January 12th 1856

The Queen has been pleased by an instrument under her Royal signature manual of the following copy to institute and create a new military and naval decoration to be styled the Victoria Cross and to make rules and regulations therein set forth under which the decoration shall be confirmed.

March 8th 1856

George and Walter Johnson, Henry Pettitt, labourers, John Day, carpenter, of Brockley were convicted of being drunk and disorderly on Sunday morning and were ordered to pay £1 1s 6d expences and to enter into recognizances of good behaviour.

March 15th 1856

Died on the 10th of October on her way to Fairford Mission in North West America in a hurricane which caused the upsetting of her boat in crossing Sandy Bar in Lake Winnipeg, Susanna, the third daughter of Richard Greenleaf of St Clemnts in Ipswich, she was in an hour of reaching the Berens river where her brother in law was waiting for her in his boat.

March 22nd 1856

George Hickford, 17, labourer of Clare was charged with obtaining 10s from John Payne Bareham of Clare, it appears defendant went to Mr Bareham and asked him to lend him 10s for his father who was ill, this was found to be untrue. 
6 months hard labour.

March 22nd 1856

A meeting on behalf of Irish Church Missions was held at Sudbury on the 1st inst in consequences of the evening services at two churches
It being Holy Thursday, a very limited number of persons attended, the Rev E. Bull noticed the condition of religious and mental blindness in which the Roman Catholic's in Ireland had been kept by their priests.

May 17th 1856

Messrs Sabel and Curtis's splendid clipper ships leave Liverpool every ten days. Particulars from T.F.Lucia, passenger agent of Bury St Edmunds.

May 17th 1856

Death on the 10th ult at Sanduskey, North America----Adelaide, beloved wife of Robert Porter and eldest daughter of Maling Spencer of Barrow in Suffolk.

May 31st 1856

Death on the 24th inst at Melford, aged 60 years, John Strutt, for many years gardener at Kentwell Hall, Melford.

June 7th 1856

An extraordinary case was heard at Hull, 
Two unhappy looking women named Richards and Harrison had been apprehended that morning for disorderly and suspicious conduct. Mr M'manus, chief constable said he could shorten the case, the prisoners had been endeavouring to get into the house of a woman named Chew who lives in Myton Street for the purpose of drawing blood from her with a needle with the view of removing some witching influence she had over them, 
The defendant Richards interrupted Mr M'manus and said it was now seven years since Chew commenced witching them, then Chew had let her have a day's luck and she had suffered ever since.
Betty Gofton said she had got an evil eye and after she had said that they could not get a living. "Betty Gofton was a fortune teller and we gave her 3d to know what was the matter with us".
 Betty Gofton was sent for and placed in the dock, Richards said she went to Betty's house to know why they did not get on and that she is doing something to Harrison, she is pining away, she is doing something with toads, she was a fine healthy girl before, Betty had offered to use the magic glass for 1s,
Richards asked Betty what to do, she said "draw her blood with a needle, that will dissolve the charm"
. Betty is an eccentric old woman of about 4ft high, she did not deny. Mr Travis., addressing Betty, said "you have set these people out of their wits by practicing an evil art that is not lawful and therefore to break the charm you are ordered to prison for 1 month".
 Richards and Harrison were discharged.

June 28th 1856

Inquest at the Crown Inn, Glemsford, on James Good aged three months who died in the following circumstances on Sunday night, the mother took him to bed with her, he being quite well, at daylight next morning she suckled him then went to sleep again, on her husband getting up to go to work it was found that the child was dead. 
Mr Jones, surgeon, said the child suffocated.

June 28th 1856

On the night of the 23rd or the morning of the 24th, three sheep belonging to Daniel Underwood of Castles Hall, Groton, were killed by dogs and one of the carcases was nearly eaten up.

July 12th 1856

Robert Brown of Fornham Three Kings was summoned for using obscene language contending to breach the peace towards Elizabeth Canham of Fornham All Saints.
Complainant said as she was passing the Six Bells in Churchgate Street he called out to her "mackerel", "when had you the mackerel last", he continued to annoy her in this way until it had broken her nerves 
"laughter". 
Dismissed but the chairman wished to say to Brown to desist from such a course.

July 12th 1856

James Fenn, carrier of Glemsford, was charged with stealing 80 lbs of stover the property of the Rev Coldham, it appears that on the night of the 24th, the prosecutor had a stack of stover safe in a farm near his house, the following morning his bailiff found a quantity missing and informed the police who traced droppings of the stover to Fenn's premises. 
Not guilty.

July 19th 1856

A short time since, J. Honeybull, a labourer employed by Mr Rutter of Denston was standing beside a haystack when a girl on top of the stack threw down a fork which entered the left side shoulder of poor Honeybull and penetrated his lung
For several days his life was despaired of but owing to skilfull treament of Mr Stutter of Wickhambrook, he is likely to recover.

July 26th 1856

Charles Cushing Spilling of Melford who appeared for his first examination of insolvency was passed unopposed.

August 2nd 1856

At Suffolk Assizes, Robert Goddard aged 16 years was charged with setting fire to a barn in the possession of John Crouch of Laxfield
The prisoner was employed by Crouch and lived in his master's house shortly before the fire he had neglected to feed the cows upon which his master gave him a punch and asked him why he had not fed the cows/ Tis master then gave him a push and he appeared to take great offence at this and said to a maidservant "I'll go to---if I don't make the master rue for it". 
One months imprisonment and at the expiry to be confined to Suffolk Reformatory school for three years.

August 19th 1856

On Thursday last there was an inquest at Ward's beerhouse at Poslingford on the body of Frances, wife of Thomas Martin, labourer, employed by Mr Hale, who committed suicide the previous day by cutting her throat with a razor. 
Ann Bowyer, widow, stated that for the last fortnight she had been attending deceased's household affairs as she did nothing but walk about saying "oh dear what will become of me" 
Witness said she went home to see whether her son who is a soldier lately returned from the Crimea, was well enough to get up, she told deceased she was going and when she would be returning, she replied "Ah do, I shall take no harm".
Witness said she was gone ten minutes and when she returned she discovered deceased after searching for some time in a pantry with her throat cut, she was 66 years old. 
John Ward who went into deceased's house when Mrs Bowyer raised the alarm said he found her dead with a gash in her throat big enough to lay his hands in. 
Mr Nazer, surgeon, said deceased had suffered from disorder of the mind for sometime.

September 13th 1856

From the Birmingham Journal. The invention of Mr Bessemer relative to the convertion of crude metal into malleable iron has provided an extraordinary sensation in the iron trade.

September 20th 1856

Colchester. On Sunday evening a body of Wesleyans held their annual camp on Fornham Heath, Colchester, which was attended by a large concourse of people, and a corporal and a private of the British German Legion quartered at Colchester. 
After the service from some reason unknown without the slightest provocation, the labourers commenced a wanton and furious attack on the soldiers with stones and sticks. The latter took off their belts and used them about the heads and faces of the foolish assailants.
A regular melee ensued with sticks, belts and hillaahs were wielded with obstinancy on both sides assuming the aspect of some Irish factor fight "Town or Gown" row.
At length the soldiers beat a hasty retreat before superior forces. p.c. Maguire made his appearance and advised the Germans to return home to their quarters, the soldiers took the advice but one labourer struck the officer twice in the face and will be brought before the magistrates on Saturday.

October 4th 1856

On Monday last the farm labourers with their wives and children and other members of the congregation assembled at Barrow Chapel and took tea together and spent an agreeable evening together after taking part in the cup "that cheers not inebriates".

October 4th 1856

Sudbury. We understand that at the sale of the late Benjamin Kenningale at Wiston Hall, the horses realised the high price of £44 average each.

October 4th 1856

The German Legion during this last week has been disbanded, each day a body of 30-40 men from different regiments have received their gratuities and proceeded to London.

October 18th 1856

Accident at Kedington last week in which a child named Elizabeth Choat lost her life, it appears the child was running across the room with a knife in her hand when she fell on it and it entered her mouth, the grandmother pulled it out but she died immediately.

October 25th 1856

Charles Turner was charged with stealing a purse containing £25 from Thomas Dover of the Hounds Inn at Stradishall. Four years penal sevitude.

October 25th 1856

Inquest at Cavendish on William Brown, a scavenger who dropped down dead in a fit of apoplexy opposite the shop of Mr Newman, leather seller.

October 25th 1856

On Sunday a remarkable scene took place at Colchester Barracks church when the Rev Wilmans, the German Lutherian priest solemnized no fewer than 64 marriages between volunteers of the British German Legion as military settlers to the Cape of Good Hope and English female servants mostly and natives of Colchester and the neighbourhood. 
A draft of 1000 volunteers with 78 females left in three trains for Portsmouth to the Cape.

November 29th 1856

Sudbury. It may not be known generally that Thomas Burgess, one of the railway guards on the South East Line and one of the great gold dust robbers, is a native of this town, his father is still in the employ of South East Railway once resided in Friars Street for several years.

December 20th 1856

William Lingley, horseman to Mrs Whitaker of Lavenham Lodge was summoned for furiously driving four horses and a wagon down the High Street at Lavenham being riding on the shafts without reins. £5 or 21 days.