Chronological Retrospect of the History of Yarmouth and Neighbourhood Part 63

March 24th. The training-s.h.i.+p "Eurydice" wrecked off Dunnose, Isle of Wight, and over 360 lives lost. This vessel anch.o.r.ed 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 and only 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 wors.h.i.+ppers. 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 epergne, subscribed for by the officers and men of the corps.

May 3rd. Mr. Archibald Forbes, war correspondent to the _Daily News_, lectured at the Aquarium on the leading episodes, from personal experience, of the Battle of the s.h.i.+pka Pa.s.s, 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" anch.o.r.ed in the Roadstead.

May 7th. Rev. F. C. Villiers presented with a handsome epergne 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, pa.s.sed 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, pa.s.sed the intermediate examination under the Solicitors' Act, 1877, held by the Incorporated Law Society; and on the same date Mr. W. H. Cowl successfully pa.s.sed 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 epergne, 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. Wilts.h.i.+re, Esq., pa.s.sed 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, s.h.i.+p-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 La.s.s" (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 steams.h.i.+p "Princess Alice," which collided with s.s. "Bywell Castle" off Barking.

Sept. 19th. Fis.h.i.+ng 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.