Norfolk Street

“ The reader may imagine them to shade the places where the poet and the physician lie.
Arundel or Norfolk House, after the great fire, became the temporary place of meeting for the Royal Society, previously to its return to Gresham College. It was pulled down on their leaving it, the century before last, and the streets before mentioned built in its room. They appear to have been favourite places of residence with persons connected with the drama. Congreve lived in Surrey Street, Mountford the player in Norfolk Street, Mrs. Bracegirdle in Howard Street, and Mrs. Barry somewhere near her. ”

“ Broad Street in Richmond is two or three times as wide as Granby Street, Norfolk's chief shopping street, and for this reason, doubtless, its traffic seems less, though I believe it is in fact greater. A fine street to look upon at night, with its long, even rows of clustered boulevard lights, and its bright windows, Broad Street in the daytime is a disappointment, because, for all its fine spaciousness, it lacks good buildings. ”

“ Evening services were held from this date.
8.—The Norwich New Street Bill, the object of which was to acquire powers for constructing what is now known as the Prince of Wales Road, was before a Select Committee of the House of Lords. It was stated that a number of Norwich gentlemen had formed themselves into a company to construct a new roadway and street, and to buy the land fronting the said street to the depth of about 108 feet, leading from a point near the Eastern Counties Railway Station to King street, near Harveys and Hudsons’ Bank, a distance of something less than 500 yards. ”

“ Just as New York looks newer than Boston, but is actually older, Norfolk looks newer than Richmond. Business and population grow in Richmond, but you do not feel them growing as you do in Norfolk. You feel that Richmond business men already have money, whereas in Norfolk there is less old wealth and a great deal more scrambling for new dollars. Also you feel that law and order count for more in Richmond than in Norfolk, and that the strict prohibition law which not long ago became effective in Virginia will be more easily enforced in the capital than in the seaport. ”

“ Those who have returned have done so under stern compulsion to begin the winter’s work; and there is a general, all-pervading sentiment as of the end of holidays and the beginning of term time.
The day that had been so radiantly lovely in Norfolk had evidently been oppressively hot and airless in town, and the general air of exhaustion and squalor, which such circumstances are apt to produce in London, did not help to render its appearance more attractive.
Number twenty-two, Queen Anne Street, Chelsea, itself seemed to be touched by the general depression. ”

“ He ran about the stage in terror, and some of the audience, rushing forward, endeavoured to extinguish the fire, but they did not succeed until he had been seriously injured.
31.—Among Norwich improvements completed during the preceding twelve months were mentioned at this date the building of Victoria Street, the erection of new houses in place of old and unsightly ones near St. Giles’ Gates, and the widening of the street in that locality; the reconstruction of the Wensum Street and Tombland Corner; and the construction of the embankment between Foundry Bridge and Carrow Bridge. ”

“ The streets present some good shops and places of business. The principal streets are Rampant Horse Street, St. Stephen’s Street, and Surrey Street. The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital is at the top of St. Stephen’s Street, and the far-famed Norwich Union Fire and Life Office is in Surrey Street.
The church, at the west end of Rampant Horse Street, is a handsome edifice of the late perpendicular style, of the 16th century, with a nave and clerestory, two aisles, a chancel, two small chapels, and a square tower. The nave is divided from the aisles by fluted columns with pointed arches. ”

“ Paul's is properly valued I mean that many citizens told my companion and me to be sure to visit. I observe, however—and I take it as a sign [Pg 253] of the times in Norfolk—that an extensive, well-printed and much illustrated book on Norfolk, issued by the Chamber of Commerce, contains pictures of banks, docks, breweries, mills, office buildings, truck farms, peanut farms, battleships, clubhouses, hotels, hospitals, factories, and innumerable new residences, but no picture of the church, or of the lovely old homes of Freemason Street. ”

“ Norfolk has grown so fast and has so rapidly replaced the old with the new, that the visitor must keep his eyes open if he would not miss entirely such lovely souvenirs of an earlier and easier life, as still remain. ”

“ Here, when once up the rise through Eaton village street, past the Dutch-like “Red Lion,” the old highway to all intents and purposes ends, and it is only a suburban two miles, travelled by electric trams, by which you enter the City of Norwich. It is a noble road, bordered by young avenues and lined with private residences, but still suburban, and out of key with old road romance. Along it we come to the junction of roads opposite the fine Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where the road from London, through Colchester and Ipswich, falls in, and both go forward together down St. ”

“ And yet the modernness on which Norfolk so evidently prides herself is not something to be lightly valued. Fine schools, fine churches and miles of pleasant, recently built homes are things for any American city to rejoice in. Therefore Norfolk rejoices in Ghent, her chief modern residence district, which is penetrated by arms of the Elizabeth River, so that many of the houses in this part of the city look out upon pretty lagoons, dotted over with all manner of pleasure craft. ”

“ Hall, carpenter, and others, executors of Benjamin Penning of Norwich, clerk, deceased, according to his will dated June 15, 1696, settled a messuage and garden in St. Paul's parish, the west part abutting on Magdalen-street, on feoffees, who are to dispose of the clear profits annually, one-third part to the overseers of St. Paul's, and another to the overseers of St. James and Pokethorp, which is constantly divided among the poor there. He settled also 500l. on 7 trustees, who when they are reduced to three, are always to choose four new ones, who are to put out the 500l. ”

“ Febr. 10, 1734, explanation and direction how the 50l. per annum is to be given after the decease of Mrs. Anne Lewis. 200l. to the hospital of old men and women in the city of Norwich Bishop-gate street, to have some veal for change. For 10 poor boys of the parish of St. Martin's at the Palace, 50l. to put them out to handy craft trades; and to 40 old men and women 25s. each, 20 the first year, and the other 20 the second year, and not twice to one, if there is poor enough in their own parish, and no others; 50 pounds in the city of Norwich. ”

“ THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL
The axis of the earth sticks out visibly through the centre of each and every town or city.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Richmond is the Boston of Virginia; Norfolk its New York. The comparison does not, of course, hold in all particulars, Richmond being, for instance, larger than Norfolk, and not a seaport. Yet, on the other hand, Boston manages, more than any seaport that I know of, to conceal from the visitor the signs of its maritime life; wherefore Richmond looks about as much like a port as does the familiar part of Boston. ”

“ Self, Mrs. Mary, Tombland
Simpson, T., Charles st., Heigham
Smith, Jonas, (pork) Rising Sun lane
Squires, J., Chapel st., Crook’s place
Steward, Matthew, St. James’ street
Stockings, Mark, St. Stephen’s street
Summer, David, (pork) Elm hill
Thetford, William, (pork) Trowse
Underwood, C., West Pottergate st.
Walker, James, Coslany street
Watts, Thomas, Willow lane
Wells, W., 1, Norfolk terrace, Union pl.
Willgrass, John, Ber street
Woodcock, Samuel, (pork) Palace str.
Wright, T., Long row, New Catton
Butter Factors (see Cheese and Butter Factors) —Button Factor— Moore and Co., 81, St. ”

“ Suter, the architect to the Company, by Mr. Orman, of Ipswich. A commemoration service was held at the parish church, and luncheon was served in the school-house, under the presidency of the Prime Warden, Mr. Thomas Boddington.
9.—Mr. George Middleton was elected Mayor, and Mr. H. S. Patteson appointed Sheriff of Norwich.
20.—A meeting of agriculturists and merchants was held at the Royal Hotel, Norwich, presided over by the Mayor, with the object of raising a fund for the erection of a new Corn Exchange, “upon a site next London Street and Exchange Street,” at the cost of £20,000. ”

“ John of Maddermarket, Norwich, which has long been in a state of dilapidation, is now taking down to be reduced by 14 feet, so as just to leave room for the bells.”
—A panorama of Waterloo was exhibited at Ranelagh Gardens, Norwich.
6.—The freemen of the “Blue and White” interest presented to Mr. Alderman James Marsh a silver vase, weighing upwards of 100 ozs. The presentation was made at the Angel Inn, Norwich, by Mr. Edward Taylor.
—Workmen digging at the bottom of Bethel Street, Norwich, discovered a human skeleton “laid exactly in the crossway of the roads ”

“ T. S. Day, and afterwards went to the house of the Mayor (Mr. H. Francis) , “their carriages passing through the newly-made opening in the city wall at the end of Pottergate Street, where an arch had been formed with boughs.” The subsequent procession to the Cathedral was headed by two bands of musicians and “Snap.” The guests at the Guild feast at St. Andrew’s Hall numbered 450, and “the proceedings, from the excellence of the wines, were protracted till about eleven o’clock, when the worthy donor of the feast retired from the chair.”
30.—Died at his house in Surrey Street, Norwich, Mr. ”

“ The concluding performance on the evening of the 14th was the dramatic legend, “Faust.” The Festival yielded a surplus of £719 3s. 1d.
20.—The new Town Hall at Downham Market, erected at the cost of £1,230, was opened by Mr. W. A. Tyssen Amherst, M.P.
21.—An extensive range of premises in St. George’s Bridge Street, Norwich, formerly the drapery establishment of Mr. Henry Snowdon, was destroyed by fire. The damage was estimated at between £12,000 and £15,000.
p. 38525.—Died, at Queen Anne’s Mansions, S.W., Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse, G.C.S.I., K.C.B., aged 76. He was the eldest son of Mr. ”

“ John street—second turn to r in Rose lane
John street (Dereham road) —third turn l s past St. Benedict’s gates
John street, Union place—first turn to r in Norfolk st. fr. Somerleyton st.
John Bull street—r s Union st., near John Bull inn
Jolly Butchers’ yard—r s Ber st., nr. Jolly Butchers’ inn
Jolly Farmers’ yard—r s Charing cross, nr. Jolly Farmers
Jubilee place—l s Heigham rd. fr. St. Giles’ rd.
Jubilee yard—r s Ber st., nr. Jubilee inn
p. 182Jubilee street—second turn to r of Chapel Field rd. fr. St. Giles’, or second turn to l fr. Vauxhall st.
Julian place—r s Chapel Field rd., fr. St. ”

“ The committee, on March 15th, reported in favour of the proposal, the Under-Chamberlain was directed to mark out a site 150 feet by 70 feet on the Castle Meadow, and on May 3rd it was resolved to advertise for plans and estimates.—The corn merchants held a meeting at the Norfolk Hotel on July 25th, and finally agreed to erect an exchange “on part of the present site of Sir Benjamin Wrenche’s Court.” It was announced “a new street is to be made to communicate with the Market Place from St. ”

“ The water-side is the familiar dull red, above which glancing roofs and steeples among trees are seen retreating up the ascent. By night a ridged and chimneyed blackness bestrewed with lights rewards the curious gazer from the deck of a Sound steamboat. I admired in Norwich the broad avenues, the wealth of old trees, the luxurious spaciousness of the private grounds. Washington Street is one of the finest I have walked in. There is breathing-room everywhere, town and country seeming to meet [Pg 435] and clasp hands, each giving to the other of the best it had to offer. ”

“ The bare boards of the great oak staircase have a well-scrubbed appearance, and everywhere was silence, a dead magnificence, and chill austerity. One can imagine the brothers' rooms, homelike in the cheerful blaze of their fires, but Norfolk House, with its great staircase, its library and tapestry room, its tiny picture gallery and terrace, possesses the tragic aloofness of things which, having survived their uses, remain to be stared at as relics. ”

“ The outskirts of the little town of Thorpe Ambrose, on the side nearest to "the great house," have earned some local celebrity as exhibiting the prettiest suburb of the kind to be found in East Norfolk. Here the villas and gardens are for the most part built and laid out in excellent taste, the trees are in the prime of their growth, and the healthy common beyond the houses rises and falls in picturesque and delightful variety of broken ground. ”

“ A few steps further and we are in the heart of St. James’s Square. Here history and legend will run away with us if I do not restrain my pen, for every house has an interesting history; each has been the abode of some famous personage.
Here, in the south-east corner, is the long front of Norfolk House, the residence of the last six Dukes of Norfolk; behind it still stands the old house, used principally as a lumber-room, in which George III., and his brother, the Duke of York, were born, what time the mansion was lent to Frederick, Prince of Wales, by an accommodating Duke. ”

“ Thus, London Street has within the p. 19last few years been widened, at a cost of £20,000; and Opie Street has been opened from London Street to the Castle Hill. Of course, the principal places of business are mostly clustered together, either in the Market Place or in the nearest streets; but in former times, every business in Norwich had its particular row or station. ”