept. 25th. New Post office at Gorleston opened.
Sept. 26th. Vice-Admiral Spencer Smyth, of this town, promoted from the rank of Vice-Admiral to that of Admiral on the retired list. (See April, 1870, and June 12th, 1873.) He died on April 3rd, 1879, aged 87 years, and his remains were subsequently interred in Gorleston Churchyard.
Sept. 28th. The body of a newly-born female babe found by two smack-boys on the beach wrapped in a white cotton bundle, and a reward of £50 was offered by Government for the apprehension of any person concerned in the murder.
Sept. 29th. A fine sturgeon, 5 ft. long, and weighing about 90 lbs., captured in the Roadstead; also a young porpoise and (in Dec.) a live seal, all of which were taken to the Aquarium.
Sept. 29th. One thousand five hundred and twenty-six police cases summarily dealt with by the Magistrates during the past year.
Sept. 29th. The Port and Haven Commissioners’ receipts from dues for the past half-year amounted to £6,883 18s.
Sept. 30th to Oct. 1st. The celebrated actress, Mrs. Rousby, appeared at the Theatre Royal as “Princess Elizabeth” in ’Twixt Axe and Grown. Mrs. Rousby died in April, 1879.
Oct. The high flint wall enclosing St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Regent Road, pulled down, and a low wall, surmounted with a light handsome palisading, put in its place. In 1879 the Roman Catholic Cemetery, Caister Road, was enclosed with a stone wall mounted by an iron railing.
Oct. 10th. Three men belonging to the “Sea Gull,” owned by Messrs. Hewitt and Co., drowned at sea whilst ferrying fish.
Oct. 13th. The Lord Bishop of British Columbia (Dr. George Hills) again preached in St. Nicholas’ Church.
Oct. 15th. The Right Rev. Bishop Mackenzie, Sub-Dean of Lincoln and Bishop Suffragan of Nottingham, died at Lincoln. (See 1844 and Aug., 1869.)
Oct. 21st. Messrs. Grout and Co. presented at the Paris Exhibition with a gold medal for superiority in the manufacture of pure silk crape.
Oct. 23rd. The fishing lugger “Eustace” foundered at sea.
Oct. 23rd. Inspector George Tewsley, chief-clerk in the Leeds Police Force, and son of our late Superintendent of Police, promoted to Lieutenant in the Edinburgh Constabulary, at a salary of £170 a-year. On Jan. 1st, 1879, the Leeds Force presented him with an illuminated address.
Oct. 24th. The Gorleston Storm Company’s lifeboatmen gallantly rescued the crew of the brig “Fuschia,” which foundered on Scroby Sands.
Oct. E. P. Youell, Esq., appointed by the Lord Lieutenant a Magistrate for the County of Suffolk.
Nov. 2nd. Mr. J. Green, of Gorleston, sprang into the river at the Brush and rescued a child named Warner from drowning. In March, 1879, he was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s bronze medal and clasp for his gallantry.
Nov. 4th. A wooden building constructed on the North Nelson Road, which Messrs. W. and G. Pinder used as a circus up to March 22nd, 1879. Messrs. Pinder first made their acquaintance with Yarmouth during the existence of the Regent Hall.
Nov. 5th. 80th birthdays of Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Marshall, twin sisters, of this town, the only two surviving “children” of the late Robert Blake, fish merchant, out of a family of 22.
Nov. 8th. A terrific gale and serious damage to fishing craft (about 70) and shipping generally, with loss of life, including three hands belonging to the smack “Olive Leaf.”
Nov. 16th. Destructive floods throughout the County—Norwich on this date being the greater sufferer; part of the Great Eastern Railway was submerged, as well as the Hundreds in the Northern and Eastern Divisions.
Nov. 27th. The Town Council appointed as Burial Board for the parish of Gorleston, and in 1879 the new Cemetery at Gorleston was formed.
Dec. 14th. The news of the death of her Majesty’s second daughter Princess Alice observed in the town with the usual outward manifestations of sorrow.
Dec. Smack “Ingomar” lost through a collision.
Dec. 18th. Robert David Barber, Esq., J.P., T.C., and Actuary of the Yarmouth Savings Bank, died, aged 72 years. Mr. Barber was Mayor of the Borough in 1874. He was succeeded in the Council by Mr. Fredk. Carpenter on Jan. 16th, 1879; W. Barnard, Esq., as a Magistrate on March 7th, 1879; and Mr. Alfred Teasdel in the banking firm.
Dec. 20th. The s.s. “C. S. Butler,” with 900 tons of coal, of London, wrecked on Hasbro’ Sand, but her crew of 17 saved by the “Tyro.”
Dec. 23rd. Lieut.-Colonel James Duff, M.P. for North Norfolk, died in London, aged 47 years. His remains were interred in the quiet churchyard at Westwick, Westwick Park. As a Statesman, an officer in the army, a Freemason, or a private gentleman, Col. Duff’s general manner, his courtesy, and his hospitality endeared him to the hearts of all classes and sects who had the honour of his acquaintance.
Dec. 26th. Three Yarmouth gentlemen skated a distance of 23 miles over the rivers Thirne and Bure.
Dec. 31st. During the past half-year the Y. and N. N. Railway had carried 89,762 passengers, and taken £2,607 14s. 5d. The gross receipts amounted to £3,503 16s., and the expenditure was £1,629 8s.
Dec. 31st. The number of herrings landed at the Fishwharf during the season amounted to 10,150 lasts; and in the previous year 19,405 lasts, by about 650 fishing boats.
Dec. One hundred and eighty-four public-houses and 121 beer-houses in Yarmouth.
Dec. Three hundred and thirty-seven English and foreign vessels arrived in port during the year. Number of coasters 973. 24 vessels were totally lost off this coast in 1878, one with all hands, and 67 assisted in by lifeboat crews.
The receipts for this year’s Roads Regatta were £203 7s. 8d. The expenditure left a balance of £11 2s.
Marriages: Jan. 10th, A. E. Cowl, Esq., to Miss Emma E. Gambling; Feb. 16th, E. B. K. Lacon, Esq., to Florence A. Foster; Feb. 27th, J. S. Cobb, L.D.S., R.C.S., to Caroline S. Simpson; March 5th, Mr. Jas. Rivett to Miss A. Pike; April 30th, Rev. E. G. H. Murrell to Miss Agnes E. Aldred; May 7th, Rev. R. J. Tacon, J.P., of Rollesby, to Caroline B. Pitt; June 11th, Rev. H. J. Bode to Miss G. H. Murrell; Aug. 8th, Mr. F. W. Dendy to Miss J. Baumgartner.
Deaths: Jan., Capt. Cox, late County Court Bailiff; Jan. 18th, Mrs. Geo. Danby Palmer, aged 91; Jan. 26th, Mr. H. W. Weller, seven years manager of Southtown Gas Works, aged 47; March 17th, Mr. T. G. Ridgway Knight; May 31st, Rev. G. W. Steward, of Caister, aged 73; June 1st, Mr. Frank Noverre, aged 71; June 4th, Mr. J. T. Savage, aged 52; June 2nd, Garson Blake, Esq., J.P., aged 63; June 3rd, Capt. John Porter Laws, aged 71; June 11th, Capt. T. Davis, R.N.; June 24th, Mr. Alderman J. W. Bunn, aged 49; Dec. 18th, R. D. Barber, Esq., J.P., aged 72; Dec. 30th, Rev. J. Randerson, aged 72; Dec. 31st, Mr. T. W. Attwood, aged 60.
Launches: Jan. 2nd, dandy smack “Charlie”; Jan. 11th, smack “Rover”; Feb. 7th, smack “Daylight”; May 16th, dandy cutter “Susie”; June 5th, dandy cutter “Moggy”; June 17th, smack “Oak”; Aug. smacks “Myrtle,” “Prompt” and “Violet May”; Aug. 29th, trawling smack “Cyprus”; Sept. “Hilda”; Sept. 18th, “Progress”; same month “William Henry” and “Ettie.”
The winter was one of the longest and severest known for many years past, lasting over seven months. The Southtown slabs and marshes were for several weeks covered with ice.
Jan. 1st. Rateable yearly value of property in Yarmouth was £92,603. Number of paupers relieved this day—indoor, 307; outdoor, 852. Expenditure for year ending Michaelmas, 1878, in-maintenance, £3,778; out-relief, £4,413. Salaries, rations, and superannuation of officers, £1,824; maintenance of lunatics in asylums, £1,273; other expenses, £1,401; total relief to the poor, £12,689.
Jan. Mr. J. T. Bottle, architect of this town, wrote and published a poetical play entitled,Brian Boru, of which the Spectator says:—“There is so much that is pure, and stately, and dramatic in the tragedy, that we cannot but hope much for the author.”
Jan. 18th. Weston, the American pedestrian, started from the Royal Exchange on a walk of 2,000 miles in 1,000 hours. After completing 1,782½ miles he lectured at the Yarmouth Theatre. On Feb. 28th, Weston had walked 1,977½ miles, being 22½ miles in arrear.
Jan. 21st. Edward Birkbeck, Esq., of Horstead Hall, Norwich, elected M.P. for North Norfolk, in place of the late Col. Duff, by a majority of 490 over Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart., of Warlies, Waltham Abbey, Essex. The declaration of the poll at Aylsham next day was—Birkbeck (C.), 2,742; Buxton, 2,252. About 1,600 voters polled in Yarmouth, and the remainder in the Division. The constituency comprised 6,474 electors, but 1,480 abstained from voting. It was a sharply-contested battle, and cost, according to official returns, Mr. Birkbeck, £3,496; and Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, £3,189 14s. 8d.
Feb. 9th. Mr. F. Hewitt’s smack “Henry and Polly” foundered on the Shipwash Sand, and on Feb. 10th, the “William” on Scroby.
Feb. 12th. St. John’s Church re-opened.
Feb. The smack “Himalaya” launched.
Feb. 18th. Captain Wilson presented with a handsome silver flower-stand by the Mayor, on behalf of the Gorleston Company of the 2nd Norfolk Rifles, as a testimonial.
March 6th. In the skating contest of 12 hours, at the Norwich Rink, 33 rounds to the mile, for the Championship of the Eastern Counties, 16 entered, but only eight started, the son of Mr. E. Candler, now of “Angel” Hotel, Yarmouth, taking first prize—a gold medal, in a beautiful case, bearing the following inscription:—“Twelve hours’ skating contest, champion of Eastern Counties, won by E. F. Candler. Distance skated in twelve hours, 77 miles 7 laps.”
March 7th. T. B. Steward, Wm. Barnard, W. Harrison, Walter Brown, W. H. Bessey, R. E. Dowson, J. A. Norman, J. P. Baumgartner, and R. Bryant, Esqs., appointed Magistrates for the Borough.
March 25th. Receipts of the School Board for past half-year, £1,765; expenditure, £1,521. The rate was then 1d. on the £ per quarter.
March. The steamer “Luxor” (under the command of Captain Fill, son of the late Mr. S. Fill, of Yarmouth), on fire at Gravesend; and Chief-Constable Berry (late of Yarmouth), with Captain John Lake and the Fire Brigade, subdued the conflagration after 26 hours’ hard work.
March 24th. Gallant services rendered by the Caister beachmen in rescuing the captain and crew of the Norwegian brig “Cito” on Hasbro’ during a heavy gale and sea, after 14 hours’ exposure.
March. Rev. A. Aldred, curate of Horncastle, son of C. C. Aldred, Esq., presented by the Lord Chancellor to the living of Worlingham, near Beccles.
April 3rd. Mr. W. Sexton, Lay Vicar of Westminster Abbey (formerly of Yarmouth), appointed Professor of Music and Singing at the Westminster Endowed Schools (600 boys). Was also chosen choir-master of St. Peter’s, Eaton Square, on March the 25th.
April 3rd. First Yarmouth Bicycle Club opened with 16 members.
April 7th. The “Falcon,” of this port, stranded on Fedra Rocks; and on the 9th the Italian barque “Guiseppina N.” wrecked on Yarmouth Beach—value £4,900.
April 18th. Mr. T. Saul elected a member of the Town Council for St. Andrew’s Ward by a majority of 100 shove Mr. B. H. Press. Vacancy caused by death of Mr. T. W. Gooda, whose property was sold on May 15th, and realised £3,814 14s. 6d.
April 24th. The Vicar of Yarmouth presented with a life-size portrait of himself in gilt frame by a number of parishioners as a token of respect, on his 57th birthday. It was painted in oil by Mr. Baldry (Herbert Leslie).
Messrs. Hunter and English’s charge for constructing the new dredger (FitzRoy) was £5,647. On trial it raised 360 tons of loamy clay in 3½ hours, and since then 800 tons were dredged up in six hours. The consumption of coal was one ton for every 750 tons of soil raised. The old dredger was sold by auction in June, 1880, for £125.
April. Rev. S. Hooke, minister of St. Peter’s, presented by the members of his Bible Class with a small Communion service. On July 14th this gentleman, on the death of the Rev. R. F. Palmer, was instituted to the living at Clopton, worth about £600 or £700 a year. Mr. Hooke preached his farewell sermon on Aug. 31st, and on the following evening was presented at the Rifle Drill Hall with a silver tea and coffee service, silver salts, fish carver and fork, by his congregation and friends.
May. New Barracks on the South Denes built.
May 10th. The body of a dead female child found in Row 43. It was wrapped up in rags, and weighed 8 lbs. Supposed to have been murdered.
May 28th. Mr. L Preston, jun.’s, yacht “Maud” sold by auction for £120. She is now the property of Mr. Stanley.
June. Sir John Hawkshaw made a report on the causes of the late disastrous floods in the valley of the Wensum and at Norwich.
June 10th. Mr. Wm. Howes Hunt died, aged 72. He was born on Oct. 10th, 1806, and was originally apprenticed to a bookbinder, and served his time to it; but that not proving lucrative, he afterwardsturned his attention to the drapery business—first as an assistant, then as manager, and afterwards as a partner in this town with Mr. C. Miller. His leisure time was spent in painting, and he became an artist of considerable ability, his works being much valued.
June. The so-called “Captain Alwyns,” of the yacht “Cynthia,” visited Yarmouth, and will be long remembered by some of our tradesmen who were duped by him, especially Mr. Sutton, of the “Victoria” Hotel, and Mrs. Sewell, grocer, with whom he dealt heavily. He was subsequently captured at Keswick, in Cumberland, and committed for trial.
June 17th. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales came to Yarmouth,viaNorwich, this being his second visit, and the town wasen fête. The principal streets were gaily decorated with bunting, and there was a grand display of fireworks from the Wellington Pier the same evening. He stayed at Shaddingfield Lodge till the 19th, during which time he inspected his own Artillery Regiment, the Volunteers, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Band. He also visited the Theatre Royal (where the Gaiety Company had made arrangements for his delectation), and Somerleyton Hall, the seat of Lady and Sir Savile Crossley.
June 18th. Sir John Coode furnished a lengthy report for improving the South Pier and Haven Works, and the Commissioners decided to spend £3,650. The Spur Breakwater, of cement concrete, was estimated to cost £10,600. Sir John’s first report was dated April, 1873.
June 23rd. Sergt.-Major Britton, who had served nearly 23 years in the army, viz., 18 months in the 17th Hussars and Military Train respectively, and 21 years in the 9th Regiment, from which he now retires upon pension, was presented with a diamond-set gold scarf-pin in case, by his brother Non-commissioned Officers of the 31st Brigade Depôt, and a meerschaum pipe by Canteen Steward Welby. He was in the Crimea for 15 months, and served at the siege of Sebastopol.
June 25th. Dr. J. J. Raven presented with a testimonial by the scholars of the Grammar School on the anniversary of his birthday, as a mark of respect to him as their Head Master.
June 29th. Fatal boiler explosion on board the s.s. “Black Swan,” while in the Cockle Gat, and three men killed, and one other severely scalded, so much so that he died in the Yarmouth Hospital on July 13th. The ill-fated steamer was brought into this port, and an inquest held at the above Institute.
June 30th. Caister churchyard closed for burials, and a new Cemetery opened.
June 30th. The smack “Wild Duck” lost at sea; and on July 3rd the “Tantivy” shared the same fate. Crews saved.
July 8th. A vote of condolence proposed by the Yarmouth Town Council to the Empress Eugénie, the Ex-Empress of France, expressive of the town’s sympathy with her on the loss of her son (the Prince Imperial) in the Zulu War.
July 14th. The great tenor, Sims Reeves, accompanied by Miss Brooke and Signor Foli, gave a Concert at the Aquarium, under the direction of Mr. W. Pyatt.Formosawas performed the same evening at the Theatre Royal on the opening night of Mr. A. Terry Hurst’s season.
July 15th. A plague comprising millions of tiny spiders visited our shores, and exemplified their natural industry. A similar plague on April 24th, 1880. On Sept. 1st, 1880, there was a plague of myriads of flies on the beach.
July 18th. Fire at Mr. Smith’s fish office and premises in Row 123.
July 23rd. A handsome silver épergne, with glasses for flowers and fruit, and surmounted by a richly-chased cradle, bearing the Yarmouth Arms and Corporation Insignia, presented to the Mayor at the Town Hall. On the base of the épergne is inscribed:—“Presented to E. H. H. Combe, Esq., by the Justices and Town Council of the Borough of Great Yarmouth, in commemoration of the birth of a daughter duringhis mayoralty, 1878–9.” The health of the daughter was drunk in the “loving cup” after the ceremony.
July 24th. Boat capsized on Breydon, and the four men in it rescued by a wherryman, named James Paston. The wherry, however, sunk before they were got ashore, and Paston and his wife, together with the four men had a narrow escape, but were all brought to land safely in another boat which went to their rescue.
July 29th. One hundred and ninety-three building sites north of the Workhouse, and 18 to west of New Cemetery, belonging to the Corporation, offered by auction, but only a few found purchasers.
Aug. The new Police Station at Gorleston built.
Aug. 3rd. A terrible thunderstorm, accompanied by rain and lightning of a most dangerous character, at early morning, and lasted for several hours. There were also a gale and high tide. The lightning destroyed much property, Mr. Pycraft, of Exmouth Road, being among the greater sufferers, his residence being wrecked by the electric fluid; and in Gorleston several houses suffered from the same cause. Many parts of the district were flooded with water, as the rainfall was 2.43 inches, equal to 245.414 tons, or 54,972.796 gallons per acre; and on the square mile, 157,065.139 tons, or 35,182,592.919 gallons. Mr. W. H. Willis says:—“A dam, 2,000 feet long and 50 ft. wide, would require the sides and ends to be about 111 ft. 9 in. high to hold a fall of 2.43 inches.”
Aug. 8th. A smacksman attempted to murder a woman, named Alice Sutton, in George Street, by stabbing her several times with a knife.
Aug. 11th. A young man, named Harvey, saved three gentlemen whilst bathing from the beach. These made 11 he has saved from a watery grave.
Aug. 11th to 20th. The British Archæological Society held their 26th Annual Congress at Yarmouth, under the presidency of Lord Waveney, D.L., F.R.S., the Mayor being chairman of the local committee. The opening dinner was held in the Nelson Room, atthe Star Hotel, and meetings every evening were convened at the Town Hall. Every place of interest in the town and neighbourhood were visited in the ten days.
Aug. 13th. The barque “Zurich” foundered on Hasbro’. Crew saved.
Aug. 25th. Eighty children baptized at St. Peter’s Church.
Aug. 27th. Tenders opened for erecting the new Municipal Buildings. Thirteen were sent in, viz.:—Messrs. Durrant and Evans, £31,300; T. Howes, £28,572; B. Springall, £28,208; Hubbard and Co., £27,995; Cornish and Gaymer, £27,740; I. S. Cooper, £27,650; Bardwell and Bros., £27,600; E. Howes and Cooper, £27,590; P. H. Dawes, £27,417; G. E. Howes, £26,900; Jones and Co., £26,533; H. Everett and Son, £26,000; and Lacey and Co. (Norwich), £26,200, the latter being accepted. For building the new Police Station, residence for chief constable, &c., in Middlegate Street, Mr. Bray’s tender of £1,447 was accepted.
Aug. 29th. R. F. Kemp saved a man from drowning near the beach, his bravery being afterwards recognised by the Royal Humane Society.
Aug. 29th. The opening of the Yare-side Iron Works at Southtown celebrated by a dinner to the work people of Messrs. Alexander and Wright.
Sept. 6th. A rate collector charged with embezzling £362 18s. 9½d., and afterwards imprisoned for 15 months. Another collector absconded in Nov., and was arrested by Inspector Dann at Liverpool, on the 21st.
Sep. 14th. A pike, 43 in. long and 20 in. in girth, weighing 27 lbs., caught at Cantley.
Sept. 24th and 25th. The seventh annual East of England Horse Show held at Southtown. This was the second time Yarmouth had been chosen.
Sept. 30th. Tom Massingham, of Newcastle, better known as “Steeple Jack,” removed the weather-cock off St. Nicholas’ spire for regilding. This wind-indicator is 141 years old, stands 2 ft. 8 in, in height,and is 4 ft. long. It had not been gilded for 39 years before. The act was a daring one, as the steeple is 168 feet high. The steeple is covered with tinned sheet copper.
Sept. 30th. Mr. S. Aldred sold by auction the old Town Hall, Police Station, &c., to be pulled down by purchasers, which realised a total of £535. The fixtures were sold previously. The Corporation “reserved to themselves” the foundation or memorial stone,with its contents, but this was “conspicuous by its absence.”
Oct. 1st. The Yarmouth ringers rang 1,008 grandsire trebles on the Parish Church bells, to celebrate the 84th birthday of Thomas Gooch, he himself taking the treble. Gooch was born at Richmond in 1795, and died at Yarmouth in 1883. His late father was steward to George III.
Oct. The hull of the “Iron Duke,” wrecked on the beach on Nov. 18th, 1841, discovered under the sand opposite the Aquarium, in a direct line with the third bay from the south end.
Oct. 4th. Fire on Mr. Robert George’s premises at Southtown. Damage, £1,150.
Oct. 9th. Gorleston Cemetery consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Norwich.
Oct. 19th. The Bishop of British Columbia preached at the Parish Church. (See Nov., 1858.) It is reported that he has now (1884) resigned the Bishopric.
Nov. 2nd. Loss of the smack “Florence and Johanna,” and five hands, the vessel being run down on the fishing grounds. Six other hands were drowned this day in a gale.
Nov. 1st. TheGraphicpublished a sketch of the original Peggotty’s Hut in Yarmouth, which was then about to be demolished.
The poor rate for the year was 3s. 4d.; in 1869 it was 5s. 2d.; in 1873, 4s. 4d.; and in 1877, 3s. 6d.
Nov. 5th. The “Jetty Mills,” St. George’s Road, purchased by Mr. F. Carpenter for £1,170, and pulled down.
Nov. 23rd. Mr. Charles Samuel Dale Steward, Parish Churchwarden from 1848 till 1873, died, aged 77 years. A memorial window is placed in the Parish Church to his and the late Mr. Churchwarden Aldred’s memory. Subscriptions for this amounted to £151 12s. 6d.
Nov. 28th. Elizabeth, widow of Thomas Warren, a mail-coach driver, died in Row 21, at the advanced age of 104 years and 8 months.
Nov. 29th. Fire at Mr. W. S. Wigg’s, jeweller, Regent Street.
Dec. 11th. Rev. Joseph Tongue, Primitive Methodist Minister, received his B.A. degree at Cambridge University.
Dec. 27th. Miss Jermy, daughter of the late Recorder of Norwich, died, and was interred in the vault at Wymondham Churchyard, with the bodies of Isaac Jenny and his son, who were murdered by Rush. (See Nov. 6th, 1848.)
One hundred and five vessels imported timber here in the year; 112 in 1878; and 104 in 1877.
Marriages: Feb. 20th, Mr. J. Percival Smith, son of J. C. Smith, Esq., to Miss Eliza Jane Branch.—Aug. 20th, Rev. A. Aldred, rector of Worlingham, to Miss M. O. Clowes.—Sept. 2nd, H. Harvey-George, Esq., to Jessie, second daughter of Robert Hewett, Esq.
Deaths: Feb. 27th, Lieut.-Col. FitzRoy, J.P.—March 22nd, T. W. Gooda, Esq., T.C., aged 72.—April 6th, Sir Thomas B. Beevor, Bart., aged 81.—April 23rd, William Wright, Esq., architect and builder, aged 69.—May 5th, Captain J. Emerson, harbour master, aged 62.—May 26th, Philip Pullen, Esq., J.P., aged 87.—June 10th, Mr. W. H. Hunt, aged 72.—June 25th, Mr. James Burman, bell ringer and late parish clerk, aged 64.—July 20th, Mary, mother of Mr. J. H. Harrison, aged 87.
Launches: April 24th, smacks “Magpie” and “Greyhound.”—May 27th, Mr. Morgan’s yacht “Gnat.”—Sept. 8th, smack “Leonard.”—Sept. 16th, fishing boat “Promise.”
Jan. The Bure Preservation Society established.
Jan. 3rd. Schooner “Kate,” of Yarmouth, wrecked.
Jan. 13th. Fire at Mr. Pond’s shop, King Street; and on Jan. 30th a fire on the fishing premises of Mr. Joseph Ellis, Middle Market Road.
Feb. 21st. Major James Henry Orde, 2nd N.R.V., of Hopton Hall, Suffolk, son of the late General and Lady Elizabeth Orde, died, aged 49.
March 18th. A sad accident happened in the Market Place. Mr. Johnson’s horses, in a mourning coach, ran away, and overtaking a walking funeral (Mrs. Thompson’s), came in contact with the bearers, one of whom was knocked over and the coffin thrown to the ground. Damage was also done to some of the shops in the Butchery by the runaways.
March 20th. Fire on board the smack “Young Harry” whilst at sea, and several fishermen injured.
April 7th. The Parliamentary Election for East Suffolk, which includes Gorleston and Southtown, took place, and resulted as follows:—Lord Rendlesham (C.), 4,239 votes; Colonel F. S. N. Barne (C.), 3,620; Mr. R. L. Everett (L.), 3,502. The two first-named were re-elected. This election cost the two Conservative candidates £1,921 6s. each, and Mr. Everett, £1,230 13s. 2d.
April. The first dissolution of Parliament since March 5th, 1874. Although Sir E. H. K. Lacon, Bart., and E. Birkbeck, Esq., were returned to Parliament for North Norfolk without opposition, their expenses were £325 16s. 5d., including £87 for agency.
April 8th. Mr. T. P. George presented with a massive marble timepiece by the teachers of St. Nicholas’ Sunday School.
April 20th. The principal corner-stone (3 tons in weight), of the new Town Hall and Municipal Buildings was laid by the Mayor (C. C. Aldred, Esq.), in the presence of the Corporation and a large number of ladies and gentlemen. The Mayor was presented with a richly-chased silver trowel appropriately inscribed. In the cavity of the stone was deposited in two stone bottles, “Crisp’s Chronological History ofYarmouth” (A.D.46 to 1879 inclusive);Times, April 20th;Yarmouth Independent and Gazette, April 17th;Builder, Feb. 22nd, 1879;Building News, Sept. 27th, 1878; a sequence of coin, from a sovereign to a farthing (exclusive of a crown and fourpenny-piece); photograph of Old Town Hall; Council’s Committee Book and statement of date of laying the principal stone, with the names of the Building Committee. (See May 31st, 1882.)
April 27th. Mr. William Smith, 20 years sick steward of the Good Samaritan Lodge (M.U.O.O.), presented with a silver watch and gold Albert chain and appendages by the brotherhood as a memento of esteem; and on June 15th Bro. R. Ladbroke, eight years treasurer to the Marquis of Lorne Lodge, presented with a marble timepiece.
May. R. Martins and S. Nightingale, jun., Esqs., appointed Borough Magistrates by the Lord Chancellor.
May 4th. Marriage of Mr. W. Teasdel with Alice, second daughter of J. E. Barnby, Esq.; June 3rd, F. J. Irwin with Kate, third daughter of Mr. Barnby; and on Oct. 12th Mr. Edgar Barnby with Edith Mary, third daughter of the late J. W. Bunn, Esq.
May 8th. The Mayor (C. C. Aldred, Esq.) and Dr. Mayo thrown out of a dog cart on Regent Road, caused by a runaway horse.
May 19th to 21st. Visit to Yarmouth of the Duke of Edinburgh, as Admiral Superintendent of the Naval Reserve, and considerableéclatwas given to the occasion. The Duke also paid a flying visit to this town by the North Norfolk Railway on Nov. 24th.
May 22nd. St. Nicholas’ Church broken into by thieves.
May 25th. St. Nicholas’ change bell ringers rang, in 1 hr. 20 min., on the eight large Parish Church bells (the tenor 31 cwt.), 1,880 changes of Bob major, composed and conducted by William Lee.
May 26th. A Royal sturgeon, six feet long and weighing eleven stone, brought in by the cutter “British Lion.”
June. The Steward memorial drinking fountain removed to the Marine Parade.
June 15th. Mr. S. Sparrow, 14 years hon. treasurer to Court Star of West (A.I.O.F.), presented by the brotherhood with a silver watch, suitably inscribed.
June 17th. Opening of the new Congregational School Room and Lecture Hall, South Howard Street. Cost, with fittings, £3,000.
June 29th. A handsome brass-bound family Bible presented to Bro. Spanton, 10 years auditor to the St. Nicholas’ Lodge (N.O.O.), as a memento of esteem.
June 31st. J. Worlledge, Esq., resigned his position as County Court Judge. On Nov. 6th he was presented with an illuminated address, with 153 signatures. He died on July 19th, 1881. T. B. Bristowe, Esq., Q.C., was appointed Judge on July 28th.
July 1st. Captain Giles, A Company, 2nd N.R.V., presented with a testimonial in commemoration of his marriage by his brother officers and privates.
July 16th. The new Drill Hall, for the 1st Norfolk Artillery Volunteers, opened. The hall is 73 ft. by 40 ft., with orderly and committee rooms attached, each 17 by 13 ft.
July 20th. The first Gorleston Marine Regatta held in the South Ham and Roadstead.
July. On the retirement of Mr. S. Swarbrick from the office of General Manager of the Great Eastern Railway, Mr. William Birt, many years Goods Manager, succeeded to the post. Mr. Swarbrick was presented with a service of silver plate, value 250 guineas, by the heads of the department.
Aug. 14th. TheYarmouth Independentpermanently enlarged. (See July 28th, 1855.)
Aug. 20th. Fire at Messrs. R. and A. Brown’s fishing premises, Friar’s Lane.
Sept. Mr. E. Hawkins resigned the management of the Southtown Tramway, and was succeeded by Mr. George Wright.
Sept. 3rd. The mail steamer “Grantully Castle” passed outside the sands on a voyage from Leith to Gravesend, having on board the Hon. William E.Gladstone and family. About 50 Yarmouth gentlemen went out in the tug “Meteor” to present him with an address of congratulation upon his convalescence.
Sept. Part of the original MSS. of “Swinden’s History of Yarmouth” and “Manship’s History” purchased by T. P. Burroughs, Esq., F.S.A. (See 1772).
Sept. 18th. The old wooden Grand Stand on the South Denes totally destroyed by fire.
Oct. 2nd. The three-masted schooner “Curlew,” with her captain and four of the crew, lost off Yarmouth, the result of a collision.
Oct. 4th. Heavy gale and loss of the lugger “Ebenezer” on the South Beach. About £400 worth of damage done to South Pier. On the 29th there was another gale, and many men injured and drowned at sea as well as great destruction of fishing property. The Yarmouth schooners “John Snell” and “Isis” lost. The smacks “Expert,” “Luna,” “Mystery,” “Harry,” and “Defiance” each lost six hands. The Swedish barque “Systers,” which came into port after the gale in a wretched state of dilapidation, was the best criterion of what she had encountered. The “Systers” was valued at £927 14s. 1d., and salvors were awarded £384. She was sold in London on Feb. 1st, for £295.
Oct. 7th. The wine and spirit stores and building site of Messrs. S. Grimmer and Co., at the south-east corner of Regent Street, sold by auction, and realized £5,300, but was afterwards re-sold to Mr. Bayfield by private contract.
Oct. 15th. The resident Inspector at the Vauxhall Station (Mr. Reeve) run over by a train and killed.
Oct. 18th. The Rev. R. Nicholson, founder of the Boys’ and Girls’ Homes, presented with a public subscription (£61) prior to leaving the town.
Oct. 18th. A petty juryman fined £5 for refusing to appear at the Quarter Sessions when summoned.
Oct. 24th. Great communion at the Parish Church, and 1,102 persons partook of the Sacrament this day.
Oct. 30th. A lad named Charles Meffin (15) fell from the inner scaffolding at the new Town Hall (26 ft.), and died from injuries received.
Oct. Cornelius Harley Christmas, a native of this town, whose property was sworn under £60,000, willed £15,800 to the poor of Great Yarmouthfor ever, the yearly interest of which was upwards of £770, which sum was to be divided and spent every year, the week before Christmas, in coal, bread, and money. The £770 was reduced by other expenses to £696, viz., £199 for bread, £398 for coal, and £99 in money, to be distributed in wards, namely, North and South Wards each £100 coal, £50 bread, and £24 in money; Market, Regent, and St. George’s each £66 coal, £33 bread, and £17 in money. Not more than 2 cwt. of coal, 1s. in bread, and 1s. to 2s. in money, to be given to one house. But “if difficulties arose through litigation, the property to be realised, and the money to be distributed among the poor of Yarmouth, not more than £20 to occupier of each house.” This year nearly 8,000 cwts. of coal, 16,000 loaves, and more than £100 in money was distributed among 6,000 families, but Mr. Christmas’ death occurring afterwards (see Feb. 4th, 1881) the gift was passed into Chancery, and the poor will have to wait its resuscitation before they get further aid. Other charities were to be benefited. (See Feb. 4th, 1881).
Nov. 4th. Several uproarious meetings of the Board of Guardians commenced, relative to the election of a registrar of births and deaths for the South District.
Nov. 8th. First burial in Yarmouth under the New Burial Law; and on Dec. 27th, the first Nonconformist was buried in the churchyard without the rite of the Church of England.
Nov. 6th. Mr. B. Press elected as an Alderman in place of Mr. P. Case, resigned.
Nov. The beautifully-carved pulpit (designed by the Vicar) in the Parish Church finished. It cost £579 14s., and was 3½ years in making.
Nov. 25th. Mr. Waters presented with a marble timepiece by the senior members of St. James’ choir.
Dec. 23rd. That “a cat has nine lives” was partly verified by the fact that a feline was accidentally nailed under the floor at 47, South Quay, for three weeks without food, and was taken out alive.
Dec. 25th. The dead body of a woman named Harriet Parsons (60), of Norwich, found on Yarmouth Beach. Her husband left her for 27 years, and she, believing him dead, in the interval married again; and her first husband’s return home is supposed to have caused her to commit suicide.
Dec. 26th. Mr. H. T. Stonex ordained by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and licensed to a curacy at Taunton.
Launches: Jan., smack “Nellie”; Jan. 28th, smack “Silver Dart”; May 3rd, smacks “Busy Bee” and “Edith Mary”; May 10th, smack “Greenheys”; Sept. 27th, smack “Francis”; Nov. 6th, fish carrier “Bessie”; Nov. 22nd, cutter “Phœnix.”
Marriages: March 31st, Rev. G. Merriman, of Martham, to Miss E. S. Steward; May 20th, Mr. G. W. Giles to Miss A. E. L. Blake; June 8th, R. E. Pinhey, Esq., to Emily Gertrude, eldest daughter of F. Palmer, Esq., J.P.; Oct. 21st, Mr. E. H. Morgan to Miss E. K. Press, of Southtown.
Deaths: Feb. 5th, Mr. Marcus John Grimmer, aged 63; Feb. 23rd, Mr. Thos. Todd, boatowner, aged 52; March 11th, Mr. Walter J. Lincoln, Town Hall keeper, aged 48; March 13th, Mr. Geo. Hastings, boat builder; May 28th, Wm. Danby Palmer, Esq., of Southtown, aged 46, June, Daniel Gurney, Esq., at North Runcton, aged 89; July 1st, Arthur G. W. Neale, B.A., aged 23; Aug. 27th. Hezekiah Martin, Esq., aged 86; Sept. 22nd, Mr. Wm. Hewke, many years head master at the Hospital School, aged 68; Oct. 19th, John Wilton Shelly, J.P., aged 70; Oct. 21st, Dr. J. Baily, aged 74; Dec., Frank Buckland, Esq., H.M’s. Inspector of Fisheries, aged 54.