Читать книгу Norfolk Annals (Vol. 1&2) - Charles Mackie - Страница 191

2.—The Norwich Court of Guardians having employed surveyors at a great expense to make new assessments of property in the several parishes within the walls of the city for the purpose of equalising the poor-rates, St. Saviour’s Vestry meeting passed a resolution protesting against it on the ground that it would have the effect of increasing both general and local taxes. The vestries of other parishes passed similar resolutions. At this time the Norwich Guardians raised about £20,000 annually for the relief of the poor.

11.—Early in the morning a boat’s crew from his Majesty’s ship Cadmus, at Yarmouth, when passing down the river to the harbour’s mouth with impressed seamen, were attacked by a mob on both banks, and several of the sailors were severely wounded with stones. The mob seized the gig belonging to the Cadmus and destroyed her. The Admiralty offered a reward of £20 for the conviction of the offenders. At the Norfolk Assizes held at Norwich on August 14th, 1816, before Lord Chief Justice Gibbs, seven persons were indicted for riotously assembling and rescuing from the press gang, legally authorised, a person who had been impressed. The defendants, with one exception, were found guilty. In the following December they were sentenced in the Court of King’s Bench to nine months’ imprisonment each.

13.—Died, in St. Giles’ Street, Norwich, aged 20, Mr. H. Fisher, son of Mr. David Fisher, manager of the Norfolk and Suffolk Company of Comedians.

18.—At this date a series of disturbances occurred at Norwich Theatre. Mr. F. A. Vining, a member of the company, in a letter dated May 18th, and addressed to the patrons of the Theatre, referred to the “injustice and cruelty which had been heaped upon him within its walls.” He had left Norwich to accept an engagement at Covent Garden Theatre and appeared there with success for 90 or 100 nights. At the end of the London season he accepted a further engagement at Norwich, when, it was alleged, that Mr. Vining, “being found unworthy of a situation in another theatre,” Mr. Jones, a member of the Norwich Company, was “discharged to make room for him.” Mr. Vining denied any personal knowledge of the matter. On May 29th several friends of Mr. Jones were committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions for creating disturbances at the Theatre. At the Quarter Sessions on July 11th the recognisances of the sureties who had been bound over for the accused were discharged, “it being the intention of the prosecution to prefer an indictment at the ensuing Assizes.” At the Assizes held on July 25th the Grand Jury found true bills against the defendants, when the indictments were traversed and the accused discharged till the next Assizes. On that occasion the defendants entered into recognisances to appear at the next ensuing Assizes, and no further record is given.

20.*—“The diversion of hawking, a sport antiently much used, has been revived in this country on a considerable scale by Lord Rivers, Major Wilson, of Didlington, and Mr. Downes, of Gunton. Their subscription hawks, under the management of German falconers, have afforded much amusement to numerous spectators. Last week they were exhibited at Newmarket after the races, and flown off at some rooks in the Flat, which they speedily brought down.”

25.—A Methodist Missionary Society for the Norwich District was formed at a meeting held at Calvert Street, Norwich.

29.—The prisoners in the City Gaol, Norwich, returned thanks to the Mayor and Corporation “for 10s. worth of beer given them on the anniversary of King Charles Restoration.”