2.—Died Mrs. Sarah Bickersteth, widow of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, rector of Watton, Herts. She was the eldest daughter of Mr. Thomas Bignold, of Norwich, and sister of Sir Samuel Bignold. Born on October 3rd, 1788, she married, on May 5th, 1812, Mr. Edward Bickersteth, who was then a solicitor practising in Norwich. Two years afterwards, at the call of the Rev. Josiah Pratt, he gave up a lucrative business for the laborious post of co-secretary in the Church Missionary House, and visited the missions on the West Coast of Africa. Four fourteen years Mrs. Bickersteth shared all his toils, until 1830, when he was presented to the living of Watton, by Mr. Abel Smith, M.P. He died in February, 1850, and Mrs. Bickersteth, for the last nine years of her life, divided her time among her children. She spent the last month with her son, the incumbent of Christ church, Hampstead. 15.—The church of Framingham Pigot, built through the munificence of Mr. G. H. Christie, at a cost exceeding £5,000, was consecrated by the Bishop of Norwich. OCTOBER. 8.—Died, in the 100th year of her age, Mary Tallowin, of Bowthorpe. 11.—Charles Dickens gave a reading, at St. Andrew’s Hall, of the “Christmas Carol” and the trial scene from “The Pickwick Papers,” and on the 12th read the story of Little Dombey and of Mrs. Gamp. “The reception of Mr. Dickens, on his first appearing in front of a very artistically arranged screen, was cordial and enthusiastic. His voice was far from powerful, but he had remarkable expression and the power of exhibiting this in face as well as in voice. As a pecuniary speculation, it must have been highly profitable to Mr. Dickens.” 17.—The town of Attleborough was, for the first time, lighted with gas, an event which was celebrated by a public dinner at the New Inn. 20.—At the Norwich Quarter Sessions, John Plummer (25), shoemaker, was indicted for stealing a model of a gold nugget, the property of the trustees of the Norfolk and Norwich Museum. Mr. Reeve, the curator of the Museum, stated that the model was worth only a few shillings, but it was an attractive object, and generally supposed by visitors, and no doubt by the prisoner, to be a piece of genuine gold. The prisoner was sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude. 21.—At the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, the Police Committee called attention to an Act of Parliament passed in the previous month of August, empowering the substitution of policemen for javelin men at the Assizes, and recommending that the Chief Constable be authorised, on the application of the High Sheriff, to employ a sufficient number of constables for that purpose, the High Sheriff engaging to pay such sum as would, in the estimation of the Chief Constable, be sufficient to meet the additional expense of such employment. The matter was adjourned for further consideration. (_See_ January 5th, 1860.) —Mr. R. M. Phipson was elected County Surveyor.