books.

After the adoption of the act the Council appointed committees for making
all the necessary arrangements for the establishment of a Library, and it
received reports from them in 1851, 1852, and 1853. By September 1854
two levies of the halfpenny rate had been made amounting to 500 pounds,
and with that sum in hand the Corporation ventured to purchase the
library site, and to approve the architectural plans, prepared by the
City Surveyor, Mr. Edward Everett Benest.

The first stone of the building was laid on September 13th, 1854, by the
Mayor, Sir Samuel Bignold, who lent 4,000 pounds for the erection of the
building, and worked assiduously to promote the Library. The ceremony
was reported at length in the _Norfolk Chronicle_ of September 16th,
1854, from which the following extracts are taken:

"The ceremony of laying the first stone took place on Wednesday
afternoon, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators. The
ground had been decorated for the occasion with numerous flags,
banners, and devices in flowers and foliage, and amongst the most
conspicuous of the mottoes was one complimentary to the Mayor,
bearing the words 'Bignold for ever!' surmounted by 'The Queen and
Constitution,' with 'Trade and Manufactures' on the right and
'Commerce and Agriculture' on the left. In a convenient position a
platform had been erected for the express accommodation of the fairer
portion of the spectators. As the time for the performance of the
ceremony drew nigh all the neighbouring approaches to the spot were
densely crowded; every window within sight of the ground had its full
share of occupants, and daring spirits had even ventured to take up
their position on the surrounding walls and house-tops.

"A few minutes after four the sounds of distant music intimated the
approach of Sir Samuel Bignold (the Mayor) and his friends, and,
after the lapse of another second or so, his worship appeared in
sight, accompanied by H. Birkbeck, Esq. (the Sheriff of the city),
the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Orford, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, M.P.,
Sir J. P. Boileau, Bart., Edmond Wodehouse, Esq., M.P., S. M. Peto,
Esq., M.P., the Rev. E. Sidney, most of the members of the city
magistracy and corporation, several county magistrates, a large
number of influential county gentlemen and citizens, J. R. Staff,
Esq. (the Town Clerk), Mr. E.