Chronological Retrospect of the History of Yarmouth and Neighbourhood Part 26

1804.

April 4th. The "Antelope," (Commodore Sir W. Sydney Smith,) the brig "Cruizer," and the cutter "Prince of Wales," arrived at Yarmouth, from the Flus.h.i.+ng station, which made an unsuccessful attempt to cut out an armed brig near the Scaw. They were attacked by an armed schooner, and obliged to abandon their enterprize, with the loss of five killed and ten wounded.

April 11th. Rear-Admiral Sir W. Sydney Smith left Yarmouth for Norwich.

The hero of St. Jean d'Acre proceeded next day on a tour of the country before accompanying the King of Portugal to Brazil.

May 2nd. The gibbet on which Payne was hung in 1781 taken down by order of the Corporation.

May 14th. Lynn Volunteers and (May 26th) North Walsham Light Infantry, came for a fortnight's training.

The first newspaper, _The Yarmouth Herald_, printed in the town by a Mr.

Black.

May 23rd. Blickling and Gunton Rifle Corps arrived here for a fortnight's garrison duty.

May 25th. A general fast observed. The Shrops.h.i.+re Militia and the Volunteers at Yarmouth (nearly 25,000 men) attended divine service.

May 26th. The sloop "Helena," 20 guns, and on Sept. 4th the brig "Musquito," 18 guns, launched from Mr. J. Preston's yard.

Sept. 6th. Sloop of war "Cygnet," 18 guns, launched from Mr. Nathaniel Palmer's yard.

Oct. 28th. Lord Viscount Chedworth, of Ipswich, died worth 500,000.

Thomas Penrice, Esq., surgeon, of Yarmouth, was left a legacy of 20,000 and also residuary legatee, by which he came into possession of at least 300,000.

Nov. 26th. The Corporation and merchants of Yarmouth voted their thanks to Captain Hanc.o.c.k and his officers for capturing the notorious Blackman, who commanded a French privateer of 18 guns, and 98 prisoners were also taken.

Nov. 22nd. The "Romney," 50 guns, which sailed from Yarmouth Roadstead on the 18th with bullocks and vegetables for the blockading fleet off the Texel, under Admiral Russell, was lost in a dreadful gale of wind on the South Haak Sand. All the officers and crew saved themselves on rafts, but were made prisoners by the Dutch. The officers were afterwards liberated on their parole by the Dutch Admiral Kikkert.

William Gould, Esq., appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 6th (Yarmouth) Norfolk Volunteer Infantry.

Night signals established along the coast, and special constables sworn in at Yarmouth.

Yarmouth Volunteer Infantry embodied for 14 days' garrison duty.

The Rows first numbered; they formerly bore the names of houses in or near them, or persons living near them.

The public mind was much excited by a possible French Invasion, under Napoleon, and many Volunteer and Militia Regiments of Norfolk and Suffolk did garrison duty here.

The Gorleston Volunteers had a field day, when the manuvres were done in a masterly style, under Captain J. B. Bell. They afterwards dined at the "Feathers" Inn.

Hay was sold at 4 10s. per ton.

The winter was a very severe one, more intense than in 1740. Coals were 2s. a chaldron.

Capt. d.i.c.kens, of the Shrops.h.i.+re Militia, walked from the "Angel" Inn, at Yarmouth, to the "Angel" Inn, at Norwich, and back again (47 miles) in 11 hours, for a wager.

A very large sale of 50 prize s.h.i.+ps was advertised to take place at Yarmouth on the 25th. These were princ.i.p.ally Dutch vessels used as privateers and fis.h.i.+ng vessels, and the description of them took about one column of s.p.a.ce. No auctioneer was named, but catalogues were to be had of Mr. A. H. Steward, of Great Yarmouth.

Mr. Aldred, of Yarmouth, met with a serious loss by being robbed in Long Lane, Smithfield, of notes, bills, and jewellery, to the amount of 2,000. He was seized from behind a chaise by a daring street robber, who eluded the vigilance of the police.

1805.

April 27th. Two gun-brigs, 14 guns each, built in Mr. J. Preston's yard, launched.

May 9th. One of the sharpest presses ever remembered in Yarmouth took place. No fewer than 300 persons of the town were impressed, of whom only about 50 were ultimately detained. (See 1802.)

Nov. 7th. Intelligence received of the glorious victory over the combined fleets of France and Spain, off Cape Trafalgar, on the 21st of October, though purchased by the ever-to-be-lamented death of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, who was born at Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, September 29th, 1758. Congratulatory addresses were voted to his Majesty by Yarmouth; _feu de joie_ fired by the military and volunteers.

Several regiments of Volunteers did garrison duty in the town till relieved by the Shrops.h.i.+re Militia.

1806.

April 19th. The frigate, "Boreas," 28 guns, launched from Messrs. Stone and Constance's yard; the sloop, "Ariel," 18 guns, from Mr. N. Palmer's yard.

June 9th. Vice-Admiral Russell, accompanied by several officers of the North Sea Fleet who were stationed at Yarmouth, visited Norwich.

July 26th. French frigate "La Guerriere," brought into the Roadstead by the frigate "Blanche." The former was captured on the 18th, after a desperate action of 45 minutes; she had taken eight Greenlandmen and one Yarmouth vessel, all of which she destroyed.

Aug. 14th. Frigate "Comus," launched from Messrs. Constance and Co.'s yard.

Nov. 4th. Hon. E. Harbord (second son of Lord Suffield) and Stephen Lus.h.i.+ngton, Esq., returned to Parliament, but on June 25th, 1808, Dr.

Lus.h.i.+ngton vacated his seat in favour of Giffin Wilson, Esq.

An Act of Parliament pa.s.sed for repairing the Parish Church of Great Yarmouth and rebuilding the tower belonging to it. (See 1803.)

Southtown Armoury built by Wyatt, at a cost of 15,000. During the war 10,000 stand of arms were arranged in it, after the disposition observed in the Tower of London. After the war the arms were removed to the Tower.

The gun-brig, "Fancy," built in Mr. J. Preston's yard.

1807.

Feb. 17th. Gun-brig "Snipe," with 30 French prisoners on board, wrecked on the Beach. Many of them were drowned, together with part of her crew and some women, in all upwards of 60. There were several other wrecks, for the wind blew a hurricane, and a drifting snow rendered the highways for a time impa.s.sable.

Feb. 18th. Capt. G. W. Manby, barrack-master at Yarmouth, first succeeded in projecting a line over a stranded vessel; and on Feb. 12th, 1808, seven lives were saved from a vessel 150 yards from the Beach.

Parliament rewarded him at different times with grants amounting to 6,000. He was born at Hilgay, Norfolk. Captain Manby, at the age of 88 years, had the satisfaction of knowing that he had been instrumental in saving upwards of 1,000 lives in various parts of the world by his invention. The two ingenious painters (the Joys), brothers and sons of a mail-guard, owed much of their fame to the patronage and a.s.sistance afforded them in their youth by Captain Manby.