Great Yarmouth

“ They have six or seven North Sea boats: but they of Lowestoft make benefit yearly of buying of herrings of the Hollanders; for likewise these Hollanders be "hosted" with the Lowestoft men, as they be with the Yarmouthians.
In all His Majesty's kingdoms, not any town, comparable unto it for brave buildings.
To the northward, two leagues, is the town of Great Yarmouth, very beautifully built upon a very pleasant and sandy plain of three miles in length. This town is a place of great resort of all the herring fishermen of England. ”

“ Although none of them are sufficiently wide to allow of other than pedestrian traffic, many quaint old-fashioned houses, dating several centuries back, bearing both external and internal evidence of great expense and labour being devoted to their erection and decoration. In fact, old Yarmouth is full of interest to the antiquary and to the curiosity seeker. ”

“ May. Mr. C. F. Laws passed his final examination for an attorney.
June 10th. The brigantine “Good Design,” of this port, lost off the Spurn. Crew saved.
June 11th. The Great Yarmouth Provisional Order Port and Haven Bill confirmed in the House of Commons.
June 11th. A deputation from Yarmouth waited upon the President of the Local Government Board (the Right Hon. Sclater-Booth) in London, respecting the “trickery” resorted to in the Election of Guardians, and urged a remedy.
June 13th. The brig “Eleanor,” of Yarmouth, collided with the barque “Belle Vue,” and was dismasted. ”

“ In Yarmouth Roads—so renowned for the safe riding they afford to shipping—the anchorage is extensive, and there is room for any number of ships. The Roadstead, however, is better calculated for summer than winter, for to large vessels it is only accessible in the daytime with safety.
The trade for which Yarmouth is peculiarly noted is its fisheries, which are an unfailing source of wealth and employment to the inhabitants, and have proved an invaluable nursery for those hardy and gallant seamen who have so often fought and conquered in the battles of their country. ”

“ The children at the various charity schools and the inmates of the Fishermen’s Hospital were handsomely entertained. The Temperance people had a tea meeting, and all, as far as the weather would permit, appeared to enjoy themselves in their own way.
On Friday afternoon, at three o’clock, the sports were re-commenced, the weather being most propitious and the sun shining with surpassing brilliancy. Yarmouth poured out thousands upon thousands of its working population, and great numbers of all classes were present to witness the fun and partake of the amusement of the day. ”

“ This central position of the beach being most frequented by visitors, it is also the chief resort, the happy hunting ground of the numerous class who have a keen eye to business. Nearly all of them are vendors of only one kind of article each, and this peculiarity tends to multiply their numbers, the variety of merchandise among the whole being considerable. There are so many—and some of them are strangers to Yarmouth—that, were they not civil, and usually take the first refusal, persistency with frequency would be an annoyance little short of a nuisance. ”

“ Aug. 10th. First steam barge proceeded from Yarmouth to Norwich at the rate of five miles per hour.
Sept. 29th. Regent Street formed and opened at a cost of £30,000. Before the opening of this street there was no roadway between King Street and the Quay, except Fuller’s Hill and Friar’s Lane, the latter of which was widened in 1866.
Nov. 14th. Great rejoicing at Yarmouth on the splendid victories gained over the French in Spain and Germany. ”

“ The principal streets, running north and south—Regent-street and South-street excepted—are all indicative of the stir and animation which pervade every place of trade, and evince in their construction both taste and comfort, with an occasional air of the picturesque. The market-place of Yarmouth is extensive, covering an area of nearly three acres, and inclosed on the west side with a range of handsome and well-furnished shops. ”

“ While we are in the Hope, where, indeed, for aught I know, we may tarry but a day or two, they could come down by boat conveniently without trouble, whereas to Yarmouth it is a very long ride, with the risk of losing their purses to the gentlemen of the road. Moreover, though the orders are at present that the Fleet gather at Yarmouth, and many are already there 'tis like that it may be changed in a day for Harwich or the Downs. I pray you get your meals at your inn to-day, for we are, as you see, full of work taking on board stores. ”

“ He begged to move “That it is expedient to establish a Volunteer Rifle Corps for Great Yarmouth and its vicinity.”
Mr. Ferrier seconded.—Carried unanimously.
Sir E. Lacon, M.P. said he thought it highly essential that a town like Yarmouth should take a stand and come forward at once in obedience to the proclamation that had been issued by the Queen. They must all put their shoulders to the wheel, and wherever they saw a fine young fellow who was a likely man for the corps, if he did not come forward they must ask him to do so. ”

“ May 29th.—A meeting of the subscribers to the fund for “Promoting the Prosperity of Great Yarmouth” had been held at the Angel, (C. J. Palmer, Esq., F.S.A. in the chair) and £25 subscribed in the room.
June 5th.—The Tenth Anniversary of the N.A.O.D. had been held at the Trinity Arms. About 50 members and friends were present.
June 12th.—The Liberal candidates had completed their canvass and left the town. Complaint was made that Mr. McCullagh had been libelled by the “Lacon party.”
Mr. Rumbold, it was supposed, would retire, his case being considered (by the “Blues”) hopeless. ”

“ Intelligence received at Yarmouth of the destruction of the Danish navy in Copenhagen by the British fleet, on April 2nd, after four hours’ fighting. Great rejoicing in this town and country generally.
July 1st. Owing to Lord Nelson’s ill-health he again landed at the Jetty from the gun-brig, “Kite.”
Nov. 2nd. The Prince of Orange arrived at Yarmouth from London, and on the 6th sailed in the packet “Diana,” for Cuxhaven.
p. 53Census taken. Population of Yarmouth, 14,854; with Gorleston and Southtown, 16,573.
The batteries erected on the verge of the beach, and mounted with 32-pounders. ”

“ Notwithstanding the fact that few of the houses are of any great age, if one except the interesting George Inn, which was once the residence of Sir Robert Holmes, and had the honour of sheltering Charles II on his visit to the town in 1671, Yarmouth has that old-time air of sleepy indifference to modern ways and modern things which is not the least part of many an old-time seaport’s charm. ”

“ But, at length, intelligence was received of the most distressing nature. It was contained in a letter of Captain Vincent, of his Britannic majesty's ship Yarmouth, sixty-four, dated March 17th, 1778.
On the 7th of that month, the Yarmouth, while cruising to the east of Barbadoes, discovered six sail bearing south-east, and standing on a wind. On getting nearer, they were discovered to be two ships, three brigs, and a schooner. At nine o'clock P. M., the Yarmouth succeeded in ranging up on the weather-quarter of the largest and leading vessel—the ship, next in size, being astern to leeward. ”

“ The man-of-war ship “St. George,” 90 guns, with. 900 men on board, joined the Channel Fleet in the Roadstead. On the following morning (Monday) a royal salute of 21 guns was fired from the North Battery, and a gay display of colours hoisted by every ship in the Harbour, in honour of Prince Alfred. The same afternoon the Sailor Prince, accompanied by Major Cowell, the Rev. W. Lake Onslow, and the Hon. Manners Sutton, landed on the Beach, and proceeded to the South Denes, where a cricket match was played by 11 Officers of the Fleet against 11 Gentlemen of Great Yarmouth. ”

“ As to the geography of the East Anglian coast, all has changed since King Eadmund's days, with the steady gaining of alluvial land on sea at the mouth of the once great rivers of Yare and Waveney. Reedham and Borough were in his time the two promontories that guarded the estuary, and where Yarmouth now stands were sands, growing indeed slowly, but hardly yet an island even at "low-water springs". ”

“ Gorleston and Southtown making an addition of 3,779—total, 28,038. Of the inhabitants of Yarmouth, 3,340 were not born in Norfolk, and 13,430 were above 20 years of age—5,515 males and 7,915 females. Gorleston comprised 3,201 acres of land, and had 6,223 houses; of the latter, 5,408 were considered in Yarmouth, 164 were uninhabited, and 61 building.
Lifeboat Station first established at Caister.
Deaths: John Berney Crome.—August 18th, Giles Borrett, Esq., M.D.
p. 811842.
Nov. 21st. First Concert of the Great Yarmouth Amateur Musical Society given at the Town Hall. Leader of the band, Mr. ”

“ May a British Fleet honour us again with its presence, at the earliest opportunity.
The following Commissions had been issued:—“Great Yarmouth Rifle Volunteer Corps—Frederick Palmer, Esq., to be Surgeon; Henry Ralph Nevill to be Hon. Chaplain.”
The trident had been struck by lightning from the hand of Britannia on the Nelson Column.
July 7th.—The “Good Samaritan” Lodge, M.U.O.F., had voted £5 5s. to the Fishermen’s Fund.
Mr. Job Smith had presided at a Working Man’s Reform Meeting, held in Crowe’s Assembly Rooms.
July 21st.—The Fisherman’s Widows and Orphans’ Fund exceeded £7,300. ”

“ Nicholas’ Church.
p. 155March 25th. The new brick-built reservoir at Gorleston, belonging to the Great Yarmouth Water Works Company, opened. It is 115 feet square inside; height from floor to roof, 16 ft., and holds 800,000 gallons of water, being, when full, 11⁄2 feet from the top.
March. The Rev. Dr. Raven was presented with a handsome silver-plated coffee pot, teapot, cream jug, and sugar basin, by the pupils of the Yarmouth Grammar School as a mark of their esteem.
April 11th. Loss of the fishing smack “Vesper,” off the Holland coast; on 19th, in the North Sea, the dandy “Morgan;” ”

“ Sir W. Wodehouse, Knt., and N. Frymage, Esq., returned to Parliament. Every inhabitant found smoking tobacco or overcome with drink in any tippling-house was apprehended.
1553.
Oct. 1st. Robert Eyre and Simon More were chosen Burgesses of the Parliament.
Drawbridge erected to connect Southtown with Great Yarmouth, in place of the one built in 1427, but which was carried away in 1570 by the tide.
Beer sold at 3s. 4d. per thirty-two gallons. ”

“ And long since, before Yarmouth was incorporated there was such trading and merchandizing of herrings at Lowestoft, and the same was by the Yarmouth men so much envied, that civil wars subsisted for a long time between them, with much bloodshed, until it pleased God to take the matter into his own hands, who ended the strife with such a great mortality of people, that there died of the plague in Yarmouth, 7000 persons, and then the war ceased. ”

“ You have the sea in front and on each side to look at, to walk by, to splash in, to sail on. The danger is, that you grow too fat, too ruddy, too hearty, too boisterous. As we all know, Venus was born out of the sea, and out there on that eastern peninsula, of which Yarmouth is the pride and ornament, there used to flourish bonny lasses, as if to show that the connection between the ocean and lovely woman is as intimate as of yore. Yarmouth and Lowestoft owe a great p. 155deal to the Great Eastern Railway, which has made them places of health-resort from all parts of England ”

“ Benet’s Abbey mentioned on a preceding page.
Yarmouth, at the mouth of the Yare, is the Margate, if not the Brighton, of East Anglia. The narrow “rows” or connecting alleys between the main thoroughfares of the oldest portion of the town have a renown all their own. [Pg 370] They are the principal curiosities of this emporium of fish-curing, and may be taken as a foil to the magnificent market-place, covering nearly three acres of flagged area. The types of men and women who gather here at the Saturday market are of a most varied and interesting kind ”

“ He naturally associates poverty, filth, squalor, and all sorts of misery and crime with courts in which the inhabitants can shake hands with each other out of the opposite windows, or step at one stride across the so-called street or lane. Everyone with a watch to lose, carefully shuns such localities, or instinctively buttons up his coat if he happens to wander into them. At night the narrow gloomy jaws of the Yarmouth Rows must, to a cockney pilgrim of a lively imagination, look even p. ”

“ J. Self’s fish storehouse and drying-rooms, in Row 145. Estimated damage, £400. And on Nov. 25th, Mr. T. W. Downing’s fish-stores; damage, £200.
Nov. 2nd and 3rd. Heavy gale and great loss of life and property; 19 shipwrecked seamen received at the Home; the previous ten days, 44.
Nov. 21st. New Lifeboat sent to Yarmouth by the National Institution.
Nov. 26th. A site on the South Denes, for erecting an Iron Mission Church and Schools, granted by the Town Council to the Rev. H. R. Nevill. The Church was opened for Service on March 4th, 1862. Cost, £500. (See May 26th, 1869.)
Nov. 28th. ”

“ Great Yarmouth Building Society established.
Deaths: Mar. 25th, William Yetts, Esq., J.P., aged 67.—April 6th, John S. Coxon, Esq., who held the office of Postmaster for one year, aged 32. April 29th, Joseph G. Plummer, Esq., J.P., aged 58.—May 8th, William T. Clarke, Esq., J.P., aged 49.—May 19th, Mr. William Green, many years Overseer of the Parish, aged 74.—Sept. 18th, Rosamond Matilda, widow of the late Dawson Turner, Esq., at Kirkley, Lowestoft, aged 52.—Sept. 25th, John Youell, Esq., p. 117A.L.S., aged 89.—Oct. 7th, Ambrose Reeve Palmer, Esq., of Haddiscoe Hall, aged 51.—Nov. ”