By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Observer published on 2nd February 1901 reported on why magistrates were late arriving in court and some statistics on the reign of Queen Victoria – who died 124 years ago.
THE DEATH OF THE QUEEN.
The magistrates came into Court several minutes late, and the Chairman, all in Court standing, said that it might be of some interest to the public to know why the Bench had been detained. They had been resolving an address of condolence to His Majesty the King and the Royal Family on the irreparable loss they and the country had sustained by the death of Queen Victoria. No words were too strong to testify their admiration of and gratitude to their late beloved Queen, who had set such a noble example to all her subjects of goodness and noble character during more than 63 years of her glorious reign. They prayed that His Majesty the King might long be spared to reign over them.
The justices had also addressed a resolution to the Royal Governor of the Isle of Wight. They all knew how she had been the constant support and devoted companion of her august mother for many years, and how very keenly she would especially feel her bereavement.
[…]
The Victorian Era has taken its place in history. It dawned at twenty minutes past two on the morning of June 20th, 1837, and closed at half-past six on the evening of January 22nd, 1901. It lasted 23,223 days, 557,386 full hours, 33,443,170 minutes, and 2,006,590,200 seconds. All but 546½ hours of it were in the nineteenth century. It helps us to realise the importance of the Victorian Era in history, when we remember that only thirty reigns of like length would take us back to Julius Caesar.