president’s address. 
647 
outside the city gates, or eastwards across the river, where 
the hamlet of Thorpe — now containing a population of more 
than 7,000 — had then less than 100 inhabitants and only a 
dozen houses. Only half-a-mile from the houses of the 
city was the home of wild raspberry and woodrush, described 
by Dr. Smith as “ a hollywood carpetted with wood anemone, 
lily of the valley, and harebell.”'' 2 The Act for enclosing the 
further part of Mousehold Heath was passed in 1801, and 
Dr. Frank Sayers’ poem on “Thorpe Grove” and its Destruction 
was written in November, 1808. 
No wonder that people loved the country, for the city walls, 
though becoming unsafe and sometimes damaging the neigh- 
bouring property in their fall, were still intact for the greater 
part of their length, and with the dozen gates impeded the 
view and circulation of air. Five gates were removed in 1792, 
and the remainder were taken down before 1809. The 
streets were ill-paved, only the principal ones having flagged 
footpaths ; and London Lane was so narrow that interruptions 
were caused by carriages meeting, pedestrians being obliged to 
squeeze into a dark alley, or burst into a shop to avoid being 
run over or crushed against the wall. In wet weather passers- 
by were drenched from the waterspouts of the houses, or 
plunged knee-deep in a gutter. Hanging signs, dangerous in 
a wind, interrupted the view and prevented free circulation of 
air. 1 In June, 1782, Mr. Smith wrote to his son James: — 
“ Your mother will have me tell you the sign of the ‘ Sun,’ 
Mr. Barker’s, and Mr. Booth’s ‘ Half-Moon ’ are taken down, 
by which the houses look lighter and the upper rooms have a 
much better prospect.” 17 
In the Market Place, the Gentleman’s Walk was un- 
flagged and not separated from the carriage way ; and here, 
facing St. Peter Mancroft church, was No. 37, the shop of 
William and James Smith, woollen drapers. William resided 
at 5, Lady’s Lane, 1 but James lived at the shop with his wife 
Frances, daughter of the Rev. John Kinderley (1706-1775), 
perpetual curate of St. Helen’s, Norwich, vicar of South 
Walsham, and domestic chaplain to the Countess of Leicester, 
