454 
LEAVES FROM AN OLD DIARY. 
The writer of the Diary, the Rev. Charles Sutton, D.D., is 
fully entitled to rank among the Norfolk Naturalists of the 
early part of the 1 9th century, but hitherto has met with very 
little recognition in that capacity. The son of Edward and 
Rebecca Sutton, he was born early in March, 1756, in the parish of 
St. Andrew’s, Norwich, and educated at the Norwich Grammar 
School, at that time in the charge of Rev. George William Lemon 
as head master. In 1775 he was entered at St. John’s College, 
Cambridge, and took his B.A. degree in 1779; he passed tenth 
Wrangler among an extraordinary number of distinguished men of 
his own College; of the seventeen Wranglers of that year no less 
than ten were of St. John’s ; among these were Bishop Marsh, 
Professor Christian, and Serjeant Lens. In due time he was 
elected a Fellow of his College, and proceeded to the degrees of M.A. 
in 1782, of B.D. in 1789, and of D.D. in 1806. In 1788 he was 
presented to the Perpetual Curacy of St. George, Tombland, by 
Dr. Yorke, Bishop of Ely. In 1793 he was presented to the 
Rectory of Alburgh, Norfolk, by Sir Richard Hill, Bart., which 
patronage is restricted to the Fellows of St. John’s, but without 
regard to seniority; he was personally unknown to Sir Richard Hill, 
and owed his appointment to his reputation for zeal, diligence, and 
exemplary conduct in his professional duties. Soon after this he 
married Charlotte, the sister of the Rev. William Kirby, Rector of 
Barham, Suffolk, with whom he lived forty years in uninterrupted 
affection and happiness. In 1794 he was further presented to the 
Vicarage of Thornham-ciim-Holme, juxta mare , by Charles Manners- 
Sutton, Bishop of Norwich.* 
Dr. Sutton spent most of his time in Norwich, and took great 
interest in the charitable institutions of the City, with most of 
which his name was associated, and it was not until the year 1842 
that he resigned the Perpetual Curacy of St. George, Tombland. He 
died on the 28th of May, 1846, at his residence in King Street, 
Norwich, in his 91st year, and was buried by his own request in 
* An amusing anecdote is related with regard to this similarity of names 
Dr. Sutton who was on very friendly terms with his Bishop, on one occasion 
remarked to him, “ I think, Bishop, there must be some family connection 
between us, the similarity of names is so remarkable,” “ Oh, no, that cannot 
be,” replied his Lordship, “ I quite admit the similarity of names, but, alas ! 
you want the ‘ Manners.’” 
