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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Wellcome Library
https://archive.org/details/b30529104_0002
THE
City Remembrancer:
BEING
HISTORICAL NARRATIVES
OF THE
GREAT PLAGUE, atLoNDON, 1665: GREAT FIRE, 1666 ;
AND
GREAT STORM, 1703.
To which are added.
Observations and Ref lections on the Plague in general-, confideredin a Religious, Philofophical, and Phyfical View.
WITH
Historical Accounts of the moft memorable Plagues, Fires, and Hurricanes.
Colle&ed from curious and authentic Papers origi- nally complied by the late learned Dr. Harvey, his Majefty’s Phyfician to the Tower, and enlarged with Authorities of a more recent Date.
VOL. II.
Of the F I R E and S T O R M.
LONDON:
Printed for W. N 1 col l, in St. Paul’s Church-yard,
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A N
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
O F T H E
GREAT and TERRIBLE
FIRE of LONDON,
Sept. 2nd 1666:
WITH
Some parallel Cases, and occafional Notes.
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T’hou haft defiled thy fan Quarles by the multitude of thine iniquities , by the iniquity of thy traffic : therefore will 1 bring forth a fire from the midjl of thee , and will bring v thee to afhes upon the earthy in the fight of all them that behold thee, Ezek. xxviii. 18.
LON D ON:
Printed for W, Nicoii, in St. Paul’s Church-yard.
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CONTENTS.
CHAP. I.
t
Sect. I.
f^ENERAL account of the beginning and
^ prog refs of the Fire, p. i
Extract from Sir Edward Turner’* fpeech at the prorogation of the parliament, Feb. 8, 1 66 7, 24
Computation of the damages done by this fire, 32
Sect. 2. Account of the fire of London from the London Gazette , 3 7
Sect. 3. Several opinions concerning the caufes of the great fire y 32
Sect. 4. Of the Monument , 67
Sect. 5. Of fires at London bridges and other remarkable fires in London , and feve- ral parts ^England, 73
CHAP. II.
Account of fome remarkable fires , ancient and modern , 7^
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Historical narrative
O F T H £
FIRE of L O N DO N.
'The Lord came with flames of fire : He made them like a flay oren in the time of his wraths the fire confined them . Isaiah
Ixvii. 15. Psal, xxi. 9,
N* O fooner was the plague fo abated in London, that the inhabitants began to return to. their habitations, than a mod: dread¬ ful fire broke out in the city, and raged as if it had commiffion to devour every thing that was in its way. On the fecond of Septem¬ ber, 1666, this difmal fire broke out at a baker’s (hop in Pudding-lane by Fifh-ftreet, in the lower part of the city, near Thames- iireet, (among rotten wooden houfes ready to take fire, and full of combuflible goods) in Billingfgate-ward ; which ward in a few hours was laid in aihes. It began in the dead of the night, and the darknefs very much increafed the confufion and horror of
B th%
Vincer Terrible V oice, p. 46.
Terrible Voice, p. 48.
Ec hard’s hjflvEngl. vol. iii. i66„
2 HISTORY OF THE
she fur prizing calamity : when it had made havock of fome houfes, it rufhed down the hill towards the bridge ; eroded Thames- ftreet, invaded St. Magnus church at the bridge foot, and though that church was fo great* yet it was not a fufficient barricado againft this mercilefs conqueror; but having fealed and taken this fort, it fhot flames with fo much the greater advantage into all places round about, and a great building of houfes upon the bridge is quickly thrown down to the ground * there, being flayed in its courfe at the bridge, the fire marched back through the city again, and ran along, with great noife and violence, through Thames- ftreet weftward, where having luch combuftible matter to feed on, and fuch a fierce wind upon its back, it prevailed with little refill- ance, unto the aftonifhment of the beholders. The fire is foon taken notice of, though in the mid ft of the night: Fire! Fire! Fire! doth refound through the ftreets ; many ftart out of their fleep, look out of their windows ; fome drefs themfelves, and run to the place. The citizens, affrighted and amazed, delayed the life of timely remedies ; and what add&d to the misfortune, was, the people negle&ing their houfes, and being fo fatally fet on the hafty removing of their goods, which were* notwithftanding, devoured by the nimble increafe of the flames, A raging eaft-wind fomented it to an incredible degree, and in a i moment
FIRE OF LONDON. 3
moment raifed the fire from the bottoms to the tops of the houfes, and fcattered prodigious flakes in all places, which were mounted fo vaftly high in the air, as if heaven and earth were threatened with the fame conflagration. The fury foon became infuperable againft the arts of men and power of engines 5 and be- fide the difmal fcenes of flames, ruin, and defolation, there appeared the mod killing fight in the diftraded looks of the citizens, the wailings of miferable women, the cries of poor children, anddecrepid old people ; with all the marks of confufion and defpair. No man that had the fenfe of human miferies could unconcernedly behold the difmal ra¬ vage and deftrudion made in one of the nobleft cities of the world.
The lord mayor of the city comes withhis officers $ what a confufion there is! — counfel is taken away 5 and London, fo famous for wifdom and dexterity, can now find neither brains nor hands to prevent its ruin : the de¬ cree was gone forth, London rauft now fall : and who can prevent it ? No wonder, when fo many pillars are removed, the building tumbles. The fire gets the maftery, and burns dreadfully, by the force of the wind ; it fpreads quickly ; and goes on with fuch force and rage, overturning all fo furioufly, that the whole city is brought into jeopardy and defolation.
B 2 ' - — —Fire
Vincent,
48.
I
Vincent,
49.
a HISTORY OF THE
*»
_ _ Fire commifjiond by the winds ,
Begins on feeds, but , fowling in around ,
0/7 palaces returns. Dr v den%
That night mcft of the Londoners had taken their la ft ileep in their houiesj they little thought it would he fo when they went into their beds : they did not in the icaft expect, that when the doors oi tneir ears were unlocked, and the cafements of then- eyes were opened, in the morning, to hear of fuch an enemy invading the city, and that they ill 0 old fee him with fuch fury enter the doors of their houfes, break into every ro^m, and look out at their windows with inch a
threatning countenance.
That which made the ruin more difmal was, th$t it began on the Lord's day niorn- ing never was there the like fabbstti in London 9 fo m e churches wei e in flames th<*£ day 9 God feemed to come down and preach himfelf in them, as he did in binai when the mount burned with fire; loch warm preach- jng thofe churches never had . in other churches minilfers were preaching then fa 1 e~ well fermons 9 and people were hearing y.- i m quaking and. afioniihrnent 1 in dead of anoly reft which chnftiaos had tai-vcn that day, there was a tumultuous hurrying about the ff reels toward the place that burned, and more tumultuous hurrying upon the fpirits or thofe that fat ftill, and had only the notice of
FIRE OF LONDON. 5
the ear, of the ftrange and quick fpreading of the fire.
Now the trained bands are up in arms, watching at every quarter for outlandifhmen, becaufe of the general fears and rumours that fire-balls were thrown into houfes by feveral of them, to help on and provoke the too furious flames. Now goods are moved haftily from the lower parts of the city, and the body of the people begins to retire and draw upward. Yet fome hopes were re¬ tained on the Sunday that the fire would be extinguifhed, efpecially by thole who lived in remote parts ; they could fcarce imagine that the fire a mile off could reach their houfes. All means to flop it proved ineffec¬ tual ; the wind was fo high, that flakes of fire and burning: matter were carried acrofs leve¬ ral ftreets, and fpread the conflagration every where.
But the evening draws on, and now the Vincent, fire is more vifible and dreadful; inftead of 5°- the black curtains of the night which ufed to be fpread over the city, now the curtains are yellow; the fincke that arofe from the burning part ieemedlikefo much flame, in the night, which being blown upon the other parts by the wind, the whole city, at lome diilance, feemed to. be on fire. Now hopes begin to fink, and a general confirmation feizeth upon the fpirits of people .* iitt's deep is taken in London this night ; feme are at work to
B 3 quench
6 HISTORY OF TH E
quench the fire* others endeavour to flop its courfe, by pulling down houfes ; but all to no purpofe : if it be a little allayed, or put to a (land, in fome places, it quickly recruits, and recovers its force : it leaps, and mounts, and makes the more furious onfet, drives back all oppofers, fnatches the weapons out of their hands, feizes upon the water-houfes and engine?, and makes them unfit for fer- vice. Some are upon their knees in the night, pouring out tears before the Lord, interceding for poor London in the day of its calamity; yet none can prevail to reverfe that doom, which is gone forth againft the city , the fire hath received its commiffion, and all attempts to hinder it are in vain.
Sunday night the fire had got as far as Garlick-hithe in Thames-ftreet, and had crept up into Cannon -ftreet, and levelled it with the ground, and ft ill is making forward by the water fide, and upward to the brow of the hill on which the city was built.
On Monday Grace -churchrftreet is all in flames, with Lomhard-ftreet on the left, and part of Fenchurch-ftreet on the right, the fire working (though not fo fa ft) againft the wind that way: before it, were pleafant and ftately houfes ; behind it, ruinous and defo~ late heaps. The burning then was in fafhion oi a bow; a dreadful bow it was! fuch as few eyes had ever fee a before !
Now
FIRE OF LONDON. 7
Now the flames break in upon Cornhill, that large and fpacious ftreet, and quickly crofs the way by the train of wood that lay in the ftreets untaken away which had been pulled down from houfes to prevent its fpreading, and fo they lick the whole ftreets as they go , they mount up to the tops of the higheft houfes, they defcend down to the bottom of the lowed cellars ; they march along both fides of the way, with fuch a roaring noife as never was heard in the city of London ; no ftately buildings fo great as to refift their fury : the royal exchange itfelf, the glory of the merchants, is now invaded, and when once the fire was entered, how quickly did itrunthrough the galleries, filling them with flames ; then defcending the ftairs, compaffeth the walks, giveth forth flaming vollies, and filleth the court with Are : by-and-by down fall all the kings upon their faces, and the greateft partof the build¬ ing upon them, (the founder’s ftatue only remaining) with fuch a noife as was dreadful and aftonifhing.
September the third the exchange was burnt, and in three days almoft all the city within the walls : the people having none to conduit them right, could do nothing to refill it, but ftand and fee their houfes burn without remedy ; the engines being prefently out of order and ufelefs !
, B 4
Then !
Con ant, i 456.
Vincent.
% HISTORY OF THE '
Then! then! the city did {hake indeed ! and the inhabitants did tremble ! they flew away in great amazement from their houfes, left the flames fhould devour them. Rattle! rattle ! rattle ! was the noife which the fire ftruck upon the ear round about, as if there had been a thoufand iron chariots beating upon the ftones ; and if you turned your eyes to the opening of the ftreets where the fire was come, you might fee in fome places whole ftreets at once in flames, that iffued forth as if they had been fo many forges from t h e o p p ofi t e w i n d o w s , a n d w h i c h fol ding toge¬ ther, united into one great volume through¬ out the whole ftreet ; and then you might fee the houfes tumble, tumble, tumble, from one end of the ftreet to the other, with a great crafh ! leaving the foundations open to the view of the heavens.
Now fearfulnefs and terror doth furprize all the citizens of London ; men were in a miferable hurry s full of diftradtion and con- fufionsj they had not the command of their own thoughts, to refledt arid enquire what was lit and proper to be done. It would have grieved the heart of an unconcerned perfon, to fee the rueful looks, the pale cheeks, the tears trickling down from the eyes (where the greatnefs of forrow and amazement, could give leave for fuch a vent) the fruiting of the bread, the wringing of the hands ; to hear the fighs and groans, the doleful and weep-
FIRE OF LONDON, 9
ing fpeeches of the diftreffed citizens, when they were bringing forth their wives (fome from their child bed) and their little ones (fome from their fick beds) out of their houfes, and fending them into the fields, with their goods.— -Now the hope of Lon¬ don is gone; their heart is funk : now there is a general remove in the city, and that in a greater hurry than before the plague; their goods being in greater danger by the fire, than their perfons were by the peftilence. Scarcely are fome returned, but they muft remove again ; and not as before, now with¬ out any more hopes of ever returning and liv¬ ing in thofe houfes any more. The ftreets were crouded with people and carts, to carry what goods they could get out ; they whp were mode adtive and had moft money to pay carriage at exorbitant prices, faved much, the reft loft almoft all. Carts, drays, coaches, and horfes, as many as could have entrance into the city, were laden, and any money is given for help ; five, ten, twenty, thirty pounds for a cart, to bear forth to the fields lome choice things which were ready to be confumed ; and fome of the countrymen had the confidence to accept the prices which the citizens did offer in their extremity. Now cafks of wine and oil, and other com¬ modities, tumbled along, and the owners fhove as much as they can toward the gates : every one becomes a porter to himfelf. and * fcarcely
io HISTORY OF THE
*
fcarcely a hack, either of man or woman, but had a burden on it in the ftreets. It was very melancholy to fee fuch throngs of poor citizens coming in and going forth from the^ unburnt parts, heavy loaden, with pieces of their goods, but more heavy loaden with grief and forrow of heart ; fo that it is wonderful they did not quite fink down under their burdens.
Monday night was a dreadful night I When the wings of the night had fhadowed the light of the heavenly bodies, there was no darknefsof night in London, for the fire fhines now about with a fearful blaze, which yielded fuch light in the ftreets as it had been the fun at noon day. The fire having wrought backward ftrangely againft the wind to Bilimgfgate, &c» along Thames- ftreet eaftward, runs up the hill to Tower- ftreet ; and having marched on from Grace- church-ftreet, maketh farther progrefs in Fenchurch-fteet ; and having fpread its rage beyond Queenhithe in Thames- ftreet, weft- ward, mounts up from the water-fide through Dowgate and Qld~fifli~ftreet into Watling- ftreet; but the great fury was in the broader ftreets; in the midft; of the night it came into Cornhill, and laid it in the duft, and running along by the Stocks, there meets with another fire which came down Thread- needle-ftreet, a little farther with another which came up Walbrook ; a little further
FIRE OF LONDON. n
with another which comes up Bucklerfbury ; and all thefe four meeting together, break into one of the corners of Cheapfide, with fuch a dazzling glare, burning heat, and roaring noife, by the falling of fo many houfes together, that was very amazing! and though it was fomewhat (topped in its fwiit courfe at Mercer’s chapel, yet with great force in a while it burns through it, and then with great rage proceedeth forward in Cheapfide.
On Tuefday was the fire burning up the very bowels of London ; Cheapfide is all in a light fire in a few hours time; many fires meeting there as in the center; from Soper- lane, Bow-lane, Bread- ftreet, Friday-ftreet, and Old-change, the fire comes up almoffe together, and breaks furioufly into the broad ftreet, and moft of that fide the way was together in flames : a dreadful fpedtacle ! and then, partly by the fire which came down from Mercer’s chapel, partly by the fall of the houfes crofs the way, the other fide is quickly kindled, and doth not ftand long after it.
Now the fire gets into Black-friars, and fo continues its courfe by the water, and makes up toward St. Paul’s church on that fide, and Cheapfide fire befets the great building on this fide ; and the church, though all of done outward, though naked of houfes about it, and though fo high above all build¬ ings in the city, yet within a while doth yield
to
i2 HISTORY OF THE
to the violent affaults of the all-conquering flames, and fixangely takes fire at the op ; now the lead melts and runs down, as if it had been fnow before th fun ; and the great beams and mafly Acr es, with a hideous noife, fell on the pavement, and break through into Faith- church underneath •, and great flakes offtone fcale and peel off firangely from the fide of the walls : the conqueror Having got this high f it, darts its flames round about; now Pater-nofter row, Newgate-ftreet, the Old-bailey, and Ludgate-hili, have fubmit- ted themfelves to the devouring fire, which, with wonderful fpeed rufh down tne hill, into Fleet- ftreet. Now Cheapfide . fire - marcheth along Ironmonger-lane, Old-jury, Laurence- lane, Milk-ftreet, Wood-fheet, Gutter-lane, Fofter-lane ; now it comes along Lothbury, Cateaton- ftreet, he. From New¬ gate-ftreet it affaults Cbrift-churcb, conquers that great building, and burns through. St. Martins-le-grand toward Alderfgate ; and all f0 furioufly as it would not leave a houfe flanding.
Terrible flakes of fire mount up to the fky, and the yellow fmoak of London afeendeth up towards heaven like the fmoak of a great furnace ; a fmoak io great as darkeneth the fun at noon-day; if at any time the fun peeped forth it looked red like blood : the cloud of fmoak was fo great, that travellers did ride at noon- day fome miles together in
FIRE OF LONDON. 13
the fhadow thereof, though there was no other cloud befide to be feen in the fky.
If Monday night was dreadful, Tuefday night was much more fo, when far thegreatefi: part of the city was confumed : many thou¬ sands who on Saturday had houfes convenient in the city, both for themfelves and to enter¬ tain others, have not where to lay their heads; and the fields are the only receptacle they can find for themfelves and their few re¬ maining goods : moft of the late inhabitants lie all night in the open air, with no other ca¬ nopy over them but that of the heavens. The fire is (fill making toward them, and threat- ni.ng the fuburbs, It was amazing to lee how it had fpread itfelf feveral miles in com- pafs : among other things that night, the fight of Guildhall was a fearful fpedtacle, which ftood the whole body of it together in view, for feveral hours after the fire had taken it, without flames (poffibly becaufe the timber was fuch folid oak) in a bright (Lining coal, as if it had been a palace of gold, ora great building of hurnifihed brafs.
On Wednefday morning, when people expected the fuburbs would be burnt as well as the city, and with fpeed were preparing then- rh.ght, as well as they could with their luggage, into the countries and neighbour¬ ing villages ; then the Lord had pity upon poor London : the wind is nufhed ; the cemmiffion of the fire is withdrawing:, and
o3
4 it
\
Rev. xiv.
%
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l4 HISTORY OF THE
it barns fo gently, even when it meets with no oppofition, that it was not hard to be quenched, in many places, with a few hands ; an angel came which had power over fire. The citizens begin to gather a little heart and encouragement in their endeavours to quench the fire. A check it had at Leaden- hall by that great building ; it had a flop in Eifhopfgate-ftreet, Fenohurch-ftreet, Lime- ftreet, Mark-lane, and toward the Tower: one means (under God) was the blowing up houfes with gun -powder. It is flayed in Lothbury, Broad-flreet, and Coleman-ftreet ; toward the gates it burnt, but not with any great violence; at the Temple alio it (laid, and in Holborn, where it had got no great footing ; and when once the fire was got under, it was kept under : and on Thurfday the flames were extinguifhed.
Few could take much fleep for divers nights together, when the fire was burning in the ftreets, and burning down the houfes, left their perfons fliould have been confumed with their fubftance and habitations. But on Wednefday night, when the people late of London, now of the fields, hoped to get a little reft on the ground where they had fpread their beds, a more dreadful fear falls upon them than they had before, through a rumour that the F rench were coming armed againft them to cut their throats, and fpoil them of what they had faved out of the fire: they
were
FIRE OF LONDON. 15
were now naked, weak, and in ill condition to defend themfelves ; and the hearts, efpe- cially of the females, do quake and tremble, and are ready to die within them ; yet many citizens having loft their houfes, and almoft all they had, are fired with rage and fury ; and they began toftir up themfelves like Irons, or bears bereaved of their whelps : Now, arm ! arm ! arm ! doth refound through the fields and fuburbs with a greatnoife. We may guefs thediftrefs and perplexity of the people this night ; but it was fomewhat alleviated when the falfenefs of the alarm was difco- vered.
Thus fell great London, that ancient and populous city ! London ! which was the queen city of the land ; and as famous as moft cities in the world ! and yet how is London departed like fmoak, and her glory laid in the duft ! How is her deftrudtiora come, which no man thought of, and her defolation in a moment ! How do the nations about gaze and wonder! How doth the whole land tremble at her fall ! How do her citi¬ zens droOp and hang down their heads, her women and virgins weep, and fit in the duft ! Oh! the palenefs that now fits upon the cheeks ! the aftonifhment and confufion that covers the face, the difmal apprehen- fions that arife in the minds of moft, con¬ cerning the dreadful confequences which are likely to be of this fall of London ! How
See Bp. Beve
ridge’s Term, on Sept. 2.
i6 HISTORY OF THE
the pride of London flained, her beauty fpoiled ; her arm broken, and her flrength departed ! her riches almoil gone, and her treafures fo much confumed ! — —every one is fenfible of the flroke.- - Never was Eng¬
land in greater danger of being made a prey to a foreign power, than after the firing and fall of the city, which had the firength and treafure of the nation in it. How is London ceafed, that rich, that joyous city ! One cor¬ ner indeed is left ; but more than as many houfes as were within the walls, are turned into afhes.
The merchants now have left the Royal Exchange ; the buyers and fellers have now for- faken the flreets : Grace-church-flreet, Corn- hill, Cheapfide,Newgate-market, and the like places, which ufed to have throngs of traffic¬ kers, noware become empty of inhabitants; and inftead of the (lately houfes which flood there laft fu mmer , t h ey lie t h is win ter in r u inous heaps. The glory of London is fled away like a bird ; the trade of London is (battered and brokento pieces: her delights alfo are van iffied, and pleafant things laid waile : now there is no chaunting to the found of the viol, nor danc¬ ing to the fweet mufic of inflrumenis $ no drinking wine in bowls, and ftretching upon beds of lull ; no excefs of wine and banquet¬ ing ; no feafts in halls, no amorous looks and wanton dalliances ; no ruffling filks and coftly drelTes ; thefe things at that place are
at
FIRE OF LONDON. 17
at an end. The houfes for God’s worfhip (which formerly were bulwarks againit fire, partly through the walls about them, partly through the fervent prayers within them) now are devoured by the flames ; the habi¬ tations of many who truly feared God have not efcaped : the fire makes no difcrimina- tion between the houfes of the godly and the houfes of the ungodly; they are all made of the fame combuflible matter, and are kindled, as bodies are infedted, by one another. r '
London was laid in allies, and made a ruinous heap: it was a by-word and a pro-Conanti* verb, a gazing flock and an hifiing and 4)9,479 aftonifhment to all that pafled by ; it caufed the ears of all to tingle that heard the rumour and report of what the righteous hand of God had brought upon her. A mighty city turned into afhes and rubbifh, compara¬ tively in a few hours ; made a place fit for Zim and Okim to take up their abode in ; the mercilefs element where it raged fcarcely Vincent, leaving a lintel for a cormorant or bittern to lodge in, or the remainder of a fcorched win¬ dow to fing in. A fad and terrible face was there in the ruinous parts of London : in the places where God had been fervcd, nettles growing, owls fcreeking, thieves and cut¬ throats lurking. The voice of the Lord hath been crying, yea, roaring, in the city, of the dreadful judgments of plague and fire. »
C t There
18 HISTORY OF THE
Bedloe's There was fuddenly and unexpectedly feen, narrative, a glorious city laid wafte ; the habitations epiit. ded. turned into rubbifh ; eftates deftroyed the produce and incomes of many years hard la¬ bour and careful induftry all in a few mo¬ ments fwept away andconfumed by devouring flames.— To have feen dear relations, faithful fervants, even yourfelves and families, redu¬ ced from plentiful, affluent, comfortable tradeandfortune, over-night, to the extremeft mifery next morning! Without an houfe to (belter, goods to accommodate, or fettled courfe of trade to fupport. Many forced, in old age, to begin the world a- new ; and expofed to all the hard fhips and inconve- niencies of want and poverty.
Keli. ii. 3. Should not my countenance be fad, when the city, the place of my father’s fepulchre, lieth wade, and the gates thereof are con- fumed with fire ?
While the terrors occafioned by the confla-
abridged, grat*on remained in the minds of men, many 13.5. ° eminent, learned, pious divines of the church Gidm. 1. 0f England were more than ordinary diligent 5 '9s in the difcharge of their holy fundion in this calamitous time 5 and many minifters who had not conformed, preached in the midft of the burning ruins, to a willing and attentive people : conventicles abounded in every part$ it was thought hard to hinder men from worfhipping God in any way they could, when there were no churches, nor minifters
FI RE OF LONDON. xg
to look after them. Tabernacles, with all poffibie expedition, were every where raifed for public worlhip till churches could be built. Among the eftabiifhed clergy were Dr. Tillotfon, Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Whitcot, Dr. Horton, Dr. Patrick, Mr. White, Dr. Qutram, Mr. Giffard, Mr. Neft, Mr. Meri- ton, and many others : divines of equal me¬ rit and moderation, ornaments of their facred profeffion and the eft abliffied church. Among the prefoyterians were Dr. Manton, Mr. Thomas Vincent, Mr. Wadfwonb, Mr. Janeway, Mr. Thomas Doolittle, Mr. Annef- ley, Mr. Chefter, Mr. Franklin, Mr. Grimes, Mr. Watfon, Dr. Jacomb, Mr. Nathanael Vincent, Mr. Turner, Mr. Griffiths, Mr. Brooks, Dr. Owen, Mr. Nye, Mr. Caryl, Dr. Goodwin, Mr. Barker.
Thelofsin goods and houfes is fcarcely to be valued, or even conceived. The lofs of books was an exceeding great detriment, not to the owners only, but to learning in general. The library at Sion-college, and molt private lib¬ raries in London, were burnt.
The fire of London tnoft of all endamaged the company of printers and (lationers, molt of whofe habitations, florehoufes, Coops, flocks, and Dooks, were not only confumed, but their afhes and fcorched leaves conveyed aloft, and dilperfed by the winds to places above fixteen miles diftant, to the great ad¬ miration of beholders!
C 2
Net-
20 HISTORY OF THE
Seymour’s Notwithftanding the great Ioffes by the
^urVey, i. devouring peftilence in the city the
year preceding, and the chargeable war with the Dutch at that time depending ; yet bv the king’s grace, the wifdom of the parlia¬ ment then fitting at Weftminfter, the dili¬ gence and activity of the lord mayor aider- men and commoners of the city (who were likewife themfelves the moil confiderable lofers by the fatal accident) it was in the fpace of four or five years well nigh rebuilt* Divers churches, the {lately Guildhall, many halls of companies, and other public edifices ; all infinitely more uniform, more folid and more magnificent than before ; fo that no city in Europe (fcarcely in the univerfe) can ftand in competition with it in many parti¬ culars.
The fire of London ending at the eaft end of Tower-ftreet, the extent of which came juft to the dock on the weft fide of the Tower, there was nothing between the Tower walls and it but the breadth of the dock, and a great many old timber houfes which were built upon the banks of the dock,; and in the outward bulwark of the Tower and Tower-ditch (which then was very foul) to the very wall of the Tower itfelf. "VV hich old houfes if the fire had taken hold of, the Tower itfelf, and all the buildings within it, had in all probability been deftroyed. But fuch was the lieutenant’s care of the great
5 charge
FIRE OF LONDON. 21
cfiarge committed to him, that to prevent future damage, a few weeks after he caufed all thefe old houfes which flood between the Tower dock and the Tower wall to be pul¬ led down ; and not only them, but all thofe which were built upon or near the Tower ditch, from the bulwark gate along both the tower-hills, and fo to the Iron-gate ; and caufed ftrong rails of oak to be fet up upon the wharf where thofe houfes flood, which were about four hundred : fo that by thefe means, not only the White-tower but the whole outward Tower wall and the ditch round about the fame, are all vifible to paf- fengers, and afford a very fine profpeft.
During the whole continuance of this un¬ paralleled calamity, the king himfelf, roufed i
from his pleafures, commiferated the care of ill. 166, the diftreffed, and a&ed like the true father of his people. In a manufcript from the fecretary’s office we find thefe words, “ All “ own the immediate hand of God, and blefs cc the goodnefs and tender care of the king,
“ who made the round of the fire ufually “ twice every day, and, for many hours to- gether, on horfeback and on foot $ gave cc orders for purfuing the work, by com- ce mands, threatnings, defires, example, and 4‘ good ftore of mo?ey, which he himfelf “ diftributed to the workers, out of an hun- dred pound bag which he carried with him “ for that purpofe.” At the fame time his
C 3 royal
/
Burnet
abridged,
p. 120.
Collier’s
Di£t.
James.
Ecliard, iij. 166.
22 HISTORY OF THE
royal highnefs the duke of York alfo, and many of the nobility, were as diligent as poffible ; they commended and encouraged the forward, affifted the miferable fuf- ferers, and gave a molt generous example to all, by the vigorous oppofition they made again/! the devouring flames.
The king and the duke, with the guards, were almoft all the day on horfeback, feeing to all that could be done, either for quench¬ ing the fire, or for carrying off pcrfons or goods to the fields. The king was never obferved to be fo much ftruck with any thing in his whole life.
In the dreadful fire of London, the king and the duke did their utmoft in perfon to extinguish it ; and after it had been once mattered, and broke out again in the Temple, the duke watching there all night, put n effeftual flop to it by blowing up houfes.
Afterward, when the multitudes of poor people were forced to lodge in the fields, or croud themfelves into poor huts and booths built with deal boards, his majetty was fre¬ quent in confulting all ways to relieve the.fc wretches, as well by proclamations, as by his orders to the justices of peace, to fend provifions into Moorfields and other places; and moreover, he fent them out of the Tower the warlike provifions which were there deposited for the Teamen and foldiers, to {veep them from ftarving in this extremity.
‘ '' _ ^ ‘ ' At
FIRE OF LONDON. 23
At the fame time he proclaimed a fad throughout England and Wales ; and ordered that the didreffed condition of the fufferers fihould be recommended to the charity of alt well-difpofed perfons, upon that day, to be afterwards diftributed by the hands of the lord mayor of London. Ladly, to fhew his fpecial care for the city’s redoration, in council, wherein he fird prohibited the hady building any houfes till care fhould be taken for its re-edification, fo as might bed fecure it from the like fatal accident; for the en¬ couragement ofothers,he promifed to rebuild his Cudom-houfe, and to enlarge it, for the benefit of the merchants and trade ; which he performed at his own particular charge, and at the expence of ten thoufand pounds.
At the news of the fire of London all the Carte good fubjeds of Ireland were feized with the 9rmc?* utmod condernation upon that deplorable * ‘'29“ accident. In compaflion to the fufferers the lord lieutenant (the duke of Ormond) fet on foot a fubfcription for their relief, which rofe to a higher value than could be expeded in fo didreffed a country, where there was not money to circulate for the common necefii- ties of the people, or to pay the public taxes : therefore the fubfcription was made in beeves, thirty thoufand of which were fent to London.
C 4
Extract
1
24 HISTORY OF THE
ExtraSl from the fpeechofftr Edward Turner, Speaker oj the honourable houfe of commons, at the prorogation of the parliament, Feb¬ ruary, 8, 1667.
We muft for ever with humility acknow¬ ledge the juftice of God in punifhing the whole nation in the late conflagration in London: we know they were not the greatefl finners on whom the tower of Siloam fell ; and doubtlefs all our fins did contribute to the filling up that rr.eafure, which being full, drew down the wrath of God upon that city: but it very much reviveth us to behold the miraculous blcfling of God upon vour ma— je%’s endeavours for the prefervation of that part of the city which is left. We hope God will direct your royal heart and this fortu¬ nate iiland in a few days to lay a foundation- ftone in the re-building of that royal city ; the beauty and praife whereof (hall fill the whole earth. For the encouragement of this noble work we have prepared feveral bills; one for the eftablifhing a judicatory for the fpeedy determining all addons and caufes of adtion that may arife between landlords and tenants upon this fad accident. Though I peifuade myfelf no Englifhman would be exempted from making fbme offering to carry on the pious undertaking, yet the exemplary charity of your majeiiy’s twelve reverend judges is fit with honour to be men¬ tioned before your majefiy : they are willing
to
FIRE OF LONDON. a 5
to fpend all their fand that doth not run out in your majefty’s immediate fervice, in dif- penfing juftice in their feveral court people, in hearing and determining the con- troverfies that may arife upon old agreements, and making new rules between owners and tenants, for their mutual agreement in this glorious adtion. We have iikewife prepared a bill for the regularity of the new buildings, that they may be raifed with more conve- niency, beauty, and fecurity, than before : feme ftreets we have ordered to be opened and enlarged, and many obilrudlions to be removed ; but all with your majeily s approbation. This, we conceive, cannot be done with juftice, unlefs a compenfation he given to thofe that (hall be lofers 5 we have therefore laid an impofition of twelve pence upon every chaldron and every tun of coals that (hall be brought into the port or Lon¬ don for ten years, the better to enable the lord mayor and aldermen to recompence thofe perfons whofe ground (hall be taken from them.
Rome was not built in a day : nor can we in the clofe of this feffion ftnifti the rules for the dividing the parifhes, rebuilding ol the churches, and the ornamental parts of the city, that we intended ; thefe things mu ft reft till another feffion : but we know your ma- jefty in the mean time will take them into your princely confideration, and make it
Edbard, Hi ft. Eng. in. 177, 178.
Echard. Gazette, Pref. ft ate. Seymour.
26 HISTORY OF THE
your care that the houfes of God, and your royal chamber, be decently and conveniently restored.
The fire of London had exercifed the wits and inventions of many heads, and efpe~ dally put feveral ingenious perfons on con¬ triving and fetfing up offices for induing of houfes from fire j fince which many of thofe offices are framed.
All perfons were indefatigably induftrious in the great work of rebuilding ; and when all provifions were made for the city’s refur- redtion, the famous Sir Jonas Moore firft of all produced the beautiful Fleet-ftreet, ac¬ cording to the appointed model ; and from that beginning the city grew fo haftily to¬ ward a general perfection, that within the compafs of a few years it far tranfcended its former fplendor.
In the mean time Grefham college was converted into an exchange ; and in the apartments the public bufinefs of the city was tranfadted inftead of Guildhall.
To the fame place alderman Backwell, a noted banker, removed from Lombard- flreet, alderman Meynell, and divers other bankers of Lombard -ftreet, were preferved in their eftates?and fettled in and about Broad -ftreet.
The royal fociety being driven out from Grefham college, Henry Howard, brother to the duke of Norfolk, late ear! marfhal of England, invited that noble body to hold o their
FIRE OF LONDON. 27
their meetings at Arundel-houfe, where he affigned them very convenient rooms ; and on new-year’s day, being himfelf a member of that fociety, he very generoufly prefented them and their fuccefiors with a fair library of books, being the whole Norfolkian library, with permiffion of changing fitch books as were not proper for their collection.
Sir Robert Viner, a very great banker, providentially removed all his concerns twenty-four hours before the furious fire entered Lombard-fireet ; and fettled in the African boufe, which was then kept near the middle of Broad-ftreet ; till fuch time as he built that noble ftrudure in Lombard- fireet now ufed for the general poll-office, which was purchafed by king Charles the fecond for that purpofe. The neatly wrought conduit in the Stocks market-place at the wefi end of Lombard-fireet (the fpot on which the lord-mavor’s man (ion houfe is fince erefted) whereon was placed a large fiatue of king Charles the fecond on horfe- back, trampling upon an enemy, was fet up at the foie coft and charges of that worthy citizen and alderman, Sir Robert Viner, knight and baronet 'f.
The
f Of this clumfy piece of fculpture we have the fol- Maitland lowing account from an ingenious author.— It is Survey, impoffible to quit this place without taking notice of p. 1049* the equeftrian ftatue raifed here in honour of Charles IIt a thing in itfelf fo exceedingly ridiculous and ab-
furcf
%8 HISTORY OF THE
The excife-office was keptin Southampton- fields, near Southampton (now Bedford) houfe.
The general poft-office was moved to the two Black Pillars in Bridges-ftreet, Covent- garden,
The affairs of the cufiom-houfe were Iran fa died in Mark-lane, at a houfe called Lord Bayning’s : till the cuftom-houfe was rebuilt in a much more magnificent, uniform and commodious manner, by king Charles the fecond, which coil: him ten thoufand pounds,.
The office for hearth-money was kept near Billeter-lane in Leadenhall-ftreet.
The king’s great wardrobe, together with the fair dwelling houfes of the mafter and officers, near Puddle- wharf, being confumed, that office has fince been kept in York-houfo buildings.
furd, that it is in no one’s power to look upon it with¬ out reflecting on the taftes of thofe who fet it up. But when we enquire into the hiftory of it, the farce im¬ proves upon our hands, and what was before contempt¬ ible, grows entertaining. This ftatue was originally made for John Sobiefki king of Poland, but by fome accident was left upon the workman’s hands. About the fame time the city was loyal enough to pay their devoirs to king Charles immediately upon his reftora- tion; and finding this ftatue ready made to their hands, refolved to do it in the cheapeft way, and convert the Polanderinto a Briton, and the Turk underneath, into Oliver Cromwell, to make their compliment compleat : and the turban upon the laft mentioned figure, is an undeniable proof of the truth of the ftory.
The
FIRE OF LONDON. 29
The buildings of Dodfors Commons in the pariffi of St. Bennet Paul’s wharf, near St. Paul’s, being entirely confumed by the dreadful fire, their offices were held at Exeter- houfe in the Strand until the year 1672, when they returned to their former place, rebuilt in a very fplendid and convenient manner, at the proper coft and charges of the faid doctors.
The college of phyficians had purchafed a houfe and ground at the end of Amen-ftreet, whereon the famous Dr. Harvey, at his pro¬ per charge, did eredt a magnificent ftrudture, both fora library, and a public hall; this goodly edifice could not efcape the fury of the dreadful fire; and the ground being but a
leafehold, the fellows purchafed afair piece of ground in Warwick-lane, whereon they have eredied a very magnificent edifice : with a noble apartment for the containing an excel¬ lent library, given them partly by the mar¬ quis of Dorchefter, but chiefly by that eminent profeffor fir Theodore Mayerne, knight.
The former burfe (or Royal Exchange) began to be eredted in the year 1 566, juft one hundred years before it was burnt, at the coft and charge of that noble merchant fir Thomas Greffiam : it was built of brick, and yet was the molt fplendid burfe then in Europe.
It
30 HISTORY OF THE
It is now rebuilt within and without of ex¬ cellent {tone, with fueh curious and admirable srchite&ure5 efpecially for a front, a high turret or fteepie, wherein are an harmonious chime of twelve bells, and for arch-work* that it furpsffes all other burfts. It is built quadrangular, with a large court wherein the merchants may affemble, and the greateft part, in cafe of rain or hot funfhine, may be fheltered in fide galleries or porticoes. The whole fabric coft fifty thoufand pounds ; whereof one half was diflourFed by the cham¬ ber of London, or corporation of the city, and the other half by the company of mercers.
Before the dreadful fire, there were all around the quadrangle of this royal exchange the ftatues of the fovereign princes fince what was called the Norman conqueft, and by the care and coft of the city companies mod: of thofe niches were again filled with the like curious ftatues, in marble or alabafter,
St. Paul’s cathedral was new building at the time of the fire, the fione-work almoft finifhed : but it is now rebuilt with greater folidity, magnificence and fpiendor,by themoft renowned architect fir Chriftopher Wren.
Not far from the college of Dodtors- Commons ftood the College of Heralds, in an ancient houfe called Derby-houfe, being built by Thomas Stanly earl of Derby, who
aret countefs of Richmond,
mother
married Marg
FIRE OF LONDON. 31
mother of king Henry the feventh : where their records were preferved. — This college was burnt down, but the books and records were preferved, and placed, by the king’s appointment, at the lower end of the Court of Requefts.
Since the late dreadful fire this college has been handfomely rebuilt, upon St. Rennet’s hill, near Dodtors-Commons, where their library is now kept.
The houfe of St. Bartholomew’s hofpital efcaped the fury of the great fire, but mo ft of the eftates belonging to it were confumed.
The companies halls were rebuilt, all at the charges of each fraternity, with great magnificence ; being fo many noble ftruc- tures or palaces, with gallant frontifpieces, ftately courts, fpacious rooms ; the halls especially, from which the whole are named, are not only ample enough to feaft all the livery in each company, feme to the number of three or four hundred ; but many of them are fit to receive a crowned head with all its nobles, thofe of each of the twelve companies efpecially. The company of mercers, be- fide their hall, have a fumptuous and fpacious chapel for divine fervice.
Thofe city gates which were burnt down, as Ludgate and Newgate, were rebuilt with great folidity and magnificence.
The attempt to make Fleet-brook or ditch navigable to Holborn-bridge, was a
mighty
32 HISTORY OF THE
mighty chargeable and beautiful work : and though it did not fuily anfvver the defigned purpofe, it was remarkable for the curious Hone bridges over it, and the many huge vaults on each fide thereof, to treafure up Newcaftle coals for the ufe of the poor .
The whole damage fuftained by the fire is almofi: inconceivable and incredible ; but the following method of computation hath been taken, to form feme fort of grofs ellimate ; and at the time was accounted very mo¬ derate :
Thirteen thoufand two bun- ,
dred houfes one with another/ at twenty-five pounds rent aty 3,560,000 the low rate of twelve years'v purchafe, J
* Eighty-feven parhh churches, ■> 6
ateightthoufand poundseach. J 7
Six confecrated chapels, at two? ^ OOC)
thoufand pounds each, j
The Royal Exchange, - 50,000
The Cuftom-houfe, - - 10,000
Fifty-two halls of companies, xnoft of which were magni¬ ficent ftructures and palaces, atfifteen hundred poundseach,
Three city gates at three thou¬ fand pounds each.
* The certificate fays, eighty-nine parifh churches : but fee the a<5t of parliament and infeription on the Monument, , .
Jail
FIRE OF LONDON.
Jail of Newgate, - Four ftone bridges, - -
Seffions-houfe, - - > - - -
Guildhall, with the courts and J
33
1 5*000 6,000 7,000
40,000
3,000
5,000
5,000
3,000
2,000,000
offices belonging to it,
Blackwell-hall, - Bridewell, - - -
Poultry Compter, - -
Woodftreet Compter,
Toward rebuilding St. Paul's J church, which at that time^ was iiew building, the done-/ 2>000>000 work being almoft finiffied, \
Wares, houffiold-ftuff, monies and moveable goods loft and fpoiled,
H ire of porters, carts, waggons, barges, boats, &c. for remov¬ ing wares, houfhold-ftuff,&c. during the fire, and fome ftnall time after.
Printed books and paper in fhops* and warehoufes, S
Wine, tobacco, fugar, plumbs,
&c. of which the city was at that time very full,
Cutting a navigable river to Holborn-bridge,
The Monument,
200,000
150.000
1,500,000
27,000
- 14,500
D
L . 10,730,500 Befide
34 HISTORY OF THE
Befide melioration-money paid to feveral proprietors who had their ground taken away, for the making of wharfs, enlarging the old, or making new ftreets, market¬ places, &c.
oidm. The fire fpread itfelf, befide breadth* HiiLEngl. from almoft Tower-hill, to St. Dunftan’s y29-__ church in Fleet-ftreet. After it had burnt (a)! P‘ 34‘ almoft three days and three nights, fome feamen taught the people toblow up fome of the next houfes with gunpowder; which flopped the fire : fo that, (contrary to the infcription on the Monument) there were human counfcls in the flopping of the fire. It flopped at Holborn-bridge ; at St. Se- pulcbre*s church, when the church was burnt ; in Aldgate, and Crippkgate, and other places on" the wall ; in Aullin friars, the Dutch church flopped i', and efcaped. It flopped in Bilhopfgate-ftreet, in Leaden- hall-ftreet, in the midft ofJFencburch-ftreet, and near the Tower. Alderman Jefferies loft tobacco to the value of twenty thoufand pounds*
ExtraSl from the certificate of the furveyors appointed to furvey the ruins.
The fire began September the fecond* 1666, at Mr. Farryner’s,a baker, in Pudding- lane, between one and two in the morning, and continued burning till the fixth ; did over - run three hundred feventy - three
acres
FIRE OF LONDON. 3S
acres within the walls : Eighty - n:ne parifh churches, befide chapels, burnt : eleven parities within the walls ftanding, Houfes burnt, thirteen thoufand and two hundred.
Tonas Moore, 1 n Ralph Gatrix, \ Survey^-
The fuperftition and zeal of thofe times made canonization much cheaper in a pro- teftant than a popilh church : a vehement preacher was a chief faint among the godly, and a few warm exprefiions were efteemed little lefs than prophecies.
In the dedication to the rev. Mr. Reeves’s fermon preached 1655, are the following queries.
Can fin and the city’s fafetv, can impeni- tency and impunity ftand long together ?
Fear you not fome plague? Some coal blown with the breath of the Almighty, that may fparkle, and kindle* and burn you to fuch cinders, that not a wall or pillar may be left to teftify the remembrance of a city ?
The fame gentleman fays, —Your looking- , glafles will be fnatched away, your mirrors RememU cracked, your diamonds (hivered in pieces $ p-33*£e» this goodly city all in fhieds ; ye may feek for a pillar or threfliold of your ancient foe. dwellings, but not find one : all your fpa- cious manfions and fumptuous monuments are then gone ; not a porch, pavement, ceil¬ ing, itair-cafe, turret, lantern, bench, fcreen, pane of a window, poft, nail, fijone, or duft
D 2 of
36 HISTORY OF THE
of your former houfes to be feen. No ! with wringing hands you may afk, where are thofe fweet places where we traded, feafted, flept ? where we lived like mafters, and fhone like morning-dars ? No ! the houfes are fallen, and the houfeholders dropt with them: we have nothing but naked dreets, naked fields for fhekers ; not fo much as a chamber to couch down our children, or repofe our own members, when we are fpent, or affiidted with ficknefs. Wo unto us ! our fins have pulled down our houfes, fihaken down our city; we are the mod harbourlefs people in the world ; like foreigners rather than natives ; yea, rather like beads than men : foxes have holes and fowls have neds, but we have neither holes nor neds; our fins have de¬ prived us of couch and covert : we fliould be glad if an hofpital would receive us, dens or caves fhelter us : the bleak air and cold ground are our only fhades and refuges. But, alas! this is but the mifery of the done- work, of arches, roofs, &c.
The following paragraph is taken from p. 27, 28. ]yfr# Rofewell’s caufes and cures of the pedi- lence, printed at London in the year of the great plague, 1665* a year before the fire of London.
Is it not of the Lord that the people fhall labour in the very fire ! and weary them- felves for vanity ! It is of the Lord, iurely ! It comes to pais by the fecrct counfel of God,
that
FIRE OF LONDON. 37
that thefe houfes and cities which they build, {hall either come to be confumed by fire : or elfe, the people fhall weary themfelves in vain ; for vanity; to no purpofe; feeing it comes fo foon to be deftroyed and ruinated, what they build.
SECT. II.
Account of the fire of Lon don , publifhed by authority 1 from the London Gazette.
Sept. 2. About two o'clock this morning a fudden and lamentable fire broke out in this city, beginning not far from Thames- ftreet, near London-bridge ; which continues ftill with great violence, and hath already burnt down to the ground many houfes thereabouts : which faid accident affecfted his majefty with that tendernefs and compaffion, that he was pleafed to go himfelf in perfon, with his royal highnefs, to give orders that all poffible means ihould be ufed for quench¬ ing the fire, or flopping its further fpreading. In which care, the right honourable the earl of Craven was fent by his majefty, to be more particularly afiifting to the lord mayor and magiftrates ; and feveral companies of his guards fent into the city, to be helpful in what means they could in fo great a cala,* mity.
Whitehall , Sept. 8. The ordinary courfe of this paper being interrupted by a fad and
D j .lament-
38 HISTORY OF THE
lamentable accident of fire lately happened in the city of London 5 it hath been thought fit to fatisfy the minds of fo many of his majefty’s good fubjeds who muft needs be concerned for the ifiue of fo great an acci¬ dent, to give this fhdrt, but true, account of it.
* '
On the ?d inftant at one o’clock in the morning there happened to break out a fad and deplorable fire in Pudding-lane near New-Fifhdtreer, which falling out at that hour of the night, and in a quarter of the town fo clofe built with wooden pitched houfes, fpread itfelf fo far before day, and with fuch diftradion to the inhabitants and neighbours, that care was not taken for the timely preventing the further diffufion of it, by pulling down houfes, as ought to have been; fo that the lamentable fire in a fliort time became too big to be mattered by any engines, or working near it. It fell out mott: unhappily too, that a violent eafterly wind fomented it, and kept it burning all that day, and the night following, fpreading itfelf up to Gracechurch-ftreet, and down¬ ward from Cannon-ftreet to the water fide as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintrv.
ihe people in all parts about it were dL {traded by the vaftnefs of it, and their parti-* cular care was to, carry away their goods : many attempts were made to prevent the fp^ .ding of it by pulling down houfes, and
making
FIRE OF LONDON,
39
making great intervals, but all in vain, the fire feizing upon the timber and rubbifh, and fb continuing itfelf, even through thofe places, and raging in a bright flame all Monday and Tuefday, notwithftanding his majefty’s own, and his royal highnefs’s indefatigable and perfonai pains to apply all poffible means to prevent it $ calling upon and helping the people with their guards, and a great number of nobility and gentry unweariedly aflifting therein, for which they were requited with a thoufand blefiings from the poor diftrefled people. By the favour of God the wind flacked alittle on Tuefday night, and the flames meeting with brick buildings at the Temple, by little and little it was obferved to lofe its force on that fide, fo that on Wed- nefday morning we began to hope well, and his royal highnefs never departing nor flack? ening his perfona! care, wrought fo well that day, aflifted in fome parts by the lords of the council before and behind it, that a flop was put to it at the Temple church ; near Hoi- born-bridge ; Pye-corner; Alderfgate ; Crip- plegate ; near the lower end of Coleman- flreet ; at the end of Bafinghall flreet^ by the Poftern at the upper end of Bifhopf- gate-Areet; and Leadenhall-flreet j at the ftandard in Cornhill ; at the church in Fen- church-ftreet ; near Clothworkers hall in Mincing-lane ; in the middle of Mark-lane j and at the tower-dock.
D 4
On
4o HISTOPvY OF THE
On Thurfday, by the bleffing of God, it was wholly beat down and extinguifhed. But fo as that evening it burft out afrefh at the Temple, by the falling of fome fparks (as is fuppofed) upon a pile of wooden build¬ ings ; but his royal highnefs, who watched there the whole night in perfon, by the great labourand diligence ufed, and efpecially by applying powder to blow up the houfes about it, before day happily mattered it
Divers ftrangers, Dutch and French, were, during the fire, apprehended, upon fufpicion that they contributed malicioufly to it, who are all imprifoned, and informations prepar¬ ed to make fevere inquifition hereupon by my lord chief juftice Keeling, afiitted by fome of the lords of the privy- council, and fome principal members of the city: not- with ft an ding which fulpicions, the manner of the burning all along in a train, and fo blown forward in all its ways by ftrong winds, makes us conclude the whole was ail effect of an unhappy chance, or to fpeak bet¬ ter, the heavy hand of God upon us, for our fins, (hewing us the terror of his judgment, in thus railing the fire, and immediately after his miraculous and never enough to be ac¬ knowledged mercy, in putting a flop to it when we were in the laft defpair, and that all attempts for the quenching it, however indufiriouily purfued, feemed infufficient* His majefty then fat hourly in council, and
ever
FIRE OF LONDON. 41
ever fince hath continued making rounds about the city, in all parts of it where the danger and mifchief was greateft, till this morning that he hath fent his grace the duke of Albemarle, whom he hath called for to afiift him in this great occafion ; to put his happy and fuccefsful hand to the fi'nilhirig this memorable deliverance.
About the Tower, the feafonable orders given for pulling down houfes to fecure the magazines of powder, was mod efpecially fuccefsful, that part being up the wind, notwithftanding which, it camealmoft to the very gates of it, fo as by the early provifion, the feveral ftores of war lodged in the Tower were entirely faved 5 and we have hitherto this infinite caufe particularly to give God thanks, that the fire did not happen in any of thofe places where his majefty’s naval ftores are kept ; fo as though it hath pleafed God to vilit us with his own hand, he hath not, by disfurnifhing us with the means of carrying on the war, fubjefted us to our enemies.
It muft be obferved, that this fire happened at a part of the town, where, though the commodities were not very rich, yet they were fo bulky that they could not be re¬ moved, fo that the inhabitants of that part where it firft began have fuftained very great lofs; but by the beft inquiry we can make, the other parts of the town, where the com- 9 modifies
42 HISTORY OF THE
modities were of greater value, took thealarm fo early, that they (lived mo ft of their goods of value, which pofiibly may have diminifhed the l'o'fs j though fome think, that if the whole induftry of the inhabitants had been applied to the flopping of the fire, and not to the faving their particular goods, the fuc- cefs might have been much better, not only to the public^ but to many of them in their own particulars.
Through this fad accident it is eafy to be imagined how many perfons were necefli- tated to remove themfelves and goods into the 6pen fields, where they were forced to con¬ tinue fome time, which could not but work compaffion in the beholders ; but his majef- ty’s care was mod fignal on this occafion, who, befides his perfonal pains, was frequent in confulting all ways for relieving thofe diflrefled perfons, which produced fo good effecfl, as well by his majefty’s proclamations, and orders ifliied to the neighbouring juftices of the peace, to encourage the fending pro- vifions into the markets, which are publickly known, ashy other directions, that when his majefty, fearing left other orders might not yet have been fufficient, had commanded the victualler of his navy to fend bread into Moorfields for the relief of the poor, which for the more fpeedy fupply he fent in bifket out of the fea (tores ; it was found that the markets had been already fo well (applied,
that
FIRE OF LONDON. 43
that the people, beihg unaccuftomed to that kind of bread, declined it, and fo it was re¬ turned in great part to his majefty’s ftores again, without any ufe made of it.
And we cannot but obferve to the contu- fion of all his Majefty’s enemies, who endea¬ voured to perfuade the world abroad of great parties and difaffe&ion at home, againft his majefty’s government; that a greater inftance of the affedtions of this city could never be given, than hath now been given in this fad and moft deplorable accident, when, if at any time, diforder might have been expefted, from the Ioffes, diftraaions, and almoft def- peration of fome perfons in tneir private for¬ tunes, thoufands of people not having habi¬ tations to cover them. And yet all this time it hath been fo far from any appearance of deftgns or attempts againft his majefty s government, that his majefty, and his royal brother, out of their care to ftop and prevent the fire, expofing frequently their perfons, with very fmall attendants, in all parts of the town, fometimes even to be intermixed with thofe who laboured in the bufinefs ; yet neverthe- lefs, there hath not been observed fo much as a murmuring word to fall from any ; but, on the contrary, even thofe perfons whole Ioffes render their conditions moft deiperate, and to be fit objedfs of others prayers, beholding thofe frequent inftances of his majefty’s care of his people, forgot their own mifery, and
44 HISTORY OF THE
filled the ftreets, with their prayers for his majefty, whofe trouble they feemed to com- paffionate before their own.
Whitehall , Sept. 12. His majefty in a religious fenfe of God's heavy hand upon this kingdom, in the late dreadful fire hap¬ pened in the city of London, hath been pleafed to order that the tenth of Odober next be obferved as a general and folemn faft throughout England, Wales, &c. and that the diftreffes of thofe who have more particularly fuffered in that calamity be on that day moll: effectually recommended to the charity of all well-difpofed chriftians, in the refpedtive churches and chapels of this kingdom, to be afterward, by the hands of the lord mayor of the city of London, diftri- buted for the relief of fuch as fhali be found moil to need it.
Whitehall , Sept . 15. His majefty purfuing, with a- gracious impatience, his pious care for the fpeedy reftoration of his city of London, was pleafed to pafs the twelfth inftant his declaration in council to his city of London upon that fubjeCt, full of that princely ten- dernefs and affeCtion which he is pleafed on all occafions £0 exprefs for that his beloved city.
In the firft place, upon the defires of the lord mayor and court of aldermen, he is pleafed to prohibit the hafty building of any
edifice.
FIRE OF LONDON. 45
edifice, till fuch fpeedy care be taken for the re-edification of the city as may beft fecure it from the like accidents, and raife it to a greater beauty and comelinefs than formerly it had ; the lord mayor and aldermen being required to pull down what fhall contrary to this prohibition be ereCted, and return the names of fuch refractory perfbns to his ma- jefty and his council, to be proceeded againft according to their deferts. '
That any confiderable number of men addreffing themielves to the court of aider- men, and manifefting in what places their ground lies upon which they intend to build, fhall in fhort time receive fuch order and direction that they fhall have no caufe to complain.
That no perfon ereCt any houfe or build¬ ing but of brick or done, that they be encou¬ raged to praCtife the good bufbandry of ftrongly arching their cellars, by which divers perfons have received notable benefit in the late fire.
That Fleet-ftreet, Cheapfide, Cornhill, and all other eminent ftreets, be of a breadth, to prevent the mifehief one fide may receive from the other by fire ; that no ftreets, efpe- cially near the water be fo narrow as to make the paflages uneafy or inconvenient ; nor any allies or lanes ereCted, but upon neceffity, for which there fhall be publifhed rules and particular orders.
r * That
4.6 HISTORY OF THE
That a fair key and wharf be left on all the river fide, no houfes to be erected, but at a diftance declared by the rules. That none of thofe houfes next the river be inha¬ bited by brewers, dyers, or fugar-bakers, who by their continual fmoaks contribute much to the unhealthinefs of the adjacent places ; but that fuch places be allotted them by the lord mayor and court of aldermen, as may be convenient for them, without preju¬ dice of the neighbourhood.
That the lord mayor and court of aider- men caufe an exadt furvey to be made of the ruins, that it may appear to whom the houfes and ground did belong, what term the occu¬ piers were pofleffed of, what rents were paid, and to whom the reverfions and inheritances did appertain, for the fatisfying all interefts, that no man’s right be facrificed to the public convenience. After which a plot and model lhall be framed of the whole building, which no doubt may fo well pleafe all perfons, as to induce them willingly to conform to fuch rules and orders as lhall be agreed to.
His majefty likewife recommends the fpeedy building fome of thofe many churches which have been burnt, to the charity and magnanimity of well-difpofed perfons, whom he will direct and affifi: in the model, and by his bounty encourage all other ways that fliall be defined.
And
FIRE OF LONDON. 47
And to encourage the work by his example, his majefty will ufe all expedition to rebuild the cuftom-houfe, and enlarge it for the more convenience of the merchants, in the place where it formerly flood : and upon all his own lands, will part with any thing of his own right and benefit, for the advancement of the public benefit and beauty of the city ; and remit to all perfons who (hall eredt any new buildings, according to this his gracious declaration, all duties arifing from hearth-money for the fpace of feven years ; as by the declaration itfelf more at large appears.
Whitehall, Sept. 18. This day was pre- fented to his majefty by his highnefs the duke of York, Edmundbury Godfrey, Efq; one of his majefty’s juftices of the peace for the county of Middlefex, and city and liberty of Weftrninfter, who, after the public thanks and acknowledgment of his eminent fervice done in helping to fupprefs the late fire in the city and liberty of London, received the honour of knighthood.
Whitehall, Sept. 29, This day, by war¬ rant from his majefty’s principal fecretaries of ftate, the perfon of Valentine Knight was committed to the cuftody of one of his majefty’s mefiengers in ordinary, for having prefumed to pubiifh in print certain propofi- tions for rebuilding the city of London, with confiderable advantages to his majefty’s re- n venue
/
Gazette, No. ioo.
48 HISTORY OF THE
Venue by it, as if his majefty would draw a benefit to himfelf from fo public a calamity of his people, of which his majefty is known to have fo deep fenfe, that he is pleafed to feek rather by all means to give them eafe under it.
Wejiminjler , Sept . 28. This day the houfe of commons refolved, That the humble thanks of the houfe {hould be given his ma¬ jefty for his great care and endeavour to pre^- vent the burning of the city.
Leghorn, OB. 18. The merchants here, in confideration of the Ioffes fuftained in London by the late fire, have out of their charity, raifed near 300/. towards their re¬ lief, which they intend fpeedily to return, to be diftributed as his majefty pleafes.
London , 051. 29. This day fir William Bolton, lord mayor for the year enfuing, went in his coach to Weftminfter, attended by his brethren the aldermen, the fheriffs, and other eminent citizens in their coaches, where he was fworn with the ufual cere¬ monies.
Whitehall, 051. 30. Sir Jonas Moore, with fome other proprietors of houfes lately de¬ mon (hed by the fire, in Fleet-ftreet, having prayed liberty to rebuild the fame, according to inch model, form and fcantling as fhould be fet them by the, committee appointed by his majefty for the advancement of that great work, (to which they offered with all
will-
FIRE OF LONDON. 4g
willingnefs to llibmit and conform them- felves) ; it was this day ordered by his ma- jefly in council, that the laid proprietors lhali have their liberty to re-edify their buildings accordingly.
By Stat. 19 and 20 Car. 2. Any three or more of the judges were authorifed to hear and determine all differences between land¬ lords and tenants, or occupiers of buildings or other things by the lire demolifhed. They were, without the formalities of courts of law or equity, upon the inquifition or ver¬ dict of jurors, teftimonies of witneffes upon oath, examination of perfons interefted, or otherwiie, to determine all differences: they were, in complaints, to iffue out notes of time and place for the parties attendance, and proceed to make orders : their determinations were -final, without appeal, writ of error, or revei fal . Fheir orders wrere to be obeyed by all perfons, and binding to reprefentatives for ever. The judgments and determina¬ tions were recorded in a book by them figned ; which book is placed and in tr ufted in the cuftody of the lord mayor and aldermen for the time being, to remain as a perpetual and lafting record. 1 he judges were not to take any see or reward, diredtly or indirectly, for anything they did by virtue of that adft All differences not being determined, the adt was continued in force till Sept. 29, 1672,
E
In
5°
HISTORY OF THE
In gratitude to the memory of thefe lodges, the city caufed their piblures, in full proportion in their fcarlet robes, to be fet op in the Guildhall, with their names underneath, viz.
Sir Heneage Finch, Sir Orlando Bridg¬ man,
Sir Matthew Hale, Sir Richard Rains- ford.
Sir Edward Turner, Sir Thomas Tyrril, Sir John Archer,
Sir William Morton, Sir Robert Atkins, Sir Samuel Brown, Sir Edward Atkins,
Sir John Vaughan, Sir John North,
S ir Th omas Twifden, Sir Chriftopher Tur¬ ner,
Sir William Wyld,
Sir Hugh Windham, Sir William Ellys, SirEdwardThurland, Sir Timothy Lyttle- ton.
Sir John Kelynge,
Sir William Wind-
Sprat beF. Sons Cierg. !Nov. 7, 1678.
ham.
The city rofe out of its afhes after the dreadful fire, as it was fir ft built, not pre¬ fen tly, by building continued ftreets, in any one part, but firft here a houfe and there a houfe, to which others by degrees were joined ; till, at la ft, fingle houfes were united into whole ftreets 5 whole ftreets into one beautiful city; not meerly, as before, a great5 and magnificent city, in a (hurt time it not only excelled itfelf, but any other city in the whole world, that comes near it, either in largenefs, or number of inhabitants.
The
FIRE OF LONDON. 51
The beginning of the year 1670, the city of London was rebuilt, with more fpace and fplendor than had been before feen in Eng¬ land. The acl for rebuilding it was drawn by Sir Matthew Hale, with fo true judgment and forefight, that the whole city was raifed out of its afhes without any fuits of law 5 which if that bill had not prevented them, would have brought a fecond charge on the city, not much lefs than the fire itfelf had been. And upon that, to the amazement of all Europe, London was, in four years time, rebuilt with fo much beauty and magnifi¬ cence, that they who faw it in both dates, before and afrer the fire, could not refiedt on it, without wondering where the wealth could be found to bear fo vaft a lofs as was made by the fire, and fo prodigious an ex¬ pence as was laid out in the rebuilding. This good and great work was very much for¬ warded by fir William Turner, lord mayor 1669. He was fo much honoured and be¬ loved, that at the end of the year they chofe him again ; but he refufed it, as being an unufual thing.
Oldm.
547-
Whatever the unfortunatecitizens of Lon¬ don differed by this dreadful fire, it is mani- Mai^ fed, that a greater bleffing could not have land’s happened for the good of poderity; for, Survey* inftead of very narrow, crooked, and incom- 43r modbus dreets, dark, irregular and ill-con¬ trived wooden homes, with their feveral
E 2 dories
Bill Mort.
Ibid,
Burnet
abridged,
I 20„
52 HISTORY OF THE
ftories jutting out, or hanging over each other, whereby the circulation of the air was obftruded, noifom vapours harboured, and verminious, peftilential atoms nourifhed, as is man i be ft, by the city not being clear of the plague for twenty-five years before, and only free from contagion three years in above feventy ; enlarging of the ftreets, and mo¬ dern way of building, there is fuch a free circulation of fweet air through the ftreets, that offenfive vapours are expelled, and the city freed from peftilential fymptoms : io that it may now juftly be averred that there is no place in the kingdom where the inha¬ bitants enjoy a better ft ate of health, or live to a greater age, than the citizens of London,,
SECT, III.
Several opinions concerning the caufes of the
great fire .
W HETHER the fire came cafually, or on defign, remains ftill a fecret : though the general opinion might be that it was cafual, yet there were pre.fumptions on the other fide of a very odd nature. Great calamities naturally produce various conjec¬ tures 1 men feldom confidering, that the moft ftupendous effefts often proceed from the moft minute caufes, or moft remote accidents. People failed not to give a feope to their imagination, and to form gueffes concerning the caufes and authors of this afflicting and aftoniftiing misfortune.
The
FIRE OF LONDON. 53 The kina: in his fpeech calls it “ God’s P^s
>> , .f ... , jucpment.
Judgment ; the pious and religious, and atfirft all other men, generally and naturally afcribed it to the juft vengeance of heaven, on a city where vice and immorality reigned foopenly and fhamefully, and which had not been fufficiently humbled by the raging peftilence of the foregoing year.
Sir Edward Turner, fpeaker of the houfe Echard, of commons, at preferring bills for the royal I1?‘ l?5* aftent, fays, <c We muft for ever with humi- <c lity acknowledge the juftice of God in <c poniftiing this whole nation by the late u dreadful conflagration of London. ”
The adt of common-council for rebuilding fays, “ The fire was, by all, juftiy relented as a mold fad and difrnal judgment of “ heaven.’5
But time foon produced abundance of fuf- piciens and variety of opinions concerning the means and inftruments made ufe of.
There were forne fo bold as even to fufpedi JheJanz- the king. Thole reports, and Oates’s and 6^m’ ]Je Bedloe’s narratives, are fuppofitions too rnon- Echard, ftrous, and the evidence too wretchedly Li* l6^' mean to deferve confideration.
The citizens were not well fatisfied with Dui<e the duke of York’s behaviour ; they thought York, him a little too gay and negligent forfuch an occafion ; that his look and air difcovered 120. "
the pleafure he took in that dreadful fpec- o dm.L tacle : on which account, a jealoufy that he 5“"*
E 3 was
54 HISTORY OF THE
was concerned in it was fpread with great induftry, but with very little appearance of truth.
French Some fufpedted it was an infidious way of jmd the Dutch and French making war upon the Dutch. Engliihs their two fleets being then neareft to a conjunction. What increased the fuf- picion was, that fome criminals that (offered were faid to be under the direction of a com¬ mittee at London, and received orders from another council in Holland.
Ecbard. Not long before the fire the French fent Rapiq. the governor of Choufey in a fmall boat with a letter to major-general Lambert, then pri- foner in Guernfev, to offer him terms to con- trive the delivery of that ifland to them.
Divers ftrangers, both French and Dutch, were apprehended upon fufpicion, impri- foned, and ftridlly examined. It was laid, a Dutch boy of ten years old, corffeffed, that his father, his unde, and himfelf, had thrown fire- balls into the houfe where the fire began through a window which flood open.
The Englifh fleet had fome time before Burnet landed on the Vly, an ifland near the Texel, and burnt it ; uPon which fome came to De Wit, and offered, in revenge, if they were but affifted, to fet London on fire; but he rejected the [villainous] propofal ; and thought no more on it till he heard the city was burnt.
The fire which laid fo great a part of London in a flies, gave a frefh occafion to the
enemies
FIRE OF LONDON. 55
enemies of the republicans to charge them with being the malicious authors theieof; becaufe the fire happened to break out the third of September, a day efteemed fortunate to the republicans, on account of the vi&oiies of Dunbar and Worcefter, obtained by Oliver Cromwell, when general of the armies of the commonwealth of England.
In the April berore, lome common¬ wealth men were found in a plot, and hanged ; and at their execution confened, that they had been requefted to afliii in a defign of firing London on the fecono of September.
At the trial of the confpirators at the Old Bailey, it appeared, a defign was laid ro fur- prize the Tower and fire the city ; the third of September was pitched on for the attempt, as being found by Lilly’s almanack, and a fcheme erected for that purpofe, to be a lucky day. The third of September was a day aulpicious and full of expectation from one party, but at this time ominous and use¬ ful to the nation. The city was burnt ai the time projected and prognosticated; wnich gave a ftrong fufpicion, though not a proof, of the authors and promoters of it.
The Dutch were prefled by the common¬ wealth men to invade England, anti were allured of powerful afliftance, and hopes of a general infurredtion, but they would ne t
venture in fo hazardous a defign.
E 4 Though
Republi¬ cans. Rapin, ii. 643.
Burnet
abridged,
1 20.
Gazette, No. 48. Echard, iii. 166.
Burnet abr. 118.
Papifts and je- i'uit' . OjcUii. 529.
1 6 HISTORY OF THE
Though fevers! perfons were miprifoned* it was not poffibie to difcover, or prove, that the houfe where this dreadful calamity began, was fired on purpofe. Whether it was wil¬ ful or accidental was a long time a party " pute.
The great talk at that time was, Who were the burners of the city ? Some faid it was contrived and carried on by a confpiracy of the Papifts and Jefuits, which was afterward offered to be made appear in the popifh plot. And there came in fo many teftimonies to prove that it was the plotted weapon of the papifts, as caufed the parliament to appoint a committee to enquire into it5 and receive informations.
By the dreadful fire in i666? multitudes of people loft their eftates, goods and mer¬ chandizes; and many families, once in d lurch of douninmg cneum fiances, were reduced to Scot], i. beggary. From the infeription on the plinth 20f8 of the lower pedeftal of the Monument it appears that the papifts were the authors of this fire; the parliament being of this per- , fuafion, addreffed the king to iffue a procla¬ mation, requiring all popifh priefts and Je¬ fuits to depart die kingdom within a month; and appointed a comniittee, who received evidence of fame' papifts, who were fe^n throwing fire-balls into hpufes, and of o hers who had materials for it in their pockets. Fw 0 ■■ ' ' ' . " *•' 4 Thb
JL JU 4 Ci:
grooh-
’fhankb’s
f *
' * 1
FIRE OF LONDON. 57
This fad difafter produced fome kind of li¬ berty to the non-conformifls.
A fudden and dreadful maflacre of the yjncenL proteflants was feared • and the fufpicion Terrible confirmed by particular kinds of knives found y°gCe* after the fire in barrels.
Jr*
Several evidences were given to the com- OMm. i. nfittee that men were feen in feveral parts of 547‘
A
the city calling fire-balls into houfes; fome that were brought to the guard of foidiers, and to the duke of York, but were never heard of afterwards. Some weeks after fir Robert Brooks, chairman of the committee, went to France, and as he was ferried over a river was drowned, with a kinfman of his, and the bufinefs drowned with him.
Oates, in his narrative fays. The dreadful Rapin, ii* fire in 1 6 66 was principally managed by Strange, the provincial of the Jefuits, in which the fociety employed eighty or eighty-fix men, and fpent feven hundred fire-balls ; and over all their vail expence, they were four¬ teen thoufand, pounds gainers by the plunder; among which was a box of jewels confiding of a thoufand caradts of diamonds. He far¬ ther learned, that the fire in Southwark in 1676 was brought about by the like means; and though in that they were at the expence of a thoufar.d pounds, they made (hi ft to get two thoufand clear into their own pockets.
Mr. Echard was told by an eminent pre¬ late, that Dr. Grant, a papift, was ftrongly
fufpected,
^8 HISTORY OF THE
fufpedted, who having a (hare in tlie water¬ works, contrived, as is believed, to flop up the pipes the night before the fire broke out, fo that it was many hours before any water could be got after the ufuai manner, ^
Dr. Lloyd, afterward biffiop of Wor- cefter, told Dr. Burnet, That one Giant a papift, had fometime before applied nimfelf to Lloyd, who had great interelt with the coun- tefs of Clarendon, (who had a large eftate in the new river, winch is brougnt irom Ware to London) and faid he could raife that eftate confiderably iffhe would make him a truftee for her. His fchemes were probable, and lie was made one of the board that governed that matter ; and by that he had a light to come as’ often as he pleafed to view their works at Iflington. He went thither the Saturday before the fire broke out, and called for the key of the place where the heads of the pipes were, and turned all the cocks, which were then open, and flopped the wa¬ ter, and went away, and carried the keys with, bun . When tne fit e bioke out next morning, they opened the pipes in the fh eets to find water, but there was none. Some hours were loft in fending to Iflington, where the doors were to be broke open, and the cocks turned ; and it was long before the water got from Iflington. Grant denied that he turned the cocks; but the officer of the works affirmed that he had, accoiding to
ofder3
FIRE OF LONDON. 59
order, fet them all a running, and that no per Ion had got the keys from him but Grant; who confeffed he had carried away the keys, but did it without defign.
When we confider, feveral depofitions were made after the fire, of its breaking out in. feveral different places at the fame time, and that one man confeffed his fetting fire to the houfes where it began, when he was executed for it : when we remember bifhop Lloyd’s teftimony concerning Grant; we cannot eafily be convinced that it was entirely acci¬ dental.
Bifhop Kennet gives the following ac- ^ count : there was but one man tried at the iU r Old Bailey for being the incendiary, who was convidted by his own confeflion, and executed for it. His name was Roger 'f' Hubert, a French Hugonot* of Rohan in Normandy. Some people fhammed away this confeffion, and faid he was Non compos mentis ; and had a mind, it feems, to a fin me the glory of being hanged for the greateffc villain, v Others fay he was fober and peni¬ tent ; and being, after convidtion, carried through the ruins to fhew where he put fire, he himfelf diredted through the afhes and rubbifh, and pointed at the fpot where the firft burning houfe flood.
f Robert, Rapin,
* Bifhop Burnet and fome others fay he was a papift.
The
6o HISTORY OF THE
Barnet. The fire was generally charged on the Mauiand. papjfl.s . one Hubert a Frenchman, who
was feized in Eflex as he was flying to France-, confefled he had begun the conflagration. He was blindfolded, and purpofely conduced to wrong places, where he toid'tnem it was not the fpot where he began the flames; but when he was brought to the right, he con¬ fefled that was the place where he threw the fire-ball into the baker’s houfe, the place where the fatal fire began, which he perfifted in to the lad moments of his execution. Fie was hanged upon no other evidence : though Tmrmt bis broken account made fame believe him
abr, iso. tii j
melancholy mad.
Howe!!, But Oates feveral years afterwards inform-
Impaniat ed the world the execrable deed was per- Ormed by a knot of eighty Jefuits, friars, p. 9. and prieiis, of feveral nations.
After all examinations there was but one Eckird, l man .tr;e^ for being the incendiary, who con-
fefling the fadt was executed for it: this was'
Robert Hubert, a French HugonotofRoh.au
in Normandy, a perfon falfly faid to be a
pa pi ft, but really a fort of lunatic, who by
meer accident was brought into England juft
before the breaking out of the fire, but not
landed till two days after, as appeared by the
evidence of Laurence Peterfon, the matter of
* # *
the fhip who had him on board.
It was foon after complained of, that Hubert was not fufficiently examined who
fet;
FIRE OF LONDON. 6t
fet him to work, and who joined with him.
And Mr. Hawks in his remarks upon Fite- harris’s trial is bold to fay, that the commons refolving to examine Hubert upon that matter next day? Hubert was hanged before the houfe fat, fo could tell no farther tales.
Lord Ruffe 1 and fir Henry Capel obferved EcM, to the houfe of commons (1680) that thofe that were taken in carrying on that wicked yl4- * aft, were generally difcharged without trial.
In 1679 the houfe of commons were fud- denly alarmed with an information of a frefli defign of the papifts to burn London a fe- 1 cond time. The houfe of one Bird in better- lane being fet on fire, his fervant Elizabeth Oxly, was fufpefted of firing it wilfully, and fent to prifon. She confeifed the faft, and declared the had been employed to do it by one Stubbs, a papift, who had promifed her five pounds. Stubbs being taken up, confeffed he perfuaded her to it, and that Father father Giffard his confeffor put him upon it ; Lt - - - telling him it was no fin to burn all the houfes of heretics. He added he had fre¬ quent conferences on this affair with Giffard and two Irifhmen. Stubbs and the maid declared, the papifts were to make an infur- reftion, and expefted an army of fixty thou- fand men from France. It was generally
inferred from this incident, that it was not
Giffard’s fault, [nor that of his party] that the
city
&
Vincent, 46, 47.
Oldm.
h 65 1.
6% HISTORY OF THE
city of London was not burnt as in the year 1666 : and confirmed thofc in their opinion who thought that general conflagration was the contrivance and work of the papifis.
The hand of man was made ufe of in the beginning and carrying on of this fire. The beginning of the fire at fuch a time* when there had been to much hot weather which had dried the houfts, and made them the more fit for fuel ; the beginning of it in fuch a place, where there were fo many timber houfes, and the {hops filled with fo much combuftible matter; and the begin¬ ning of it juft when the wind did blow fo fiercely upon that corner toward the reft of the city, which then was like tinder to the fparks ; this doth fmell of a popifh defign, hatched in the fame neft with the gunpow¬ der plot. The world fufficiently knows how correfpondent this is to popifh principles and practices ; they might, without any fcruple of their kinds of conference, burn an heretical city, as they count it, into afhes : for befide the difpenfations they can have from his holinefs (rather his wickednefs) it is not unlikely but they count fuch an adion as this meritorious.
Lord chancellor (earl of Nottingham) in his fpeech in giving judgment againft lord vifeount Stafford, faid, “ Who can doubt €‘ any longer that London was burnt by
*c papifts?”
1
FIPvE OF LONDON, 63
*e papifts ?” though there was not one word in the whole trial relating to it.
The infer iption on the plinth of the lower ch< pedeftal of the Monument has given an op- Scotl. i, portunity to the reverend Mr. Crookfhanks " - * to fay., it appears that the papifts were the authors of the fire 3 and that the parliament being of the fame perfuafion addrefled the king.
The infeription is in Englifh : c< This pillar was fet up in perpetual re- chamber- «c membranceofthe moft dreadful burning of c< this proteftantcity, begun and carried on by $ate>
<£ the treachery and malice of the popifh fac- « tion, in the beginning of September, in the year of our Lord 1666. In order to the tc carrying on their horrid plotfor extirpating “ the proteftant religion and old Englifh liberty, and introducing popery and flavery f5 This infeription was erafed by king James upon his fucceffion to the crown ; but re- inferibed prefently after the revolution, in fuch deep characters as are not ealily to be blotted out.
The latter part of the infeription on the Ptef fiate^ north fide [Sed furor papijiicus, qui tam dir a 259. patravit , nondum rejiinguitur .] containing an 344 offenfive truth, was erafed at king James’s ' ‘ acceffion, and re-inferibed foon after the revolution.
Mr. Pope differs much in his opinion con¬ cerning thefe inferiptions, when he fays,
4* Where
Seymour.
Vincent,
49*
Natural
caufes.
Seymour, i. 454.
6 4 HISTORY OF THE
Where Londons column, pointing at the shies.
Like a tall bully , mzry /Yr heady and lies .
It feems aim oil wonderful (fays the author of the Craftfman) that the plague was not as peremptorily imputed to the papifls as the fire.
There was a genera! fufpicion of incen¬ diaries laying combuftible fluff in many places, having obferved feveral houfes to be on fire at the fame time : but we are told, God with his great bellows did blow upon it, and made it fpread quickly, and horrible flakes of fire mounted to the fkies.
There was a ftrange concurrence of feveral natural caufes which occafioned the fire fa* vigproufly to fpread and increafe.
There was a great fupincnefs and negli¬ gence in the people oft he hoofs where it be¬ gan : it began between one or two o’clock after midnight, when all were in a dead ileep : on a Saturday night, when many of the eminent citizens, merchants, and others, were retired into the country, and left fervants to look to their city houfes: it happened in the long vacation, at a time oi year when many wealthy citizens are wont to be in the coun¬ try at fairs, or getting in debts, and making up accounts with their chapmen.
1 he houfes where it began were moftly built of timber, and thofe very old: the clofenefs and narrownefs of the fireets did 8 much
FIRE OF LONDON. 65
much facilitate the progrefs of the fire, and prevented the bringing in engines. The wares and commodities flowed and vended in thofe parts were mo ft combuftible of any other, as oil, pitch, tar, cordage, hemp, flax, rofin, wax, butter, cheefe, wine, brandy, fugar, and fuch like.
The warmth of the preceding feafon, had fo dried the timber, that it was ne¬ ver more apt to take fire; and an eafterly wind (which is the dried of all) had blown for feveral days together before, and at that time very flrongly.
The unexpected failing of the water from the New River ; the engine at London- bridge called the Thames water-tower was out of order, and in a few hours was itfelf burnt down, fo that the pipes which conveyed the water from thence through the'ftreets, were foon empty.
Befide, there was an unufual negligence at nrfl, and a confidence of eafily quenching it, and of its flopping at feveral places after¬ ward ; which at laft turned into confufion, confternation, and defpair ; people chufing rather by flight to fave their goods, than by a vigorous oppofition to fave their own houfes and the whole city.
Thus a ifnall fpark, from an unknown caufe, for want of timely care, increafed to fuch a flame, that nothing could extinguish,
F which
Echarcl,
iii. 168.
Burnet abr. 5 2 1 1
See the pafi age from Maitlarr p. 51. ante.
66 HISTORY OF THE
which laid wafts the greateft part of the city in three days time.
The king in his fpeech to the parliament fays, <s God be thanked for our meeting to- <6 gether in this place: little time hath palled 4 4 fincewe were almoft in defpair of having this 4C place left to meet in. You fee the di final <c ruins the fire hath made : and nothing
but a miracle of God’s mercy could have ‘c preferved what is left from the fame de» a ftruftioR.”
When the preemptions of the city’s being- burnt by defign came to be laid before a committee of the Houfe of commons, they
* s
were found of no weight ; and the many ft cries, published at that time with great affiirance, were declared void of credibility.
After all, it may perhaps be queried, whe¬ ther the foregoing rumours and examinations,
? though incongruous with each other, may not afford fome colour to a whifper, that the government itfdf was not without fome ground of fufpicion of having been the fecret caufe of the conflagration ; to afford an op¬ portunity of reftoring the capital of the nation,, in a manner more fecure from future con¬ tagion, more generally wholfome for the inhabitants, more fafc from fires, and more beautiful on the whole from the united effcdl of all thefe falutary purpofes. Such how¬ ever has been the refult of that temporary difafter, whether accidental or not ; and if
intended*
FIRE OF LONDON. 67’
intended, a more pardonable inftance of doing evil that good may come of it, cannot perhaps be produced.
SECT. IV.
Of the Monument.
adt of parliament • 19 and 20 jf Car. II. enadts, that, The better to preferve the memory of this dreadful vibra¬ tion, a column or pillar of brafs or ftone be eredted on, or as near unto the place where the fire unhappily began, as conveniently may be; in perpetual remembrance thereof: with fueh infcri ption thereon as the lord mavor and court of aldermen (hall diredt.
In obedience to which ad, the fine piece of architecture called The Monument was eredled, at the expence of fourteen thoufand five hundred pounds: it is the defign of the great fir Chriftopher Wren, and undoubtedly the fineft modern column in the world, and in fome refpedls may vie with the moil fa¬ mous of antiquity, being twenty-four feet higher than Trajan’s pillar at Rome. It is [Tu/cand of the Doric order, bated; its altitude, two hundred and two feet from the ground ; '
greateft diameter of the body fifteen feet; the ground bounded by the plinth or lower part of the pedeftal, twenty-eight feet fquare ; and the pedeftal is in altitude forty feet; all of Portland ftone. Within is a large flair-
F 2 cafe
68 HISTORY OF THE
cafe of black marble, containing three hun¬ dred forty-five fteps, ten inches and an half broad and fix inches rifers: a balcony within thirty-two feet from the top, whereon is a fpa- cious and curious gilded flame, very fuitable to the intent of the whole column.
On the front or weft fide of the die of the pedeftal of this magnificent column is finely carved a curious emblem of this tra¬ gical fcene, by the mafterly hand of Mr. Gabriel Cibber. The eleven principal figures are in alto, the reft in bafio relievo.
At the north end of the plain the city is reprefented in flames, and the inhabitants in confirmation, their arms extended upward, crying for fuccour. A little nearer the hori¬ zon, the arms, cap of maintenance, and other enfigns of the city’s grandeur, partly buried under the ruins. On the ruins lies the figure of a woman crowned with a caftle, her breads pregnant, and in her hand a fword * reprefenting the ftrong, plentiful and wrll governed city of London in diftrefs. The king is reprefented on a place afcended to by three fteps, providing by his power and pru¬ dence for the comfort of his citizens and or¬ nament of his city. On the fteps fland three women; i. Liberty, having in her right liana a hat wherein the word Liberty , denot¬ ing the freedom or liberty given thefe who engaged three years in the work. 2. Ichno- graphia, with rule and ccmpaffes in one hand,
FIRE OF LONDON. 69
and a fcroll in the other ; near her the em¬ blem of Induflry, a bee-hive. 3. Imagina¬ tion, holding the emblem of Invention. All which intimate, that the fpeedy re-eredt*on of the city was principally owing to liberty, imagination, contrivance, art and induflry. There is the figure of Time railing the wo¬ man in diftrefs, and Providence with a winged hand containing an eye, promifing peace and plenty, by pointing to thofe two figures in the clouds. Behind the king the work is going forward. Under the king’s feet appears Envy enraged at the profpedt of fuccefs, and blowing flames out of his mouth. The figure of a lion with one fore-foot tied up, and the muzzle of a cannon, denote this deplorable misfortune to have happened in time of war j and Mars with a chaplet in his hand is an emblem of approaching peace. Round the cornice are noble enrichments of trophy work, the king’s arms, fword, cap of maintenance, &c. at the angles, four very large dragons, the fupporters of the city arms.
On this column of perpetual remembrance the lord mayor and court of aldermen have ordered infcriptions to be cut in Latin :
That on the north fide defer ibes the defo- lation of the city in allies 5 and is thus tranf- lated :
In the year of Chrift 1666, the fecond day of September, eaftward from hence, at the
F 3 diftance
70 HISTORY OF THE
diftance of two hundred and two feet, (the height of this column) about midnight a moil terrible fire broke out, which, driven by a high wind, not only wafted the adjacent parts, but alfo places very remote, with in¬ credible noife and fury : itconfomed eighty- nine churches, the city gates, Guildhall, many public ftrudures, hofpitals, fchools, libraries, a vaft number of ftately edifices, thirteen thoufand two hundred dwelling hoiifes, four hundred ftreets; of twenty-fix wards it entirely confirmed fifteen, and left eight others {haltered and half burnt $ the ruins of the city were four hundred thirty- fix acres, from the Tower by the Thames fide to the Temple-church, and from the fiorth-eaft gate of the city wall to Holbcrn- bridge ; to the eftates and fortunes of the citizens it was mercilefs, but to their lives very favourable ‘f*; that it might in all things referable the laft conflagration of the world.
The deftrudion was hidden, for in a frnall fpace of time, the fame city was feen moil flourishing, and reduced to nothing.
Three days after, when this fatal fire had baffled all human counfels and endeavours, in the opinions of all, as it were by the will of
•f It was a very miraculous cireumftance, amidft all Burnet this deftru&ion and public confufion, no perfon was &br, 120° known either to be burnt, or trodden to death in the lireets.
heaven,
FIRE OF LONDO N. 71
heaven, it (lopped, and on every fide was ex- tinguifhed.—
Thefouth fide defcrihes the glorious Deflo¬ ration of the city ; and has been thus trani- lated :
Charles the fecond, fon of Charles the martyr, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, 2 mod gracious prince, commiierating the deplorable date of things, while the ruins were yet fmoaking, provided for the comfort of his citizens and the ornament of his city ; remitted their taxes, and referred the petitions of the magi- ftrates and inhabitants to the parliament, who immediately pafled an aft, that public build¬ ings (hould be reftored to greater beauty with public money, to be railed by an impofition on coals ; that churches, and the cathedral of St. Paul’s, (hould be rebuilt from their foundations with all magnificence ; that bridges, gates and prifons (hould be made new ; the fewers cleanfed ; the dreets made drait and regular ; fuch as were deep, level¬ led, and thole too narrow, made wider ; markets and (brambles removed to feparate places. They alfo enabled, that every houfe ihould be built with party-walls, and all in front railed of equal height, and tnofe walls all of fquare done or brick ; and that no man diould delay beyond the ipace of feven years. Moreover, care was taken by law to prevent all 1 aits about their bounds. Alio,
F 4 anni-
72 HISTORY OF THE
anniversary prayers were enjoined f ; and to perpetuate the memory hereof to posterity, they caufed this column to be ere6ted. The work was carried on with diligence, and London is reftored ; but whether with greater Speed or beauty may be made a quefticn. Three years time faw that finished which was fuppofed to he the bufinefs of an age.
1 he eaft tide, over the door, has an in- fcription, thus Englifhed :
This pillar was begun, fir Richard Ford, knight, being lord mayor of London, in the year 1671 : carried on in the mayoralties of fir George Waterman, knight 3 fir Robert Hanfon, knight; fir William Hooker, knight; fir Robert Viner, knight; fir jofeph Sheldon, knight; and finifhed, fir Thomas Davis, knight, being lord mayor, in the year 1677,
The in fcription on the plinth of the lower pedeftal is in page 63.
. f % 1 9 and 20 Car. It. it is ena&ed, That the
citizens of London, and their fucceffors for the time to come, may retain the memory of f0 fad a deflation, and reflea ferioufly on the manifold iniquities, which are the unhappy caufes of fuch judgments : Be it therefore enacted. That the fecond day of September (unlefs the fame happen to be Sunday, and if fo, then the next day following) be yearly for ever hereafter obferved as a day of fading and humiliation within the Laid city and liberties thereof, to implore the mercy of Almighty God upon the faid city; to make devout prayers and supplications unto him, to divert the like calamity for the time £0 come. J
. ‘ On
FIRE OF LONDON. 73
On a ftone in the front of the houfe built on the foot where the fire began, there was (very lately) the following infcription :
Here, by the per million of heaven, hell broke loofe on this proteflant city, from the malicious hearts of barbarous papifts, by the hand of their agent Hubert, who confefled, and on the ruins of this place declared his fad:, for which he was hanged, viz. That he here began the dreadful fire, which is de- fcribed and perpetuated on and by the neigh¬ bouring pillar. Ereded 1680, in the mayor¬ alty of fir Patience Ward, knight.
SECT. V.
Of fires at London bridge ; and other remark¬ able fires in London , and federal parts cf England .
H E firft bridge built at or near the j|_ place where .London bridge now ftands was of timber, and burnt down, in the year 1136, in the reign of king Stephen : at which time a!fo all that part of the city from Aldgate to St. Paul's church was con- fumed.
About four years after building a new bridge of hone, with incredible art and ex¬ pence, a fire broke out in Southwark, which taking hold of the church of St. Mary Overy’s, a fouth wind communicated the flames to the houfes on the north end of the
bridge,
74 MEMORABLE FIRES
bridge, which interrupted the paffages, and flopped the return of a multitude of people, who had run from London to aflitl in ex- tinguifliing the fire in Southwark; and while the amazing croud were endeavouring to force a paflage back to the city through the flames on the north end of the bridge, the fire broke out at the fouth end alfo ; fo that being inclofed between two great fires, above three thoufand perfons perifhed in the flames, or were drowned by over-loading the veflels that ventured to come to their affi fiance.
In the year 1632, on the 17th of Feb¬ ruary, the buildings on the north end of the bridge, containing forty-two houfes, were burnt down, by the carelefsnefs of a needle- maker’s fervant near St. Magnus church, leaving a tub of hot afhes under a pair of flairs : this fire burned very furioufly, and there being great fcarcity of water, occa- fioaed by the Thames being almofl frozen over, all thofe buildings were confirmed in lefs than eight hours.
In the year 1666, the bridge fuffered in the general conflagration of the city, moll of the buildings being confumed, except a few at the fouth end erected in the reign of king John ; the very ftone-work was fo much injured and weakened by the melancholy event that it coft the bridge-houfe fifteen hundred pounds to repair the damages which the piers and arches had received.
London
IN ENGLAND. 75
London bridge being, 1746, in many parts ruinous, and in all parts dangerous and in¬ convenient, an aft of parliament was obtained for taking down the houfes, opening and repairing the bridge : in order to which, a Prong temporary bridge, compofed of wood, was ere&ed on the weftern ilerlings of the old ftrudture, with amazing expedition. A great number of hands were employed in de mol i iLing the old work ; the old pave¬ ment was taken up, fcveral of the piers demolifned almoft to the water’s edge, and the whole fpace where the houfes had been taken down was one confufed heap of rubbifh ; at that time the temporary bridge burl! into a flame, and was totally confirmed; the conflagration began about eleven at night, the eleventh of April 1758: but whether by accident *}', or fome vile incendiary, was never difcovered.
Auguft 14, 1077, in the time of William the fir ft, there was a very great fire in Lon- ®gPin’ don : and in 1087, the greateft part of that city was burnt down ; as were alfo nioft of the chief towns in England.
f As it is ufual for fervants behind coaches with flambeaus in their hands, to clear them by finking them on the hind wheels; it is no forced fuppofition, that fome carelefs fellow might have flruck his flam¬ beaux on the top of the fide pallifade, for the fame purpofe : the flaming wax of which dropping and ad¬ hering to the outfide, might eafily have caufed fuch a difafter.
In
76 MEMORABLE FIRES
Rap'n, i. In 1092, in the reign of William Rufus, Ig9* was a great fire, which burnt down great part of London 3 and did more damage than the earthquake, a great ftorm, and the inundation of the fea which covered the lands now called the Goodwin fands.
Burnet In his reign alfo the cities of Worcefter abr. 183. and Rochefter were burnt,
. . The city of Worcefter was burnt to the ion!”/?)' ground June 8, 1113, in the reign of king Henry the firfh
May 9, 1123, in the time of Henry the Fapm, 1. fifft5 the city of Lincoln was almoft burnt i99> down.
Raping. June 3, 1137, the cathedral at Rochefter was burnt down, as was alfo, the next day, the whole city of York, with the cathedral, and thirty-nine churches: the twenty-feventh of the fame month the city of Bath was burnt.
] St. Thomas’s hofpital in Southwark under- Prei iiate,' went the fame fate as that of St. Bartholo- 254- mew’s in the year 16663 the fabric e fcaped, but moft of the eftates belonging thereto were confumed. The revenues thereof like- wife fullered conftderabiy by three great fires in Southwark in the years 1676, 1681, and 2689.
May 25, 1671, there was a very great fire
at Oxford.
Annals of Monday September the twentieth,
the univ. 1675, in the afternoon, a dreadful fire began
333‘ ' at
IN ENGLAND. 77
at Northampton, and in a few hours burnt down mod part of the town, the market¬ place, (which was a very goodly one) the
Bedloe’s
ftately church of Allhallows, two other pa- narrative, rilh churches, and above three fourth parts 25* of the whole town wasconfumed and laid in allies. The lofs was computed at two hun¬ dred thoufand pounds fterling.
May 27, 1676, about four in the morning, AnnaIs of broke out a lamentable fire in the borough of the univ. Southwark, which continued with much 347* violence all that day, and part of the night following, till above fix hundred houfes were burnt or blown up.
March 22, 1682-3, about eight o'clock at Ech?rcJ night, there fuddenly broke out aterriblefire iii. 669. at Newmarket, which confumed about half the town. The king (Charles the fecond) by the approach of the fury of the flames, was immediately driven out of his own pa¬ lace, and removed himfelf to another quarter of the town, remote from the fire, and as yet free from any annoyance of fmoke and allies. There his majefty finding he might be tolerably accommodated, refolved to flay, and continue his recreations as before, til! the day firfl appointed for his return back to London.— But he had no fooner declared that refolution, when the wind, as conducted by an invifible power, fuddenly changed about, and blew the fmoke and cinders di¬ rectly on his new lodgings, and in a moment
made
78 MEMORABLE FIRES
made them as untenable as the other. Up¬ on which, the king being put to a new fhift, and not finding the like convenience elfe- where, immediately declared he would fpee- dily return to Whitehall, which he did very Shortly afterward. This was called, A Providential Fire.
Storm, p. Friday November 26, 1703, (during the
s6‘ height of the great form) a town in Norfolk was almoft ruined by a furious fire, which burnt with fuch vehemence, and was fo fan-* ned by the tempeft, that the inhabitants had no power to concern themfelves in extin- gui thing it 5 the wind blew the flames, to¬ gether with the ruins, fo about, that there was no (landing near it; for if the people came to windward, they were in danger to be blown into the flames ; and if to lee¬ ward, the flames were fo blown into their faces, they could not bear to come near it.
Honiton in Devonfhire was fo confiderable a town in the year 1747, that on Sunday, July 19, one hundred feventy-eight houfes, befides out houfes, fables, and other edifices, were entirely con fumed by flames; which were valued by honeft and underftanding men at thirty-five thoufand fix hundred _ pounds : and the goods of poor artificers burnt therein, in woollen, linen, and mercery goods, amounted, at a moderate computa¬ tion, to the value of eight thoufand pounds.
I
An
IN ENGLAND. 79
An advertifement was publifhed in the news-papers, by authority of the port-reeve, reeve, and other principal inhabitants, vouched by fome of the greateft men in the county, which informs, that the fire coniumed the greater part of the town.
CHAP. II.
Account of fome remarkable fires , ancient and
modern.
IN the confulate of Lutatius Cerco and Un!„ Manlius Atticus, a fire broke out in the Hitt. Upper City of Rome, and fpread as far as the lcl> Forum. The Romans thereby loft more wealth in one day than they had got by many victories. The temple of Vefta was not ex¬ empted from the common misfortune ; and the moft ancient monuments of religion had been deftroyed, had not Coecilius Metellus, then Pontifex Maximus, ventured his life to fave them. Fie made his way through the flames, went into the fan&uary where the Palladium was kept, and faved it from the fire : an adion more celebrated in hiftory than the glorious victory he gained over the Car¬ thaginians at the head of a confular army; One of his arms was greatly hurt in the attempt; and, which was much worfe, he . entirely loft his fight. This heroical addon procured him a mark of diftin&ion which
Univ.
Hi ft. xiii.
535-
Univ. Hid. xiv. 209.
Univ. Hid. xv. 265.
80 REMARKABLE FIRES
had never been granted to any man : he was allowed to be drawn to the fenate houfe in a chariot.
The year Tiberius triumphed over the Germans, a dreadful fire happened at Rome, which reduced to allies many /lately build¬ ings, and was thought to have been occa- iionedby the debtors, with a defign to make their efcape, in that confufion, out of the houfes of their creditors. To prevent the like misfortune and diforder for the future, Auguflus created new officers, who were permitted, on certain days, to wear the robe peculiar to magiftrates, to have two lidorsto attend them, and fix hundred /laves, for the extingui/hing of fires.
In the reign of Tiberius, fifty thoufand perfons were deftroyed or maimed by the fall of an amphitheatre ; and while that affiidion was frefb, a fire broke out on Mount Ccelius, which burnt with fuch rage and violence that it utterly con fumed all the houfes in that quarter of the city.
The capitol at Rome was burnt in Sylla’s time, by the negligence of thofe who kept it, but Sylla rebuilt it in a more magnificent manner. It was burnt a fecond time in the reign of Vitellius, and repaired by Vefpafian. It underwent the fame misfortune under Titus, by lightning, and was rebuilt by Do- initian,
In
FROM HISTORY.
81
In the 64th year of the chriftian aara, the UmV. iith of Nero’s reign, happened the famous h'[1, burning of Rome; but whether by chance, or the contrivance of the prince, is not deter- finined, both being aflerted by authors. The fire began among certain (hops, in which were kept fuch goods, as were proper to feed it, and fpread every where with fuch amazing rapidity, that its havock was felt in diftant flreets before any meafures to flop
it could be tried. Befide an infinite number
♦ . -. ... >
of common houfes, all the noble monuments of antiquity, all the (lately palaces, temples, porticoes, with goods, riches, furniture, and merchandize, to an immenfe value, were devoured by the flames, which raged firfl in the lower regiohs of the city, and then mounted to the higher, with fuch terrible violence and impetuofity, as to fru fit rate all relief. The fhfieks of the women, the vari¬ ous efforts of fome endeavouring to five the young and tender, of others attempting to affiitl the ag'ed and infirm, and the hurry of fuch as drove only to provide for themfelves, occafioned a mutual interruption, and univer¬ sal confufion. Many, while they chiefly re¬ garded the danger that purfued them behind, found themfelves fuddenly involved dn the flames before, and on every fide. If they efcaped into the quarters adjoining, or into the parts quite remote, there too they met
G with
82 REMARKABLE FIRES
with the devouring flames. At laft, no knowing whither to fly, nor where too feek fandtuary, they abandoned the city, and fled to the open fields. Some, out of defpair for the lofs of their whole fubfhnce, others, through tendernefs for their children and relations, which they had not been able to fnatch from the flames, fuffered themfelves to perifh in them, though they had eafy means to efcape. No man dared to flop the progrefs of the Are, there being many who had no other buflnefs but to prevent, with repeated me¬ naces, all attempts of that nature 5 nay, fome were, in the face of the public, feen to throw lighted firebrands into the houfes, declaring loudly that they were authorized fo to do , but whether this was only a device to plun¬ der more freelv5 or in reality they had fuch orders, was never certainly known.
Nero, who was then at Antium, did not offer to return to the city, till he heard that the fire was advancing to his palace, which, after his arrival was in fpite of all oppofition, burnt down to the ground, with all the houfes adjoining to it. However, Nero affebting compaflion to the multitude, thus vagabond, and bereft of their dwellings, laid open the Field of Mars, and all the great edifices ere&ed by Agrippa, and even his own gardens. He like wife caufed taber¬ nacles to be eredkd in hafte for the reception
FROM HISTORY. 83
of the forlorn populace ; from Oftia too, and the neighbouring cities were brought, by his orders all forts of furniture and necefiaries* and the price of corn confiderably leflened. But thefe bounties, however generous and popular, were bellowed in vain, becaufe a re¬ port was fpread abroad, that, during the time of this general conflagration, he mounted his do- meftic ftage, and fung the deftrudion of Troy* comparing the prefent defolation to the cele¬ brated calamities of antiquity. At length on the fixth day, the fury of the flames were flopped at the foot of Mount Efquiline, by levelling with the ground an infinite number of build¬ ings ; fo that the fire found nothing to en¬ counter, but the open fields and empty air.
But fcarcely had the late alarm ceafed, when the fire broke out again with frefh rage, but in places more wide and fpacious ; whence fewer perfons were deftroyed, but more temples overthrown, and porticoes appro¬ priated to public diverfion. As the fecond conflagration broke out in certain buildings belonging to Tigellinus, they were both ge¬ nerally afcribed to Nero ; and it was conjee** tured, that by deflroying the old city, he aimed at the glory of building a new one, and calling it by his own name. Of the fourteen quarters into which Rome was di* vided, four remained entire, three were laid in afhes, and in the feven others, there re-
G a mained
84 REMARKABLE FIRES
mained only here-and-there a few houfeSj miferably {battered, and half confumed. Among the many ancient and (lately edifices, which the rage of the flames utterly con fum¬ ed, Tacitus reckons the temple dedicated by Servius Tullius to the Moon ; the temple and great altar confecrated by Evander to Her¬ cules ; the chapel vowed by Romulus to Jupiter Stator ; the court of Numa, with the temple of Vefta, and in it the tutelar gods peculiar to the Romans. In the fame fate were involved the ineftimable trea fures ac¬ quired by fo many victories, the wonderful works of the belt painters and fculptors of Greece; and, what is frill more to be la¬ mented, the ancient writings of celebrated authors, till then preferved perfectly entire. It was obferved, that the fire beo-an the fame day on which the Gauls, having formerly taken the city, burnt it to the ground.
Whilfc the emperor Titus was in Campa¬ nia, diftributing immenfe fums among the loiterers by the eruption of Mount Vefuvius, a dreadful fire broke out at Rome, and re¬ duced to afhes a great many public and pri¬ vate buildings, the library of Auguftus, with all the books lodged in it, a great part of the capitol, the theatre of Pompey, &c. This conflagration was followed by the mo ft dreadful plague that ever raged at Rome*
In
FROM HISTORY, 8|
In the 1 6th year of the reign of the em- peror Antoninus, Rome fuffered feveral xv. 20^ calamities ; the Tyber overflowing its banks, laid the lower parts of Rome under water.
The inundation was followed by a Are, which confumed a great part of the city ; and a famine which fwept off great numbers of the citizens. The fame year the cities of Narbonne in Gaul, and Antioch in Syria, and the great fquare at Carthage, w’ere in great part confumed by accidental Ares.
In the year of Chrift 1 8 8, great part of u . the capitol at Rome, a famous library, nut *Xv, and feveral contiguous buildings, were ut- Sis¬ terly deftroyed by lightning. Eufebius fays, it confumed whole quarters of the city, and in them feveral libraries.
In the year of Chrifl: 191, under Commo- dus, a Are broke out in the night time in the celebrated temple of Peace. The rempie, with all the buildings round it, were related to allies. That magniflcent flrudture had been raifed by Vefpaflan after the deftrudtion of Jerufalem, and enriched with all the fpoiis and ornaments of the temple of the jews.
Ti ie ancients lpeak of it as one of the moil llately buildings in Rome. There men of learning ufed to hold their aflemblies, and lodge their writings, as many others did their jewels, and whatever elfe they had of great value. It was likewife made ufe of for a
G 3 kind
Ham¬ mond, N, T. 924, a.
Univ. Hii>. xv. 368,
86 REMARKABLE FIRES
kind of magazine for the fpices that were brought by the Roman merchants out of Egypt and Arabia ; fo that many rich per- fons were at once reduced to beggary, all their valuable effedts and treafures being con-< fumed in one night, with the temple, Galen complains that many of his books were loft by this misfortune.
The fire fpread with great violence to other quarters of the city, and confirmed a a great number of (lately edifices, among the reft the temple of Vefta. The veftals fled to the palace with the ftatue of Pallas, which was luppofed to have been brought from Troy, and had never before been expofed to public view • but the flames feized on the palace itfelf, and reduced great part of it to afhes, before their rage could be flayed. The public papers and regifters were with diffi¬ culty preserved. The conflagration lafted fever'al days, in fpite of the utmoft endeavours of the people, the foldiery, and the emperor himfelf, who returning on that occafion from the country, expofed his own perfon, in order to encourage others to exert themfelves by his example. It ceafed at length of itfelf, or was extinguished by a fudden and violent rain ; which they all looked upon as fent by the gods. It was conceived to he begun alfo, as it was ended, by the gods, without human means.
Ptolemy
FROM FI IS TORY. S7
Ptolemy Soter founded an academy at Alexandria, or a fociety ot learned men ; tor y Q the ufe of whom he made a colledlion of choice books, which under his fucceffors grew -u to prodigious bulk, and was reckoned the 496. fineft library in the world ; and contained 700,000 volumes, d he mufeum and hbraiy was at firft in that quarter 01 tne city called Brucium, afterward a in pp!e mental library was ereded within theSerapaeum, called the daughter of the former. In the war which Julius Caefar w;aged againfl the inhabitants of Alexandria, fome of the fhips which he was obliged to let on fire, to preferve himfeir, driving on fhore, communicated their flames to the adjoining houfes, which fproading into the quarter of the city called Brucium, con- fumed the noble library, which had been the work of fo many kings, and contained at that time 400,000 volumes, according to Seneca , but A. Gellus fays, 700,000 volumes, which were all reduced to afhes^ and Gena eyed that illuftrious monument of the good tafte of the kings of Egypt. But the library of Sera- paeum (fill remained, and the manuscripts contained therein when the other perifhed were at lead ^00,0001 there Cleopauadcpo- II ted 200,000 volumes of the Pergamean library, which Mark Antony preiented her with. Thefe, and others added to them from time to time, rendered the new library
O.
88 REMARKABLE FIRES
at Alexandria more numerous and confider- able than the' former;' and though it was plundered and robbed more than once during the troubles and revolutions which happened in the Roman empire, yet it was again and again repaired, and filled with the fame num¬ ber of books, and continued for many ages, to be of great fame and ufe in thole parts, till it was burnt by the Saracens, on their making themfelves matters of Alexandria, in the 642d year of the Chriftian sera.
The manner in which this latt deftrudiop was effected, is thus related : John, furnamed the Grammarian, a famous Peripatetic philo¬ sopher, a man eminent for his extenfive eru¬ dition, being at Alexandria when it was taken by the Saracens, and jo great favour with Ahiri-Abnol-As their general, he beg¬ ged of him the royal library.0 Amri replied, that it was not in his power to grant fuch a requeit ; but that he would write to the
Khaiif or emperor on that head, fince with¬ out knowing his pleafure, he dared not dif- pofe of one fingle book . He acquainted the Khauf Omar with his friend’s recjueft ; his aniwer was, If the books contained the fame dodtrine With the Koran, they could be of no uie, oecaufe the Koran comprehended all necellary truths, if they contained what was contrary to that book, they ought not to be ! uncled ; therefore he ordered, whatever
their
FROM HISTORY. 89
their contents were, they fhould be all de¬ ftroyed : accordingly they were diftribufced among the public baths, where for the fpace of fix months, they ferved to fupply the fires in thofe places, whereof there were an incre¬ dible number in Alexandria. We may from thence form a juft idea of the prodigious multitude of books lodged in that celebrated library. This ineftimable treafure of know¬ ledge, which had been founded by a great encourager of learning? was utterly deftroyed by an enthufiaftic tyrant, who by his re¬ ligion, founded in ignorance, and made up of inconfiftent fables, was infpired with a brutifh and irreconcileable hatred to all truth, learning, and politenefs. This was the fatal end of that noble and ftupendous library, at this time deftroyed by fanatical madnefs; the lofs of which can never be fufficiently regret- ed by the learned world.
Thedeftrudion of Judea is prophefied and defcribed, 2 Pet. iii. 10, 12. by diftolution, mo„d or confumption by fire 5 which was exadly on 2 Pet. fulfilled at the burning Jerufalem, a fearful lu* I0> combuftion and conflagration ! of which this is a literal defcription from Jofephus : The Romans fired all unto Siloa; the Sicarii, a fadion in the city, contrary to the zealots, got into vaults, from whence they fired the city more than the Roman?, and murdered thofe that efcaping the flames fled into the caves. The Romans being entered, threw
nre-
1
Ham¬ mond, Rev. vi. 15.br. 1
90 REMARKABLE FIRES
firebrands, fire-balls, granadoes, and fuch like inftruments of firing cities, then in ufe, and fet the towers on fire, and fired the houfes, and many things that were fired were quenched with the blood of the flain, with which the fcreets of the city flowed. All the night long the fire increafed, and in the morning (Sept. 8.) all was on fire : and they fired the outward parts of the city. For burning the temple particularly, the filver plate of the doors being melted, the flame quickly fired the wood, and from thence in¬ creafed to the next porch, and that day and all the next night the fire increafed, till Titus caufed the army to quench it : but the fen- tence of God had already determined that it fhould be confumed by fire, and fo it was, Aug. 10. when the fatal day was come after many years : a foldier w ithout command cafl a firebrand into the golden gate, and prefently it fet a flaming ; and when Titus came vio¬ lently in to'quench it, nobody would hear him, but cried the more to fet it on fire, and nei¬ ther his commands nor intreaties would avail, but it was (abfolutely againft his will) burnt down, and no help for it, becaufe thedeftinies had fo determined, that is, the counfel and decree of God, teftified by pre¬ dictions.
The temple was burnt, and the priefls hanged up; and upon an affront to Titus (refilling to receive or take quarter from him )
the
*
FROM HISTORY. 91
the foldiers were permitted to plunder and fire all.
A few days after the iffuing of the firfl . edidsof Dioclefian againft the chrifiians, a fire Hift. xv. broke out in the palace of Nicomedia, where 502> 5°3 Dioclefian and Galerius, were lodged, and red uced part of it to afhes. Eufebius writes, that he could never know how that accident happened. Conflantine, who was upon the fpot, afcribes it to lightning ; and Ladtantius aflures us, that Galerius caufed fire to be pri¬ vately fet to the palace, that he might lay the blame of it upon the chrifiians, and by that means incenfe Dioclefian fiiil more againfi: them, which he did accordingly. Conftan- tine tells us, that Dioclefian was fo difturbed by this accident, that henceforth he con- flantly imagined he faw lightning falling from heaven. Dioclefian’s terror and, diimay were greatly increafed, by a fecond fire, which broke out in the palace fifteen days after the firfl, but was flopped before it had done any great mifchief. It had the effedt which was intended by the author of it, Galerius; for Dioclefian, afcribing it to the chrifiians, re-v folved to keep no meafures with them ; and Galerius, the more to exafperate him againft them, withdrew to Nicomedia the fame day ; faying, he was afraid of being burnt alive by the chrifiians.
When Theodofius was conful the four- teenth time, a dreadful fire broke out at Hift/xv?
Con- S46«
9% REMARKABLE FIRES
Conftantinople, which lafted three days and confumed all the publicgranaries, with many other flately edifices, and great part of the city.
Xjn\v, Ann© 465, a violent fire breaking oat at im. xvL Conftantinople on the fecond of September, reduced to allies eight of the fourteen quarters into which that city was divided. It was not overcome till it had raged with incredible fury for the fpace of fix whole days and as many nights.
During the ufurpation of Bafilicus a dread¬ ful fire happened at Conftantinople, which foon confumed great part of the city, with the library, containing one hundred and twenty thoufand volumes, and the works of Homer, written, as it is faid, in golden cha¬ racters Osi the great gut of a dragon an hun¬ dred and twenty feet long.
.. In the year 781, a dreadful fire happened 49.'Xllu at Conftantinople, which confumed great part of the city, with the patriarch’s palace, .in which were the comments of St. Chrv- loftomon the fcripture, written with his own hand.
f T
winter of the year 904 proved very 87. ’ fevere ; and the long froftof an hundred and twenty days was followed by a dreadful plague which fwept oft incredible numbers of people ; earthquakes were felt in fevcral provinces, and whole cities overturned, At
Con-
FROM HISTORY. 93
Conftinople a fire broke out, which confumed many (lately buildings.
In 120] happened a dreadful conflagration Hift/xviu
at Conftantinople, occafioned by fome Latin i69a foldiers, who having plundered a mofque, which the late emperor had fuffered the Mohammedans to build in the imperial city, and being on that account attacked by the Turks, who were much fuperior to them in number, fet fire to fome wooden houfes the better to favour their efcape. The flame fpreading in an inftant from ftreet to ftreet, reduced in a (hort time great part of the city to afihes, with the capacious flore-houfes that had been built at a vaft expence on the quay. Verulam,
In the fourteenth of Henry the feventh, i87- a great fire in the night fuddenly began at the king’s palace at Shyne, near unto the king’s own lodgings, whereby a great part of the building was confumed, with much cofily houfhold fluff: which gave the king an oc- cafion of building from the ground that fine pile of Richmond.
Tuefday May the tenth, 1631, the city of ru^ Magdeburg was taken by ftorm : whiift all wort^ was going to wrack, a mighty fire broke out, ^onstfs^ (how none could tell) it being a very windy day, all was on the fudden becotne one great flame • the whole town was, within twelve hours fpace, utterly turned to allies, except an hundred and thirty-nine houfes. Twenty thoufand people, at leaft, were here killed,
6 burnt.
Nava¬ rette, i. 21 U
Wagener, li. 47^.
94 REMARKABLE FIRES
burnt, and fmothered; whereof fix thoufand were drowned in the Elbe.
About the year 1648, a fire broke out in the church of St. Nicholas at Acapulco* which flood at the end of the town. It broke out about one o’clock, and about four all the town was almoft reduced to afhes. The wind carried the lire; the houles were thatched, and dry as tinder. It burnt fierce¬ ly; the wind could carry a fpark two hun¬ dred paces, which no fooner fell upon a hotife, but the flames blazed up to the clouds. The bells of the monaftery of St. Francis fell down ; their fall, and the hole they made in ground, were the caufe of difcovering eight pieces of cannon hid there. The lofs of the royal apothecary's ftiop was deplorable ; all the pots and veffels were of fine China ware; and though the houfe was Hated, that would notfave it from utter ruin. All that was brafs remained, but much disfigured; a thoufand curiofities were burnt, with abundance of rich China ware, which, to fave it from breaking, was packed up with cloves, pepper, and China ink.
In Augu ft 1656, a hidden fire broke out on the north fide of the city of Jedo, the capital of Japan, which being increafed by a violent wind, laid not only the whole city (which might for its bignefs be compared to a province) in allies in forty-eight hours, but alfo confumed the royal palace, and near f m
FROM HISTORY: 95
an hundred and fixty fouls. About noon the fire got into the imperial palace, with fuch violence, that in an inftant the ftrong towers and (tone watch- houfes were feen tumbling into the ditch, where the fire (lopped on that fide 5 but continuing on the other hand, the emperor’s lodgings were confumed before night, he having fcarce time given to retire with his chief counfellors to their fummer- houfes, built on the north fide at fome diftance from the palace ; in fhort, in two days time above an hundred thoufand houfes were laid in a(hes, inhabited by above a million of perfons ; together with a vaft number of (lately palaces, and pagods or pagan temples.
July the fixteenth, 1665, the grand feig- Annals of nior’s feraglio at Conflantinople was burnt tbe“mv* to the ground, by a fire which they never knew how it came, nor could find any means to quench it. The damage not to be con¬ ceived.
In November the fame year another fire London happened in the feraglio, which deflroyedto the value of fourteen or fifteen millions.
A great fire happening in the old palace at Conflantinople, September the fixth 1679, univ% a boy found in the rubbifh a diamond that 4°°* weighed ninety-fix carats, which he fold for three paraces (about two-pence half-penny Englifh), and the buyer refold it for a zealot (about two (hillings and fixpence Englifh) to a (hop near fultan Bajazet’s mofque, where
the?
«
GhurcB. voyages; vol. iv. p. 7 8.
London Gazette, No. 173.
06 REMARKABLE FIRES
l x . . 4 f
they fell ftones for feals and pieces of chryfM for rings 3 here it lay for fome time unre¬ garded, till at length the owner, finding no chapman for it, brought it to an Armenian to be fet in (llver^ who being a jeweller foon apprehended the value of tlie ftone; but the largenefs of the fize caufing him to miftruft his own judgment, he confulted two others^ and upon trial found it a real diamond, fo when the owner came for his hone, it was pretended to be loft, and with a dollar and a half contented him 3 but the jewellers difagreeing in the divifion of fo large a pur- chafe, and one fearing to be betrayed by the other, he that had it in paffeffion difcovered it, and fent it to the grand feignior.
It was firft purchafed for three-pence or a groat, next parted with for two (hillings 3 and the (tone being good, the fultan Mahomet heard of it, and bought it, and had it cut : it was fo large and fine that it was valued at an hundred thoufand crowns.
On the twenty-fixth of May 1667, there happened a great fire at Archangel, which beginning in the butchery, where no inhabi¬ tants were, gave a fufpicion that it was ma- licioufly kindled : from a fmall beginning it fpread with fuch violence, that having in a little fpace of time confumed three back ftreets, it feized upon the great trade-yards' and warehoufes of the Englifh, Dutch, and Ruffian merchants, with the hall, and cuf-
tom-
FROM HISTORY. 97
tom-houfe, and the greateft part of the bed buildings in the town. Befide other things of value, there were twenty-five thoufand tuns of hemp, a great quantity of pot-afli and other goods, valued at four hundred thoufand rixdollars : all the buildings by the waterfide were confumed, with the church before the cadle, where, at the lad, it flop¬ ped. The Dutch merchants were laid to have the greated lofs.
About 1689, a great fire happened at Prague, in the Jews quarter, who were be* Jber,yne,s fore thirty thoufand drong, and had thirteen MS, fynagogues ; two years after they had but two fynagogpes, and the ruins of a great many houfes remained. . It was generally faid there, that the French burnt the town 1 there were three perfons executed for it ; and a merchant of the town, a Frenchman, fo tortured that he never recovered the ufe of his limbs ; but none confeffed.
On the ninth of January, 1702-3, a fire Lond_ broke out at Port-Royal in Jamaica, with Mag. fuch violence, and raged with fuch fury that there was no dopping it, till it had defireyod 239. ' every houfe and warehoule to allies in thafi fine flouridling city. It breaking out aboift noon, the merchants faved modly their mo¬ ney and hooks of accompts, and iome of them confiderable quantities of merchandize, by afiifiance of boats from the men of war and lhips in the harbour ; though luch of
H them
98 REMARKABLE FIRES
them as were near the fhore were in great danger, and one brigantine and a Hoop were burnt.
Gftober the eighteenth, 1759, letters from Conftantinople inform us, that a terrible lire happened at Salonica, the capital of Mace¬ donia, whereby upwards of four iboufand boufes were reduced to afhes, and feme hundreds of men, women, children, and fick perfons, perifhed in the flames.
On the ninth of June 1763, a village named Volenftraus, fix miles from Sultfbach, which had already been burnt down four times, and fince the lafl, rebuilt in a mod beautiful manner, was deftroyed by fire a fifth time. The fire bi*oke out in the after¬ noon in the market-place which, by the vio¬ lence of the wind, in lefs than half an hour let fire to the whole market, wherein one hundred fifty-two dwelling houfes, an hundred and one barns, the church, fteeples and bells, the town-houie, with the records, the proteflant and Romifh places of public worfhip, together with all their effe&s and f libraries, and ail the fcncols, were reduced to afhes ; and but few fmall habitations left ftanding. All endeavours to extinguifh the flames proved ineffectual • lo that the unfor¬ tunate inhabitants preferved little or nothing ox their effects, moft of them having enough to do to rave their own lives: their diflrefs was very great, being left without cloaths,
> • ? * C
money,
FROM HISTORY. 99
money, or bread. Some perfons were un^ fortunately burnt, and many greatly hurt.
December thirteenth, 1764. The town of Freudenthal in Upper Silefia, was con- fumed by fire, injomuch that only twenty-fix houfes remain. The town-houfe, the public fchool, the church, thefhops of the foreign merchants, who were come to affift at the fair, which was to have been held on the twelfth part, are all confirmed, nothing being faved. The burgher-mafter Schilder was killed by the fall of one of the walls of his own houfe; feveral others perifhed ; and thole that efcaped are overwhelmed with misfortune. The fire began (by what accident is unknown) between ten and eleven o’clock at night, and burned
till the next morning.
On May fourteenth, 1766, a moft direful conflagration happened at Bridgetown, the capital of Barbadoes in the Weft Indies, which began by a merchant’s clerk going to bed leaving a candle burning by him. It began in the High-flreet half after eleven at night, and raged with inconceivable violence until nine the next morning. The number of houfes confumed, including public build¬ ings and ftores, was computed at one thou- fand one hundred and forty, many of them well flored with merchandize ; which com¬ prehended two thirds of the town. The lofs was eftimated at half a million currency, and the houfes which remained were not fufii-
a , l } .
* »
IOO REMARKABLE FIRES,
«ept to receive thofe deprived of their habi¬ tations. by tlie flames. On this calamitous ocmfion, the Jegiflative body of the iflandwas called; together, which immediately took into confideration every expedient for the relief of the diftrefled fuflerers, and for rebuilding the town; which they were enabled to under¬ take, by the noble fublcriptions made for that purpofe all over Great Britain.
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A N
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
O F T H E
Great and Tremendous Storm
Which happened on Nov* 26th, 1703.
The Lord hath his way in the Storm, Nahum i. 3,
dt his word the Jiormy wind arifeth . Psalm cvii. 25.
He maketh the clouds his chariot 9 and walketh upon the wings of the wind . Psalm civ, 3.
LONDON-
Printed for W. Nicoll, in St. Paul's Church-yard,
~MDCCLXIX,
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CONTENTS.
CHAP. I.
Sect. I.
OF the Winds ,
natural caufes and original of
p. t
Sect. 2. Of the opinions of the ancients that this if and was more fubjedl to forms than other parts of the Worlds 6
CHAP. II.
Account of fome ancient and modern forms , 1 6
CHAP. III.
Of the Great Storm in 1703,
FxtraSt of a pa f oral on that occafon.
Sect. i. Damages in London,
Sect. 2. Indifferent counties ,
Sect. 3. Calculations of the damages ,
Sect. 4. Damages on and by the water , 1 14 Sect. 5. Remarkable deliverances, 159
43
64
66
74
112
( I )
t~ _ , - —S - ■ - ■ - - - - - - - - ■ - ■ - - - — ■ ■ - - - — *
A N
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
O F T H E
GREAT STORM,
Nov. 26th, 1 703.
CHAP. X.
Sect. I.
Of the Natural Causes and Original
of W 1 N D S.
The wind bloweth where it lijieth ; then hear eft the found thereof but canft not tell whence it cometh. John iii. 8.
T N fearching after caufes, we may at any I time refolve all things into Infinite Power : we allow the Mighty Firft Caufe of Nature ; but the treafury of immediate caufes is what philofophy explores ; if at any time we look beyond that, it is becaufe we are out of the way : it is not becaufe the objedt of our fearch is not there, but becaufe we cannot find it. The philofopher’s bufi-
'B nefs
2 NATURAL CAUSES
nefs is not to extend his inquiries to the ope¬ rations of Infinite Power : his bufinefs is with nature, there grows what he looks for, and it is there he muft find it : philofophy is a-ground when forced to farther refearches.
It is not enough for the aftronomer to know that God has made the heavens, the fun, the moon, and all the ftars ; he mu ft fearch after the caufes, motions, and in¬ fluences among the heavenly bodies ; what are their functions, and ends of their being ; he mu ft inform himfelf where they are placed, and why there.
The anatomift is not fatisfied to know that he is fearfully and wonderfully made, in the lowermoft parts of the earth; but he muft fee thofe lowermoft parts; fearch into the method nature proceeds upon in performing the office appointed ; muft watch the fteps fhe takes, and mark the tools fhe works with : he will endeavour after the moft ex- quifi-te difcoveries of the human body, and ail the veffels of life and fenle, with their proper dimenfions and "ufes.
In fhort, every philofopher will endeavour to know all that the God of nature has per¬ mitted to be capable of demonftration. To fearch after what our maker has not hid, only covered with a thin veil of natural obfcurity, and which upon our fearch is plain to be read, feems to be juftified by the very nature of the thing; and the poffibility of the demonftra-
ticn
OF WINDS. 3
tion Is an argument to prove the lawfulnefs of the inquiry.
Air, the general menftruum and feminary, Sir*Sj feemeth to be only an aggregate of the vola- 67. tile parts of all natural beings, which, vari- oully combined and agitated, produce various effeds. Small particles, in a near and clofe fituation, flrongly ad: upon each other, at- trading, repelling, vibrating. Hence divers fermentations, and all the variety of meteors, tempefts, and concuffions both of earth and firmament.
The demonftrations made of rarefadion and dilation are extraordinary : lord Veru- lam’s experiment on feathers proves that by fire and water wind may be railed in a clofe
room.
There is no effed in nature, great, mar- sinS,p6 vellous, or terrible, but proceeds from fire ; 72. that diffufed and adive principle, which at the fame time that it fhakes the earth and heavens, will enter, divide and diflolve the fmalled, clofeft and moft compaded bodies.
In remote cavities of the earth it remains quiet, till perhaps an accidental fpark from the collifion of one ftone againft another kindles an exhalation that gives birth to an earthquake or a temped, which fplits moun¬ tains or overturns cities.
Upon the whole, it appears, that the winds are a part of the works of God by nature, ini which he has been pleafed to communicate
B 2 lcfs
4 NATURAL CAUSES
lefs of demonfl ration to us than in many other cafes : they therefore refer us to infi¬ nite power more than the other parts of na¬ ture do: the chriftian begins where the phi- lofopher ends : when the enquirer turns his eyes to heaven, farewel philofophy! When nothing can be made of the enquiry here, then we are forced to cry out, Lord, what is man !
As the dreadful hurricane, the dilmal effects of which, we purpofe to relate, was firft felt from the Weft, fome have conjec¬ tured that the firft generation, or colledion of materials, was rrom the continent of America; poffibly from that part of Florida and Virginia, where, the confluence of va¬ pours railed by the lun from the vaft lakes and inland feas of water, which are incre¬ dibly large as well as numerous, might afford fufficient matter for the tempeft ; and where time adding to the pseparation, God, who confined his providence to the chain of natu¬ ral caufes, might mufter together thofe troops ofcombuftion, till they made a fufficient army duly proportioned to the expedition defigned.
This opinion is the more probable, becaufe they felt an unufual tempeft a few days before the fata! 27th of November.
He muft have ftudied the motion of the clouds very. nicely, who can calculate how long this army of terror might take up in its furious march : poffibly the velocity of its mo -
lion
OF WINDS, 5
tlon might not be fo great at firft retting out as it was afterward ; though it may be tine, that by the length or tnc way the foice of the wind fpends itfelf, and io by degrees ceaks as. the vapours .find more room for dilation • jet we may fuppofe a conjunction of lome ton- federate matter which might fail in with this by the way, or which, meeting it at its arrival here, might join forces in execut¬ ing the com million received from above. Yet the vaft collection ot matter did not ad take motion in one and the lame mornem, for as they advancedand prefledthefe beforethem, the violence increaled in proportion t and thus we may conceive that tne motion might not have arrived at its meridian violence till i*. reached our ifland; and even tnen, it biew fome days, yet much lets than that la ft night of its force ; and even tnat night, the vio¬ lence was not at its extremity till about an hour before (un-nfe ; and then it continued declining, though it blew a fun ftoi in fot four days after.
As our ifland was the firft, this way, to receive the impreffions of tne violent hur¬ ricane, it had the molt terrible effeCfs here 5 and continuing its fteady courfe, we find it carried a true line clear over the coiuinent of Europe, travelling England, France, Ger¬ many, the Baltic fea ; and^ paffing the northern continent of Sweden, Jr inland, Muf-
B 3 covy,
6 NATURAL CAUSES
covy, and {.art of Tartary, muft at laft lofe itfelf in the vaft Northern Ocean, where fhips never f died. As its violence could have no effedt there but upon the vaft mountains of ice and the huge drifts of fnow ; in this abyfs of moifturc and cold, it is very probable the force of it was checked, and the world reftored to calmnefs and quiet. In this circle of fury it might find its end, not far off from whence it had its beginning: the fiercenefs of the motion, perhaps, not arriving to a period, till having paffed the pole, it reached again the northern parts of America,
SECT. II.
Of, the opinions of the Ancients that this ifland was more fubjeSt to forms than other parts of the world .
IN early ages, when thefe iflands were firft known, they were efteemed the raoft terrible part of the world for ftorms and tempers.
Camden tells us, the Britons were diftin- guifhed from ail the world by unpaffable feas and terrible northern winds, which made the Albion fhores dreadful to failors; and this part of the world was therefore reckoned the utmoft bounds of the northern known land, beyond which none had ever failed 3 and quotes a great variety of authors to that pur- pofe.
Some
OF WINDS. 7
Some are for placing the nativity of the winds hereabout, as if they had been all ge¬ nerated here ; and the confluence of matter had made this ifland its general rendezvous.
But there are feveral places in the world far better adapted to be the general receptacle or centre of vapours, to fupply a fund of tempeftuous matter, than England : particu¬ larly the vaft lakes of America.
One reafon which gave the ancients fuch terrible apprehenfions of this part of the world, (which of late we find as habitable and navigable as any of the fell) might be, that,
Before the multitude and induftry of in¬ habitants prevailed to the managing, inclofing, and improving the country, the vafl tracks of land in this ifland which continually lay open to the flux of the fea, and to the inun¬ dations of land- waters, were as fo many ftanding lakes ; from whence the fun con¬ tinually evaporating quantities of moift vapours, the air could not but be continually crouded with all thofe materials to which we afcribe the origin of winds, rains, ftorms, and the like.
He that is acquainted with the fituation of England, and reflects on the vaft quantity of flat grounds, on the banks of all our navigable rivers and the (bores of the fea, which lands at lead; lying under water every fpring-tide, and being thereby continually full of moii-
B 4 ture.
Flat
grounds and fens.
8 NATURAL CAUSES
tore, were like a fhignated body of water brooding vapours in the intervals of every tide, muft own s that at lead a fixteenth part of the whole island may come into this deno¬ mination.
Let him that doubts the truth of this, exa¬ mine a little the particulars : let him Hand upon Shooters-hill in Kent, and view the mouth of the river Thames, and confider what a river it muft be when none of the marfhes on either fide were walled in from the fea ; and when the fea, without all ques¬ tion, flowed up to the foot of the hills on either Shore, and up every creek, where is now dry land for two miles in breadth at leaf];, fometimes three or four, for above fony miles on both Sides the river.
Let him refledt, haw all thefe parts lay when, as ancient hiftory relates, the Danifli fleet came up almoft as far as Hartford ; fo that ail that train of freSh marfhes, which reach twenty-five miles in length, from Ware to the river Thames, muft have been a channel.
Imagine the vaft track of marfh-lands on both Sides the river Thames, to Harwich on the Effex, and Whitftable on the Kentifh fide ; the level marfhes up the Stour from Sandwich to Canterbury; the whole extent of low-grounds commonly called Romney MarSh, from Hythe to Winchelfea, and up the banks oS the Rother : all which
put
OF WINDS, 9
put together, and being allowed to be in one place covered with water, what a lake would it be fuppofed to make ! according to the niceft calculations it could not amount to lefs than five hundred thoufand acres of land.
The ifle of Ely, with the flats up the feve- ral rivers from Yarmouth to Norwich, Beccles, &c. the continued levels in the feve- ral counties of Norfolk, Cambridge, Suffolk, Huntingdon, Northampton, and Lincoln, may be fuppofed to contain as much land as the whole county of Norfolk : and it is not many ages fince thefe counties were univer- fally one vaft morafs or lough, and the few folid parts wholly unapproachable : infomuch that the town of Ely itfelf was a receptacle for the malcontents of the kingdom, where no reafonable force could come to diflodge them.
Twelve or fourteen like places in England might be reckoned, as the moors in Somer- fetfhire ; the flat-fhores in Lancashire, York¬ shire, and Durham ; the like in i iampShire, and Suflex ; in Short, on the banks of every navigable river.
While this nation was thus full of lakes, fta gnatcd waters, and moift places, they mu ft have furniShed the air with a quantity of matter tor Showers and ftorms infinitely more than it can be now Supplied wdthal ; thofe vaft tracks of land being now fenced in, laid
dry.
IO NATURAL CAUSES
dry, and turned into wholefome and pro¬ fitable provinces.
j»0gS jn This feems demonftrated from Ireland, Ireland, where the multitude of lakes, bogs, and moift places, fill the air with vapours, which give themfelves back again in fhowers : fo as to occafion it to be called, the Fifs-pot of the world.
Ancients But, the fkill of thofe ages in the art of not ikiiful navigation being far fhort of what it is fince arrived niade thefe va ft northern feas too terrible for them to venture in : and accord¬ ingly, they raifed thofe apprehenfions up to fable, which began only in their want of judgment.
The Phoenicians, who were our firft na¬ vigators, the Genoefe, and after them the Portuguefe, who arrived to extraordinary proficiency in fea-affairs, were ail of them (as we term it) fair-weather featnen : the chief of their navigation was coafting; and if they were driven out of their knowledge, had work enough to find their way home, and fometimes never found it at all : but one fea conveyed them direftly into the laft ocean, from whence no navigation could return them.
When thefe mifadventur.es had at any time extended their voyaging as far as this ifland, (which they always performed round the coaft of Spain, Portugal and France) if ever fuch a veffel returned, if ever the bold navi¬ gator
O F W I N D S. II
gator arrived at home, he had done enough to talk of all his days ; and need no other di- verfion among his neighbours, than to give an account of the vaft Teas, mighty rocks, deep gulphs, and prodigious (forms, he met with in thefe remote parts of the then known world. This magnified by the poetical arts of the learned men of the times, grew into a received maxim of navigation, that thefe parts were fo full of tempefts, (forms and dangerous feas, that it was prefent death to Thean- come near them; and, that none but mad- riXulouf men and defperadoes would have any hufi- notions of nefs there, (ince they were places where (hips Brltairu never came, and navigation was not proper.
Some have reprefented Britain as a place full of terrible monfters, and fit only for their habitation.
Such horrid apprehenfions had thofe ages of thefe parts; which by experience, and the prodigy to which navigation in particular, and fciential knowledge in general, is fince grown, appear very ridiculous.
We find no danger in our (hores, no un¬ certain wavering in our tides, no frightful gulphs, no horrid monfters, but what the bold mariner has made familiar to him.
The gulphs which frighted thofe early Tons of Neptune, are fearched out by our feamen, and made ufeful bays, roads, and harbours of fafety. The promontories which, running out into the fea, gave them terrible appre¬ henfions
12 NATURAL CAUSES
herifions of danger, are our fafety, and make the failors hearts glad, as they are the firft lands they make when they are coming home from a long voyage • or as they are a good flicker, when in a ftorm our (hips get under their lee.
Our ih ores are founded, the fands and fiats are difcovered, which they knew little or nothing of, and in which more real danger lies, than in all the frightful ftories they told ; iifeful fea- marks and land-figures are placed on the fhore, buoys on the water, light- houfes on the higheft rocks ; and all thele dreadful parts of the world are become the feat of trade, and the center of navigation : art has reconciled all the difficulties, and ufe made all that was horrible and terrible in thofe ages, become as natural and familiar as day-light.
The hidden fands, • almoft the only real dread of a failor, and by whicn (till thechan- nels between them were found out) oureaftern coafts m u ft be really unpaflable, now ferve to make harbours : and Yarmouth road was made a fafe place of (hipping by them. Nay, when Portfmouth, Plymouth, and other good harbours, would not defend our (hips in the violent tempeft we are treating of, here was the leaft damage done oi any place in England, ccnfidering the number of fhips w7hieh lay at anchor, and the opennefs of the place. : & ■ “• 'f | *
OF WINDS. i3
Upon the whole, it feems plain, that all the difmal things the ancients told of Britain and her terrible (bores, arofefromthe infancy of marine knowledge, and the weaknefs of the failor’s courage.
It is allowed we are more fubjedt to bad weather and hard gales of wind than the coafts of Spain, Italy, and Barbary ; but our improvement in the art of (hip-building is fa confiderable, our veffels are fo prepared, to ride out the mo ft violent ftorms, that the fury of the fea is the leaf!: thing our failors fear : keep them but from a lee-fhore, or touching upon a fand, they will venture all the reft : and nothing is a greater fatisfadlion to them, when they have a ftorm in view, than a found bottom and good fea-room.
Such winds as in thofe days would have
«/
paffed for ftorms, are now called only a Frefh-gale, or Blowing hard. If it blows enough to fright a louth-country failor, we laugh at it.
The bald terms of our failors, fet down in a table of degrees, will better explain the
meaning.
Stark calm. Calm weather. Little wind,
A fine breeze, A fmall gale, A fre(h gale.
A top-fail gale, Blows frefh,
A hard gale of wind. A fret of wind,
A ftorm.
A tempeft.
Half thefe tarpawiin articles would have paffed in thofe days for a ftorm : that our
failors
Spanifh
Armada.
14 NATURAL CAUSES
failors cal! a Top* fail gale, would have driven5' the navigators of thole days into harbour i when our failors reef a top-fail, they would have handed all their fails : when we go under a main courfe, they would have run afore it for life to the next port they could make : when our Hard Gale blows, they would have cried, A Temped ! and about the Fret of wind, they would be all at their prayers.
If we fhould reckon by this account, we are a ftormy country indeed; our feas are no more navigable now for fuch failors than they were then : if the Japonefe, the Ead-Indians, and fuch navigators, were to come with their thin cockle-fhell barks and callico fails ; If Cleopatra’s fleet, or Caefar’ s great fhips with which he fought the battle of Acdium, were to come upon our feas, there hardly comes a March or November in twenty years, but would blow them to pieces ; and then the poor remnant that got home would talk of a terrible country, where there is nothing but dorms and tempeds, No quedion but our fhips ride out many a worfe dorm than that terrible temped which fcattered Julius Cae- far’s fleet, or that which drove iEneas on the coad of Carthage.
In more modern times we have a remark¬ able indance in the famous Spanifh Armada; which, after it was rather frightened than da¬ maged by fir Francis Drake’s machines, (not then known by the name of fire-fhips) was
OF WINDS. i s
Mattered by a terrible ftorm, and loft upon every fhore.
The cafe is plain, it was all owing to the accident of navigation : they had, no doubt, a hard gale of wind, perhaps a ftorm; but they were alfo on an enemy's coaft ; their pilots out of their knowledge ; no harbour to run into; and an enemy a-ftern; that when once they feparated, fear drove them from one danger to another, and away they went to the northward, where they had no¬ thing but God’s mercy, and the winds and feas to help them. In all thofe ftorms and diftreffes which ruined that fleet, we do not find an account of the lofs of one (hip, either of the Englifh or Dutch ; the queen’s fleet rode it out in the Downs, which all men know is none of the beft roads in the world ; and the Dutch rode among the flats of the Flemifh coaft, while the vaft galleons, not fo well fitted for the weather, were forced to keep the fea, and were driven to and fro till they wer e gotten out of their knowledge; and, like men defperate, embraced every dan¬ ger they came near.
Although it is allowed, and hiftories are full of the particulars, that we have often very high winds, and fometimes violent tern- pefts, in thefe northern parts of the world ; yet fuch a tempeft never happened before, as that which is the fubjedt of thefe fheets : as will partly appear by comparing it with feme ancient and modern accounts.
.Atkins’s voyage to Guinea.
Grainger ’s
fugar- cane, p. 69, &c.
1 6 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
I 1 *■
■ ■ * * • i#
CHAP. II.
Accounts of fome Ancient and Modern
Storms.
Fury on fens, on fores, the winds dif charge ; Bound as they are , and circumfcrw d in place , Fhey rend the world , refifllefs where they pafs ; And mighty marks of m if chief leave behind .
Dryden.
ALL hiftories are full of relations of florins and tempefts, but fince the univerfal deluge none appears to have been like that which happened November the 26th, 1703, either in violence, extent, dura¬ tion, or dreadful effects.
All other ftorms and terripefls have been gufts or fqualls of wind, carried on in their proper channels, and fpent in a fhorter fpace.
IivEngland we feel none of the hurricanes^ of Barbados and Jamaica ; the north-wefts of Virginia 3 the terrible gufts of the Levant;
or
* Hurricanes are incredible tempers of wind, whofe fury neither fbipsj mails, trees or buildings, are able to refift. They come a day or two before the new or full moon, next the autumnal equinox, and give warning by an unufual fwell of water.
In the months of Auguft and September, the An¬ tilles are fubjedt to hurricanes, the approaches of which are known by various prognoses 3 a dead calm, and
intolerable
OF STORMS, ,7
or the frequent tempcfts of the North Cape, When fir Charles Wheeler's fquadron pe¬ rilled at Gibraltar ; when the city of Stnk?!- fond was ruined by a ftorm, England teit it not, nor was the air thereof difiurbed hy the motion. Even at home, we have had /forms and violent winds in one part of the land* which have not been felt in another. In St* George’s channel there are frequent ftorms 'at fea, right up and down the channel, which are not felt on either coaft, though it is not
.. ‘ ■ j i t ■?
intolerable heat, with a great fwell of the fea that rolls the vaft waves from a great diftance, and covers th$ fhore with ftrange productions : or a lowering fk y5 with flying clouds, the (hort appearance of birds of va¬ rious kinds about the flagnant pools ; and the apparent terror of the cattle which gather together in troops, covered with a cold fweat, and fixing their eyds upon the pole, bellow in a frightful manner. The nearer approach of the {form is known by the ftidden difper- iion of the mifts, the blood-like appearance of the fun, theftench of the pools and of the fea, and the fudden return of a thick vapour that produces darknefs at noon day : then the north-wind rufhes forth at once in a fudden blaft, louder than a volley of ordnance, and attended with thuader, lightning and rain; this fud- denly ceafes in a dead calm, but a new hurricane in a fhort time blows from the Weft with yet greater vio¬ lence; then, after fudden calms, the blaftsare renewed from the South and Eaft ; canes, cattle, huts and mills are carried away, many houfes are fet on fire by the lightning, a muddy torrent is precipitated from the rocks, and, rufhing through the ftreets with irreftftable violence, carries away whatever k meets. Agatnft this evil there is no effoStyal defence.
* " ' ' * C tybcfi
Bp. of N orwich bef. the L^rds, Dec, 8,
J/2lf
Gen, viii. t.
18 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
above twenty leagues from the Englifh to the Jriih (bore. Sir William Temple gives the particulars of two terrible ftorms in Hol¬ land whilft he was ambaffador there ; in one, the cathedral church at Utrecht was utterly deft royed ; in the other forty-fix vefiels were loft in the Texel, and almoft all the" men drowned : neither ol thefe forms were felt in England.
1 empefts have been violent and furious in iome places, and fcarcely heard of in the next : but the ftorrn of the terrible night of the 26th of November (which may well be called The Great Storm) {hook all Europe, flattering ruin and defolation wherever it blew.-*— How much farther it extended than Europe, — He only knows who hath his way in the whirlwind and in the ftorm. So dreadful and furious a ftorrn of wind, where fo many (hips were loft at fea, fuch incredible mifchief and damage done on land, is not to be paralleled in any hiftory.
That this particular ftorrn was thegreateft, the longeft in duration, and wideft in extent, of all the tempefts and ftorms hiftory has re¬ corded, will appear, by reviewing the man* ner in which the Almighty has been pleafed to execute his judgments by ftorms and tem¬ pefts in former times, and comparing them with the dreadful inftance before us.
We are informed by facred hiftory, that God made a wind to pafs over the deluged
carthi
OF STORMS. 19
earth, and the waters were affuaged a flop was put to the flood, and the waters were reduced to their proper channel.
What that was, which mingled with vio¬ lent lightnings, fet on fire Sodom, Go-^[x,,‘^ morrha, and all the cities of the plain, ren ttionT*1 mains undecided ; except that we are aflur- compared, ed, that on the ungodly God raineth fnares, fire and brimftone, ftorm, and an horrible tempeft. ,
It was fear ce an entire calm, when the F , . Lord caufed the fea to go back by a ftrong 2\°, z™* eaft-wind all night, infomuch that the waters 28. were divided : but it was certainly a great ftorm the next morning, when the fea re¬ turned to its ftrength, fo fuddenly, that the flying Egyptians were overthrown in the midft of it : the waters covered the chariots and the horfemen, Pharaoh and all his hoft; there remained not fo much as one of them.
— The waters faw God and were afraidy the pfajm depths alfo were troubled. lxxvii. 16.
When Jonah fled, the Lord fent out a great wind, and there was a mighty tempeft. Jonah 1.
When he whom the winds and the fea ’ obey, was afleep on fhip-board, there arofe V1,I< a great tempeft, infomuch that the fhip was Mark, i w. covered with the waves and raging water. 37*
When Jefus had conftrained his difciples 2". to get into a fhip, the fea arofe, by reafon of . a great wind that blew ; contrary winds 22, sic. tolled their fhip with waves in the midft of Mar w.
* ' ' • Ar. i
C 2
the
45> &c.
J n, VI. 1 6, &c.
A£ts,xxvi
H, 20.
Univ. Hift. xvii, 5io*'
Univ, . Hift. xiv.
439*
20 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
the fea $ the wind was ftrongand boifterous, jpiomuch that the difciples were afraid, even in the prefence of their Lord.
When the apoftle Paul was fhip-wrecked, there arofe a tempeft uous wind called Euro- clydpn*; their fhip could not bear up into the wind; they were exceedingly toffed with the tempeft: ; infomuch that all hope that ■they fhould be fayed was taken away.
How general foever the florin might be at the deluge, the other, tempefts recorded in feripture were confined within very final! tracks ; and their effefts defigned only to make God’s great power to be known.
The ancient heathens had among their gods thole which presided over florins': agreeably to which we find,
The Romans looking upon ftorms and tempefts as deities, or at ieaft imagining they had deities which produced them, paid them divine honours. .
Lucius Scipio was attacked by a tempeft on the coaft of Corfica, in which his whole fleet was in the moft imminent danger of being loft ; upon account of his deliverance therefrom he built a temple, which he dedi¬ cated to the Tempefts, that is, to the deities prefiding over them ; as he had great reafon to do, fays a very ancient infeription.
In the reign of the emperor Nero, the country of Campania was ravaged with dread-
* North-e^ft Michaelmas FJawes. Hammond, 432.
- ful
OF STORMS.
ful tempefts and violent whirlwinds; whole villages were overturned ; plantations were turned up, and the fruits of the earth flat¬ tered.
Anno Chrifti 590, the fir ft year of pope Ray’s Gregory, happened a marvellous overflowing ®:fc:2 in Italy, accompanied with mod dreadful florms of thunder and lightning.
In 1 557» there was fo great a flood and Ray’s dreadful tempeff in the fouth of Languedoc DliC*2 that all the people attended therein the end of the world and day of judgment. Divers heaps and mountains of ground were remov¬ ed, and many places torn up and rent • by which accident there were found bo'hco'in of
22.
filver and gold, divers pieces of plate, and veffels of other metals, fuppofed to be hid when the Goths invaded that province.
Having viewed fome (forms at a didance, let us look at home, our ifland being fup¬ pofed to be more fubjedt to tempefts than other parts of the world.
Anno 1095, *n reign of king William Ray>s Ruius, there happened an outrageous wind, Dire. 326. which bore down in the city of London alone, W1
12 1 1 i 1 • -v , 4 Stowe.
nx hundred houfes, and blew off the roof of Bow-church, which, with the beams, were blown into the air a great height, fix where¬ of, being twenty-feven feet long, with their fall were driven twenty- three feet deep into theground ; the ftreets of the city being then unpaved.
Tbs
Echard,
i- 37u , JUpin, i;
431.
Stowe.
$ilowe.
22 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
. ■* J 7 * .u 1 / 1 .. „»*
The following account nearly refpedting English affairs, is inferted, though the ftornv happened in France.
As king Edward the third, in the year 1360, lay encamped about Chartres in France, a fudden and dreadful ftorm arofe, accompanied with thunder, and hail of a pro¬ digious fize, which killed fix thoufand of his horfes, and about one thoufand men. Lord Morley was killed ; the earl of Warwick’s fon mortally wounded, and died foon after.
So extraordinary an accident was deemed by the troops a demonftration of divine dif- pleafure : the king was fo much of the fame opinion, as, in the midft of the dorm, on his knees, to make a vow to confent to an equi¬ table peace.
The fame year, and in 1362, there was great wind in divers parts of England attended with thunders and lightnings ; whereby many men and hearts perhh-
ed ; many rteeples and towers were thrown down.
December 28th, in the eighth year of queen Elizabeth, there arofe a great rtorm and tempeft of wind, by rage whereof the Thames and fea overwhelmed many perfons; the great gates at the weft-end of St. Paul’s church at London (between which flood a brazen pillar) were by the force of the wind blown open.
The
OF STORMS. 23
The following relation not commonly mentioned by hidorians, is extracted from a pamphlet written foon after the event, and preferved in the Harleian library .
On Tuefday January 27, 1607, about nine in the morning, the funne being fayrly and [}nounnc3a~ bryghtly fpred huge and mighty hills of water were feen in the elements, tumbling one over another, in fuchfort as if the greated moun^ tains in the world had overwhelmed the lowed vallies, to the inexpreffible adonifh- ment and terror of the fpe&ators ; who at. fird miftaking it for a great mid or fog, did not on the fudden prepare to make their efcape from it: but on its nearer approach, which came on with fuch fwiftnefs as it was verily thought the fowls of the air could not fly fo fad ; they perceived that it was the violence of the waters of the raging feas, which feemed to have broken their bounds, and were pouring in to deluge the whole land, and then happy were they that could fly the faded. Butfo violent and fvvift were the huge waves, and they purfuing one ano¬ ther with fuch rapidity, that in lei s than five hours fpace mod part of the countries on the Severn Severn banks were laid under water, and k^]ald many hundreds of men, women and children water, perifhed in the floods. From the hills might be feen herds of cattle, and flocks of fheep, with hufbandmen labouring in the fields, all fwept away together, and fwallowed up in.
e 4
onp
£4 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
one dreadful inundation. Houfes, barns, ricks of corn and Kav, were all involved in the. common rain. Many who were rich in the morning, were beggars before noon, and feveral perifhed in endeavouring to lave their effects.
Briftol and Aujl buffered terribly; and all the country from Briftol to Gloucefter on both Tides the Severn , was overflowed to the dis¬ tance of fix miles, and moft of the bridges over it, and the adjacent buildings were de¬ ft- oyed or defaced. At Ghepflow, Gol delift , Matberm , Callc ett- Moor, Re dr it Newport , Cardiff?, Cow bridge, Swanzey s Langborne , and many other places in Glamor ganfcire, Monmouthjhi re , Caermarthenjhire , and Car- diganjhire , the water raged fo furioufiy, and came on fo faft that upon a moderate fuppo- fition, there could not be fo few perfons drowned as five hundred, men, women, and children ; befide many thoufand herd of cattle that were feeding in the vallies, together with iheep, hogs, horfes, and even poultry, all of which were fuddenly imrnerged in the wafc ters, and could not efcape.
But what is full more ftrange, there are now not only found floated upon the waters .ft ill remaining, the dead carcaffes of men and cattle, but aifo all kinds of wild beafts, as foxes, hares, rabbits, rats, See. lome of them upon one another’s back, as thereby thinking to' have laved themfelvcs,
4
At
OF STORMS. 2*
At a place in Merioneihjhire there was a maid a-milking, who was fo fuddenly fur- rounded with the waters that (he could not efcape, but had juft time to reach a high bank, on which {he flood fecure from the inundation, but without any relief from hunger and cold, for two days ; ieveral ways were devifed to bring her off, but in vain ; till at length two young men contrived a raft, which, with long poles, they pufhed along, and with great labour and hazard fetched her away, half dead with fear rather than with hunger and cold; for, ftrange as it is to relate, the hill or bank on which the maid flood, was all fo covered over with wild beads and vermin that came thither for fafety, that (he had much ado to keep them from creeping upon her; and, though among them there were many of oppofite natures, as dogs and foxes, hares and hounds, cats and rats, with others of like fort, yet the one never once offered to annoy the other; but, in a gentle fort they freely enjoyed the liberty of life without the leaf! expreffion of enmity, or appearance of natural ferocity.
Gla?norgan , Caer mar then, Cardigan , and other countries in South W ales , bore their Wales, part in this dreadful vifitation ; many, tofave (S )Ulh^ their lives, afeended hills, trees, fteeples, and houfes, where they might fee their cattle,
and fometimes their wives and children, pe-
rifh,
Cardiff*.
26 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
rifh, without being able to give them the leaf! affiftance.
At Cardiff, a great part of the church next the river, was carried away by the violence of the flood.
Children at fchools, and travellers upon the road, were equally involved in this general calamity; if they fled to the houfe-tops, or to the tops of hills, they were alike in danger of perifhing by hunger and cold ; but many were involved before they were aware of their danger. Some, indeed, efcaped mira- culoufly : in Glamot'ganjhirei a blind man that had been long bed-ridden, had his poor cottage fwept away ; and himfelf, bed and all, carried into the open field, where, being ready to perifli in two fathom water, his hand, by providence, chanced upon the rafter of a houfe, and by the force of the wind, then blowing eafterly, he was driven to land, and fo efcaped. In another place, a boy five years old being upheld a long time upon the water by means of his long coats, that con¬ tinued hollow about himv was at length car¬ ried to land, by taking faft hold of the fleece of a dead fheep that came floating by him juft when he was ready to fink. A mother and three children were faved in Caermar- thenfktre by means of a trough in which the mother uled to make her bread. Many more there were that through the handy- work of God were preferved ; but there were
not
OF STORMS. 27
not fo many fo ftrangely faved, but there were as many in number as ftrangely drowned.
What follows is in the author’s own words :
« The lowe marfties and fenny groundes neere Barnfiable in the county of Deuon were overfloune fo farre out, and in fuch outragious fort that the countrey all along to Bridgewater was greatly diftrefted thereby, and much hurt there done \ it is a mod pit- tifull fight to beholde what numbers of fat axen there were drowned 5 what flocks of fheepe, what herde of kine have been loft. There is little now remaining there to be feene but huge waters like to the maine ocean : the tops of churches and fteeples like to the tops of rocks in the fea j great reekes of fodder for cattle are floating like (hips upon the water, and dead beaftes fwimming thereon, now part feading on the fame. The tops of trees a man may behold remaining aboue the waters, upon whofe braunches multitudes of al kind of turkies, hens, and other fuch like poultry, were fain to fly up to faue their hues, where many of them perifhed for want of reliefe, not being able to fly to dry laund by reafon of their weaknes.
“ This mercilefte water, breaking into the bofome of the firme laund, has proued a fearful punifhment as wel to al other lining creatures asalfoto al mankinde; which, if it *ad not bin for the mercifull promifeof God,
28 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
at the laft diflolution of the world by water, by the figne of the rain-bowe, which is ftill {hewed vs, we might haue uerily belieued this time had bin the ueryfhour of Chrift his coming. From which element of water extended towards us in this fearfull manner
good Lord deliuer vs al, Amen.” -
Reign k. June 1626, (2 Car.) was a ftrange and Ch. 55. furprizing fpedlacle on the Thames, the wa- Echard, ter near Lambeth Marfh began about three
o’clock in the afternoon to be very turbu¬ lent, which, after a turbulent motion of the waters, arofe like an exhalation, and appeared of a circular form of about ten yards diame¬ ter, and as many feet elevated from the river. This cataraft, or fpout of water, was carried impetuoufly crofs the river, and made a very furious aflault upon the garden walls of York- houfe, where the duke of Buckingham then refided, and was building his new water flairs, after which it broke afunder with a fuliginous and dusky fmoke, like that of a furnace, or a brewer’s chimney, and gradually afcended as high as well difcernable, till it quite vanifhed* to the great admiration of the fpedtators. At the fame inflan t there hap¬ pened in the city fuch a dreadful ftorm of rain and hail, with terrible claps of thunder, that a great part of the church-yard walls of St. Andrew's in Holborn fell down, feveral graves were laid open, and many coffins tumbled into the midft of the flreet.
The
OF STORMS. 29
The third of September i6c8r(the time ?.lar5nf* the prc? ,v />•; Oliver* Cromwell died) was Echard, ull.e r nth the moft prodigious ftormof i. 825. win-.- -had been known 3 ■ all the ele¬ ments 1 Mcerned in it. Great num¬ bers of i hdufes were overthrown;
great wrec ear were made: the effedts
of . the. temp. , uvre errible in France, the Netherlands, and foreign countries, where all people trembled; at it. Befide wrecks along theco Os, many boats were cad away in the r.;vt.fd
In 3661, a uefday February 1 Sth was a Storm, very great ftorm, accounted the greateft ^55^ had been known before : it was univerfal in England, but the damages in France and Holland were inconfiderabie, compared to the awful and tremenduous judgment in
r
1703. ' •
Very early in the morning began a- dread¬ ful ftorm of wind, accompanied with thun¬ der, lightning, hail, and rain*, ( which in many places was as fait as brine) which continued with unufual violence till almoft midnight:
A volume would not contain a narrative of the fad eftedts thereof throughout the king¬ dom : Some fo ftupendous and amazing, that the report of them will fcarcely.gain credit.
1. The ftorm occalioned many accidents and Mifchlef lofs of human lives, both in the metropolis toperfons. and various parts of the country.
2. The wind prejudiced many churches. Churches
30 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
At Tewkelbury, a fair window in the church, glals and (lone work, was blown down ; the doors blown open; much of the lead torn up, and part of a pinnacle blown down.
At Red-Marly and Newin, a confiderable part of the churches were blown down ; and moft of the publick meeting places in the city of Gloucefter.
j
Some hundreds of pounds damage was done to the cathedral at Worcefter.
Great damage was done to the churches of Hereford,
. The like happened at Leighton Beau-de- fert and at Eaton -Soken in Bedfordlhire ; at which laft place, a new erefted (lone crofs was blown down, and the towTn fuftained other great damages.
The fleeples, and other parts of the churches of Shenley, Waddon and Woolfton in the county of Bucks, were much torn and rent by the wind.
The fpire of the (leeple at Tincbinfield in Effex was blown down, brake through the body of the church, cruflied the pews, and did other damage, to the value of iome hun¬ dred pounds.
At Ipfwich, the famous fpire or pinnacle of the Tower-church was blown down upon the body of the church, and fell reverfed, the (harp end of the (haft linking through the leads on the fouth fide of the church,
carried
OF STORMS.
3*
carried much of the timber work down be¬ fore it into the alley juft behind the pulpit, and took off one fide of the founding-board, Shattering the pews. The weather-cock, and iron on which it flood, broke as it fell ; but the narrow-eft part of the wood- work, upon which the vane flood, fell into the alley, broke quite through a grave-ftone, and ran (boring through two coffins one under another: that part of the (pire which was plucked tip, was about three yards deep in the earth ; and fome part of it was believed to be left behind in the ground.
3. Great prejudice and mifchief was done ^oufes to private houfes ; the inftanees would be damaged, tedious to relate : many were blown down, others extremely fhattered and torn.
The earl of Suffolk’s houfe at Audley- Audley- End, near Saffron-Waldon in EiTex, was End* damaged to above the value of five thoufand pounds ; and great part of the Crown-office in the Temple was blown down.
4. There was a wonderful deftruftion of Barns> barns ; and out-houfes too numerous to fpe- cify.
5. We (hall Angle out two or three of the Trees, moft remarkable paffages relating to trees.
In Gloucefterfhire, Worfterfhire, and He- refordfhire, many loft whole orchards of fruit trees, amounting to forty and fifty pounds art orchard $ and the like damage proportionably fuftained throughout the kingdom. ‘ ‘
X As
Worker- Cut paui~ l^ilars.
32 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
As to other trees, there was a great de¬ finition in many places ; feverai at Hamp¬ ton -court ; above three thoufand brave oaks in a particular part of the foreft of Dean ; in a little grove at Ipfwich, upward of two hun¬ dred goodly trees, one of- which was an afh* which had ten load of wood upon it : in Brampton-Bryan park in Hereford (hire* above thirteen hundred trees were blown down; and above fix hundred m Hopton- park, not far from it : and proportionally in other places where the itorm was felt.
The damages fuftained, on all accounts, by this ftorm,were not to be eftimated ; but dif- creet people have computed the lofs of the counties one with another, by the deftruc- tion of houfes and barns, the blowing away hovels and ricks of corn, the falling of trees* Sec. at about two millions iterling.
6. There were other wonderful particu¬ lars, which call for obfervation.
The water in the Thames, and other places, was, in a very ftrange manner, blown up into the air. The fifh were blown out of the canal in St. James’s park* and lay on the bank- fide.
At Mortlack in Surry, the birds, attempt¬ ing to fly, were beaten to the ground by the violence of the wind.
At Epping in Eflfex, a very great oak was blown down, which of itfelf raifed again, and grew firmly.
At
OF STORMS, 33
At Taunton, a great tree was blown down, the upper part of which reded upon a wall ; after a little time, by the force of the wind, the lower part of the tree was blown quite over the wall.
In Hereford, feveral perfons were borne up from the ground ; one man at lead fix yards.
The great vane at Whitehall, and one on the White-Tower, were blown down, and two others drangely bent.
The triumphal arches in London, and the heads upon Weftminfter-hall, were blown down, but no perfons hurt by the fall of them.
Mod adoni.ftiing lightning accompanied this dorm, by which part of Whitehall was fet on fire, and above eight houfes were burnt at Greenwich.
Of fifty three Dutch fhips which were in the Texel in a great dorm March 2, 1662, but feven returned fafe ; the red were either fo cad away, or fo difperfed as not to be found ; moil of them very richly laden, five fhips were lod in the Vly, and many others fihattered almod to pieces.
January 27, 1665, about feven in the morning, there happened a dreadful dorm at Coventry, accompanied with thunder and lightning, (and fome imagined they felt an earthquake), that among other confiderable damages, threw down the dately fpire of
D Trinity
Mirabiiis Ann is..
Ann. Univ. 69 %
London Gazette, No. 22,
34 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
Trinity fteepie, even to the very battlements, which falling on the eaft and north •eaft parts of the church, battered the roof, rent the whole fabric, and made lamentable havock, to the damage of many thousand pounds.
The latter end of the year 1665 was ex¬ ceeding ftormy in many parts of Europe.
At Deal, November 14, 15, 16, 17, both night and day, there were violent ftorms of wind and hail, the like was beyond the me¬ mory of man : Many (hips and boats were loft, near Deal, Newcaftle, Yarmouth, Fal¬ mouth, &c. At Deal, the fpring-tide wafla- ed away and (Landed boats, and did other confiderable damage to the houfes and keys on the Beach. A ftorm falling in with the fpring-tide, fo railed the water in the haven of Yarmouth, that it overflowed the banks, and laid all the marfh grounds under water, for eight or ten miles. Twenty colliers mif- carried within twenty, miles of Yarmouth.
A' thing not unworthy knowledge hap¬ pened at Dover : a prize of fir Arthur Siingfbey’s was fo beaten by the waves, that the matter and three of his men were wafhed over-board, by one fea, and another threw them into their (hip again with a dead man in their company ; a third fea carried away the dead man, and left them hanging to the ropes.
Several veffels were loft at Hull, and four hundred pounds damage done to the (hips in the harbour.
OF STORMS. 35
The wind brought in fuch a tide at Lyn- l yn* Regis, that the goods in low rootus received Reg>s. confiderable damage ; fome thoufands of fheep were drowned in the marfhes there¬ about.
In Lincolnfhire, the fea broke the banks in Lincoln marfh land in two places, which did that fll,re’ county very great harm.
At Wells, ten loaden colliers were driven Wells, afhore againft that town, the fhips bulged ; more colliers were put afhore between that place and Blackney.
The dorm was fb violent at Cowes in the ifle of Wight, that the keys and feveral houfes Cowes° were wafhed awav ; many fmall veffels were loft, and mod of the great ones drove on flhore.
The Dutch differed much by fhipwrecks Holland in this ftorm, and the Flanders coafts had and Flan* their fhare in the misfortune. Gers?
September 3, 4, 5, the ftorm difperfed the Annals of Dutch fleet, fome merchant-men were driven Univ* into the E/ve ; others, with fome men of1,21' war, driven into U lechery ; and in this di ft refs fome others were taken by theEnglifh.
Deal, November 24 and 25, was one con- Fea] tinued ftorm of wind, and higher tides than wind’and any tftne that year. The fea broke in dur- hi3h ing the night of the 25th, near Sandwich, where one man had above an hundred fheep drowned, and others differed confiderable damage* The fea threw up feveral cap-
D a ftones
Latad-
guard
point.
O fiend.
Admiral
Sweerts.
Holland.
36 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
Rones and keys, and broke up part of the Beech -ftreet. The two tides were faid, by the ancienteft men of the place, to be the higheft and moil violent that ever were known.
At Landguard-poi'nt fort, the winds and tides were fo high, that the water was ai¬ med: two yards high in the cellars within the fortf and very near as high as the wall without ; and feveral dead bodies were call on fhore9
At Oftend, a hoy was caft upon the land half a mile from the ordinary high water marks ; the magiflrates of the town gave order fhe fhouid remain entire in the place where fhe was left afiiore.
The Dutch fhips under rear admiral Sweerts, that lay in the Dogger-lands, were forced home by the violence of the ftorms, extremely damaged, efpecially that in which Sweerts was, and two others who had fpent all their maids ; the remaining eight were feparated in the tiorai. The Rotterdam was loft, men laved. The ftorm caufed alrnoft a general inundation in Flolland. The dyke was broke down at Durgendam, above twenty feet broad and forty feet deep, and much cattle loft. In the Helder many houfes, with the new fconce, walked away, Shevelingen was all water, trees tore up by the roots, and feveral houfes thrown down; the church, with the reft, every minute ex- 6 pedted
OF STORMS. 37
pedted to be levelled with the water. In the Texel and the Vly Tome (hips were utterly loft, with all their men; thole who efcaped heft were mod; miferably torn in their mods and rigging. About Groningen their dams were overthrown in feveral places, and both men and beads fwept away by the violence of the floods. In other parts of Holland the damage was not lefs, a great track was over¬ flowed as high as Furemerend, the Moer- dyke, Kieldyke, and the Glunderdyke, near Williamdadt, being broken, whereby not Jefsthanan hundred villages were deflroyed, a lofs not repaired with lefs than many millions.
The great dorm did much harm in a’l parts of France. At the mouth of the Cha- rante a very good (hip of the king's of fifty four guns was lofl ; pieces of diips and goods were every where found upon that coaft.
The tide breaking in at Dover, Mrs. Ne-
o ^ ^ JL/Ovcr*
phew’s daughter with two children, in a clofe boarded bed, did fwim near to the ceil¬ ing of the houfe, and finking down again with the tide, were all preferved.
In the dorm, the Dutch had herrings in Dutch* their villages, and (tore of other fifla iwim- _ t ruing in their ftreets. A (hip from North Bergen to the Vly was driven by the dorm fo far upon the land, that (he had much ado, with fails and other helps, to get off. Of all
D 3 the
-Arr.fter-
cLlH.
Copenha¬
gen.
s3 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
the (hips in the Vly but two could fave their marts* and feveral were quite loft. The timber-work of Campveers harbour, toge¬ ther with the ftone-work next adjacent to the Town-port, almoft all torn avyay ; three c r four diftind: poldacs near it covered with fea. The dyke of Slader near Sparendam, a mile from Harlem, carried away. Many dykes in Eaft-Friefland, and that between Shellinwam and Duringdam, over againft Amfterdam, quite broken down. Water* land, a part of Eaft-Friefland, and Blancken- berg, lay all under water ; the damages cauied in the cellars and warehoufes in Am¬ fterdam alone were reckoned at many mil¬ lions. Upon ferious computation, the Dutch judged their loftes by the inundation amounted to as much as the whole charge of the war both by land and fea.
At Copenhagen happened an accident which ftag'gered all the philofophers in thofe parts, and was looked upon as little lefs than a mi¬ racle: The fea, in one night wholly forfook the town, fo much that the greateft fhips did lie all dry in the harbour, and yet the next morning the waters rofe higher than ever they were known before, they never ufing to rife or fall above two or three feet in that nor¬ thern fea $ at the time when this happened, there was fcarcely a breath of wind ftirring, that might be fuppofed to contribute to this uncommon accident.
The
OF STOR M S. 39
The Sea-horfe of Middleburgh, a (hip Ireland, between feven and eight hundred tons, run a(hore in the county of Mayo in Ireland, having in her, arms, and fix chefts of filver 5 ihe was much beaten at fea by ftortn, having fpent her main-maft and fore-maft, and loft her rudder on the rocks near Broad-haven.
The (hip was beaten to pieces and funk ; about an hundred of her men efcaped on planks, and by fuch (hifts ; the reft, about feventy-four, were all drowned. Some goods were caft up by the fea, and part of the filver and guns. A Dutch Guinea (hip run a-around near Duncannon, and two other
O _
(flips were loft on the fame coaft.
The high tides walhing down the cliffs about Winterton, there were found feveral winter- vaft bones, particularly a leg bone was car¬ ried to Yarmouth, weighing fifty-feven pounds three quarters, the length three feet two inches 5 which the phyficians and fur- geons affirmed to be the leg- bene of a man. t
The (forms and tempefts were fo great Gazettes, and violent about Middleburgh, that they ^jle- forced down one of the great wooden bridges in that town, and another at Sluys; by which many perions were drowned, and di¬ vers mortally wounded..
Sir William Temple gives fhort accounts of two ftorms he felt in Holland.
In 1674, I ftaid only a night Antwerp, Antwerp, which paffed with fo great thunders and ,* - D 4 lightnings.
Hotter*
dam.
Utrecht
40 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
lightnings, that I promifed myfelf a very fair day after it, to go back again to Rotterdam, in the {late’s yacht. The morning proved fo ; but toward evening the fky grew foul, and the feamen prefaged ill weather, and fo refolved to lie at anchor before Bergen op Zoom, the wind being crofs, and little. When the night was fallen as black as ever I law, itfoon began to dear up, with the moft violent flafhes of lightning, as well as cracks of thunder, that I believe have ever been heard in our age and climate. This conti¬ nued all night; and we felt fuch a great heat Rom every flafh of lightning, that the cap¬ tain apprehended it would fire his {hip. But about eight the next morning the wind changed, and came op with lo ftrong a gale, that we catne to Rotterdam in about four hours, and there found all mouths full of the mil-chiefs and accidents that the laid night’s tempeft had occafioned, both among the boats and the houfes, by the thunder, light¬ ning, hail, or whirlwinds. But the day after came Rories to the Hague from all parts, of inch violent effe&sas were aim oft incredible: at Amsterdam they were deplorable ; many trees torn up by the roots, (lisps funk in the harbour, and boats in the channels; houfes beaten down, and fcveral people (hatched from the ground as they walked the ftreets, and thrown into the canals. But all was file peed by the relations from Utrecht, where
the
OF STORMS. 4t
the great and ancient cathedral was torn to pieces by the violence of the florm ; and the vail pillars of done that fupported it, were wreathed like a t willed club, having been fo ftrongly compofed and cemented, as ratherto fuffer luch a change of figure than break in pieces, as other parts of the fabric did ; hardly any church in the town efcaped the violence of the ftorm ; and very few houfes without the marks of it ; nor were the effefts of it lefs adonifhing by the relations from France _prance# and Bruflels, where the damages wrere infi- Bruflels, nite ; as well from whirlwinds, thunder, lightning, as from hail-dones of prodigious bignefs.
In November 1675, happened a form at North -weft, with a fpring-tide fo violent, as gave apprehenfions of fome lofs irrecoverable to the province of Holland, and by feveral breaches in the great dykes near Enchufen, Harjem and others between Amfterdam and Harlem, Tnunda- made way for fuch inundations as had not tlons* been feen before by any man then alive, and filled the countrv with mod deplorable
J 1
events. But the incredible diligence and unanimous endeavours of the people upon fuch occafions, gave a flop to the fury of that dement, and made way for recovering next year all the lands, though the people, cattle, and houfes loft, were irrecoverable.——
At Tortorica in Sicily, on the fixth of June, 1682, about feven o’clock in the even¬ ing
42 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
ing (after fo great a darknefs that no objedfc could be diftinguifhed at the diftance of four paces) there arofe fuch a great ftorm of rain, thunder and lightning, (which lafted fix and thirty hours) that about one o’clock next morning great torrents of water caufed by the rains fell down from the neighbouring mountains with fuch rapidity that they car¬ ried with them trees of an extraordinary big- nefs, which threw down the walls and houfes of the town they happened to beat againft. The waters overthrew the church of St, Nicholas ; and the archdeacon of the town, who retired thither, perilhed, with many other perfons ; there remaining but one ab¬ bey, and about fifty houfes, and thofe fo fhaitered that they fell one after another. There were about fix hundred of the inha¬ bitants drowned ; the reft being abroad in the field gathering their filk, fled to the moun¬ tains/where they fuffered very much for * want of provifionso The goods, trees, ftone, fand, and other rubbi-fh, which the waters 'carried away, were in fo great abundance, that they made a bank above the water two miles in length, near the mouth of the river, where before the fea was very deep. The towns of Randazzo, Francaville, and feverai others were likewife deftroyed.
Boifterous and outrageous winds raife up great hills or downs of lands : Such we lee all along the coafts of the Low Countries,
OF STORMS. 43
and the weftern fhores of England, and the like places. They fometimes blow up fo much fand, and drive it fo far as to cover the Ray,s adjacent countries, and to mar whole fields, diic. 225. nay, to bury towns and villages : They are concurrent caufes of tbofe huge bulks and Shelves of fand that are fo dangerous to mari¬ ners, bar up havens, and ruin port-towns.
CHAP. III.
Of the Great Storm in 1 703.
a HE forementioned dorms were very furious, but are not to be compared with the formidable one in 1703, either in violence, extent, or defolation occafioned thereby.
Our ifland firfl received the impreffionsof the violent motion, and its terrible effeds: itStorml° carried a dired line clear over the continent I7°3’ of Europe, traverfed England, France, Ger¬ many, the Baltic Sea; and paffing the nor¬ thern continent of Sweden, Finland, Muf- covy, and part of Tartary, loft itfelf in the Northern Ocean, among vaft mountains of ice, and huge drifts of fnow.
So high the winds blew, before what we call The Storm, that had not that intolerable tempeft followed, thofe would have been
accounted
Why fo little da¬ mage
O
done in the open fea.
45 ACCOUNT OF THE
accounted extraordinary high winds: for a fortnight no Slip ftirred out of harbour ; and all veffels out at fea, endeavoured to make fome port, or other Sicker.
What were the effe&s of this impetuous florin, before our ifland felt its fury, none can tell! Thofe who had the misfortune to meet it in its firft approach, were direftly hurried by its irreiiftable force into eternity. Seven¬ teen fhips foundered in the ocean. This lofs was much lefs than it might have been ; for the wind having blown with great fury, at the fame point, for fourteen days before the violence grew to its more uncommon height, all the fhips newly gone to fea, were forced back ; fome driven into Portsmouth and Falmouth, who had been an hundred and fifty leagues at fea ; others, which had been farther, took (belter in Ireland.
The Slips which were homeward bound, and within five hundred leagues of the Eng- lifh (bore, were hurried fo furioufly before the wind, that they reached their port before the extremity of the (form came on ; fo that the fea was, as it were, fwept clean of all Slipping ; thofe which were coming home, were blown home before . their time.; thofe which attempted to put to fea, were driven back again, in fpite of all their (kill and courage : the wind had blown fo very hard direftly into the channel, that there was no
STORM IN 1703. 46
poflibility of thofe keeping the fea, whofe courfe was not right before the wind.
Thefe two circumftances had filled all our ports with unufoal fleets, juft come home, or outward bound : the lols and havock among them was very terrible ! fuch as no circumftance had paralleled, or age expe¬ rienced.
In the previous ftorm, a man of war was loft oft Harwich ; but moft of her men faved.
The Ruflia fleet, of near an hundred fail, then upon the coaft, was abfolutely difperfed and fcattered ; fome got into Newcaftle, Hull, and Yarmouth roads; two foundered at fea ; fome run a-fhore and were loft : The Rejerve , (their convoy) foundered in Yar¬ mouth roads ; all her men loft ; and no boat from fhore durft go off to relieve her, though in the dav-time.
j
Four hundred laden colliers (deep and unweildy) putting out of the T/W, met with hard meafure : fome got into the Plumber, and were afterward loft there ; fome got fhelter under the high lands of Cromer , and the northern fhores of Norfolk : but the greater number reached Yarmouth roads.
When the great ftorm came, the ports round the fea coaft of England were exceed¬ ingly full of fhips of all forts : a brief account whereof take as follows :
At Grimfby, Hull, and other roads of the Plumber, lay aboiit eighty fail, great and
final!,
Ruflla fleet dif- per fed, and their convoy loft.
Colliers, difperfed; fome loft.
Ports full of fhips.
FI
umber.
Yarmouth
*eads.
Thames.
Sir Clou- deiley
Shovel.
Affocia-
tion.
Downs.
Portf-
IMOUth
and
Cowes,
Admiral
Dilks.
46 ACCOUNT OF THE
fro all, of which about fifty were colliers ; and part of the Ruffia fleet.
In Yarmouth roads there rode at leaft four hundred fail, being rnoft of them laden col¬ liers, Ruffia-men, and coafters from Lynn and Hull.
In the Thames $ at the Nore lay about twelve fail of the queen’s hired Chips and and ftore {hips, and only two men of war. At Gravefend there rode five Eaft-India- men, all outward bound.
Sir Cloudefley Shovel was juft arrived from the Mediterranean with the royal navy : part of them lay at St. Helen’s, part in the Downs, and with twelve of the largeft {hips he was coming round the foreland, to bring them into Chatham ; and when the great flora! began was at an anchor at the Gunfleet, from whence the AfTociation was driven oft to (ea as far as the coaft of Norway.
In the Downs one hundred and fixty fail of merchant-fhips outward bound, befide that part of the fleet which came in with fir Cloudef¬ ley, which con fitted of about eighteen men of war, with tenders and victuallers.
At Portfmouth and Cowes there lay three fleets ^ firft, a fleet of tranfports and tenders, who with admiral Dilks brought the forces from Ireland that were to accompany the king of Spain to Lifbon ; fecondly, a great fleet of victuallers, tenders, ftore* Chips, and tranfports, which lay ready for the fame
voyage*
STORM IN 1703.
voyage, together with about forty merchant- fhips who lay for benefit of their convoys and the third article was, the remainder of the grand fleet which came in with fir Cloudef- iey Shovel 5 in all, near three hundred, great and fmall.
In Plymouth found, Falmouth and Mil¬ ford havens, were particularly, feveral fmall fleets of merchant- fhips, driven in for fhelter and harbour from the ftorm, moft homeward bound from the iflandsand colonies of Ame¬ rica.
The Virginia fleet, Barbadoes fleet, and fome Eaft-India-men, lay fcattered in all our Kinfale ports ; and in Kinfale in Ireland there lay lnIrelaiK^ near eighty fail, homeward bound, and richly laden.
At Briftol, about twenty fail of homeward Brifloh bound Weft-India-men not yet unladen..
In Holland, the fleet of tranfports for Litbon waited for the king of Spain ; and KoIIancla feveral Englifh men of war lay at Helvoet- fluys ; the Dutch fleet from the Texel lay off Cadfandt, with their forces on board, Cadfandt. under admiral Callenberge : both thefe fleets made one hundred eighty fail.
Hardly was there a juncture of time when an accident of this nature could have hap¬ pened, that fo much fhipping, laden out and home, ever was in port at one time.
It will appear no wonder that the da¬ mages of this nation were fo great, to thofe
Admiral Callen¬ berge a
Paris
Gazette,
excufed.
Pref. to
Storm in 1661 .
48 ACCOUNT OF THE
who confider thefe unhappy circumftances j it will rather be a wonder to pofterity that there were no more diiafters, and that tne navigation of the nation came off fo well.
It°is a wonderful thing to confider, efpe- cially in the Downs and Yarmouth roads, that any thing Chould be fafe : all men that know how dangerous a road the firft is, and what crouds of fhips lay in the laft ; how almoft every veffel quitted the road, where neither anchor nor cable could hold ; mull wonder what drift, or what courfe, the mari¬ ners could direct themfelves to for fafety.
Some which had not a mart handing, nor an anchor or cable left them, went out to fea, wherever the winds drove them ; and lying like a trough in the water, wallowed about till the winds abated ; and after were driven, feme into one port, feme into ano¬ ther, as providence guided them.
Therefore people excufed the extrava¬ gancies of the Paris Gazetteer, who affirmed, that thirty thoufand feamen, and three hun¬ dred fail of Chips, were loft in the feveral ports of England: which was no improbable con¬ jecture ; confidering the multitude of Chip¬ ping, the opennefs of the roads in the Downs, Yarmouth* and the Nore, and the prodigious fury of the wind.
The fad effe&s of the ftrange and unufual violence of that night, throughout the nation, arefo many, that a very great volume would
not
STORM IN 1703. 49
hot be fufficient to contain the narrative of them. Some of them are fo ftupenduous and amazing, that the report of them, from the moft authentic hands, will fcarcely obtain credit among any, but thofe who have an affedtionate fenfe of the unlimited power of the Almighty.
Some fevy of thofe wonderful effedts are here briefly related, as the accounts were received from perfons of moft unqueftionablc credit in the feveral parts of the nation.
Though this fubjedt may be more fafely ex¬ tended than in any other cafe, no ftory being capable of being crouded with fuch circum- ftances, yet Infinite Power, concerned in every relation, is more than fufficient to make good the moft wonderful particulars : but here is no trefpaffing on fadts, to oblige In¬ finite Power to fhew more miracles than were intended: for when nature was put into fuch confufion, and the furrace of the earth and fea felt fuch extraordinary diforder, innumerable accidents fell out which may never more be feen.
When Heaven itfelf lays down thedodlrine by fuch wonderful circumftances, all men are fummoned to make applications : God gave, in this terrible manner, ftrong evidence of his own Being; none who felt the blafts of the tempeft could be fo hardened to deny the poffibility of a Supreme Being : none but muft fee! fome (hocks from the convulfions
Wednes¬ day, 2,ah.
50 ACCOUNT OF THE
of nature, and whofe foul muft tremble, as well as his houfe, and his frighted confcience cry out, What is the matter in the world ? Doubtlefs there is a God, who ruleth in hea¬ ven, and in earth, and in all deep places.
The end of this effay being to convey the memory of the moft dreadful and univerfal judgment that ever Almighty Power thought fit to bring upon this part of the world, pof- fibly it may be read with pleafure for the fake of the truth contained in it, notwith- flanding that pleafure may be mixed with terror, and aftonifhment !
A general View of the Storm, in 1703.
BEFORE we come to examine the damage fuffered this terrible night, and give particular relation of its diimal effeSs 5 it may not be unneceffary to give a fummary account of the thing itfelf, with fame of its affrighting circumftances.
It had blown exceeding hard for fourteen days before, infomuch that it was thought terrible weather : (tacks of chimnies were blown down, feveral (hips loft,, the tiles in many places blown off the houfes ; but the nearer it approached the fatal 26th of No¬ vember, the tempeftuous weather increafed.
The 24 thin the morning it was fair wea¬ ther; blew hard, but not to give any appre- hen lions, tid, about four in the afternoon,
the
STORM IN 1703; St
the wind increafed, and with fqualls of rain Thurf- and terrible guds blew very furioufly. Abun- da7>25th« dance of mifchief was done that night: the wind continued with unufual violence all the next day and night ; and had not the Great Storm followed fo foon, that had paffedfor a Great Wind.
1
The 26th in the morning it continued to blow exceeding hard, but not to give appre- henfions of danger within doors ; toward night it increafed. About ten the barometers gave information that the night would be very tempeduous, the mercury finking lower than had been obferved before.
It did not blow fo hard, till twelve o’clock at night, but that moft families went to bed ; though many of them with fome concern at the terrible wind : but about one, or at le aft by two, few people, that were capable of any fenfe of danger, were fo hardy as to lie in bed : the fury of the temped increafed to fuch degree, that mod people expecfted the fall of their houfes.
And yet, in this general apprehenfion, no¬ body durd quit their tottering habitations 1 for whatever the danger was within doors, it was wTorfe without ; the bricks, tiles and dones, from the tops of the houfes, flew with fuch ‘force, and fo thick in the ftreets, that no one thought fit to venture out, though their houfes were nearly demolifhed,
E 2
Such
52 ACCOUNT OF THE
Such a fhock was given to a well-built brick houfe in the skirts of the city, by a ftack of chimnres falling on the next houfes, that the inhabitants imagined it was juft com¬ ing down upon their heads ; but opening the door to attempt an efcape into a garden, the danger was fo apparent, that they all thought fit to furrender to the difpofal of Almighty Providence, and expedt their graves in the ruins of their houfe, rather than meet molt certain deftrudtion in the open garden ; forun- lefs they could have gone above two hundred yards from any building, there had been no fecurity; for the force of the wind blew the tiles point-blank, though their weight inclined them downward ; and in feveral broad ftreets, the windows were broken by the fly¬ ing of tile-fiherds from the other fide : and, where there was room for them to fly, tiles were blown above thirty or forty yards, and ftuck from five to eight inches into the folid earth: Pieces of timber, iron, and fheets of lead, from higher buildings, were blown much farther.
■
From two o'clock the fiorm continued and increafed til! five in the morning; and from five till half an hour after fix it blew with the greatefl violence : the fury of it was fo exceeding great for that particular hour and half, that had it not abated, nothing could have withflood its violence much longer.
Never
STORM IN 1703. 53
Never was known a flight offuch di fir action ! Noife fa confus'd , and dreadj ill ! Dryden,
Fear chills the heart ; What heart can fear dijfemble
When jleeples ft agger, and when mountains tremble ! Hist. App. 3 1 5*
In this laft part of the time the greateft damage was done. Several fhips that rode it out till now gave up all j for no anchor couid hold.
Even the (hips in the river Thames were all blown from their moorings 5 rrom Execu¬ tion-dock to Limehoufe-hole, there were but four (hips that rid it out 5 the red were driven down into the Bite, from Bell-wharf to Limehoufe ; where they were huddled to¬ gether and drove on fhore, heads and Heins, one upon another, in fuch a manner as any one would have imagined impoflibie ! The
damage was incredible !
Together with the violence of the wind, the darknefs of the night added to the terror : as it was juft new-moon, the fpring-tides being then up about four o ciock, made the veffels, which were afloat in the river, drive the farther up upon the fhore: of all which there were very firange inftances !
About eight in the morning it ceafed fo much, that the fears of people were enough abated to begin to peep out of their doors .
but it is imooflible to exprefs the concern * E 3 that
54 ACCOUNT OF THE
that appeared in every place ! the diftradtion and lory of the night was vifible in every face; and the fir ft bufinefs was to vifit and enquire after friends and relations. The next day or two was entirely fpent in curio- lity in viewing the havock the ftorm had made, which was univerfal in London, and the out-parts.
The points from whence the wind blew were varioufly reported : it is certain it blew all the day before at South weft, and was f nought to continue fo nil about two o’clock ; when it was judged by the impreffion it made on houfes, for the inhabitants durft not look out, it veered to the South-fouth-weft, then to the Weft, and about fix o’clock to Weft-by- / north ; and full the more northward it fhiited the harder it blew, till it {Lifted again font her ly about feven o’clock; and as it' did fo, it gradually abated.
It is obfervable, that this ftorm blew from the fame quarter as that in 1661; and that there was lefs of it northward than here : in winch rejfpedt the dorms were much alike. Eanli-. , Abundance of people were of opinion that quake. they felt, during the impetuous fury » of the wind, feverat movements of the earth : but as an earthquake muft have been fo general that every body, muft have difeerned it; it is more probable* that the {baking of the houfes, and the terror thereof, deceived their imaginations, and impofed upon their jude-
ments ;
STOR M I N 1703. 55
ments : for the concern and confirmation of all people were fo great, that it is no wonder they imagined feveral things which were not, and enlarged on things that were ; fmce nothing is more frequent than for fear to double every objedt, and impoe on the un¬ demanding ; ftrong apprehenfions being apt very often to perfuade us of the reality of fuch things which we have no other reaions to (hew for the probability of, than what are grounded on thofe fears which prevail at
that juncture.
Others thought they heard it thunder. Thunder. The wind by its unufual violence made a noife in the air refembling thunder: the roaring had a voice as much louder than ufual as the fury of the wind was greater than ever was known : the noife n^d lotuething very formidable in it \ it founded aloft, and roared very much like remote thundei. But in the countries the air was feen full of me- Meteors< teors and vaporous fires $ and in fome places both thunderings and unuiuai fiafhes 01 light¬ ning, to the great terror of the inhabitants.
Several women in the city of London who were in travail, or fell into travail by the fright of the ftorm, were obliged to run the rifque of being delivered with fuch hesp as they had : for midwives found their own lives in fuch danger, that few of them thought them- felves obliged to fhew any concern for the lives of others.
E 4
People
Robbery.
Poplar.
Fire in Norfolk.
Prodi¬
gious
liue.
$6 ACCOUNT OF THE
People a del idled to wicked nefs are fearlels of God’s judgments and uncommon prodi¬ gies : a gang of hardened rogues (we may well fay, not having the fear of God before their eyes) aflfaulted a family at Poplar in the very height of the florm, broke into the houfe, and robbed them. The people cried out. Thieves ! and afterwards, Fire ! in hopes to raife the neighbourhood, and get fome affi fiance : but fuch is the power of felf prefervation (that firft ol' laws) and fuch was the fear the minds of people were pof- feiTed with that nobody would ventuse out to the affiftance of the diftrefled family, who were rifled and plundered in the middle of all the extremity of the tempeft.
Fire was the only mifehief that did not happen to make the night completely dread¬ ful : yet that was not fo every where, for a town in Norfolk was almoft ruined by a fu¬ rious Are, which burnt with fuch vehemence, and was fo fanned with the tempeft, that the inhabitants had no power to concern them- felves in extinguishing it ; the wind blew the flames, together with the ruins, fo about, there was no {landing near it : if the people came to windward, they were in danger to be blown into the flames ; if to the leeward, the flames were fo blown into their faces, they could not bear to come near them.
Another unhappy circumftance attending this difafter was a prodigious tide, which hap-
STORM IN 1703, 57
pened the next day but one, and was occa- fioned by the fury of the winds : which is a demon ft ration that the winds veered part of the time to the northward. It is obfervable, and known by all that underhand our fea affairs, that a north* weft wind makes the higheft tide; fo this blowing to the north¬ ward, with unufual violence, brought up the fea, raging in fuch a manner, that in fome parts of England, the waters rofe fix or eight feet higher than was ever known in the me¬ mory of man ; by which fhips were floated up upon the firm land ; and an incredible number of cattle and people drowned.
The Wdters in the Thames, though they rofe higher than ufual, did not prodigioufly exceed: The height of them proved very prejudicial to abundance of perfons who had warehoufes and cellars near the river : but fpecial providence faid, Hitherto fha t thou come, and no farther; had the tide rifen a foot higher, all the marfhes and levels on both Tides the river had been overflowed, and great part of the cattle drowned.
Though the ftorm abated with the rifing of the fun, it ftill blew exceeding hard ; lo that no boat durft ftir on the river. About Saturday> three in the afternoon on Saturday it increafed 27th. again, and people were in frefh confternation left it fhouid return with equal violence.—
At four it blew an extreme ftorm, with hid¬ den gufts, as violent as any in the night; but
ss ACCOUNT OF THE
as it came with a very black cloud and feme thunder, it brought a hafty fhower of rain, which allayed the ftorm; fo that in a quar¬ ter of an hour if went off, and only continued blowing as before.
This fort of weather continued all Sunday, Sunday, Monday, and till Tuefday afternoon, when 28; Mon- ;t increased again : all Tuefday night it blew TueVday* with fuch fury that numberlefs families feared 3c. to go to- bed. Had not the former terrible night hardened the people to ail things lefs than itfelf, that night would have palled for a ftorm fit to be noted in almanacks. Several flacks of chimnies which flood the great ftorm were blown down in this ; fhips which efcaped in the great ftorm, perifhed this night ; feveral people who had repaired their houfes, had them untiled again.
At this rate it continued blowing til! Wed- Wcdnef- nefday about one in the afternoon, which was tl’ DeC' that day fe’nnight on which it began : fo that it might be called one continued ftorm from Wednefday afternoon to Wednefday noon : in all which time there was not one interval in which a failor would not have acknowledged it blew a Storm t ano in that time the two terrible nights in this narrative were included.
Wednefday, November 24-th was as calm fine a day as at that time of year is ufually feen, till about four o’clock, when it began to be cloudy, and the wind rofe of a fudden,
and
STORM IN 1703. 59
and in half an hour’s time it blew a ftorm. Wednefday, December ift it was very tem- peftuous all the morning ; at one o clock tne wind abated, the fky cleared ; and by four o’clock there was not a breath of wind.
Thus ended the greateft and longed florm that ever the wond relt. borne par¬ ticular effects of that terrible providence are the fubjed of the enfuing chapter.
The waters which fell in the ftorm were Sa[t.
brackifh. Wiuef*
At Cranbrook in Kent, at lead fixteen Cran. miles from the fea, and above twenty-five brook, miles from any part of the fea to the wind¬ ward, from whence the wind could bring any moifture, (for it could not be fuppofed to fly againft the wind) the grafs was to fait the cattle would not eat it for feveral days.
A phyfician travelling loon after the ftorm Lewes, to Tifchyrfr, (about twenty miles from Lewes, and as tar from tire fea) as he lode he plucked fome tops of hedges, and chew¬ ing them, found them fait. Some ladies hear¬ ing of it, tafted the grapes that were ftill on the vines, and they alto had the fame reisfii.
In the ifle of Wight there were found on Ifle of the hedges and twigs of trees, knobs of fait wight, congealed, (which were ieen and tafted by feveral gentlemen of undeniable reputation) at the diftance of fix and ten miles from the fouth and fouth-weft parts of the fea-coaft, from which they muft come.
At
6o ACCOUNT OF THE
At Haftings in Suffer, the wind was ex¬ ceeding boifterous, which might drive the froth and fea moifture fix or feven miles up the country, for at thofe diftances from the fea the leaves of the trees and bullies were as fait as if they had been dipped in the fea.
Mr. Lauwenhoek affirms, that water may be fo dafhed and beaten againft: the banks and dykes by a ftrong wind, and divided into fuch frnall particles, as to be carried far up into the land : which affirmation he proved by an obfervation in a dreadful ftorm, when the water, mingled with frnall parts of chalk and ftone, were fo dalhed againft his windows (which flood from the wind, and were guarded by a pent-houfe) that they were co¬ vered with the particles contained in the water which the whirlwind caft againft tnem j and in lefs than half an hour the glafs was deprived of moft of its tranfparency : this fadl proved that it was fea-water which the ftorm had not only dallied againft his win¬ dows, but fpread all over the countiy.
If we confider what a quantity of fea-wa¬ ter is fpread all over the country by a terrible ftorm, and how greatly impregnated the air is with the fame, we ought not to wonder, that fuch a quantity of water, moved with fo great a force, Ihould do fo much mifchief to chimnies, tops of houfes &c. not to mention the damages at fea.
There
STORM IN 1703, 61
There are fome who affirm, that the fc teringof this falt-water by ftorms does great harm to the fruits of the earth : but a little fait fpread over the furface of the earth, (efpecially where it is clay-ground) renders it the more fruitful: and fo it would be, if the fand of the fea were made ufe of for the fame purpofe.
There was really no thunder or lightning Light in or near London, yet in the countries the nin§' air was feen full of meteors and vaporous fires: and in fome places both thunderings and unufual fiaffies of lightning, to the great terror of the inhabitants.
The preceding difpofition of the year, as Dr Der>
m in.
Phil. TranC
to wet and warmth, might have great influ- ha ence in the florm ; not only in caufing a re- pletion of vapours in the atmofphere, butN(X2gg< alfo in railing fuch matter as might make a kind of explofion, (like fired gun-powder) from which thofe flaffies in the florm might proceed, which raoft people obferved, and fome took for lightning.
A young man at Upper-Donhead, was fent to 100k after cattle and fheepm an mclo Don head, lure in which there were ftacks of corn blown Rev. Mr, down : he had much difficulty to find the in- Ada‘Ii:?* clofure in the dark, and to get thither by reafon of the tempeft, then raging in the . height of its fury; yet, being there, he faw
a miehtv body of fire on an high ridge of . * ' hi Ik
Mr.
Clench,
62 ACCOUNT OF THE
hills, about three quarters of a mile from the inclofure, which gave fo clear a light into the valley below that he could diftin&ly defcry all the fheep and cattle in the pafture.
That the air was full of meteors and fiery vapours, and that the extraordinary motions occafioned the firing more of them than, tifual, is very rational : of thefe there were various accounts, and probably were the lightnings fuppofed to be feeo in many places. The clouds which blew with fo much vio¬ lence through the air, were not fuch as ufu- ually are freighted with thunder and light¬ ning: the hurries nature was then in do not con lift with the materials of thunder, which are pent up between the clouds. And the clouds that were feen flying in the air about London, were by the fury of the winds fo feparated, and in fuch fmall bodies, that there was no room for a collection fuitable and neceflary for thunder and lightning.
Mr. Clench, -an ingenious apothecary in Jermyn-ftreet, St, James’s, obferved, that from about a quarter before fix the ftorm in- fenfibly decreafed; at which time, every guft was preceded by fmall dailies, which did not dart perpendicularly, but feemed rather to fkim along, the furface of the ground nor did they appear to be of the fame kind as the common dailies of lightning.
People
STORM IN 1703. 63
People about Portfmouth were much an¬ noyed with fulphurous fumes, and com¬ plained they were almoft fuffocated there- Po tf_
with. mouth.
The following relation of a water-fpoufc is nearly in the words of the rev. Mr. Jofeph Ralton, of Beffelfleigh in Berkfhire. Water-
Friday 26th of November, in the after- iP0Ut* noon, about four o’clock, a country fellow came running to me in a great fright, and very earneifly entreated me to go and fee a pillar, as he called it, in the air in a field hard by. I went with him, and found it to be a fpout, marching direftly with the wind,,
I can compare it to nothing better than the trunk of an elephant, only much larger. It was extended to a great length, and fwept the greund as it went, leaving a mark behind.
It eroded a field, and, what was verv finance
^ •/ O
to me and feveral of my aftoniflhed country- men, meeting with an oak that flood toward the middle of the field, fnapped the body of it afunder. After eroding a road, it fucked up the water in the cart-ruts : then tumbled down a barn 5 the thatch from the top was carried away by the wind (which was then very high) in great confufion. After this, I followed it no farther, therefore faw no more of it : but a parifhioner of mine going from hence to Hinkley, in a field about a quarter Binkley, of a mile from this place, was fodder) !y
1 knocked
Fear.
6 4 ACCOUNT OF THE
V i ‘
knocked down, and lay upon the place till people coming by carried him home : it was fome time before he recovered. By all that could be colledted, concerning the time, the place, and manner of his being knocked down, it is mod probable it was done by the fpout ; the force whereof, if it had continued, mud certainly have killed him. His illnefs afterward might, poflibly, be attributed more to his fear than the force of the droke.
This happening the evening before the great dorm, confirms what has been before advanced, concerning the violent agitation of the air for lome time before the temped.
Extradl of a Pastoral on the melancholy
Occafion.
Damon , diffolv’d in Jweetejl Jlumbers lay.
Tir’d with the toils of the preceding day ,
Dill bluff ring winds diflurb’ d his kind repofe, \ And, frightened with the threatening blajls , he l rofe : /
But oh ! what havoc k did the day di/clofe ! )
Thofe charming widows which on Char w el’s banks
Flourijh’d , and throve 5 and grew in evener ranks ‘Than thofe which follow’d the divine command \ Oj Orpheus lyre , or fwect Amphions hand , > By hundreds fall, while hardly twenty (land ♦ > The Jiately oaks which reach’d the lof ty Jky,
And kifs’d the very clouds , now prcflr ate lie*
Long
STORM IN 1703. 65
Long a huge pine did with the winds contend , This way , and that , his reeling trunk they bend. Till fore d at lafi to yield , with hideous found He falls ; <2^7 all the country feels the wound .
Afar was the god of winds content with t he fe % Such humble vitflims can t his wrath appeafe : The rivers fwell not , like the happy Nile ,
To fatten, dew, and frudiify our ifle ;
But , like the deluge , by great Jove defgn'd To drown the univerfe , and f courge mankind .
In vain the frighted cattle climb fo high ,
7/2 vain for refuge to the hills they fly ;
The waters know no limits but the sky :
So now, the bleating flock exchange, in vain. For barren cliff 's their dewy fertile plain :
In vain , their fatal dejliny to fhun ,
From Severn s banks to higher grounds they run .
Nor has the navy better quarter found : There we receiv'd our worfl, our great ejl wound !
The billows fwell, and haughty Neptune raves , The winds itifulting o'er tti impetuous waves . Thetis , incens'd , rifes with angry frown.
And once more threatens all the world to drown.— Some Jhips were jlranded ; feme, by j urges rent » Down, with their cargoes, to the bottom went l
The particular and dreadful effedts of that tempeft, are, for diftihdtion’s fake, divided into the following fedlions ;
F
€3
Houfes
untiled.
66 ACCOUNT OF THE
1. Damages in London ;
2. In different counties ;
3. Calculation of the damages ;
4. Damages on and by the water
5. Remarkable deliverances.
Only premifing, trivial damages are omit-* ted ; what is inferted, is from mod authentic accounts, and worthy record, to convince pofterity, This was the mojl violent tempeji the world ever felt : no pen can truly defcribe, no tongue exprefs, no thought conceive, the general horror and confufion !
SECT. I.
Damages in London .
rr^HE city was a dreadful fpe&acle in*
j[ deed, the morning after the dorm! As loon as people could put their heads out of doors, they met with nothing but unex¬ pected ruin and deftru&ion : Though great delegation was imagined, no one expected the hundred part of what ne law.
The dreets were covered with flutes and tiles from the tops of the houfes, which were univerfally dripped; the quantity was lo great, that the tiles within fifty miles, were fufficient to repair but a fmall part of the. 'damage. All the tiles made the next dim¬ mer were not enough to cover in the houies which were unroofed.
Some-
STORM IN 1703. 67
Something may be sueffed herein from the^.,
* O I j
Hidden rife of the price of tile, from twenty- one (hillings to fix pounds per thoufand for plain tiles ; from fifty (hillings to ten pounds a thoufand for pan tiles. Bricklayer's labour rofe to five (hillings a day.
After the firft hurry was over, the tile- merchants were induced to fell at more mo¬ derate rates ; not becaufe the quantity wanted was fupplied, but becaufe the charge was fo extravagant, that there appeared a general negledt both in landlords and tenants : an incredible number of houfes remained all the winter uncovered, expofed to all the incle¬ mencies of wet and cold. Thole who found it abfolutelv neceflary to cover their houfes, rT r made ufe of wood, as a prefent expedient, covered till the time for making tiles fhqiiid come with on, and the extravagant price abate. Whole vvoou* ranks of buildings, as Chrift Hofpital, the cbrift Temple, Aik’s Hofpital, Old- (freer, Hogf- hofpital. den-fquare, and abundant other places, were Te^Ple\
• 7 , ! r 1 Aik s hoi-
entirely covered with deal boards ; and con- ;laj# tinned in that condition fome years, for want
of tiles.
It is not pdffible to give a diftinft account of the china nies which fell that fatal night.
Thofe in the city being built in great (tacks, and the houfes very high, the fall of them had great and ineftimable power in demo¬ lishing the houfes on which they fell.
F 2
There
Chimnies,
Hacks of,
blown
down.
Houfes
blown
down.
Cannon-
bury
houfe.
St. James’s [ace.
Church lead >&c..
Public
buildings..
68 ACCOUNT OF THE
There were perfons who could give ac¬ count of upward of two thoufand (lacks of chimnies blown down in and about London. About twenty whole houfes w~ere blown down in the out-parts: Many whole roofs, and more gable-ends of houfes were demolifhed and re¬ moved. At Cannonbu ry -houfe at JJlrngton , thir¬ teen flacks of chimnies were blown off. A (lack of chimnies in the center of the new buildings at St. Jameses palace, not quite finilhed, fell with fucb a terrible noife as very much al¬ armed the whole houihoM ; and carried away apiece of the coin of the houfe.
Part of the palace of Sr. James’s had its fhare in the fury of that terrible night ; and the roof of the guard room at Whitehall was quite blown off; and the great weather¬ cock blown down.
Leads on the tops of churches, and other buildings, were rolled up like (kins of parch¬ ment ; and at W ed minder-abbey, St. An¬ drew’s church in Holborn, Chrift hofpita!, and abundance of other places, they were carried clear off from the buildings.
Two new-built turrets on the top of S t Mary Aidermary church ; five pinnacles from St. Alban, Wood-dreet ; one of the
f.
s at St. Saviour’s, Southwark ; four pin-
pure
nacks at St. Michael’s, Crooked-lane ; were, quite blown off : the vanes and fpindles of weather-cocks in many places were bent down ; the public buildings in general had their fhare in the fury arid damage of that
terrible
STORM IN 1703. 69
terrible night. Several houfes near Moor- fields were levelled with the ground ; and about twenty other whole houfes in the out- parts ; with innumerable brick- walls, gable- ends and roofs.
An account of brick-walls which fell in and about London by the fury of this tempeit would make a volume. In the out-parts, where the gardens and yards are walled in, few efcaped. At St. James s, a confioeiabie part of the garden-wail ; at Greenwich -park, fever al pieces oi wall down for an hivndied rods in a place, lome much more^ at Batter- fea, Chelfea, Putney, Clapham, Deptford, Hackney, I fling too, Hogfden, Wood’s clofe, and on every fide of the city, the wails of the gardens generally felt the (hock, and lay flat on the ground, twenty, thirty, or moxe rods
in a place.
There were as many trees blown down Trees, about London, in proportion to the quantity, as in anv part of England : Seventy in Moor- fields, fome of them affirmed to be three yards about : above an Hundred elms in St. James’s Park, fome of full growth, reported to have been planted by cardinal Wolfey. Above two hundred trees were blown down at Sir George Whitemore’s; fome of them, of extraordinary fize, were broken off in the middle.
It is impoffible to enumerate particulars of damages fuftained, and accidents which
F 3 hap-
Lives left, and per- i'ems
maimed.
70 ACCOUNT OF THE
happened in and about the great and popu¬ lous London. Houfes looked like falling fcaffolding, like fkeletons of buildings, like what in truth they were, heaps of ruins, Univerfal horror fat on all countenances ; bufinefs, and even pleafure for a time was laid afide; the only thing people in general were intent upon, after they recovered from their confirmation, was to procure meansand afliftance to repair their tattered and tottering habitations.
This direful blaft not only deftroyed churches, palaces and houfes, biew down trees, walls, and fwelled rivers, diverted tides, and made an univerfal devastation ; but to add to the unparalleled misfortune, many perlons loft their lives: London bore her fhare in that part of the horrible and tremendous judgment.
The weekly bills of mortality gave an ac¬ count of twenty-one perfons who loft their lives in this calamity ; moft of them buried or beaten to pieces, with the rubbifh of ftacks of chimnies that fell : befide thofe drowned in the river, and never found. Fourteen perfons were drowned in a wherry going to Gravefend ; and five coming from CheJfea j\ Two hundred perfons were very much wounded and maimed.
f Chelfea is not within the London weekly bills of mortality : toward Gravefend, they extend no farther than Limehoufe, on the Middle fex j and Rotherhithea on the Surry, Chore,
A woman
STORM IN 1703. 71
A woman was killed by the fall oi a
chimney at St. James’s.
A diftiller in Duke-ftreet, his wife and maid, were buried in the rubbifh of a Hack of chimnies, which forced all the floors, and broke down to the bottom of the houfe ; the wife was taken out alive, but the hufband and maid loft their lives.
Mr. Dyer, a plaifterer in Fetter-lane, fin^-Mr<Dver ing his houfe fhake, jumped out of bed to fave killed, himfelr from the danger, and had, in all probability, time to have got out of the houfe ; but flaying to ftrike a light, a flack of chimnies falling in, killed him, and woun¬ ded h is wife.
Two boys at Mr. Purefoy s in Crofs- Mr. Pare- ftreet, Hatton-Garden, were killed, and bu-^.^j30^3 ried in the rubbifh of a flack of chimnies 5 and a third very much wounded.
A woman in Jewin- ftreet was killed, ven¬ turing to run into the ftreet ; and near Al- derfgate two perfons were killed by the fall of a houfe,
Mr. Simpfon, a fcrivener in Threadneedle- Mr. simp- ftreet, being faft afleep in bed, hearing no- f°n ^led* thing of the florm ; the reft of the family being more fenfible of danger, fome of them went up, and awaked him; telling their own apprehenfions, and prefling him to rife : but he, too fatally fleepy and unconcerned, told them, he did not apprehend any thing ; nor with any perfuafions would be prevailed
F 4 on
Guard-
houfe.
London
bridge.
7^ ACCOUNT OF THE
on to rife. He had not been left many minutes before the chimnies broke through the roof, and killed him in his bed. A car¬ penter in White-crofs-llreet was killed al- moft after the fame manner, by a hack of chimnies which fell from the Swan tavern. His wife prevailed on him not to go to bed, till two o'clock, when his heavinefs out¬ weighed entreaties; being afterward waked, was fo me what difpleafed at being did orbed, flept again, and was killed in his bed: the wife, whofe fears prevented fleeping, or going to bed, efcaped. Nine foldiers were hurt with the fall of the guard houfe at White¬ hall, but none of them died.
The morning and evening after, when the Form was abated, it blew fo hard, that the women who ufually go for milk to the cow* houfes, in the villages about London, were not able to return with their pails on their heads ; one, more hardy than the reft, was blown away with the violence of the wind, and forced into a pond : but ftrength and ftruggling being added to hardinefs, preferved her from drowning.
It is very remarkable, that the bridge over the Thames at London received but little damage, and not in proportion to what in common reafon might be expefted ; fince the buildings there ftood high, and were not flickered, as in other ftreets, by one another ;
nor
STORM IN 1703. 73
nor were the houfes ftronger built than others.
It may not be abfurd to fuppofe, that the indraft of the arches underneath the houfes giving vent to the air, it palled there with more than common current j and confe- quently relieved the buildings, by diverting the force of the florin.
There were hundreds of inflances, and many hundred witnefies of the following un¬ common experiment and obfervation.
The wind blew, during the whole ftorm, Exper;_ between the points ofSouth-weftand North- menu weft, (the latitude of eight points) : therefore if a building flood North and South, the eaft-fide dope of the roof, mull be the lee- fide, lie out of the wind, be weathered by the ridge, and confequently receive no da¬ mage in a direct line.
But demonftration and experiment were convincing againft rational argument : in many places, where a building flood ranging North and South, the fides or dopes of the roof to the Eaft and Weft, the eaft fide of the roof would be ftripped and untiled, and the weft dde, which lay open to the wind, be found and untouched. In many places the windward dde of the roof would be whole, and the leeward, or fide from the wind, be untiled ; in other places, a high building next the wind has been not much hurt, and a loy/er building on the leeward
Stowmar-
kef.
Rev. Mr. Farr.
74 ACCOUNT OF THE
iide of the high one clean ripped* and hardly a tile left upon it : this was plain in the build¬ ings of Chrift-Hofpital, where the weft and fouth fide of the cloifter was at leaft twenty- five feet higher than the eaft fide, and yet the roof of the lower fide on the eaft was quite untiled by the florin ; and remained a long time covered with deal boards above an hun¬ dred feet in length.
Some rain fell the fame night, and the enfuing day, but afterward, (though gene¬ rally adripping time of year) no confiderable quantity ; the weather proved fair and tem¬ perate for a month : which gave people leifure to provide fhelter, and fortify their houfes againft the accidents of winter, by deal-boards, old tiles, pieces of fail cloth, tar¬ paulin; whatever necefiity could contrive, or art, induftry or ingenuity make ufe of.
SECT. II.
Damages in different Counties .
AT Stcwmarket in Suffolk, the fineft fpire in that part of the country, (new built within thirty years) was overthrown, and fell upon the church. The particulars are thus related by the reverend Mr. Samuel Farr, vicar, and Mr. John Gaudy, Mr. Wil¬ liam Garrard, two of the principal inha¬ bitants :
We
STORM IN 1703. 75
We had formerly a fpire of timber, co¬ vered with lead, of the height of feventy-feven feet, which, being in danger of falling, was taken down; and in the year 1674, witn the addition of ten loads of new timber, twen¬ ty-one thoufand and eight hundred weight of lead, a new one was eredted, one hundred feet high from the fteeple, with a gallery at the height of forty feet, all open, wherein hung a clock-beii, of between two and three hun¬ dred weight. The fpire itood about eight yards above the rooi ot the churcn ; and yet by the extreme violence of tire florin, a iittle before fix in the morning, the fpire was thrown down, carrying with it all the battle¬ ments on the eaft fide, it fen upon the church, at the diftance of twenty-eight feet ; 101 l'o much is the diftance between the fteeple and the firft breach, which is on the north fide of the middle roof, where it broke down nine {pars clean, each twenty-three feet long, and feverally fupported with very ftrong braces. The fpire inclining to the north, fed crols the middle wall, and broke off at the gallery, the lower part falling in at the aforefaid breach, and the upper upon the north ifle, which is twenty-four feet wide, with a fiat roof lately "built, all new, and very ftrong It carried all before it, from fide to fide, making a breach tbirty-feven feet long, breaking m funder two large beams which went acrois, which were twelve inches broad, and fifteen
y5 ACCOUNT OF THE
deep, and feveral fmaller. Befide tbefe two breaches, there was much damage done by the fall of great ftones upon other parts of the roof, as well as by the winds raifing up the lead, and a third part of the pews broken in pieces, every thing falling into the church, except the weathercock, which was found in the church-yard at a confiderable diftance. The damage above 400 /.
Moft houfes there fuffered in their tiling; three Angle chimnies, and a ftack of four to¬ gether were blown down about the lame time ; many fo lhattered they were forced to be taken down. No perfons were hurt, though a bed was broken in pieces, which was often lain on, but nobody lay there that night. Generally round the country, incre¬ dible damage was done to churches, houfes, and barns. -
North- Mr. Benjamin Bullivant, a perfon of un- amp ton. doubted credit and reputation at Northamp- Mr. Senj. t0|lj has obliged the world with a record of e IV2m' the wonderful works of Providence in that town and neighbourhood in the great tem- peft.
The weathercock of All-Saints church, being placed on a mighty fpindle of iron, was bowed together, and madeufelefs. Many (beets of lead on that church, as alfo on St. Giles's and St. Sepulchre’s, rolled up like a fcrolh Three windmills, belongingto the town, blown down to the amazement of all beholders ; the
mighty
STORM IN 1703. 77
mighty upright poll below the floor of the mill, being fnapt in two like a reed. Two entire Hacks of chimnies fell on two feveral roofs, and made a moll amazing ruin in the chambers, floors, and even to the lower win¬ dows and wainfcot, fplitting and tearing it as if a blafl of gunpowder had happened. The floods at this inftant about the South bridge, from a violent S. W. wind, rofe to a great and amazing height ; the wind coming over or athwart large open meadows, did exceed¬ ing damage in that part of the town by blow¬ ing down whole houfes, carrying whole roofs at once into the ftreets, and very many leffer buildings of tanners, fell-mongers, dyers, glue makers, &c. yet, through the goodnefs of God. no perfon killed or maimed : the mighty doors of the feffions-houfe, barred and locked, forced open, whereby the wind entering made a miferable havock of the large and lofty windows : a pinnacle on the Guildhall, with the fane, was alfo blown down. To fpeak of houfes fluttered, corn' ricks and hovels blown from their Handings, would be endiefs. In Sir Thomas Samwel’s park, a very great headed elm was blown over the park wall into the road, yet never touched the wall, being carried fome yards. —
The rev. Mr. Edward Shipton, vicar of Fairford Fairford in Gloceflerfliire, has given a parti- Rev. m
cular relation of the irreparable damages shiPton
done
Painted
giafs.
78 ACCOUNT OF THE
done to the beautiful church there, and others fuftained in that parifh.
It is the finenefs of our church (fays this reverend gentleman) which magnifies our prefent lots, for in the whole it is a large and noble ftrudlure, compofed within and with¬ out of afhler, eurioufly wrought, and confift- ing of a ftately roof in the middle, and two ifles, running a confiderable length from one end of it to the other, makes a very beautiful figure. It is aifo adorned with twenty-eight admired and celebrated windows * which, for the variety and finenefs of the painted giafs th at was in them, juftly attract the eyes of all curious travellers to behold and inipedt them ; nor is it more famous for its giafs, than new¬ ly renowned for the beauty of its feats and paving, both being, chiefly, the noble gift of that pious and worthy gentleman Andrew Barker, Efq; late lord of the manor. All things' confidered, it does equal, at leafl, if not exceed, any parochial church in England.
* Fairford in Gloucefterftiire has a church with the fined painted windows in England, confiding offeveral hidories of the Old and New Teftamen:, excellently defigned by the famous Albert Durer, confiding of twenty-eight large windows, which are exceeding beautifully coloured. T he giafs was taken in a prize fhip by a merchant named John Fame, as it was car¬ rying to be put up in a church at Rome : when he brought it home, he purchafed the manor of fairford of king Henry the eighth; and built this church, on purpofe to put up in it the giafs he had taken at iea. With much care the giafs has been very well preferved*
That
STORM IN 1703. 79
That part of it which felt mod the fury of the wind, was a large middle weft window, fifteen feet wide, twenty-five feet high : it re- prefented the General judgment; and, fuch a fine piece of art, that 1500 /. has formerly been bidden for it; but the juft and honed parifhioners were not to be taken in the gol¬ den fnare. The upper part, juft: above the place where our Saviour is drawn fitting on a rainbow, and the earth his footftool, is en¬ tirely ruined ; both fides fo tattered and torn, dpecially the left, that, at leaft, a fourth part is blown down and deftroyed. Another win¬ dow on the left of the former, ten feet broad, and fifteen feet high, fuftained like fate; the upper part entirely broke, except one done munnel. If this had been ordinary glafs, the lofs might eafilv have been computed ; but all the windows in the church are drained through the body of the glafs ; and if that art is loft, as is generally imagined, the lofs is irretrievable. Other damages about the church teftify how ftrong and boifterous the winds were ; three Iheets of lead were un¬ bedded upon the uppermoft roof, and rolled up like fo much paper. Over the church porch, a large pinnacle and two battlements were blown down upon the leads of it.
As to the houfes, the effects of the ftorm were not fo great as in many other places. Chimnies, tiles, and Hates were thrown down, but nobody killed or wounded. The poor
" . who
Thunder and light- ning.
Upper-
Donbead.
Rev. Mr.
Rice
Adams,
redtor.
Bo ACCOUNT OF THE
who lived in thatched houfes, were the greateft fufferers. The fall of trees and ricks of hay are common every where; to be par¬ ticular would be frivolous and vexatious.
Saturday the 26th, the day after the ftonm, about two o’clock in the afternoon, without any previous warning, a fudden flaih of lightning, with a Ihort but violent clap of thunder immediately following it, like the difcharge of ordnance, fell upon a new and ftrong built houfe in the middle of the town, disjointed two chimnies, melted the lead of an upper-window, and ftruck the miftrefs of the houfe into a fwoon ; but no confiderablc hurt was found about her. — — *
The following is a faithful account of what occurred in the neighbourhood of Up- ^er-Donhead in Wiltfhire, near Shaftfbury Somerfetfhire] written by the reverend Mr. Tice Adams, vicar of Upper- Donhead, which he vouches to be, generally, of his own knowledge and observation ; or what he was fatisfied of the truth of, by the teftimony of others whofe integrity he had no reafon to fufpedt.
The ftorm feemed, for hours, to be a per- fed hurricane, the wind raging from every quarter, the difmal effects thereof were evi¬ dently demonitrated by demolishing and impairing buildings, throwing bers of trees by the roots, or
up vait mini- fnapping them
I
STORM IN 1703. 8
off in their bodies, or larger limbs. Some remarkable particulars follow :
The parifh church Hands high, but receiv¬ ed damage only in fome windows ; and the fall of a Hone from the top of one of the pinnacles; which, lighting on a houfe adjoin¬ ing to the tower, with little hurt to the roof, glanced from thence, and reded on the fouth. ifle of the church.
Two ftone chimnies were thrown down, arid two broad Hones of each of them lay, at even poife, on the refpedive ridges of both the houfes : and though the wind fat full againH one of them to have blown it off, (and then it had fallen over a door, in and out at which feveral people were paffing dur¬ ing the Hormj and though the other fell againH the wind ; yet neither of the Hones flirred.
A Hone, near four hundred weight, having remained (even years under a bank, defended from the wind as it then fat, though it lay fo long as to be fixed in the ground, and was as much out of the wind as could be, being fenced by the bank, and a low Hone wall upon the bank, (none of which was demo- lifhed) though two fmall holms Handing in the bank, between the wall and the Hone, at the foot of the bank, were blown up by the roots ; this Hone, fo fenced from the Horen, was carried from the nlace where it refled fo
G many
A ffie- gro ve. Trees.
82 ACCOUNT OF THE
many years, into a hollow way beneath, dis¬ tance at leaft feven yards.
A widow woman living in one part of an houfe by herfelf, kept her bed till the houfe over her was uncovered, and fhe expeded the fall of the timber and walls ; but getting be¬ low flairs, in the dark, and opening the door to fly for fhelter, the wind was fo ffrong in the door, that fhe could neither go out at it, though fhe attempted going on her knees and hands, nor could fhe, with all her flrength, fhut the door again, but was forced to fit alone feveral hours, till the ftorm flackened, fearing every guff would have buried her in the ruins ; yet fhe was preferved, and her very feeble houfe flood out the florm.
A perfon had a narrow efcape, who was twice in bed that difmal night, fome of the ceiling falling on his back and fhoulders ; but he was’infenfible of the great danger he was in, till next morning; but when day-lUbt appeared, he found the tiles on the fide°of the houfe oppofite to the main flrefs of the weather, blown up in two places, one of which was over the head of his bed (about mne feet above it) in which, two or three laths being broken, letdown a fquare of eight os ten hone of tiles, upon one fingle lath, where they hung, dropping inward a little* bending the lath like a bow, but fell not.
At Afhegrove, in the fame parifh, there were many trees (landing on the fide of a
hill.
STORM IN 1703, 83
hill, two, of considerable b:gnefs, were blown up, againft the fide of the hill, many at thefame time were blown down the hill ; and to fall downward was with the wind.
A poplar tree, near fixteen yards high, was blown into a fmall current of water ; the roots brought up near a tun of earth with them : the tree lay there fame days-: when the top was fawed off, (though the boughs were nothing to the weight of the but-end) the tree mounted and fell -back into its own place, and flood as upright without its head as ever it had done with it.
At the houfe of Lady Banks, near Salis¬ bury, a walnut-tree was thrown down 5 after the greater limbs had been cut oft m the day-time, in the night, it returned of itfelf to its former pofture. On the fixteenth of December following, the redor faw it (land¬ ing, and could hardly perceive any token of its having been down ; fo very exaftly it fell back into its place. The ground was de¬ clining, and the tree raifed againft the hill.
The reverend redor faw two trees thrown
very near two houfes, with little or no harm, which, if they had fallen with the wind, muft needs have fallen directly on the houfes; and two very tall elm trees of his own, fell in among five young walnut-trees, without in¬ juring a twig of either of them ; to the admi¬ ration of all beholders. The top of another 'dm, the reft of the tree left (landing, w&$
G 2 carried
Littleton in Worce- iierfbire, Mr. Ralph Norris.
Trees.
Learning-
ton-Hail-
ing.
84 ACCOUNT OF THE
carried off from the body of the tree near
twenty yards.- -
Mr. Ralph Norris of Littleton in Wo ree¬ fer £hi re gave information that the violent hurricane vifited the villages there in its paf- fage, to the great terror of the inhabitants, who all efcaped with lives and limbs, and the main fabric of their houfes flood, though with much fhaking, and damage to many roofs : but the morning of that difmal night, they were furprized at the dangers efcaped, when they difeovered the fad havock among the trees in their orchards and clofes, very many fruit-trees, and many mighty elms, being torn up; and one elm above the reft, of very great bulk and ancient growth, Mr. Norris obferved, which might have defied the ftrength of all the men and teams in the pari (li (though affaulted in every branch with ropes and chains) was found torn up by the roots, all found, and of vaft ftrength and thicknefs, and with its fall (as was thought) by the help of the fame impetuous gufts, broke off, in the middle of the timber, ano¬ ther great elm, its fellow, and next neigh¬ bour : but fame little houfes and out-houfes, that feemed to ftand in the fame current, without any vifible burrow or fhelter, efcap* ed in their roofs with verv little damage.
Though many ftories related of what hap¬ pened in the late ftorm, will fcarce gain cre¬ dit, the following Mr. E. Kingfburgh. who
* w <-j O'
STORM IN 1703, 85
lived at Leamington-Hading, near Dun- Mr. e. Church, in War wickdiire. was an eye-witnefs of. burgh-
The dorm began thereon the 26th about midnight; but the fevered blads were be¬ tween five and fix in the morning. Between eight and nine on the 27th in the morning,
Mr. Kingfburgh went up to the church, and found all the middle ifle clearly dripped of the lead, from one end to the other ; and a great many of the flieets lying on the ead end upon the church, rolled up like a piece of cloth : on the ground were found fix fheets of lead, (at lead fifty hundred weight, all joined together, not the lead parted, but as they lay upon the ide) which were carried in the air by the wind fifty yards and a foot; meafured by a workman, exadtlyas could be, from the place of the ifle where they lay to the place where they fell: and they might have been carried a great way farther, had they not happened in their way upon a tree, druck off an arm of it feventeen yards high ; the end of one dieet was twided round the body of the tree, and the red all joined toge¬ ther, lay at length ; having broke down the pales fird where the tree flood, and lay upon the pales on the ground.
The reverend Mr. William Offley, redtor of Middleton-Stony in Oxfordfhire, gives the ton -Stony following account of what happened in his I."Sxfurd' parifh.
G 3
November
Rev, Mr.
William
OiHey,
Marfon.
Fareham in 1 "amp- fhir®a
* ^ i
Trees,
rortf-
dd,-.n.
8,6 ACCOUNT OF THE
November 26, 1703, the wind being South-well: and by Weft, it began to blow very hard at twelve at night ; about four or five in the morning, Nov. 27, the hurricane was very terrible ; many large trees were blown up by the roots; the leads of the church were rolled up ; the (tone battlements of the tower were blown upon the leads ; feveral houfes and barns were uncovered, part of a new-built wall of brick, blown down ; and very much damage of the like nature in the adjacent towns and villages.
At Mar (on ? four miles from the above men¬ tioned place* a great nek of wheat was blown off from its ftraddles, and let down* without one (heaf removed or diftributed, or without flanding awry, twenty yards from the place.—
At Fareham in Hampfhire fix barns were blown down, with divers other out-houfes ; and many trees torn up by the roots, and others broken off in the middle; by the fall of a large el m , a very large flone- window at the weft end of the church was broken down | and two flacks of chimnies, without hurting any perfon. In Pupal Coppice, an oak, of about a load of timber, was twilled off with the wind, and the body, that was left {land¬ ing, down to the very roots, fo fhivered, that if it were cut tranfverfely it would fall all in pieces. In Portfdpwn, in the parifh of Southwick, three miles, from Fareham, a windmill was blown down, which had not
STORM IN 1703, 87
been eredted many years 3 great damage was M ,r done to Mr. Norton by the fall of chimnies ton* ' °f and trees. In the Healwg , they were obliged baling, to fupply the want of Hates and tiles with Hit-deal, till fummer; and the thatching could not be repaired till after another harveft.
Mr. Henry Stanton gave this account ; and laments the lofs of a veflel whereof one John Watfon was mafier, becaufe he had a great quantity of goods on board her.
Mr. William Mitchell relates what hap- chrift* pened mod remarkable at Chrift-church in cllurchi Hampfhire.
Great part of the roof of the church was blown off 3 the covering was very large purbeck-ftone ; the battlements of the tower and part of the leads blown down; Hones of between two and three hundred weight were blown fome rods diftance from the church 3 twelve fheets of lead rolled up together, that twenty men could not have done the like, to the great amazement of thofe who faw them : feveral houfes, barns, and Hacks of chimnies, and hundreds of trees were blown down. Mr. Thomas Spencer had the top of a brick chimney taken off bv the houfe, blown acrofs a cart-road, lighting upon a barn of Richard Holloway’s, broke down the end of it, and fell upright upon one end, on a mow of corn in the barn : though Spencer and his wife were then fit¬ ting by the fire, they knew nothing of it till
G 4 next
Ring- wood. Foi ding- bridge.
Oxford, Mr. j. BagOiot,
88 ACCOUNT OF THE
next morning. A (lack of chimnies of Mr, Imber’s, fell down upon a young gentlewo¬ man's bed,, who had juft before got out of it. Several out-boufes and (tables were deftroy- ed, and fome cattle killed. Some wheat- ricks were entirely blown off their ftaffolds, and lighted on their bottom, without other damage.
• do
At Ringwood and Fordingbridge feveral boufes and trees were blown down, and many houfes uncovered.
Mr. J. Bagfhot has aflured the world, that the following is an exadt and faithful account of the damages at Oxford by the violent tempeft : which was confirmed by other hands.
T ...
At Oxford they were no lefts terrified with the violence of the ftorm than were the inha- bita'nts of London, though in coni pari fors their damage was little. The moft confi- derable was, achild killed in St. Giles's by the fall of a houfe ; two pinnacles taken of}' from, the top of Magdalen tower; one from Merton ; about twelve trees blown down in Chrift-churcfa long-walk, fome of the battle¬ ments from the body of the cathedral, and two' or three ranges of rails on the top of the great quadrangle : part of the great? elm in CJniverfity garden ‘ was* blown' off, and a branch of the oak in Magdalen walks; the reft' of the 'colleges efcaped tolerably well,
and the fchools and theatre entirely.
a no \ w ,4 ww :V * : a .4 ; -4 * * ’** ^
i s
STORM IN 1703. 89
I
A remarkable paffage happened at Queen’s college, feveral fheets of lead, judged near fix Oxford’ thoufand weight, were taken off from the top of Sir John Williamfon’s buildings, and blown againll the weft end of St. Peter $ church, with fijch violence, that they broke an iron bar in the window, making fuch a prodigious noife with the fall, that fome who heard it thought the tower had been falling. The reft of the lofs there confided for the moft part in pinnacles, chimnies, trees, dates, tiles, windows, &c. amounting by computa¬ tion to about one thoufand pounds.
At Kingfton upon Thames, a ftack of £;ng{km chimnies belonging to Mrs. Copper fell on upon the bed in which ihe lay, the being juft got Iuarae"<' up, and gone down flairs, received no bodily hurt. A ftack of chimnies at Mr. Robert Banford’s fell on a bed in which his fon and daughter lay, but they were like wife gone down flairs, and received no harm. A ftack of chimnies at the Bull-inn was blown down, and broke way into the kitchen, but hurt nobody. A new brick malt-houfe belong¬ ing to Mr. Francis Beft, was blown off at the fecond floor : many barns and out- houfes were deftroyed ; few houfes there but loft their tiling. Multitudes of trees were Tre£S* blown down 3 eleven elms belonging to Mr.
John Bowles 5 thirty apple-trees of Mr. Tierce's j Mr. Andrew had an hundred apple-trees . blown to the ground.
*
9
o
Kent,
Mr. C. CaiHe-
isan,
Tevvkf- barj, Glou- cefter- Ihire. Rev. Mr. Mat- tktws »
go ACCOUNT OF THE
Kent, Efq; had above twenty rod of new brick-wall of his garden blown down, and Mr. Tiringam above ten ; Mr. George Cole, a merchant, bad feme rods of new brick-wall thrown down ; and Mr. Blitha, a merchant, had all his walling levelled, and other extraordinary loiTes,
The truth of which was attefted by Mr, C. Cattleman.
Mr. Matthews, minifter of Tewkfbury in Gioucefterfhire, fays, Iwo well-grown elms dooQ before an alms Houle in the church¬ yards one was broken fbort in the trunk, and the head turned fouthward ; the other torn up by the roots, and call northward. Divers chimnies. were blown down, to the great damage and condensation of the inha¬ bitants : one riling in the middle of two chambers, fell f0 violently that it broke through the roof and ceiling, and fell by the bed of Mr. W. M. damaged fome part of the bed-tetter and furniture, but himfelf, wife and child, were fignally preferved. An out- houfe, containing a liable, mill-houfe, and barn, about forty feet in length, Handing at the end of the town, intirely Veil down. The wind remitted there about, five in the morn¬ ing . ati the inhabitants were terribly alarmed by the violence of the ftorm : fome were hurt, but none killed.
The beautiful cathedral church of Glouce- fter, fuffered much.
The
STORM IN 1703. 91
The damages fuftained in the parifli of ^en?ord- Hatfield in Hertfordfhire amounted to many (hire, hundred pounds, fome of the mod obferyable are here certified by the reverend Mr. George Rev Hemfworth, the curate, who was In great Hemf- meafure an eye-witnefs of them, gnd had the vvortU' reft from perfons of undoubted credit.
The church, which was tiled, was fo (bat¬ tered, that the body was obliged to be entirely ripped. Two barns and a (table were blown down; in the latter were thirteen horfes, and none of them hurt, though there was but one to be feen when the man fu ft came.
Above twenty large trees were blown down Tree?, in the regular walks in the park. Ail the trees down in both parks were above an hun¬ dred (tacks of wood. A fummer-houfe, which flood on the eaft fide of the bowling- green at Hatfield -houle, was blown sgainft the wall, and broken, and a large part of it carried over the wall, beyond a cart- way, into the ploughed ground. Great part of the fouth'Wall, belonging to one of the gardens, was levelled with the ground ; though it was fo ftrong that great part of it continued ce¬ mented, though it fell upon a gravel walk.
Part of the fine painted glafs in lord Salif- Earl of bury’s chapel window was broken, though Sali&my, it looked toward the eaft. The north fide of an houfe was untiled feveral yards fquare.
In fome places the lead was raifed up, and quite blown off from one portal. In Broc- ' * " ‘ ; ket-
Brocket- Ball park. Trees.
Brenehlys
Kent.
Great
Peckkam.
Whit.
liable.
92 ACCOUNT OF THE
ket-hal! Park, belonging to fir John Reade, fo many trees were blown down that they could fcaree be numbered as they lay ^ but were above a thoufand.
At Brenchly in the wefiern part of Kent was a ftately fteeple, in altitude above twelve rods, which ftrong and noble ftrudlure was levelled with the ground $ the fall of which beat down great part of the church and porch, to the damage of a thoufand pounds. —Many houfes, hams and other buildings were quite demolifhed ; there was not one faoufe but fuffered greatly by the tempeft.
The neighbouring parifhes were not much more favoured ; efpecially at Great Peckham, where the fteeple, almoft as high as that at Brenchly* was blown down, but not fo much damage done to the church. This was the neared: account that could be given by the reverend Mr. Thomas Figg, minifter of Brenchly.
At Whiteftable., a final 1 village on the mouth of the Eaft Swale of the river Med¬ way, a boat belonging to a hoy was taken up by the violence of the wind, clear off from the water j and being borne up in the air, blew, turning continually over and over in it pro- greitive motion, till it lodged againft a rifing ground, above fifty rods from the water : in the paffage it ftruck a man, who was in the way, and broke his knee to pieces.
At
STORM IN 1703. 93
At a town near Chatham the lead of the church was rolled up together, and blown off to above twenty rods diftance ; being taken up and weighed, the weight was above two thoufand fix hundred.
A gentleman having occafion to traverfe the county of Kent about a month after the Kent, ftorm, befides the general defolation, which in every village gave almoft the fame prof- Houfes, peft, he reckoned eleven hundred and (even barns, dwelling houfes, out-houfes and barns, Kent, blown quite down ; whole orchards of fruit- trees laid flat upon the ground; and of all Trees# other trees fuch a quantity, that though he attempted to take an account of them, he found it impofiible, and was obliged to give over.
At Hawkhurft on the edge of Suflex and HawkC- Kent, eleven barns were blown down, befide the houfes fhattered or uncovered.
Near Hawkfhurft, a waggon ftanding in a field loaden with draw, and bound we!! down in order to be fetched away next day, the wind took the waggon, drove it backward feveral rods, forced it through a very thick hedge into the road; and the way being dirty, drove it with that force into the mud or clay, of the road, that fix horles could not pull it out.
The lead of the great church in Mon- Mon- mouth was rolled up like a roll of cloth, and mouth< blown off from the church, though on the
fide
Walling¬ ford .
Axmm-
far,
Somes fei
{hire#
94 ACCOUNT OF THE
iide from the wind : there was like wife vafl: variety of ruins in houfes and barns 5 one of the latter fell with a quantity of fheep in it, of which feven were killed.
At Wallingford, Robert Dowell and his wife being in bed, the chimney falling in, dernoliihed the houfe ; the main beam break¬ ing upon the bed, the woman received little damage, bat the man had his thigh broke by the beam, and lay in a dangerous condition two months after.
At Axminfier in Somerfetfhire, Dr. Tow- good had his court gate, with a piece of wall, blown to the other tide of the road, (which was twelve feet over) and Rood up¬ right a gain :1: the hedge : It was as much as two horfes could draw/ A (beet of lead, which lay flat, carried from Sir William Drake's quite over a wall into the minifter’s court, near threefcore yards. A tree, which
-v ' * '
itoc d in Mr* John. Witty’s ground, was broke in the middle, and the top of it blown over the hedge, a wall, and the top of a houfe, without hurting the houfe. A mow of com was blown oft the ports, and let upright, without damage, belonging to William Oli¬ ver, At an e H ate or Edward Seymour’s, called Chapel- Craft, a maiden oak which flood in the Qtiilie, more than a man could fathom, was broke in the middle#
S e v e r a 1 h u n d re d ap p kg a n d other tiees, wefe blown clown. Moil houfes were damaged
in
STORM IN 1703. 9$
in the tilth and thatch. The lofs in apple- trees was greateft : the farmer fct them up again, but the wind blew them down a fe- cond time after the dorm.
The reverend Mr. Nathan Kinfey, mini- fter o t Hartley in the county of Southamp¬ ton, had his houfe very much mortified ; and by the*fall of a chimney, the lives of him and his family endangered. In Hartley, and the adjacent parishes, feveral dwelling houfes were dripped, barns overturned, fign-pods blown down, and many trees, both timber and fruit.
Great damage was done to the houfes at Oakingham in Berkfhiie; the market-houfe very much (hattcred, and the clock therein Ipoiled ; feveral hundred trees torn up by the roots, moftly elms: fome barns were blown down, and mod of the figns in the town; iome of the leads of the church were torn up. Lofs computed at a thoufand pounds.
In the parish of Bagdiot in Surry, a great many chimnies were blown down, and houfes and barns (haltered, to the value of three hundred pounds.
Some of the chimnies of the manor houfe were blown down, together with four hun¬ dred pannels of pales, and fome ofthe garden walls. In the town, mod of the houfes were {haltered, and tops of the chimnies blown down; feveral great elms torn up by the roots.
Hartley,
Souths
amptofl.
Oak in?'
h am, Berks.
l rees.
o *
Surry,
The
Becles.
Ewell,
Ely.
56 ACCOUNT OF THE
The truth of the two laft accounts were
te (lifted fay Mn jo. Lewis.
The leads of the great church at Becles were ript up ; part of the great window blown down ; and the whole town exceed¬ ingly Chattered.
At Ewell* by Epfom in Surry, the lead from the flat roof of Mr. Williams’s houfe was rolled up by the wind* and blown from the top of the houfe clear over a brick wall near ten feet high, without damnifying either the houfe or the wall ; the lead was carried near fix rods from the houfe* and was com¬ puted to weigh near ten tuns. This was certified by Mr. George Holdfworth of Epfom.
The minder* or cathedral church, at Ely, being a very ancient building, and crazy, could not be imagined able to hand the fury of the wind ; people, who lived within the reach of it, had terrible apprehensions of its falling ; fome Chocks gave it fuch motions* that any one that felt it, would have thought it impcfiihle it could hand : yet, contrary to all expectation, though it fuffered much in every part (efpecially in what is called the body) it Qutil'Qod the florin:
The lead was torn and rent up a confides able way together, and in divers parts blown up into great heaps ; above forty lights of glafs blown down, and Shattered to pieces; an ornamental pinnacle belonging to the
north
STORM IN 1703. 97
north ifle, demolished ; five chimnies blown down in the college (the lodgings of the; prebendaries) which took feme part of the houles along with them* The lofs fuftained by the church and college was about two thoufand pounds. But the burning and blow¬ ing down three mills belonging to Jeremiah Foulfham, to the value of an hundred pounds, his particular lofs was more feverely felt, becaufe it was alrnofl his utter ruin and impoverifhment. All the windmills, in town and country, were blown or burnt down by the violence of the wind, or wholly dis¬ abled from anfwering the defign for which they were made. The inhabitants of the town of Ely, and the country in general* received feme damages in their eftates, and fubflance ; houfes ftripped of tiling; barns and out-houfes laid even with the ground ; flacks of corn and hay, much damaged : the general lofs was about twenty thoufand pounds* No perfons were killed ; but, though fome were in more imminent danger than others, the efcape of all from death was, in general, alrnofl miraculous.
The account from Ely was given by Mr. A. Armiger.
The town of Sudbury in Suffolk fared bet- surfburv, ter than they expected ; they had many Sufroik. barns, trees, chimnies and tiles blown down; but the neighbouring towns were fearfully {battered.
It
T un¬ bridge.
r-r*
1 rees. Penchurft. South- borough.
Somer-
hiil-park.
Medhurft,
Suftex.
98 ACCOUNT OF THE
The port- matter at Tunbridge in Kent relates, there were above five hundred trees blown down at Penchurft park; the great grove at Southborough altnoft blown down * fcarcely a houfe in Tunbridge town that had not received damage : Sir Andrew Judd's ichool-houfe fufFered moft particularly. In the adjacent country, many houfes fuffered, and few barns efcaped. Sir r homas Twif- den had a ftable blown down, and two horfes killed : at Sommerhilftpark many trees were blown down.
At Medhurft in Sufiex, untiling houfes, blowing down . himnies in the town, and throwing down barns in the neighbourhood, were the chief mifchiefs which happened to private people. But we give a very ftiort account ot the loft fuftained by lord Monta- cute at his feat at Medhurft, when we report, that five ftacks of chimnies were thrown down there ; one of them did coofiderabie damage, as it fell on the great hall, and, that above five hundred of his lordfhip’s trees were torn up by the roots.
The church fteeple of Ofborn, half a mile from Medhurft was blown down at the fame time.
The particulars of the ftorm at Rigate, are rela ed in the following manner, by Mr. Thomas Fofter.
Great numbers of vaft tall trees were blown down, and tome of very confiderable bignefs
broken
STORM IN 1703. 99
broken quite in the middle : two windmills R^ate, Were blown down ; in one happened a veryTrees# remarkable providence, worthy obfervation :
The miller of Charlewood mill, not far from Rigate, hearing in the night time the wind blow very hard, arofe from bed, and went charle- to his mill, refolving to torn it to the wind, wood mill, and fet it to work, as the only means to pre- ferve it (landing; but in the way feeling for the key, found he had left it at his dwelling- houfe, and returned to fetch it ; his lucky forgetfulnefs preferved his life, which he would inevitably have loft ; for in that inte¬ rim the mill was blown quite down.
' Stacks of corn and hay were fcattered to great diftances from the places where they flood. Many barns and flacks of chimnies were blown down. Scarcely a town in the whole parifh but fuffered confiderable da¬ mage.
In the parifh of Capel by Barking, one c.pej Charles Man was in bed with his wile and Parking, two children; by fall of part of the houfe, he and one child were killed, and his wife and the other child miraculoufly preferved.
At Bafingftoke in Hampfhire, a great p many houfes were blown down, many barns, itoke, and abundance of trees. In a park of Efq; Wallops, three miles from Bafingftoke, eight hundred pounds worth of oak, and the fame value of other trees were blown down ; and proportionally all over the country. Abun-
H 2 dance
Shore-
ham.
Bright-
helm-
iion.
St. Kea-
verne,
Cornwall.
f*r«»
I fees.
ioo ACCOUNT OF THE
dance of houfes were untiled, and chimnieS- blown down. People were generally in great fears and confternation, and imagined the world at an end. But Mr. W. Nevill, who reported this account, heard of no perfon killed thereabout.
At Shoreham, the rnarket-houfe, an an¬ cient but ftrong building, was laid flat to the ground, and all the town fhattered.
Brighthelmfton, being an old and poor, though very populous town, was mod mifer- ably torn to pieces $ it made the very pidture of defolation, and looked as if it had been lacked by an enemy.
At St. Keaverne, near Helford, in Corn¬ wall, the (form began between eight and nine o’clock ; at twelve it blew in a moft violent and dreadful manner ; the inhabitants thought the great day of judgment was coming on them.
It continued blowing thus till five, and then abated a little ; but did prodigious da¬ mage to all forts of people ; their houfes were blown down; their corn carried out of their flack-yards, to fome furlongs diftance: the fields looked as if they had fhaked the fh eaves of corn over them. Several barns were blown down, and the corn in them carried clear away.
The churches thereabout fuffered much; the roofs were torn to pieces, and blown to a confiderable diftance.
The
XQX
STORM IN 1703.
The fruit-trees in that neighbourhood, were fo difmembered and torn, that few or none were left fit for bearing. Elms, oaks, and other large timber trees were generally blown down. Few gentlemen had any trees left (landing about their houfes. Trees and houfes and vallies, and mod: out of the wind, fuffered mod. The damage there was very general both to rich and poor.
In Helford, a fmall haven in Cornwall, there was a tin (hip blown from her anchors, with only one man and two bo vs on board, dr0ve to without anchor, cable, or boat, and forced Wight, out of the haven about twelve o’clock at a‘jQ i0 l* night ; next morning by eight, the fhip mi- raculoufly run in between two rocks in the ifle of Wight, where the man and boys were laved, but the fhip loft. Such a run, in fo jhort a time, is next to incredible, being near eighty leagues in eight hours : but the relator allures, he knew very well the mailer of the ft) ip, and fome who were concerned in the lading. See this confirmed by Mr. Thomas Reade, of Newporte, and a more particular relation of that accident.
A man and his ion were killed at Wormfle, wbrmfle, two miles from Webley in Hereford ft) ire ; Hereford- lord Scudamore had feveral great oaks blown fture# down at Horn, four miles from Hereford; feveral great elms were levelled at Hinton on Wye fide ; and hundreds of fruit trees in . parts of that country. In Hereford
Hin'on.
Mrs. Anne Walts*
Ledbury, JH ere ford - tfiire.
X.nnelee,
Wales,
Bp. of
Bah and W ells and iady killed
ig2 ACCOUNT OF THE
city fome cbimnies were blown down, and abundance of houfes untiled. Which was certified bv Mrs. Anne Watts.
j
At Ledbury in Herefordshire, two wind¬ mills were blown down ; and four flacks of cbimnies in anew-built houfe, which woun¬ ded a maid-fervant : at another gentleman's houfe, the coachman fearing the liable would fall, got his reader's coach horfes out to fave them ; but leading them by a great hack of hay, the wind blew down the flack upon the horfes, killed the one and maimed the other.
At Laneloe in the county of Brecon in Wales, a poor woman and child were blown away, the child, about ten years old, was taken taken up in the air two or three yards, and very much bruiled and wounded in the fall,,
The difmal accident which happened to the right reverend the kifhop of Bath and Wells and his lady at the palace at Wells was related by Mrs. Edith Conyers, and con¬ firmed by other hands :
The palace was the relicks of a very old decayed cable; only one corner was new- built; but the bifbop lay that night in the old apartments, where two chimney flacks fell on the roof, drove it into his lord (hi p’s bed, forced it quite through into the hall, and buried them both under the ruins. It is fuppofed he perceived the fall before it came,
jumped
STORM IN 1703. 103
jumped out of bed, and was making toward the door : for his lordfhip had his gown on, and was found at Tome diftance from the bed, with his brains dafhed out : the lady likewife perceiving it, as is luppofed, wrapped all the be d-c loathes about her 5 and in that manner was found 1 mothered in bed.
At Weds, two homes were blown down ^ flat, juft as the people were gone out ; flacks of chimnies, roofs, and parts of houles, were blown down, or damaged, but no otner acci¬ dent of death in that town.
In the country about, a multitude of apple Trees, and elm trees were rooted up by the ground, and abundance of wheat and hay mows blown down.
At H ontfpil, twelve miles from Wells, th ere were four or five veflels drove afhore a ** long way up on the land ; from whence no fucceeding tide riling to near tnat height, they could never be got eft. In the lame parifhjthe tide broke in breaft-high : All th* people efcaped but one woman who was drowned.
A confiderable breach was made in the town wall, at Cardiff, and part of the church ar J fteeple blown down ; moft of the inhabitants fuffered very much in their houfes; and abundance of trees were unrooted : at the fame time the river overflowed, and drowned the low grounds on both fides the town, wheieby fome hundreds of fheep were loft,
H 4
io4 ACCOUNT OF THE
and fome cattle. One of the market boats was lifted upon the key. Certified by Mr. William Jones.
kley, The following is an account given by the pKe* reverend Mr. Henry Head, vicar of Berkly in Gloucefterfhire, of damages in that parifh, by the great liorm.
This parifh, fays that reverend gentleman, is a very large one, on one fide whereof run- -walJ. neth the Severn, which, by reafon of the violence of the liorm, beat down and tore to pieces the fea-wall, in many places, and levelled it aimed with the ground, forcing great quantities of earth to a great difiance, from the fhore, and {tones, fome of which were above an hundred weight : thereby the Severn was let in above a mile over one part of the parifh, and did great damage to the land ; it carried away one houfe which was hard by the fea- fide, and a gentleman’s liable wherein was a horfe, into the next ground; then the liable fell to pieces, and the horfe came out.
There was one thing very remarkable happened there ; twentyvfix fheets of lead, hanging all together, were blown off from the middle ille of the church, and carried over the north ille (which was a very large one) without touching it; and into the church-yard, ten yards diftant from the church ; and they were taken up all joined together as they Were on the roof: the
plumber
STORM IN 1703, 105
plumber reported that each fheet weighed three hundred and an half.
William Kingfcote, Efq; of Kingfcote, about three miles from Tedbury, had many woods, among which was one grove of very tall trees, near eighty feet high, which the gentleman much valuing for their tallnefs and profpedt, refolved never to cut them down: fix hundred of them, within the compafs of five acres, were wholly blown down (fuppofed to be much at the fame time) each tree tearing up the ground with its root j fo that the roots of molt of the trees, with the turf and earth about them, flood up at lead; fifteen or fixteen feet high ; the Saying down tbofe trees was an amazing fight to all beholders. This account was given by the gentleman himfelf.
The dreadful ftorm d’d but little damage to the church at Slimbridge, near the Severn, but the houfes thereabout were molt terribly Ihaken. In the midft of the church-vard grew a vaft tree, thought to be the larged; and mod: flourifhing elm in the land, which was torn up by the roots, fome of which were bigger than a moderate fized man’s middle, and feveral than a man’s thigh ; the compafs of them curioufiy interwoven with the earth, being from the furface (or turf) to the bads, full an ell in depth, and eighteen feet and half in the diameter, and yet thrown up aim od: perpendicular, the trunk, together
with
Slim-
bridge.
The great elm.
\
jq6 account of the
with the loaden roots, made more than thir- teen tun, and the limbs made fix loads of billets with faggots : the minifter had ob- ferved, two years before, that the circumam¬ bient boughs dropped round above two hundred yards. The minifter gave it for a finger’s Fat in the church, and the date of the ftorm is infcribed on it. The above was verified by Mr. William Frith, church¬ warden.
At the fame place, the tide drowned the Chepilow greateft part of the fheep on the common, bridge, and many cows between that and Briftol : on the oppofite fhore in Glamorganshire, it broke down part of Chepftow-bridge over the Wye.
At Axbridge , in the weft of Somerfe-fmre , ^°Ferfe'" the wind broke down many trees \ the houfe Axbridge. 0f Richard Henden of Charter-hcufe on Men - dip , .called Piney , was ahnoft blown down.
* The tower of Compton-biJJjop was much ^on' fhattered, and the leads that covered it were * taken clean aw y, and laid fiat in the church¬ yard. The houfe of John Cray received much and ftrange damages, which, together with his part of the fea-wall, amounted to five hundred pounds.
Near the fait works in the parifh of Burn- Burnham, frve trading veffels (colliers and corn-
dealers between Wales and Bridgewater) were driven at leaf!' one hundred yards upon pafture ground.
In
'»■ /
STORM IN 1703. 107
la the North marfh on the tides of Bristol Brifto1 river, near Ken at Walton- Woodfpring, nv'r‘ the waters broke in with lucn viorence, that they came fix miles into the country, drowning much cattle, carrying away leve- ral hay ricks and Hacks of corn.
At a farm at Churchill, near Wrington, it Churchill, blew down an hundred and fifty elms, that grew moftly in rows, were laid as uniform as
l'oldiers lodge their arms.
At Cheddar near jdxbrtdge, much harm ChedJar. was done, moreefpecially in houies and apple trees.
At Brewton, the church windows received Brewton. confiderable damage and little in the reft of the buildings. Lady Fitzharding’s houfe, Handing by the church, the battlement with part of the wall of the houfe, was blown down, which the ftrength of twenty men could not have thrown down. A great many trees in the park were torn up by the roots, and laid in very good order one after another.
It was taken notice, that the wind did not come in a full body at once, but in feveral gufts. In riding half a mile, a tree might not be feen down, nor much hurt to houies ; then, for fome fpace, the trees down, and all the houfes fhattered ; It ran lo all up the country, in fuch a line as the wind fat : at the beginning it was at South-weft, about one o’clock it turned to North-weft, after which was the higheft of the wind.
About
lo 8 ACCOUNT OF THE
Win can¬ ton.
About Wine ant on, Mrs. G upper had thirty-? fix elm trees growing together in a row, thirty five of them were blown down. One Edgebill of the fame town, and his family, hearing the houfe begin to crack, arofe from their beds, and got out of doors; as fjon as they were out, the roof fell in : the wind took off the children’s head-clothes, which
they never faw afterward.
The harbour of Plimouth, the caftle at Arbour? Pendennis, the cathedral at Gioucefter, the Pendennis great church at Berkley, the church of St. Churches Stephen at Briftol, the churches at Blandiord, Bridgewater, at Cambridge, and generally the churches all over England, received a great Thare of the damage.
Though it blew a great ftorm farther Ho!!. northward, yet nothing fb furious as this way. At Hull it was violent, but moderate com¬ pared, with the ftupendous fury with which all the fcuthern part of the nation was attacked.
When the reader finds an account from Milford-haven in Wales; from Helford in Cornwall, Weft ; from Yarmouth and Deal, Baft; from Portfmouth, South; and Hull, in the North ; he cannot fuppofe all the vaft interval had not the fame, or proportioned fuffering : It would be endlefs and tirefome to enumerate the individuals ; to tell the de- Orchards folation and rum of whole parks, groves, and and trees, fine walks.
In
STORM IN 1703. 109
In Kent were feen great orchards with the Kent, trees lying flat; perhaps one tree (landing Irees> (where a houfe fheUered it) in other places, none at all. In a circuit over part of that county, a perfon had the curiofity to count the number of trees blown down, but was tired when he had reckoned feventeen thou- fand, but had reafon to believe he did not obferve half the quantity.
The general havock in orchards and gar¬ dens among fruit-trees, (efpeciahy in the cyder-counties of Devon, Gloiicefter, Here¬ ford, Somerfet and Worcefter, where there were numerous and large orchards) was fo great, that for feveral miles together there were very few trees left.
So many trees were every where blown down, that the ways were not paflable, till people were procured to law them off, and remove them. *
— - Winds from tti /Rohan hall ,
Roar through the woods , and make whole fo-
refs fall !
Pope's Hgm. II. xiv. 460.
The feats of gentlemen in all places had extraordinary (hare in the damage; their Parks, &c. parks, in many places, perfectly dilmantled, the trees before the;r doors levelled, their garden walls blown down ; above a thoufand houfes (within the compafs of thefe collected papers) had from five to ten (lacks of chim-
Chimnies.
Beflel4-
{leigh.
Corn and
hay.
Barley and oats.
Wheat.
no ACCOUNT OF THE
nies blown down, according to thedimenfions of the houfes.
At Befifelfteigh in Berkfhire, about four miles fouth-wefl of Oxford, the wind was violent in other refpedis, but left one very ftrange mark of its furious power ; a very tall elm was found the next morning Handing, but perfectly twifled round ; the root a little . loofened, but not torn up.
Stacks of corn and hay were, in all places either blown down, or fo torn that they received great damage : it is very obfervable, thofe which were blown down received lead: injury; when the main body of a flack of hay flood fafe, the top being loofened by the violence of the wind, the hay was driven up into the air, and flew about like feathers, that it was entirely loft, and hung about the neighbouring trees, and fpread on the ground for a great diftance, and fo perfectly fepa- rated, that there was no gathering it together*
Barley and oats differed the fame cafualty, only that the weight of the corn fettled it foonerto the ground than the hay.
The accounts of flacks of wheat are very ftrange, and almoft incredible: a great flack of corn was taken from the hovel on which it flood, and without diflocating the fheaves, let upon another hovel, from which the wind had juft before removed another flack of equal dimentions : and a flack of corn wheat taken up by the wind, was fet down whole fix-
teen
STORM IN 1703. in
teen rods diftant ; and the like. As there were other accounts equally ftrange, and better attefted, thefe may gain a degree of credit.
There were feveral accounts of flacks of wheat taken clear from the frame or fleddal, and fet down whole ; abundance over fet, and thrown off from their (landings ; others quite difperfed, and in great meafure de- flroved.
The exceeding cheapnefs of corn the fuc- ceeding winter, has been urged to prove there was no great quantity deftroyed : but the true reafons for that cheapnefs were.
The (lacks of corn in force countries, efpe- cialiy weftward, where the people generally cheaF; lay up their corn in (lacks, being fo dam¬ nified, and the barns in all places, univerfally uncovered, and va(l numbers of them over¬ turned and blown down, the country people were under a ntceflity of threfhing out their corn with all pofiible fpeed ; left, if a rain had followed, (which at that time of year was moft probable) it had been all fpoiled.
Farmers were obliged, likewife, to threfh their corn, for draw to repair the thatch and covering of barns, to fecure what remained.
It was a fpeciai providence to the people in the country, as well as London, that it did not rain, in any quantity, for near three weeks after the (lorm.
Thefe circumfiances forced the corn to market in unufual quantities, and made it
• cheaper
nets ot corn.
Killed, and loll.
Ho ufe 3
blown
down.
Churches uncover¬ ed, &c.
U2 ACCOUNT OF THE
cheaper than ordinary ; and not the quantity then in (lore*
SECT. III.
Calculation of the Damages .
A N Eftimate of the lofs and damages can only be made from general ac¬ counts ; but the following particulars are not exaggerated above the truth.
Including the city of London, one hun¬ dred twenty-three perfons were killed : that account was taken of. The number of men left, including thofe on the coaft of Holland, thofe in (blips blown away and never heard of, and thofe drowned in the flood of the Severn and in the Thames, by all calculations that could be made, exceeded eight thoufand.
Above eight hundred houfes were blown down ; in moll: of them the inhabitants re¬ ceived feme bruife or wounds, and many loft their lives.
Above an hundred churches covered with lead were uncovered, and the lead rolled up; from fome of them the lead, in great quanti¬ ties, was blown to incredible diftances. Seven fteeples were quite blown down, befide abundance of pinnacles and battlements from thofe which flood; and the churches where it happened moft of them demolifhed, or terribly (haltered..
Above
STORM IN 1703. 113
Above four hundred windmills were over- Windmill? ret and broken to pieces; or the* fails fo over**eu blown round that the timbers and wheels have heated and let the reft on fire, and fo burnt them down: particularly feveral in the EJ ifle of Ely.
In New Foreft in Hampfliire, above four New thoufand trees were blown down, fome of I0r£u* prodigious bignefs.
There were twenty- five parks in the feve- p ^ ral counties which had more than a thou- fand trees in each blown down : and above four hundred and fifty parks and groves which loft from two hundred to a thoufand large trees each.
What the lofs, how many poor families ruined, is not to be eftimated 1
The fire of London was an exceeding lofs, bv fome reckoned at four millions fterling 5 f,re°f
, J r , n . ? London*
happening upon a f pot where valt quantities damages of goods were expofed to the fury of the compared flames, and deftroved in a hurry, and four- 0/^°*® teen thoufand dwelling houfes entirely con- (form, fumed ; yet that defolation was confined to a fmall fpace, the lcfs fell on the wealthieft part of the people $ but this lofs was univer- fal, and its extent gent ral ; not a houfe, not a family that had any thing to lofe, but loft fomething by the ftoi m ; the fea, the land, the houfes, the churches, the trees, the rivers, all felt the fury of the winds.
I
There
1 14 ACCOUNT OF THE
Therefore many people were of opinion that the damage done by the temped far ex¬ ceeded that done by the fire.
But the lofs of fo many valuable lives is irreparable j and puts a (top to all calcu¬ lation !
Severn The damage done by the tide on the banks banks, of the Severn, amounted to above two bun- Sheep, &c. plfec{ thpufand pounds $ fifteen thoufand fheep drowned in one level 5 multitudes of cattle on all the fides 3, and the covering the lands with fait water is a damage not eafily eftimated* The high tide at Briftol damni¬ fied incredible quantities of fugar, tobacco* and other merchandize.
It is impoffible to defcribe the general calamity. The moll can be done is to lead the imagination, to fupply what is omitted. An infinite variety of incidents happened at the fame time in every place, which cannot be expedted to be related.
SECT. IV.
Damages on and by the Water .
THOUGH this confifts of feveral parts, relating to public and private lofs 5 to the merchant, or the navy • to floods by the tides, to damages by the river, and thofe by the feaj for brevity’s fake they are placed under the following heads.
The
STORM IN 1703. 115
The fcafon, both before and after the tem¬ ped, was fo exceeding and continually iiormy, that the feas were, in a manner, unna- vigable, and trade at a kind of general flop : when the dorm was over, and. the weather became tolerable, aimed all the (hipping in England was more or lefs out of repair ; for there Was very little (hipping in the nation but what had received fome damage.
•. A nation fo full of (hipping mud needs be exceeding fufferers in fuch a general difader : whoever confiders the violence of this dorm by the other dreadful effedts, will rather wonder there were no greater damages re¬ ceived.
L Damage fo Trade.
Ships which were at fea when the dorm began, and had no (belter, or port to make for their fafety, and of which there was no other account than that they were never heard of, were reckoned at forty-three.
• The public are obliged for the following Milford' account, fre m on boa' d her majefty’s (hip Haveii* the Dolphin, in Milfcrd haven, to capt, Soanes, commodore of a fleet of men of war in that harbour.
Her majedy’s (hips the Cumberland, Co* ventry. Loo, Haftings, and Hedtor, being under my command, with the Rye, a cruizer on this Ration, and under our convoy about an hundred and thirty merchant (hips bound about land 5 the 26th of November at one
1 2 in
1
Cumber¬ land man of war. Rye cruiser*
A
1 16 ACCOUNT OF THE
\
in the afternoon the wind came at South- by- Eaft a hard gale, between which and North** weft-by-Weft it came to a dreadful dorm; at three the next morning was the violenteft weather, when the Cumberland broke her {beet-anchor, the fhip driving near this, and the Rye, both narrowly efcaped carrying away; die drove very nigh the rocks, having but one anchor left ; but in little time they ilung a cun, with the broken anchor fail to it, which they let go, and wonderfully pie- ferved the fhip from the fliore. Guns firing from one fhip or other all the night for help, though it was impoffible to affift each other, the fea was fo high, and the darknefs of the night fuch, that we could not fee where any one was, but by the flafhes of the guns : when day-light appeared, it was a difmal fight to behold the (hips driving up and down, one foul of another, without mads, foroe funk, others upon the rocks; the wind blow¬ ing fo hard, with thunder, lightning, and rain, that on the deck a man could not (land without holding. Some drove from Dale, where they were fheitered under the land, and fplit in pieces, themen ail drowned; two others drove out of a creek, one on the fhore fo high up was laved, the other on the rocks in another creek, and bulged; an Irifh fhip that lay with a rock through her, was lifted by the fea clear away to the other fide of the creek on a fafe place,; on© fhip forced ten
miles
STORM IN 1703. 117
miles up the river before fhe could be flop¬ ped; and feveral ftrangely blown into holes, and on banks ; a ketch of Pembroke was drove on the rocks, the two men and a boy in her had no boat to fave their lives ; but in this great diflrefs a boat which broke from another drip drove by them, without any in her, the two men leaped into her, and were laved, but the boy was drowned, A prize at Pembroke was lifted on the bridge, where¬ on is a mill, which the water blew up, but the veffel got off again ; another veflel car¬ ried almofl into the gateway which leads to the bridge, and is a road, the tide flowing feveral feet above its common courfe. The florm continued till the 27th about three in the afternoon ; by computation nigh thirty merchant fhips, and veffels without marts, are loft, and what men are loft is not known : three fhips are miffing, that we fuppofe men and ail are loft. None of hermajefty’s fhips came to any harm ; but the Cumberland breaking her anchor in a florm which hap¬ pened the 1 8th at night, iofl another, which rendered her incapable of proceeding. I faw feveral trees and houles which were blown down.
Jo. Soanes.
The reverend Mr. Thomas Chcjl minifter of Chepjlow, gave the following account of the effects of the florm in his neighbourhood.
I 3 Friday
Prize at Pem¬ broke®
Merchant (hips loll*
Chepflow- Rev. Mr. Chef!.
$aTt>
K/skers.
Chepffow
bridge.
21S ACCOUNT OF THE
Friday November 20, 1703, in the even¬ ing , the wind was very high, but about mid¬ night it broke out with more than wonted Violence, and continued till break of day. The loaded cracks were about four o’clock. The inhabitants differed the common cala¬ mity of houfes (haltered and trees blown down.
The wind throwing the tide very drongly into the Severn, and fo into Wye, on which Cfaepdow is fituatedj and the freih in Wye meeting with a rampant tide, overflowed the lower part of the town : it came into feveral hoods above four feet high. The damage to fait- makers was about two hundred pounds.
* The bridge was a ft range fight ! It (lands partly in Monmouthfhire and partly in Glou- cederfhire, and is moftly built of wood, with a done pier in the midd, the centre of which divides the counties : there are done plat¬ forms in the bottom of the river to bear the wood work : over thefe there are wooden ftandards framed into piers forty -two feet high, befid es groundfiis, cap-heads, (leepers, planks, and, on each fide of the bridge, rails which make about fix feet more; the tide came over them all. The length of the wooden part of the bridge in Monmouth- (hire is fix iy yards, and about the fame in Gioucefterlhire ; the Gloucefterfhire fide
differed
STORM IN 1703. 1 19
Suffered little ; but in Monmouthshire fide the planks were mold of them carried away, the Sleepers (about a tun by rneafure each) were many of them carried away, and Several removed : it is not doubted but the wooden piers would have gone too, but the outward fleepers on each fide were pinned or bolted to the cap-heads, and lo kept them in their places.
All the South part cf Monmouthshire, Mon- called the Moors, was overflowed : it is a niouth- track of about twenty miles long, all level,
Save two or three points of high- land, the broadeft part about two miles and a half : this tide came five tides before the top of the Spring, according to the ufual run, which very much Surprized people. Many cattle got to Shore, but Some died after landing.
By a moderate computation, the lofs in hay and cattle was between three and four thou¬ sand pounds : one man was drowned who ventured in quefi: of his mailer’s cattle. The people were carried off, by boats, and other- ways, the days following; Some not till Tuefday evening. What uneafinefs and aftonifhment muft they Suffer in that inter¬ val ! Repairing the fea- walls was very charge- Sea-walls, able, and the land worth little for two or three ve'ars after.
j
Gloucefterfhire that borders upon Severn Gtouce- fuffered deeply on the foreft of Deane fide, P.srihire, but nothing in companion of the other ihore :
I 4 from
Seventy failoi s drowned.
fjlea-
Ccfter.
Betefley.
126 ACCOUNT OF THE
from about Harlingham to the mouth of Briftol river Avon, particularly from Auft Cliff to the river’s mouth, about eight miles, all the marfh was drowned. Many cattle and fheep were loft. About feventy failors were drowned, out of the Canterbury ftore- fhip, and other fhips that were ftranded or wrecked. The Arundel man of war, Suf¬ folk and Canterbury ftore-fhips, a French prize, and a Dane, were driven afhore and damnified. The Richard and John, of five hundred tons, from Virginia, was ftaved : the George and the Grace funk, and the number of people loft, varioufly reported. The Shoreham rode it out in King-road. One Nelms was carried away, with his wife and four children, houfe and all, and were loft, only one girl, who was prefer ved by catching hold of a bough.
The damages in the city of Gloucefter were computed at twelve thoufand pounds ; above fifteen thoufand fheep drowned in the levels on the fide of the Severn ; the fea- walls were damaged to the value of five thoufand pounds : all the country lay under water for twenty or thirty miles together on both Tides, and the tide rofe three feet higher than the tops of the banks.
Saturday about eleven o’clock, Mr, Churchman who kept the inn at Betefley, a paffage over the Severn, and had a (hare in the paffing boats, feeing a Angle man tolled
in
12 I
STORM IN 1703.
in a wood-bufs off in the river, prevailed with fome belonging to the cuftoms, to carry him, one of his fons, and two iervants, aboard the boat, and the officers defired Mr. Churchman to take out the man, and come afhore with them in their pinnace : but he, willing to fave the boat as well as the man, tarried aboard, and fome- time after hoifting fail, the boat overfet, and they were all drowned, the man, Mr. Churchman, his fon, and two fervants.- -
The reverend Mr. Thomas Little, a cler- Lynn gyman at Lynn in the county of Norfolk, on the bed information he could get from merchants and fhip-mafters, found that feven -(hips were loft from that port, valued at three thoufand pounds, and in them twenty men periffied.
The damage fuftained in the buildings of that town was computed at one thoufand pounds at leaft.
Mr. Daniel James was an eye-witnefs of moil of the following material circumftances and fatal effe&s of the great tempeft at Briftol Briftol. and parts adjacent.
Saturday, November 27th, between one and two in the morning arofe a moft prodi¬ gious ftorm of wind, which continued for the fpace of fix hours, in which time it very much fhattered the buildings, both public and private, by uncovering houfes, throwing
down chimnies, breaking glafs windows,
over-
122 ACCOUNT OF THE
overthrowing pinnacles and battlements of churches, and blowing off the leads : the churches in particular felt the fury of the ftorm ; the cathedral had two windows and feveral battlements blown down, and was otherwise much defaced 5 from the tower of St. Stephen’s three pinnacles were blown down, which beat down the greateft part of the church ; moft churches in the city fek its force. It blew down abundance of great trees in the Marfli, College-green, St. James’s church-yard, and other places in the city 5 and in the country it blew down and feat- tered abundance of hay and corn-mows, ai¬ med levelling many orchards and groves of ffout trees But ihe greateft damage done to the city was the violent overflowing of the tide, g cafijiied by the force of the wind, which flowed an extraordinary height, and did abundance of damage to merchants cel¬ lars ; it broke in with great fury over the marfli country, forcing down the banks, or fea- walls, drowning abundance of fheep and other cattle ; waftiing forne houfes dear away, and breaking down part of others, in which many perfons lofl their lives. It effove mod of the (hips in Kingroad a confi- ^ingroad. derable way upon the land, fome being much fhattered, and one large veffei broke all in pieces, and near all the men loft, and feveral loft out of other veffds. The tide filled the cellars, fpoiled a thoufand hogfheads of
fugar.
STORM IN 1703. 123
jfugar, fifteen hundred hogfheads of tobacco, and the damage done in that city alone, in merchandize, houfes, &c. was computed to an hundred thoufand pounds; befides great lofs in the country, of cattle, corn, hav, &c.' which ruined many farmers, whofe fubftance confifted in their dock. Above eighty per- fons were drowned in the marfhes and rivers, whole families perifhing together.
The reverend Mr. Samuel Woodefon, minifter of Huntfpill in Somerfetfhire, gave Huntfpill. the enfuing information of the damage his parifh fuftained.
The parifh of Huntfpil! received great damage by the inundation of the fdt water : *mmda“ the weft part fuffered moft. On the 27th of ‘,oa’ November, about four in the morning, a mighty fouth-weft wind blew fb ftrong, as in a little time ftrangely tore thefea-vvalls; i n To— much that a considerable part were laid fmooth ; after which, the fea com i no- ifl with great violence, drove in five vefiels, be- longing to Bridgewater-key, out of the chan¬ nel, upon a wharf which lay fome di fiance, where they were all grounded : the fea men fathomed the depth there, and found it. about nine feet, which is four feet above the walls when ftanding : the falt-water foon overflowed all the weft end of the parifh ; forcing many of the inhabitants from their dwellings to fhift for their lives • feveral houfes were thrown down, in one a woman
aged
Large
dm.
Mine-
lisad.
124 ACCOUNT OF THE
aged fourfcore was drowned : fome families took (helter in the church, and (laid there till the waters abated. The windows of the church and chancel were much broken, great part of the chancel untiled j much of the lead of the church was damnified; three window leaves of the tower were blown down, and the ruff-caft fcaled off in many places. The pa fonage houfe, barn and walls, and fome neighbouring houl'es, received great damage. At the weft end of the par- fonage houfe flood a very large dm, four yards and a quarter and half in circumference, it was broken off near the ground by the wind, without forcing any one of the moars above the furface, but remained as they were before. The inhabitants received great Ioffes in fheep and other cattle, and very confider- able fpoil was made in corn and hay.
Mr. Chrift. Cb ave gave the following ac¬ count of what happened at Minchead in Somerfetfhire.
All the (hips in the harbour, (about twen¬ ty-four befide fi thing boats) were (except two) through the violence of the ftorm, and the mooring ports giving way, drove from their anchors ; one of them was rtaved to pieces, nine drove afhore, fome of them very much damnified : feveral fifhing boats, with their nets and other neceffaries, were deftroyed. Three feamen were drowned, and one man was fqueezed to death, by one of the (hips
STORM IN 1703. 12$
that was forced afhore coming fuddenly upon him as they were digging round her, endeavouring to get her off.
The pier was injured, the church almoft Untiled 5 the neighbouring churches received much damage; the houfes of the town, and all the country round aboutj were mo ft o£ them damaged ; fome blown down, and fe- veral in great meafure uncovered ; trees of very great bignefs were broken off m the middle, and vail numbers blown down ; one r^rees* gentleman had two thoufand five hundred trees blown down.
Mr. William Jones of Svvanzy in Wales, Swanzy. upon enquiry in that neighbourhood, found the underwritten to he certainly true.
The ftorm began there about midnight, but was mod violent about four next morn¬ ing; at which time the greatefi part of the houfes in the town were uncovered, and one houfe clear ly blown down ; the damage fuftaincd modeftly computed at two hun¬ dred pounds. The loath ifle of the church was wholly uncovered, and confiderable hurt done to the other ifies ; four large (tones weighing about two hundred pounds each, were blown from the end of the church > three of the four iron (pears that flood with vanes on the corners of the tower, were broke off fhort in the middle, and the vanes not to be found ; the tail of the weather¬ cock, which flood in the middle of the
tower,
126 ACCOUNT OF THE
tower, was broke off fhort in the middle, and found at four hundred yards diftanee. In Clioe wood, belonging to the duke of Beau¬ fort, there were about an hundred large trees blown down ; and about eighty large oaks in a wood on the river, belonging to Mr. Thomas Man fell of B. itonferry. The tides did not much damage, but two fliips were blown oft the bar ; one came a-ground on the falt-houfe point near the harbour ; the other came on Chore, but was faved. There were feveral flacks of corn overturned in the par fines of Roy illy and Largenny in Gower; in Gower, mod of the thatched houfes were uncovered.
Hie following account of damages by Mr, ciindo). rppomas Fairweather of Grimfby in Lincoln- (hire, was taken for very favourable.
The dreadful temped; did not much affedl them on (here at Grimfby. The whole fleet then at anchor in the road confided of about one hundred fail, fifty whereof were wanting after the ft o nn : the wrecks of four were to be feen in the road at low water, their men all loft 5 three more were funk near the Spurn, all the men but one were faved ; fix or leven were driven afhore, but got off again with little- damage. A final 1 hoy, not having a man aboard, was taken at lea by a merchant- man.
The reverend Mr. Banks, minifter of Hull,' a gentleman of very extraordinary character, endeavoured to obtain as many par¬ ticulars
STORM IN 1703. 127
ticulars as poffible of the harm the dreadful temped d-d in the Humber, hut could obtain no exadt account : for the mifchief was done in the night, which was fo pitch-dark, that of above eighty ihips that then rid in the Humber, about Grimfhy-road, very few efcaped fome lols or other ; and none of them were able to give a relation of any but themfelves.
The belt account that reverend gentle¬ man could obtain of the effedts of the dorm was from Mr. Peter Walls, matter of the watch-tower called the Spurn- iivht; at the Humber mouth, who was prefent there on the night of the 26th of November, the fa¬ tal night of the ftorm.
Mr. Walls did verily believe his pharos, which was above twenty feet high, would have been blown down; and the temped made the fire in it burn fo vehemently that it melted down the iron bars, on which it la'd, like lead; fo that they were forced, when the fire was by this means aimed ex- tinguifhed, to put in new bars, and kindle the fire afrefh ; which they kept in till the morning light appeared : and then, about fix Or feven and twenty fail of ihips wereobferv- ed, all d riving about the Spurn- head; fome having cut, others broke, their cables, but all difabled, and rendered helplefs. Thefe were part of the two fleets that lay in the Hum¬ ber, being put in there by ftrefs of weather a
day
Humber
Spurn
light*
128 ACCOUNT OP Ttlfi
day or two before ; fome from Raffia, and the reft colliers, to and from Newcaftle. Of thefe, three were driven upon an ifland called the Den, within the Spurn in the mouth of the Humber.
The firft of thefe no fooner touched ground, but fhe overfet, and turned up her bottom; out of which only one of her com¬ pany (fix) was loft, being in the fhrouds ; the other five were taken up by the fecond (hip, who had faved their boat. In this boat all the reft of the men of the three {hips were faved, and came to Mr. Walls’s houfe at the Spurn-head, who got them good fires, and all accommodations neceflary for them in fuch diftrefs. The fecond (hip, having no¬ body on board, was driven to fea with the violence of the tempeft, and never feen or heard of more. The third, which was then a-ground, was fuppofed to be broken up and driven; for nothing, but fome coals which were in her, was to be feen next morning.
^ . Another (hip, the day after, was riding in
foad/ ^ Grim (by- road, and the (hip’s company (ex¬ cept two boys) being afhore, the (hip, with the two lads in her, drove diredtly out of the Humber, and was loft. The boys were fuppofed to have been faved by one of the Ruffia (hips, or convoys.
The fame day in the morning one John Bpnes, a Yarmouth mafter, was in his (hip, riding in Grim(by-roa,d3 and by the violence
©£
STORM IN 1703. 129
of the ftorm, fome other (hips coming foul upon him, part of his fhip was broken down, and driven toward lea; whereupon he anchored under Kilnfey-land, and with Kilnfey- his crew came fafe afliore in his boat, but the larui* fhip was never feen more.
The remainder of the fix or feven and twenty fail being driven out of the Humber, very few, if any, were ever heard of. Though the ftorm was not fo violent there as about Portfmouth, Yarmouth-roads, and the fouthern-coafts, yet the crews of the three fhips declared they were never out in fo difmai a night as that of the 26th of No¬ vember, in which the confiderable fleet aforefaid rid in Grimlby-road in the Hum¬ ber ; for mod of the eighty fail broke from their anchors, and run foul one upon ano¬ ther ; and by reaion of the darknefs of the night, they could fee very little of the mil- chief that was done.
Mr. Thomas Reade gave the bed account he could procure of what happened at New- ^ °hfr port, and other parts of the ille of Wight.
Several houfes were blown down, and ma- jiy houles in town, and all parts of the ifland, uncovered. A veffel laden with tin was driven from her anchors in Cornwall, and ftranded at Newport, having fpent her main- mail and all her tails. Sunday night feveral fhips were ftranded on the fouth and fouth- weft parts of the ifland j one or two laden
K with
130 ACCOUNT OF THE
/
with cork 3 two or three with Portugal wine, oranges and lemons 3 one with hides and butter 3 one with fugar 3 one with pork* beef, and oatmeal 5 and one with Hates. Monday night, Tuefday and Wednefday came on the back of the ifland, and fome in at the Needles, the fleet that went out with the king of Spain, but in a dreadful ftorm and dark weather.
The effedls of the dreadful tempeft were Bright- very terrible and melancholy at Brighthelm-
hclmltone. ^one jn guffeX.
It began about one in the morning : the violence of the wind dripped a great many houfes; turned up the leads of the church y overthrew two windmills, and laid them flat on the ground : the town in genera], upon approach of day-light, looked as if it had been bombarded. Several veffels were loft* others Branded and driven on filer e, others forced over to Holland and Hamburgh, to the great impoverishing the place. Derick Pain, junior, m after of the Elizabeth ketch of this town, loft, with all his company. George Taylor, mafter of the ketch Happy Entrance, ioft, and his company, except Walter Street, who fwimming three days on a maft between the Downs and North Yar¬ mouth, was at laft taken up. Richard Weft, mafter of the ketch Richard and Ilofe of Brighthelmftone, loft, with all his company,, near St. Helen’s. Edward Friend, mafter of
the
' STORM IN 1703. i3t
the ketch Thomas and Francis, ftranded near Portfmouth. Edward Glover, mafter of the pink Richard and Benjamin, ftranded near Chichefter, loft one of his men, and he and the reft of his company forced to hang in the fhrouds feveral hours. The pink Mary, George Beach, junior, mafter, driven over to Hamburgh from the Downs, having loft his anchor, cables, and fails. Robert Kitchener, mafter of the Choi alley pink of Brighton, loft: near the Rofeant, with nine men, five men and a boy faved by another veftel: be- fides the lofs of feveral able feamen aboard of her maje fly’s fhips, tranfports and tenders.
Mr. James Baker made enquiry concern- Lyming*
ton.
Guernfey
privateer.
ing the difaftersat Lymington.
A Guernfey privateer, coming through the Needles, loft his fore-top- malt, and cut his main-maft by the board, had twelve men waftied overboard, and by tofs of another im¬ mediate fea, three of them were put onboard again, and did well. Six ftacks of ch ironies were blown from a great houie called New Ne"v Park in the fore ft ; fome that flood diredlly pafK to windward were blown clear off the houfe without injuring the roof, or houfe, or inha- bitants, and fell fome yards from the houfe.
Above four thoufand trees were torn up by the roots in her majefty’s for eft called New Foreft, fome of them of very great bulk.
The Affiftance, a (hip about two hundred The Al¬ ton from Maryland, laden with tobacco, was
K 2 caft
Mew
foreft.
Overflow¬ ing at Hurft beach.
Lvme
Regis.
Cuernfey
privateer.
Sea-town.
ChiJock.
Margate;
132 ACCOUNT OF THE
cad away upon Hurd beach ; one of the mates and four failors were loft. By the flowing of the fea over Hurft beach two falterns were almoft ruined, belonging to Mr. Perkins. In the town fome houfes were (tripped of the healing, windows were broke, and chimnies blown down. A new barn nigh the town was blown quite down. The damage was very confiderable among the fanners in the adjacent places, by overturning barns, out- houfes, (lacks of corn and hay; and among poor families and fmall houfes : abundance of trees of all forts, especially elms and apple-trees, were deftroyed upon the eftates thereabout.
Damages done at Lyme-Regis, and parts adjacent, in the county of Dorfet ; vouched for true by Mr. Stephen Bowbridge.
Five boats drove out of the Cob, and one veflel loft. Moft of the houfes had fome damage. Many trees were blown up by the roots in the neighbourhood, and four miles to the eaft ward of the town. A Guernfey priva¬ teer of eight guns and forty-three men drove afhore, at Sea -town, half a mile from Chi- dock, and but three of the men faved. Moft of the houfes at Chidock were uncovered, and a man killed in bed. All villages buf¬ fered extremely in houfes, and trees, both elms and apples without number.
At Margate in the ifle of Thanet in' Kent, hardly a houfe efcaped without damage ;
moft
STORM IN 1703. 133
mod part of the tiles were blown totally off from the roofs ; feveral chimnies blown down, which broke through the homes to the ground ; feveral families narrowly efcap- ed being killed in their beds. Part of the leads of the church were blown clear off, and great damage to the church itfelf. The churches of St. Laurence Minfter, Mounron, and St. Nicholas, received a great deal of damage.
Moil little towns, villages, and farms on the ifland (offered much in their houfes, barns, ftables and out-houfes, many ot them being: blown down to the ground.
In Margate road, one Latchford of Sand- Late liford wich, bound home from London, with di~ ofs^nd- vers men and women paffengers, was blown out, and totally loft: another little pink blown away at the fame time, and not heard
of.
The Princefs Anne, captain Charles Gye, and the Swan, hofpital (hips, rid out the ftorm, and received no damage : only capt. Gye was parted from one of his anchors, and part of a cable.
At Malden in Effex, a fpire of a fteeple was blown down, and the c nurcnes much (battered. Between thirty and forty pounds damage was done to the tiling of the princi¬ pal inn : many houfes wereript up, and feme blown down. At a gentleman’s houfe (Mr. Mofes Bourton) a flack of chimnies fell
K 3 through
South¬
ampton.
Powns*
234 ACCOUNT OF THE
through the roof, upon a bed where his chil¬ dren lay, who were dragged out with a nar¬ row efcape. Many other chirnnies were blown down, and much mifchief done.
Several veffels in the harbour were much fhattered, efpecially one laden with corn for London, ftranded, and the corn loft to the value of five hundred pounds, and the per- fons narrowly efcaped, by a faiall boat that relieved them next day.
Mr. George Powell gave the following ftate of Southampton : the town being mo ft part old building, fuffered much, few or no houfes efcaped, being moftly untiled, and many ftacks of chirnnies blown down : feveral people bruifed : abundance of trees, particu¬ larly in the New Foreft, blown down, others with limbs of great bignefs, torn.
Mod of the fhips in the river, and thofe which lay off from the keys, were blown on fhore; fome partly torn to wrecks; three 94' four blown fo far on fhore that the owners were at the charge of unlading them and digging large channels for the fpring-tides tp float them off: it being a foftland, or mud, with much-a-do, they got them off, with
1 u O
little damage. No lives were loft, though fome narrowly efcaped.
A plain Setter from the Downs will heft defcribe the horror and confternation the poor failors were in ; though there are fome miff takes in the number of fhips and men loft.
44 Sir,
STORM IN 1703. 135
** Si R,
<c Thefe lines, I hope in God, will find you in good health, we are all left here in a difrnal condition, expecting every moment to be all drowned ; for here is a great ftoxm, and is very likely to continue. We have here the rear admiral of the Blue, in the fhip called the Mary, a third rate, the very next (hip to ours, funk, with admiral Beaumont, and above five hundred men, drowned ; the Northumberland, a third rate, about five hundred men, all funk, and drowned 5 the Stirling— cafi le, a third rate, funk, and drowned above five hundred fouls ; the Reftoration, a third rate, ail funk and drowned: thele (hips were all clofe by us, which I faw : thefe (hips fired their guns all night and day long, poor fouls, for help, but the ftorm being fo fierce and raging, could have none to fave them, The Shrewfbury, that we are in, broke two anchors, and did run mighty fierce back¬ wards, within fixty or eighty yards of the fands; and, as God Almighty would have it, we dung out our fheet anchor, which is the biggeft, and fo flopped: here we all prayed to God to forgive us our fins, and to fave us, or eife to receive us into his heaven¬ ly kingdom. If our fheet-anchor had given way, we had been all drowned : but I hum¬ bly thank God it was his gracious mercy that faved us. There’s one’ captain Fanel’s fhip,
K 4 three
i $6 ACCOUNT OF THE
three hofpital fhips, all fplit :* fome funk, and moft of the men drowned.
There are above forty merchant-fliips caft away and funk. To fee admiral Beaumont, that was next os, and all the reft , of his men, how they dimed up the main-maft, hun¬ dreds at a time, crying out for help, and thinking to fave their lives, and in the twink¬ ling of an eye were drowned. I can give you no account but of thefe four men of war arorefaid, which I law with my own eves, and thole hofpital fhips, at prefect, by reafon the fto.rm has drove us far diftant from one another. Captain Crow, of our fhip believes, we have loft feveral more men of war, by reafon we fee io few. We lie here in great danger, and waiting for a north-eafterly wind to bring us to Portfmouth, and it "is our prayers to God for it ; for we know not bow foon this ftorm may arife, and cut us all off ; for it is a difmal place to anchor in. 1 have rot had my deaths off, nor a wink of fieep, thefe four nights, and have got my death with cold a! moft.
Tour’s to command.
Miles Norcliffe.
1 fend tnss, having opportunity, by our 1) v . a >. s , went afhore to carry iome ooor
on, uiai we i e a 1 m o ft dead, and were taken up fwimmine«
5 TO R
IN
I7°3<
1 37
The next paragraph is more authentic, and particular, and will farther defcribe the ter¬ ror of that night in the Downs.
A fhip was blown from her anchors out Halford of Heiford Haven to the ifle of Wight, in ^aven* lefs than eight hours. The fhip lay in Hel- blown to ford Haven, about two leagues and a half weft ward of Falmouth, being laden with tin, vvl£ht* which was taken on board from Guague wharf, about five or fix miles up Heiford river, the commander’s name was Anthony Jenkins of Fa'mouth. About eight in the evening before the ftorrn begun, the com- mander and mate came on board, and or¬ dered the crew he left on board (which was only one man and two boys) that if the wind fhould chance to blow hard, which he had fome apprehenfion of, to carry out the fmall bower 'anchor, and moor the fhip with two anchors ; and gave them fome other orders ; and he and his mate wentafhore, and left the crew aboard. About nine the wind began to blow : they carried out the fmall bower, as directed ; it continued blowing harder and harder, at weft-north-weft ; at laf t the fhip
-L
began to drive, then they were forced to let £o the bell: bower anchor, which brought the fhip up. The ftorrn increafing more, they were obliged to letgo thekedge anchor, which was all they had to let go ; fo that the fhip rid with four anchors a-head. Between eleven and twelve the wind came about weft
and
-
/
I3« ACCOUNT of the
and by fouth, in a mo ft terrible and violent manner, that notwithstanding a very high hill juft to windward of the fhip, and four anchors a-head, Ihe was drove from all her anchors, and about twelve o'clock drove out of the harbour, without anchor or cable, not fo much as a boat left in cafe they fhould put into any harbour. In this dreadful condition the fhip drove out, clear of the rocks to fea ; where the man with the two boys confulted what to do ; at laft refolved to keep her far enough to fea, for tear of Deadman’s Head, being a point of land be¬ tween Falmouth and Plymouth ; the latter of which places they defigned to run her in, if pouible, to fave their lives. The next morning, in this frighted condition, they fleered her clear of the land, to the bed of their fkiil, fometimes aim oft under water, and fometimes a-top, with only the bonet of her fore-fail out, and the fore- yard aim oft- lowered to the deck; but inftead of getting into Plymouth next day, as intended, they were far enough off that port ; next mori> ing they faw land, which proved to be Peve- rel Point, a little to the weftward of the ifle of Wight ; fo that they were in a worfe condition than before ; for over-running their defigned port, by feven o’clock they found themfelves off the ifle of Wight; where they confulted again what to do to fave their lives : one of the boys was for running her
6 * into
STORM IN 1703. 139
into the Downs ; but that was objedted againft, becaufe they had no anchors nor boat; and the ftorm blowing off fhore in the Downs, they fhould be blown on the unfor¬ tunate Goodwin lands, and loft. Now Comes the laft confultation for their lives : one of the boys faid, he had been in a certain creek in the hie of Wight, where, between the rocks, he believed there was room enough to run the fhip in, and fave their lives ; he defired to have the helm from the man, and j he would venture to fteer the fhip into the faid place, which accordingly they did, where there was juft room between rock and rock for the (hip to come in, where fhe gave one blow or two againft the rocks, and lunk im¬ mediately ; but the man and boys jumped a fhore : "and all the lading being tin, was faved. For their condudF, and the rifk they run, they were all very well rewarded ; and , the merchants well tatisfkd.
Great notice was taken of the town-people Dea!_ of Deal, who were highly blamed for their Good barbarity, in neglecting to fave the lives of Sands abundance of poor wretches, who having bung upon the marts and rigging of the fhips, or flated upon broken pieces of wrecks, had potten a fhore on the Goodwin fands when the tide was out.
It was a fad fpeftacle to behold the poor
feamen walking to and fro upon the fands 5
to view their portures, and the fignals they
made
i4o ACCOUNT OF THE
made for help ! which by the affiftance of glaffes were eafily feen from the fhore.
Here they had a few hours reprieve, but had neither prefent refrefhment, nor any hopes of life; for they were fore all to be wafhed into another world at the reflux of the tide. Some boats are laid to have gone very near them in q ue ft of booty, in fearch ofplunder, and to carry off what they could pillage ; but nobody concerned themfelves for the lives of their miferable and fufferingr fellow-creatures !
There was one perfon in the town whofe humanity, courage and charity deferve re¬ membrance. The account of his behaviour ought to be tranfmitted to pofteritv, as an example ' proper for imitation on the like occafions.
Mr.Thos. Mr. Thomas Pftwell, a flop-feller at Deal, in a v or If at that time mayor of the town, found him- Beal, felf greatly moved with companion at the diftrefles of thofe poor creatures whom he frw in that miferable condition upon the fands : he made application to the cuftom- houfe officers for affiftance by their boats and men, to five the lives of as many as they could come at ; but the officers rudely re^ fuied both men and boats.
Provoked with the unnatural carriage of the cuftom-houfe men, the mayor called the people about him ; finding feme of the com¬ mon fort began to- be more than ordinarily
affe&ed
I
STORM IN 1703. 141
affedted with the diftrefles of their country¬ men, and, as he thought, a little inclined to venture, he made a general offer to all that would venture out, that he would pay them five (hillings per head for all the men whole lives they could fave: on this propofal feve- ral offered themfeives, if the mayor would furnifh boats.
Finding the main point clear, that the men were willing, he, with their affiftance, took away the cuftom-houfe boats by force : he knew he could not juftify if, and might be brought into trouble about it ; and particu¬ larly if they were loft might be obliged to pay for them ; yet he refolved £0 venture that, rather than hazard his defign for faving fo many poor men’s lives. Having manned a boat with a crew of flout honeft fellows, he with them took away feveral other boats, from perfons who made no other ufeofthem than to rob and plunder, not regarding the diftrefles of the poor men.
Being thus provided with men and boats, he fent them off and by this means brought on fhore above two hundred men, whole lives would, otherwife, in a few minutes have been infallibly loft : for when the tide came in, and it was too late to go oft’ again, all that were left were fwallowed up with the raging fea. >
Mr. Powell’s next care was to relieve the poor creatures whoin. he had laved, who
were
i42 Account* oi^ tHfi
were almoft dead With hunger and cold* naked and ftarving: firft, he applied to the queen’s agent for fick and wounded feamen ; but he would not relieve them with one penny ; whereupon Mr* Mayor, at his own charge, furnifhed them with meat, drink5 and lodging.
Next day feveral of them died ; the ex¬ tremities they had differed having too much maftered their fpirits : thefe he was alfo forced to bury at his own charge, the agent ftill refufing todifburfe one penny.
After their refrefhment, the poor men, affifted by the mayor, made frefh applica¬ tion to the agent for condudt-rnoney, to help them to London : he anfwered, he had no order, and would difburfe nothing : where¬ upon the mayor gave them all money in th eir pockets, and paffes to Gravefend.
This gentleman deferved the thanks of the government, and an immediate re-imburfe- ment of his money. He met with great obffruQions and delays ; but after long at¬ tendance, obtained re-payment of his money ; and fome fmall allowance for his time fpent in folieiting for it.
The damage differed in the river Thames ought not to be forgotten.
It was ftrange to find all the fhips blown away from the river; the Pool was fo clear, that not above four fhips were left between the upper part of Wapping and RatclifTcrofs,
for
STORM IN 1703. 143
for the tide being up when the ftorni blew with the greateft violence, no anchors or land¬ fall, no cable or moorings, could hold them : the chains, which lay crofs the river, for mooring of fhips, all gave way.
The fhips breaking loofe, it was amazing to fee the hurry and confufion : and as forne fhips had nobody on board, and a great many had none but a man or boy to look after the veffel, there was nothing to be done, but to let every veffel drive whither and how fhe would.
Thofe who know the reaches of the riven, and how they lie, know well enough, that the wind being fouth-weft, wefterly, the veffels would naturally drive into the bite or bay from Ratcliff-crofs to Limehoufe-hole $ for that the river winding about again from thence toward the New dock at Deptford, runs almoft due fouth-weft 5 fo that the wind blew down one reach and up another, the fhips muft of neceflity drive into the bot¬ tom of the angle between both.
As this was the cafe, the place not large, and the number of fhips very great, the force of the wind had driven them fo into one ano¬ ther, and laid them fo upon one another, as it were in heaps, that the whole world may be fafely defied to do the like. Thofe who viewed the place, and pofture of the veffels* the next day, imagined their fituation impof- fible todefcribe. There lay, by the beft ac¬ count
144 ACCOUNT OF THE
count could be taken, near feven hundred fail of (hips, fome very great ones, between Shadvvel and Limehoufe, inclufive : the pof- ture is not to be imagined, but by thofe who law it ; fome Ve fie Is lay heeling off, with the bow of another flip over her wafte, and the item of another upon her fore-caftle $ the boltfprits of fome drove into the cabin win¬ dows of others ; fome lay with their items turned up fo high, that the tide flowed into their fore-caflles before they could come to rights ; fome lay fo leaning upon others, that the undermofl veflels would fink before the other could float ; the number of marts, boltfprits and yards fplit and broke* the ftaving heads, fferns and carved work $ tear¬ ing and deftrudion of rigging 5 fqueezing boats to pieces between the fhips, could not be reckoned. There was hardly a veffel to be been that had not fuffered fome damage, in one gr all thofe articles.
Several veflels were funk in the hurry, but as they were generally light fhips, the da¬ mage was chiefly to the veflels : but there were two fhips funk with great quantity of goods on board ; the Ruffe! galley at Lime¬ houfe, laden with bale goods for the Streights ; and the Sarah galley laden for Leghorn, funk at an anchor at Blackwall : {he was afterward weighed and brought on fhore, yet her back was broke, and fo otherwife difabled, that (lie was never after¬ ward
STORM IN 1703. 14?
ward fit for the fca. There were feveral men drowned in the two laft mentioned (hips.
Near Gravefend feveral (hips drove on Grnvep fhore below Tilbury-fort ; among them, five end. bound for the Weft-Indies 5 but as the (liore is oozy and foft, the veffels fat upright and eafy: the high tides, which followed, and were the ruin of lo many in other places, were the deliverance of all thefe (hips, whofe lading and value were very great : for the tide rifing to an unuiual height, floated them all off 5 and the damage was not fo great as was expedted.
An account of the lofs, and particulars Small relating to the final 1 craft in the river, were craft, impoffible to colledl, otherwife than by ge¬ nerals :
The watermen reckoned above five hun¬ dred wherries loft, mod of which were not funk only, but dafhed to pieces againft each other, or againft the fhips and (Lores where they lay. Ship boats without number were driven about in every corner, funk and ftaved ; of which about three hundred were fuppofed to be loft. Above fixty barges and lighters werefound driven foul of the bridge; and fixty more funk or ftaved between the bridge and Hammerfmith. Abundance of lighters and barges drove quite through the bridge, and took their fate below, whereof many were
loft,
r /
j.
In
i46 ACCOUNT OF THE
In all thisconfufion, it cannot be fuppofed but that many lives were loft : but as the Thames oftentimes buries thofe it drowns,
' there could be no account taken. Two watermen at Black-friars were drowned en¬ deavouring to fave their boat : a boat was overfet near Fulham, and five perfons drowned.
According to the beft accounts, only twenty- two perfons were drowned in the river upon this fad occafion, which, all cir~ cumftances confidered, were fewer than ex¬ pedit'd : and the damage done to (hipping, compared with the vaft number of (hips then in the river, the violence of the ftorm, and the height of the tide, confirm an opinion » of many fkilful men, that the river Thames is the beft harbour of Europe.
The height of the tide did not great da¬ mage in the river Thames ; none of the levels or marfhes, which lie on each fide the river, were overflowed with it : it filled the cellars, indeed, at Gravefend, apd on both fides at London, and the ale-houfe keepers differed fome lofs in their beer, and abundance of other perfons, whofe warehoufes were near the river in many other commodities ; but inconliderable in comparifon.
From Yarmouth terrible news was impa- Yar mouth tiently expended | as there was a very great fleet there of laden colliers, Ruflia-men and others, nothing was expedted but a dreadful
deftrudtion
STORM IN 1703. 147
deftrudlion among them: the iofs was very great, bat not in proportion to other places.
The Referve man of war was come in but Referve, a day or two before, convoy to the great fleet |j;un- from Ruffia, and the captain, furgeon, and ctv * clerk, who after fo long a voyage, went afhore with two boats to refrefh themfelves, and buy provifions, had the mortification to {land on fhore and fee the (hip fink before their faces ; the foundered about eleven o’clock ; and as the lea went too high for any help to go off from fhore, and their own boats being both on fhore, not one map was laved. One Rmflia (hip driving from her anchors, and running foul of a laden collier, funk by his fide; fome of the men were faved by getting aboard the collier. Three or four fmall veflels were driven out to lea, and never heard of more. Moft of the col¬ liers were driven from their anchors, but go¬ ing away to fea, not many of them were loft: which may thus be accounted for.
By all relations, the ftorm was not fo vio¬ lent farther northward; and as it was not fo violent, neither did it continue fo long : thofe fhips who found they could not ride it out in Yarmouth roads, but Hipping their cables went away , to fea, poffibly as they went away to the northward, found the weather more moderate, at leaft not fo violent but it might be borne: to this may be added, that it i* well known tp thofe who ufe the coaft,
L 2 after
Ply¬
mouth.
Portf-
mouch.
148 ACCOUNT OF THE
after they had run the length of Flambo- rough they had the benefit of the weather- fhore, and pretty high land, which, if they took ilie! ter under, might help them very much. Thefe, with other cireumftances* made the damage, though very great, much lefs than every one expected.
Plymouth felt a full proportion of the ftprm in its utmoft fury : the Edyftone was a double lots ; the light-houfe had not been long down, when the Winchelfea, a home¬ ward bound Virginia- man, was fplit upon the rock where that building flood, and moft of her men drowned.
No other particulars were ever heard of the lofs of the light-houfe called the Edy¬ ftone,, than that at night it was {landing, in the morning all the upper part from the gal¬ lery was blown down, and all the people in it perifhed > and, by a particular misfortune, Mr. Winftanly, the contriver of it, who was much regretted, as a very ufefu! man to his country.
Three other merchant fiiips were caft: away in Plymouth road, and moft of their men loft* The Monk man of war rode it out, but was obliged to cut all her malls by the board ; as feveral men of war did in other places.
At Portfmouth there was a great fleet \ feveral of the fiiips were blown out to fea, whereof feme were never heard of more :
the
f
STORM IN 1703. 149
the Newcaftle was heard of upon the coaft of Suffex, where (he was loft, with all her men but twenty-three : The Refolution, the Eagle advice-boat, and the Litchfield’s prize, felt the fame fate, but faved their men.
From Cowes feveral ihips were driven out Covves* to fea, whereof one run on fhore in Stokef- bay ; one full of foldiers, and two merchant men, were never heard of. Abundance of Chips faved themfelves by cutting down their mafts, and others branded, but by help of the enfuing tides got off again.
At Falmouth eleven fail of Chips were Falmouth, ftranded on the (bore, but mod of them got off again.
In Barnftable harbour a merchant-fhip B""- outward bound was overlet ; and the Expreis advice-boat v-ery much (battered, and the key of the town almoft deftroyed.
Several (hips from the Downs were driven over to the coaft of Holland ; fome faved themfelves there ; but others were loft.
There was an account of eleven (hips driven to that coaft; mod: of which were loft, but the men faved.
Portfmouth, Plymouth, Weymouth, and moft of our fea-port towns, looked as if they had been bombarded ; and the damage not eafily computed.
France felt thegeneral (hock, particularly the France, piersand rice-bank at Dunkirk, the harbour at
L 2 Havre-
Dunkirk.
Sir
Cloudefle
bhovd.
A ffocia-
iign.
150 ACCOUNT OF THE
Ha vre-de- grace 5 from the towns of Calais and Boulogne, there were ftrange accounts.
All the veffels in the road before Dun¬ kirk, about twenty-five, were dafhed in pieces againft the pier-heads, not one ex¬ cepted ; that fide being a lee-fhore, the reafon is plain there was no going off to fea. Had it been fo in the Downs or Yarmouth roads, it would have fared with us in the fame manner, and three hundred tail in Yarmouth roads had inevitably perifhed.
At Dieppe the like mifchief happened ; and Paris felt the effects as bad, and, as fome thought, worfe than London. A great va¬ riety of accidents happened in that country.
All the north-eaft countries felt it : the accounts from Holland in general were very difmal.
It was pad human power to compute the y damage done to the (hips that were faved. The admiral Sir Cloudefley Shovel, with the great (hips, had made fail but the day before out of the Downs, and were taken with the ftorm as they lay at or near the Gunfleet : where, they being well provided with anchors and cables, rid it out, though in great extremity, expecting death every minute.
The Affociation, a fecond rate, on board whereof was Sir Stafford Fairborn, was one of Sir Cloudefley ’s fleet, and was blown from the mouth of the Thames to the coaft of Norway ; a particular whereof, as pnnted in
STORM IN 1703. 151
the Annals of the Reign of Queen Anne, is as follows.
An Account of Sir Stafford Fairborn’s diftrefs
in the late Storm.
Her majefty’s fhip Affociation, a fecond rate of ninety-fix guns, commanded by fir Stafford Fairborn, vice-admiral of the Red, and under him captain Richard Canning, failed from the Downs the 24th of Novem¬ ber, in company with feven other capital fihips, under the command of the honourable fir Cloudefley Shovel, admiral of the White, in their return from Leghorn up the river.
They anchored that night off the Long-fand- head ; the next day ftruck yards and top- mafts. The 27th, about three in the morn¬ ing, the wind at Weft-fouth-weft, increafed to a hurricane, which drove the Affociation from her anchors. The night was exceeding dark; but what was more dreadful, the Galloper (a very dangerous fand) was under Gall r her lee ; fo that fhe was in danger of ftriking upon it, beyond the power of man to avoid it. Driving thus at the mercy of the waves, about five o’clock fhe paffed over the tail of the Galloper in feven fathom wa¬ ter. The fea, boifterous and angry, was ready to fwallow her up ; and the fhip re¬ ceived at that time a fea on her ftarboard fide, which beat over all, brokeand vvafhed feveral Jw,lf ports, and forced in the entering port.
L 4 She
152 ACCOUNT OF THE
She took in fuch a vaft quantity of water, that it kept her down on her fide, and every body believed that £he could not have rifen again, had not the water been fpeedily let down into the hold by fcuttling the decks. During this confternation, two of the lower- gun-deck-ports were prefled open by this mighty weight of water; the mod amazing hazardous accident, next to touching the ground, that could have happened* But the port that had been forced open being readily iecured by the direction and command of the vice-admiral, (who, though much indifpofed, was upon deck all that time) prevented any farther milchief. As the fhip fill! drove with the wind, fhe was not long in this flioah (where it was impofiible for any fhip to live at that time) but came into deeper water, and then fine had a imoother lea. However, the hurricane did not abate, but rather feerned to gather flrength. For words were no fooner uttered than they wTere car¬ ried away by the wind ; fo that although thofe upon deck fpoke loud, and clofe to one another, yet they could not often diflinguifh what was laid ; and when they opened their mouths their breath was almofl taken away. — i°art of the fprit-fail, though faff furled, was blown away from the yard, A ten- oar boat, that was iafhed on her flarboard fide, was often hove up by the ftrength of* the wind, and overfet upon her gun- wale. We
plainly
1 . « •
STORM IN 1703. 153
plainly faw the wind flamming upon the water, as if it had been fand, carrying it up into the air, which was then fo thick and gloomy, that day-light, which fhould have been comfortable to us, did but make it ap¬ pear more ghaftly. The fun by intervals peeped through the corner of a cloud, but foondifappearing, gave us a more melancholy profpedt of the weather. About eleven o’clock it dlfperfed the clouds, and the hurricane abated into more a moderate ftorm, which drove us over to the bank of Flanders, and thence along the coaft of Holland and Frief- land to the entrance of the Elbe; where the fourth of December we had almoft as violent a ftorm as when we drove from our anchors ; the wind at north-weft driving us diredtly upon the fhore : fo that we muft all have inevitably perfftied, had not a fouth-weft wind favoured us about ten o’clock at night ; which gave us an opportunity to put to lea. But being afterward driven near the coaft of Norway, the Ihip wanting anchors and cables, our wood and candles wholly expended ; no beer on board, nor any thing in lieu *, every one reduced to one quart of water per day ; the men, who had been harraffed at Belleifle and in our Mediterra¬ nean voyage, now jaded by the continual fatigues of the ftorms, falling ftek every day, the vice-admiral in this exigency thought if
advifeable to put into Gottenburgh, the only
port
i54 ACCOUNT OF THE
port where we could hope to be fupplied* We arrived there the nth of December; and having, without lofs of time, got anchors and cables from Copenhagen, and provifions from Gottenburgh, we failed thence the third of January, with twelve merchant men under our convoy, all laden with ftores for her majefty’s navy. The nth following we prevented four French privateers from taking four of our ftore fhips. At night we an¬ chored off the Long-fand*-head ; weighed again the next day, but foon came to an anchor, becaufe it was very hazy weather. Here we rid againft a violent ftorm, which was like to have put us to fea. But after three days very bad weather, we weighed, and arrived at the Buoy of the Nore the 23d of January, having run very great rifles among the fands. For we had not only contrary, but alfo very tempeftuous winds. We loft twenty-eight men by ficknefs, contraded by the hardfhips which they endured in the bad weather; and had not Sir Stafford Fairborn, by his great care and diligence, got the fhip out of Gottenburgh, and by that prevented her being frozen up, moft part of the failors had perifhed afterward by the feverity of the winter, which is intolerably cold in thofe parts.
Damage to the Royal Navy .
The lofs immediately fuftained by the royal navy during the ftorm, is hereunto
annexed*
STORM IN 1703. 155
annexed, from the navy books. This is a fhort, but terrible article !
- 'Prepare to hear
5 The worft report that ever reach'd your ear . One friend may mollify another's grief But public lofs admits of no relief l
The York was loft about three days be¬ fore the great ftorm, off Harwich, but moft of the men were faved. x
A lift of fuch of her majefys Jhips , with their commanders' names , as were caft away by the violent Storm on Friday night the 26th of November, 1703 ; the wind having been from the South-weft to Weft-fouth-weft and the form continuing from about midnight to paft fix in the morning .
Northumberland, third rate, 253 men, 70 guns, captain James Greenway ; loft in the Goodwin fands. All loft. Men 253, guns 7°.
Reftoration, third rate, 386 men, 70 guns, capt. Fleetwood Ernes 3 loft in the Goodwin fands. All loft. Men 386, guns 70.
Stirling-caftle, third rate, capt. John Johnfon; 349 men, 70 guns; loft in the Goodwin lands. Third lieutenant, chap¬ lain, cook, furgeon’s mate; four marine captains, and fixty-two men faved. Men
loft, 175, guns> 7°-
*■> a J * 5
Refolution
156 ACCOUNT OF THE
Refolution, third rate, 21 1 men, 70 guns, capt. Thomas Liellj loft at Femfey. Offi¬ cers and men laved. Guns Soft, 70.
Referve, fourth rate, 258 men, 54 guns, capt. John Anderfon ; loft in Yarmouth roads. Her captain, purfer, mailer, furgeon, clerk, and fixteen men were alhore, the reft drowned. Men loft, 242. Guns, 54.
Mary, fourth rate, 273 men, 64 guns, rear-admiral Beaumont, capt. Edward Hop- fon : loft in the Goodwin lands. Only one man faved, by fwimming from wreck to wreck, and getting to the Stirling- caftle : the captain and purfer affiore. Men loft, 272, Guns, 64.
Vigo, fourth rate, 2 1 2 men, 54 guns, capt. Thomas Long. Loft at Holland. Her company faved, except four. Men loft, 4. Guns, 54. '
Newcaftle, fourth rate, 233 men, 46 guns, capt. William Carter; drove from Spithead, and loft upon the coaft near Chichefter. The carpenter, and twenty-three men faved. Men loft, 210. Guns, 46.
Mortar, bomb-velTe], 59 'men, 12 guns, capt. Raymond Raymond ; loft at Holland. Officers and men faved. Guns loft, 12.
Portfmouth, bomb-veflel, 44 men, 4 guns, capt. George Hawes; loft at the Nore. Officers and men loft. Men loft, 44, Guns, 4.
STORM IN 1703. 157
Eagle, advice -boat, 42 men, 10 guns, capr. Naihaniel Boftock; loft at Seifey* Officers and men faved. Guns loft, 10.
Canterbury, ftore-fhip, 31 men, 8 guns, capt. Thomas Blake ; loft at Briftol. Cap¬ tain and twenty-five men drowned : the ffiip recovered, and ordered to be fold.
The lofs of ftnall veflels hired into the fervice, and tending the fleet, could not well be included ; feveral fuch veflels, and fome with foldiers on board, being driven away to fea, and never more heard of.
Total, four third rates; four fourth rates; two bomb- veflels ; one advice-boat; and one ftore-fhip.
Total lofs of men and guns.
Northumberland, |
Men. 253 |
Guns. 7° |
Reftoration, |
386 |
70 |
Stirling-caftle, |
*75 |
70 |
Refolution, |
• - - |
70 |
Referve, |
242 |
54 |
Mary, |
272 |
64 |
Vigo, |
' 4 |
54 |
Newcaftle, |
210 |
46 |
Mortar, |
~ |
12 |
Portfmoutb, |
44 |
4 |
Eagle, |
— , |
IO |
Canterbury, |
25 |
• — - |
l6l I |
524 |
There
i58 ACCOUNT OF THE
There are infinite ftories of the like nature with thefe ; the difafters at fea are full of vaft variety : what is here recommended to view, may ftand as an abridgment. The reader is only to obferve, that thefe are fhort repre- fentations, by which he may guefs at the moft dreadful night thefe parts of the world ever knew.
It would be endlefs to attempt any farther defcription of Ioffes ; no place was free, either by land or by fea ; every thing ca¬ pable felt the fury of the ftorm : It is hard to fay, whether was greater, the lofs by fea, or by land 3 by the moft moderate calculation, not lefs than 160 fail of veflels, of all forts, were loft in the ftorm, but the multitude of brave ftout failors is a melan¬ choly fubjedt, and gives the fad balance to the account of the damage by fea.
It is a fad and ferious truth! This part is prefefved to pofterity, to affift them in hand¬ ing them on for the ages to come ; and in reflecting on the judgments and wondrous works of Him, who hath his ways in the feas, and his paths in the great waters, but whofe footfteps are not known.
The learned and curious Dr. Derham of Upminfter, has publifhed obfervations con¬ cerning the ftate of the atmofphere during the dilmal ftorm; which are printed in the Philofophical Tran factions, N°. 289. p.
J530e
SEC T.
STORM IN 1703.
1 59
SECT, V.
Of remarkable Deliverances .
THE fad difafters of that terrible night were full of difmal variety, yet the goodnefs of Divine Providence was difplayed in many remarkable deliverances, both by fea and by land. God keepeth not his anger for ever, but in the midft of his judgments re¬ members mercy.
Though the preceding afionifhing accounts are interwoven with many hair-breadth efcapes from impending dangers, as full of variety and wonder as the difafters : yet was it thought proper to lubjoin this fedtion, con¬ taining well authenticated relations of the moll amazing and wonderful deliverances almoft ever heard of.
Thefenfe of extraordinary deliverances, as it is a mark of generous chriftianity, is like- wife a token that a good ufe has been made of the mercies received.
The perfons who defire a thankful ac¬ knowledgment fhould be made to their all- merciful Deliverer, and the wonders of his providence remitted to pofterity, at the fame time they magnify the glory and mercy of God, from their own mouths and under their
own
Dr. Gi¬ deon Har¬ vey, Mr. Robert Richards, Capt. The$. Collier,
x6o ACCOUNT OF THE
own hands, teftify their compliance with that pathetic requeft of the pfalmift : Oh that men would therefore praife the Lord, and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of 7nen !
The following account of a great delive¬ rance is very remarkable : and attefted by gentlemen of the beft and cleared reputation.
About three o'clock in the morning, the violence of the wind blew down a flack of chimnies belonging to the dwelling houfe of Dr. Gideon Harvey, (in St. Martin’s Lane, oppofite New-dreet) on the back part of the next houfe, wherein dwelt Mr. Robert Richards, an apothecary ; captain Theodore Collier and his family lodged in the fame. The chimney fell with that force as pierced through the roofs, carrying them quite down to the ground. The two families confiding of fourteen, men, women, and children, he¬ ll de three that came in from the next houfe, were, at that inftant, difpofed of as follows : a footman that ufually lay in the back garret, had, not a quarter of an hour before, removed hfrnfelf into the fore garret, by which means he efcaped the danger : in the room under that la^ captain Collier’s child, of two years old, in b^d with the nurfe, and a fervant maid lay (J>n the bed by her; the nurfe’s child . lying in a crib by the bed-dde, which was found, with the child fafe in it, in the
kitchen.
STORM IN 1703. 161
chen, where the nurfe and maid likewife found themfeives ; their bed being fhattered to pieces, and they a little bruifed by falling down three dories: captain Collier’s child was, in about two hours, found, unhurt, in fome pieces of the bed and curtains, which had fallen through two floors only, and hung on fome broken rafters, in that place which had been the parlour: in the room under this, being one pair of flairs from the flreet, and two from the kitchen, was captain Collier in bed, his wife juft by the bed-fide, and her maid a little behind her, who likewife found herfelfin the kitchen, a little bruifed, and ran out tocry forhelp for her mafter and miftrefs, who lay buried under the ruins. Mrs. Collier was, by the timely aid of neighbours who removed the rubbifh from her, taken out in about half an hour, having received no hurt but the fright, and an arm a little bruifed : captain Collier in about half an hour more was likewife taken out unhurt. In the par¬ lour were fitting Mr. Richards, with his wife, the three neighbours, and the reft of his family, a little boy about a year old lying in the cradle : they all ran out at the firft noife, and efcaped. Mrs. Richards ftayed a little longer than the reft, to pul! the cradle with her child in it along with her, but the houfe fell too fuddenly on it, and buried the child under the ruins 5 a rafter fell on her
M foot.
1 62 A C COUNT OF THE
foot, and b rimed it a little, but (be like- wife made her efcape, and brought in the neighbours, who foon uncovered the head of the cradle, and cutting it off, took the child out alive and well.
This wonderful preservation being worthy to be transmitted to pofterity, we do atteft to be true in every particular. Witnefs our hands, Gideon Harvey, M. D»
Theo. Collier.
Robert Richards.
The reverend James King, ledturer of St. Woodgate Martin’s in the Fields, took the following Giffer, by account from the mouth of the gentleman Rev. Mr. bimfelf who was the fufferer, Mr. Woodgate King! Giffer, a neighbour of Mr. King’s, in St. Martin’s ftreet.
Between two and three in the morning my neighbour’s ftack of chimnies fell, and broke down the roof of my garret into the paffage going up and down flairs 5 upon which I thought it convenient to retire into the kit¬ chen with my family ; where we had not been above a quarter of an hour, before my wife fent her maid to fetch fome neceffaries out of a back-parlour clofet, and as fhe had fhut the door, and was upon her return, the very fame inftant my neighbour’s ftack of chimnies, on the other fide of the houfe, fell upon my flack, beat in the roof, and fo drove
down
STORM IN 1703* 163
down rhe feveral floors, through the parlour into the kitchen, where the maid was buried near five hours in the rubbifh, without the lead: damage or hurt whatfoever. This her miraculous prefervation was occafioned (as I afterward with furprize found) by her fal¬ ling into a frnall cavity near the bed, and afterward (as (Tie declared) by her creeping under the teller, that lay hollow, by reafou of fame joy As that lay athwart each other, which prevented her perifhing in the rubbidn About eight in the morning, when I helped her out of the ruins, and afked her how (he d:d, and why (he did not cry out for affilT ance, fince (he was not dead, (as I fuppofed (he had been) and fo to let me know (lie was alive ? Her anfwer was, that truly for her part Hie had felt no hurt, and was not the lead affrighted, but lay quiet ; and which is more, even (lumbered until then.
The prefervation of myfelf and the reft of my family, about eleven in number, was oc¬ cafioned by our running into a vault aimed level with the kitchen, upon the noife and alarm of the falling of the chimnies ; which breaking through three floors, and being about two minutes in pafiing, gave us the opportunity of that retreat.
Thefollowing accounts, of like nature, are particularly atteded by perfons of undoubted reputation and integrity.
M 2
At
Saracen’s head ; country lad.
164 ACCOUNT 'OF THE
At the Saracen’s head in Friday-ftreet, a country lad lodging three pair of flairs, next the roof of the houfe, was wonderfully pre- ferved from death : about two o’clock Satur¬ day morning, Novem ber 27th, there fell a chimney upon the roof under which he lay, and beat it down through the ceiling (the weight of the tiles, bricks, &c. being judged by workmen to be about five hundred weight) into the room, it fell exadly between the bed’s feet and door of the room, which were not two yards diftance from each other : the hidden noife awaking the lad, he jumps out of bed, endeavouring to find the door, but was flopped by the great dufl and falling of more bricks, &c. finding himfelf prevented, in this fear he got into bed again, and re¬ mained there till day-light, (the bricks and tiles ft ill falling between - whiles about his bed) and then got up without any hurt, or fo much as a tile or brick falling on the bed ; the only thing he complained of, was, his being almoft choaked with dufl when he got out of bed, or put his head out from under the cloaths. There was a great weight of tiles and bricks, which did not break through, iuft over the bed's tefter, enough to have cruihed him to death, if they had fallen. Thus he lay fafe among the dangers that threatened him, whilft wakeful providence prefer ved him. I am ready to teftify the
truth
STORM IN 1703. 165
truth of the above: in witnefs whereof* here is my name,
Henry Mayers.
William Phelps and Frances his wife, lived at the corner of Southampton- build- William ings, over-againft Gray’s Inn gate in Hoi- wife^Hol born ; up three-pair-of-flairs in the back born* room, that was only lathed and plaiftered; he being then very ill, fhe was forced to lie in a table bed in the fame room. About one o’clock in the morning, November 27th, the wind blew down a flack of chimnies of feven funnels that flood very high, which broke through the roof, and fell into the room, upon her bed ; fo that fhe was buried alive, as one may fay. She cried out, Mr. Phelps,
Mr. Phelps, the houfe is fallen upon me; there being fo much upon her, that one could but juft hear herfpeak. A coachman and a footman lying on the fame floor, were foon called to her affiftance. They all fell to work, though in the greatefl danger them- felves, and took her out without the lead hurt ; neither were any of them hurt, though there was much fell after they took her out. And when the bricks were taken off the bed the next morning, the frame of the bed on which fhe lay was found broke all to pieces. William Phelps.
M
n
Mr.
1 66 ACCOUNT OF THE
Mr. Han- Con, regi¬ ster of Eaton,
Mr. jo.
Clench’s
child.
Mr, Hen Bir Jay.
Mr. John Hanfon, regifter of Eaton col¬ lege, being at London about his affairs, and lying that dreadful night at the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-hill, was, by the fall of a flack of chimnies (which broke through the roof, and beat down two floors above him, and alfo that on which he lay) carried in his bed down to the ground, without the leaf! hurt ; his cloaths and every thing befide in the room, being buried in the rubbifh : juft fa much of the floor and ceiling of the room from which he fell, as covered his bed, was not broken down. Of this great mercy he prays he may ever live mindful, and be for ever thankful to Almighty God.
Mr. jofeph Clench, apothecary, in Jer- mvn-ftreet, near St. James’s deli red to make a public acknowledgment of a wonderful providence in the prefer vation of his only child.
Two large flacks of chimnies, containing each five tunnels, beat through the roof, upon the bed where the lay, without doing her the lea ft harm ; the fervant who lay with her being very much bruifed. There were feveral loads of rubbifh upon the bed before the child was taken out.
A letter of Mr. Henry Barclay, from cn board the Ruffe! at Helvoetfluys in Hol¬ land,
I re-
S X O Pv M I N 1703, 167
I received yours in the Downs. I ex> pedted to have feen you in London before now, had we not met with a mod violent ftorm in o-ur way to Chatham. On the 27th of November, about three o’clock in the morning, we loft all our anchors and drove to fea : about fix we loft our rudder, and were left in a moft deplorable* condition to the mercilefs rage of the wind and feas : we a!fo fprung a leak, and drove forty-eight hours expecting to perifh. But it pleafed God to give us a wonderful deliverance, fcarcely to be paralleled in biftory ; for about midnight we were drove into fhoal water, and foon after our fhip ftruck upon the fands: the fea broke over us; we expeCted every minute that fine would drop to pieces, and that we mould all be fwallowed up in the deep ; but in lefs than two hours time we" drove over the fands, and got (without rudder or pilot, or any help) into this place, where we run our fhip on fhore, in order to fave our lives : but it pleafed God, far beyond our expectation, to fave our fhip alio, and bring us fafe off again. We fhall remain here a confiderable while, to refit our fhip, and get a new rudder. Our deliverance is moft re¬ markable, that, in the middle of a dark night, we fhouid drive over a fand-, where a fhip that was not half our bignefs, durft not ven¬ ture to come in the day; and then, without
M 4 know-
Rev. Mr.
John
Gipps.
168 ACCOUNT OF THE
knowing where we were, drive into a nar¬ row place, where we have faved both lives and fhip. I pray God give us all grace to be thankful, and never forget fo great a mercy.
Henry Barclay.
The reverend Mr. John Gipps gave the following account, which he prefaced by acquainting, the public it was not perfect or exadt, but that it was true and faithful ; that he would not impofe on the puhiifher or the world in the lead: in any part of the rela¬ tion.
I fhall not trouble you with the uneafinefs the family was under all the fore part of the evening, even to a fault, as I thought ; and told them, I did not then apprehend the wind to be much higher than it had been often at other times ; but went to bed, hoping we were more afraid than we need to be : when in bed, we began to be more fenfible of it, and lay moil of the night awake, dreading every blaft, till about four o'clock in the morning, when, to our thinking, it feemed a lit tie to abate ; and then we fell afieep, and flept till about fix ; at which time my wife waking, and calling one of her maids to rife, and come to the children, the maid role, and hafiencd to her : fhe had not been up above half an hour, but all pt a fudden we heard a prodi¬ gious
STORM IN 1703. 169
gious noife, as if part of the houfe had been fallen down. I need not tell the confterna- tion we were all in upon this alarm ; in a minute’s time I was furrounded with all my infantry, and thought I fhould be over-laid: I had not power to ftir one limb of me, much lefs to rife, though I knew not how to lie a- bed. The fhrieks and cries of my dear babes perfectly ftunned me: I think I hear them ftill in my ears ; I (hall not eafily, I am con¬ fident, if ever, forget them. There I lay, preaching patience to the little innocent creatures, till day began to appear.
Prayers and tears, the primitive chrifiians weapons, we had great plenty of to defend us withal ; but had the houfe fallen upon our heads, we were in that fright we could fcarcely have had power to rife for the prefent, or do any thing for our fecurity. Upon our rifing, and fending a fervant to view what {he could difeover, we foon underftood the chimney was fallen down, and that with its fall, it had beaten down a great part of that end of the houfe : the upper chamber and the room under it. The chimney was thought as ftrong and well built as mod in the neighbourhood; and it furprized the mafon, (whom I fent forimmediately to view it) to fee it down : but that which was mod furprizing to me, was the manner of its falling ; had it fallen in any other way than what
it
Rev. Mr Jar 03 Cole of Swyre, Dorfej. ili re.
170 ACCOUNT OF THE
it did, it muft, in all likelihood* have killed the much greater part of my family, for no lefs than nine of us lay at that end of the houfe, my wife and felt, five children, a maid and a man : the bed my eldeft daugh¬ ter and the maid lay in joined as near as poffible to the chimney, and it was within a few yards of the bed we lay in, fo that there was but a flep between, death and us, to all outward appearance. One thing was very remarkable and furprizing; in the fall of the houfe, two great fpars feemed to fall fo as to pitch themfelves on an end, and by that means to fupport that other part of the houfe which adjoined to the upper chamber; or eife, in all likelihood, that mu ft alfo have fallen at the fame time. The carpenter, when he came, afked who placed thofe two lupporters, fuppoiing fomebody had been there before him ; and when he was told, thofe two fpars had in the fall fo placed themfelves, he could fcarcely believe it poffible, it was done fo artificially. In fhort, it is im poffible to deferibe the danger we were in !
Another account from the reverend Mr. Jacob Cole, reftor of Swyre in the county of Dorfet.
I can allure you the tempeft was very terrible in thefe parts> but there was a great mixture of mercy with it : though the hur¬ ricane
t
STORM IN 1703. 171
ricane was frightful and very mifchicvous, yet God’s gracious providence was therein very remarkable, in reftraining its violence from an univerfal deftrudtion : for then there was a commotion of the elements of air, earth, and water, which feemed to out-vie each other in mifchief ; the earth trembled 2 fe and quaked, the foundations of the heavens xxl1' moved and fhook, and yet when all was given over for loft, we found ourielves more feared than hurt; for our lives were given tons for a prey, and thetempeft did us only fo much damage as to make us fenfible that it might have done us a great deal more : but the care of providence was vifible in our wonder¬ ful prefervation. Myfelf and three more of this parifh were ftrangely refeued from the grave : I narrowly efcaped with my life, where I apprehended nothing of danger; for going out about midnight, to give orders to my fervants to fecure the houfe, and ricks of corn and furzes from being all blown away ; as foon as I moved out of the place where I flood, I heard fomething of a great weight fall clofe behind me, and, a little after, going out with a light to fee what it was, I found it to be the great ftone which covered the top of my chimney to keep out the wet ; it was almoft a yard fquare, and very thick, weigh¬ ing about an hundred and fifty pounds. It was blown about a yard off from the chim¬ ney.
iy2 ACCOUNT OF THE
ney, and fell edge-long, and cut the earth about four inches deep, exadtly between my foot-fteps i and a little after, while fitting under the clavel of my kitchen chimney, and reaching out my hand for fome fewel to mend the fire, 1 was again ftrangely preferved from being knocked on the head by a done of great weight ; it being about a foot long, half a foot broad, and two inches thick : for as foon as I had drawn in my arm, I felt fomething brufh again ft my elbow, and pre¬ sently I heard the ftone fall clofe by mv foot, a third of which was broken off by the violence of the fall : it grazed my ancle, but did not break the fkin ; it had certainly killed me, had it fallen while my arm was extended. The top of my wheat rick was blown off, and fome of the (heaves were carried a ftone’s caft, and with that violence, that one of them,- at that di fiance, ftruckdown one Daniel Tookes, a late fervent of the Lady Napier, fo forcibly that he was taken up for dead, and to all appearance remained fo a great while, but at laft was happily recovered again. His mother, poor widow, was at the fame time more fatally threatened at home, and her bed had certainly proved her grave, had not the fir (t noife awakened and feared her out of bed ; and fhe was fcarcely gotten to the door, when the houfe fell all in. The fmitlfs wife likewife being feared at fueh a rate,
leaped
]73
STORM IN 1703.
leaped oat of bed, with a little child in her arms, and ran haftily out of doors naked, without hofe or (hoes, to a neighbour’s houfe, and by that hafty flight both their lives were wonderfully preferved.
The reverend Mr. Thomas Watts, vicar rcv. Mr. of Orpington and St. Mary Cray, made the ^ho™as following obfervations upon the dreadful Orping- tempeft. toaandSt.
In the parifh of St. Mary Cray in Kent, a poor man, with his wife and child, were but juft gone out of their bed, when the head of their houfe fell in upon it, which muft have killed them.
A great long ftable in the town, near the church, was blown off the foundation entire¬ ly, at one fudden blaft, from the weft fide to the eaft, and caft out into the highway, over the heads of five horfes, and a carter feeding them at the fame time, and not one of them hurt, nor the rack or manger touched, which were (landing a confiderabie while afterward, to the admiration of all beholders.
The minifter cf South-Afk had a great $outh- deliverance from a chimney falling in upon Aik. his bed juft as he role, and hurt only his
feet.
There was a very remarkable ftory of a man belonging to the Mary, a fourth rate man of war, loft upon the Good win-lands : all the (hip’s crew being loft but himfelf,
he,
Bright-
heim-
ftone.
Milford
Haven.
\
Water-
if4 ACCOUNT OF THE
he, by help of a piece of the broken {hip, ?ot aboard the Northumberland : but the
O
violence of the ftorm continuing, the Nor- thumberland ran the fame fate with the Mary, and coming on (hore on the fame fund, was fplit to pieces by the violence of the fea : yet this perfon was one of the fixty-four that were delivered by a Deal- hooker out of that (hip, all the reft periling in the fea.
A poor failor of Brighthelmftone was taken up after he had hung by his hands and feet on the top of a maft eight and forty hours, the fea raging fo high that no boat durft go near him.
A hoy run on fhore on the rocks in Mil¬ ford Haven, and juft fplitting to pieces, a boat drove by, being broke from another vef- fel with nobody in it, and came fo near the veffel, , that two men jumped into it, and faved their lives: the boy could not jump fo far, and was drowned.
Five Tailors fhnted three veffels on an ifland near the Humber, and were at laft laved by a long-boat out of the fourth.
A waterman in the Thames lying alleep in the cabin pf a barge near Black-friars, was driven through London bridge in the ftorm, and the barge went of itlelf into Tower- dock, and lay fafe on (here : the man never waked, nor heard the ftorm till it was day 5 and,
to
man.
S T O R. M I N 1703* x 73
to his great adonifhment found himfelf fafe.
Two boys in the Poultry lodging in an Poultry, upper-room, were by the fall of the chim- nies, which broke through the floors, carried quite to the bottom of the cellar, and received no damage at all.
A ^neighbour of mine (fays Mr. Henry Mr.Henry Mar dial of Orby) was upon the ridge of his^arfhal. barn, endeavouring to fecure the thatch, and°rby* the barn at that indant was overturned by the
ftorm ; but the man received little or no harm.
The next two letters are from perfons who were in as great danger as any could be, and record deliverances of the greated and dranged kind.
from on board a fhip blown out of the ^ ftip Downs to Norway. v bIown
j . J . , . from the
1 cannot but write the particulars of our Downs to fad and terrible voyage to this place. YouNorwah know we were riding fafe in the Downs, waiting a fair wind to make the belt of our way to Portsmouth, and there to expert the Lifbon convoy.
We had two terrible dorms, on the 18th and 25th of November; in the lad I expedited we flhould have foundered at an anchor; for our ground, being new and very good, held us fad, but the fea broke upon us io heavy and quick, that we were in danger
3 two
Sir Clou-
defley
Shovel.
176 ACCOUNT OF THE
two or three times of foundering as we rode : but as it pleafed God we rid it out, we began to think all was over, and the bitternefs of death was pail.
There was a great fleet in the Downs ; fe- veral of them were driven from their anchors, and made the bed of their way out to fea, for fear of going afliore on the Goodwin. The grand fleet was juft come in from the Streights under Sir Cloudefley Shovel ; and the great (hips being deflgned for the river, lay to leeward : moll of the (hips that went out in the night appeared in the morning; and I think there was none known to be loft but one Dutch veflel upon the Goodwin.
But the next evening, it began to gather to windward ; and as it had blown very hard all day, at night the wind freftiened, and we all expedted a ftormy night. We faw the men of war had ftruck their top-mafls, and rode with two cables an~end ; fo we made all as fnug as we could, and prepared for the word.
In this condition we rode it out till about 12 o clock, when the fury of the wind in¬ creasing, we began to fee deftrudtion before us: the ofejedts were very dreadful on every fide; and though it was very dark, we had light enough t& fee our own danger, and the danger of thofe near us. About one o’clock the (hips began to drive; and we faw feveral
come
STORM IN 1703. 177
come by us without a maft (landing, and in the utmoft diftrefs.
By two o’clock we could hear guns firing in fevecal parts of this road, as fignals of di¬ ftrefs; and though the noife was very great with the fea and wind, yet we could diftin- guifh plainly, in fome (hort, intervals the cries of poor fouls in extremities.
By four o’clock we miffed the Mary and the Northumberland, who rid not far from us, and found they were driven from their anchors ; but what became of them God knows : foon after a large man of war came driving down upon 11s, let all her mails go, and in a dreadful condition. We were in the utmoft defpair at this fight, for we faw no avoiding her coming athwart our havvfer : fhe drove at laft fo near us, that 1 was juft going to order the mate to cut away, when the (hip (leered, contrary to our expectation, to windward, and the man of war, which we found to be the Stirling-caflle, drove Stirling, clear off us, and two (hips lengths to lee- ca^*e* ward.
It was a fight full of terrible particulars, to fee a (hip of eighty guns and about fix hundred men, in that difmal cafe : (he had cut awray all her mads, the men were all in the confufion of death and defpair ; (he had neither anchor nor cable, nor boat to help ; her; the fea breaking over her in a terrible
N manner ;
t
178 ACCOUNT OF THE
manner 5 fometimes {he feemed all under water ; and they knew as well as we that faw her, that they drove by the tempeft di- redly for the Goodwin, where they could efcpedt nothing but deftrudtion : the cries of the men, and the firing their guns one by one every half minute for help, terrified us in fuch a manner, that we wTere half dead with the horror of it.
All this while we rid with two anchors a~head, and in great diftrefs : to fire guns for help was to no purpofe ; for if any help was to be had, there were fo many other objeds for it, that we could not exped it, and the ftorm ftill increafing.
Two fhips a-head of us had rid it out till toward five in the morning, when they both drove from their anchors, and one of them coming foul of a final! pink, they both funk together 5 the other came by us, and having one maft (landing, fhe attempted to fpread a little peak of her fails, and fo flood away before it: I fuppofe fhe went away to fea.
At this time the raging of the water was lo violent, and the tempeft doubled its fury in Inch a manner, that my mate told me, we had better go away to fea, for it would be impoffible to ride it out : I was not of his opinion, but was for cutting my mails by the the board, which at laft we did, and parted 'with them with as little damage as could be
expected*
STORM IN 1703. 179
expe£ted ; and we thought fhe rid eafier for it a great deal : and I believe if it had blown two hours longer, we fhould have rid it out, having two new cables out, and our bed: bower and fheet anchor down. But about half an hour after five to fix, it blew, if it be poffible to conceive it fo, as hard again as it had done before : and fird our bed bower anchor came home, the mate, who felt it* give way, cried* out. We are all undone, for the fhip drove: I found it too true; and upon as fhort a confultation as the time would admit, we concluded to put out to fea before we were driven too far to leeward, when it would be impoffible to avoid the Good-* win.
So we dipt our fheet-cable, and fheering the fhip toward the fhore, got her head about, and flood away afore it : fail we had none, nor mart ftanding : our mate had fet up a jury miffen, but no canvas could bear the fury of the wind, yet he fadened an old tarpaulin fo that it did the office of a miffen, and kept us from driving too fad to lee* ward.
In this condition we drove out of the Downs, and paft fo near the Goodwin that we could fee feveral great fhips fad a-ground, and beating to-pieces. We drove in this defperate condition till day-break, without
any abatement of the dorm and our men
*
N z heartlefs
An open boar.
i go ACCOUNT OF THE
heartlefs and difpirited, tired with the fervice of the night, and every minute expecting death.
About eight o’clock my mate told me he perceived the wind to abate ; but it blew it ill fueh a ftorm, that if we had not had a very tight fhip, fhe muff have foundered., as we were now farther off at fea, and by my guefs might be in the midway between Har¬ wich and the Brill, the fea we found run longer, and did not break fo quick upon us as before, but it run exceeding high, and we having no fail to keep us to rights, we lay wallowing in the trough of the fea in a mi¬ le r able condition. We faw feveral fhips in the fame condition with ouffelves, but could neither help them, nor they us : one we faw founder before our eyes, and all the people peri (bed.
Another difmal objeft we met, which was an open boat full of men, who had loft their fhip : any one may fuppofe what condition a boat mult he in, if we were in fo bad a caie in a good fhip : we were foon toffed out of their fight : we may guefs what became of them. If they had been within a cable’s
•r
length of us we could not have helped them.
About two in the afternoon the wind increafed again, and we made no doubt it would prove as bad a night as before ; but that guft held not above half an hour.
6 AH
STORM IN 1703. 181
All night it blew exceffive hard, and the next day (Sunday) about eleven o’clock it abated, "but hill blew hard: about three it blew fomething moderately, compared with the former ; and we got up a jury roain- mafl, and rigged it as well as we could, and with a main-fail lowered aimed to the deck, flood at a great rate before it all night and the next day, and on Tuefday morning we faw land, but could not tell where it was ; but not being in a condition to keep the fea, we' run in, and made fignals of diftrefs; feme pilots came off to us, by whom we were informed we had reached the coaft of Nor¬ way ; and having neither anchor nor cable on board capable to ride the fhip, a Nor¬ wegian pilot came on board, and bi ought us into a creek where we had fmootb water, and lay by till we got help, cables and an¬ chors, by which means we are fafe in place.
Your humble fervant,
J. Adams.
From on board the John and Mary, rid- johnan,j ing in Yarmouth reads, during the great n,r;. ftorm, but now in the river 1 hames.
We came over the bar of Tinmouth, hav¬ ing had terrible blowing weather for almoft a week, infomuch that we were twice driven back almofl the length of Newcallle : with
N 3 much
i 82 ACCOUNT OF THE
much difficulty and danger we got well over them, and made the highland about Cromer on the north fide of Norfolk. Here it blew fo hard the Wednefday night before that we could not keep the fea, nor fetch the reads of Yarmouth 5 but as the coafi: of Norfolk was a weather-fhore, we hail’d as near Cromer as we durft lie, the fhore there being very flat : here we rode Wednefday and Thurfday, November 24th and 25th.
We could not reckon ourfelves fafe here; for as this is the moft dangerous place be¬ tween London and Neweaftle, and has been particularly fatal to our colliers, we were very uneafy. I confidered that when fuch tem¬ ped nous weather happened, as this feemed to threaten, nothing is more frequent than for the wind to fin if t points ; and if it ffiould have blown half the wind from the fouth- £3 ft as now blew from the fouth-weft, we muft have gone affiore there, and been all loft; for being embayed, we fhould have had no putting out to fea, nor flaying there.
This confideratipn made me refolve to be gone, and thinking on Friday morning the wind flackened a little, I weighed, and flood away for Yarmouth roads ; and with great boating and labour got into the roads about one in the afternoon, being a little after flood; we found a very great fleet in the
roads 3
-STORM IN 1703. 183
roads ; there were above three hundred fail of colliers, not reckoning above thirty fail which I left behind me, that rode it out thereabout ; and there was a great fleet from Ruffia, under convoy of the Referve frigate and other two men of war; and about an R^erve hundred fail of coafters. Hull-men, and fuch fmall craft.
We had not got to an anchor, moored, and fet all to rights, but I found the wind frefhened, the clouds gathered, and all looked very black to windward ; and my mate told me, he wifhed we had flayed where we were, for he would warrant it we had a blowing night of it.
We did what we could to prepare for it, ftruck our top-maft, and flung our yards, made all tight and fall upon deck : the night proved very dark, and the wind blew a floral about eight o’clock, and held till ten, when we thought it abated a little ; but at eleven it frefhened again, and blew very hard: we rid it very well till twelve, when we veered out more cable, and in about half an hour after, the wind increafing, let go our fheet anchor ; by one o’clock it blew a dreadful ftorm, and though our anchors held very well, the fea came over us in fuch large quantity, that we were every hour in danger of foundering. About two o’clock the fea filled our boat as fhe lay upon the deck, and
7 ' we
iS4 ACCOUNT OF THE-
we were glad to let her go over- board, for fear of Having in our decks. Our mate would then have cut our mad by th£ board, but! was not willing; and told him, I thought we had better flip our cables, and go out to fea ; he argued, (he was a deep fhip, and would not live in the fea, and was very eager for cutting away the maft : but I was loth to part with my maft, and • could not tell where to run for fhelter if I loft them.
About three o’clock abundance of (hips drove away, and came by us; feme with all their mails gone, and foul of one another ; in a fad condition my men faid they law two foundered together ; I was in the cabin, and faw not them, but 1 faw a Ruffia {hip come foul of a. collier, and both drove away together out of light, and after¬ wards' heard theRuflia-man funk by her fide.
In this condition we rid till about three o’clock ; the Ruffia (hips which lay a-head of me, and the men of war who lay a- head of them, fired their guns tor help ; but it was in vain to expect it; the fea went too high for any boat to live. About five, the wind blew at that prodigious rate, that there was no poflibility of riding it out, and all the (hips in the road leaned to us to drive : yet ff ill our anchors held it, and I began to think we |houJd ride it out there, or founder ; when
a
STORM IN 1703. 185
a (hip’s long-boat came driving againd us, and gave us fuch a (hock on the bow that I thought it muft have been a (hip come foul of us, and expedted to fink all at once : our men faid there were fome people in the boat, but, as the fea run fo high, no man durft (land upon the fore-caftle, fo nobody could be fare of it : the boat (laved to pieces with the blow, and went away, fome on one fide of us, and fome on the other ; but whether our cable received any damage from it, or not, we cannot tell, but our (beet-cable gave way immediately ; and as the other was not able to hold us alone, we immediately drove : we had then no more to do, but to put afore the wind, which we did. By this time the tide of ebb was begun, which fomething abated the height of the fea, but dill it went exceeding high ; we law a great many (hips in the fame condition with ourfelves, and expect¬ ing every moment to fink in the lea. In this extremity we drove till day-light, when we found the wind abated, and we flood in for the fhore, and coming under the lee of the cliff near Scarborough, we got fo much fhelter as that our final! bower -
o
anchors would ride us.
Sure fuch a temped never was in the world ! Of eighty fail in Grimfby road they
could
186 ACCOUNT OF THE
could hear but of fixteen, the reft were ali blown away.
An unhappy accident happened in a fhip homeward bound from the Weft-In¬ dies: which is inferted as a monition againft defpair.
The fhip was in the utmoft danger of foundering ; and when the mafter faw all, as he thought, loft ; his malls, gone, the fhip leaky, and expecting her every moment to fink under him, filled with de¬ fpair, he calls to him the furgeon of the fhip, and by a fatal cgntrait, as foon made as haftily executed, they refolved to pre¬ vent the death they feared, by one more certain ; and going into the cabin, they both fhot themfelves with their piftols. It pleafed God the fhip recovered the di- ftrefs, and was driven fafe into port : the captain juft lived to fee the defperate courfe he had taken might have been fpared y the furgeon died immediately.
It is ungrateful to relate, and horrible to read, that there were wretches aban-* doned enough to pafs over this dread¬ ful ftorm with banter, fcoffing and con¬ tempt. '
i
A few
STORM IN 1703. 187
A few days after the Great Storm, the Tmmora- players were imprudent enough to enter- the tain their audiences with ridiculous repre-p.5. fentations of what had filled the whole nation with fuch horror, in the plays of Macbeth and the Temped*
CHAP, IV.
Accounts of fome extraordinary Hurricanes , fmce the great Storm 1 703.
TTAVING taken notice of fome re- j“~J[ markable ftorms previous to that, diftinguifhed, from its violence and extent, by the name of the great Storm ; we fhall continue the hiftory of thefe terrible con-^ vulfions of the atmofphere from that time down to the prefent. The following me¬ lancholy particulars are of a hurricane at Jamaica, Augud 28th, 1722.
On the 28th pad we had here a violent hurricane : It began at eight in the morning, No. 29. and continued until ten at night : the heignt jamaica9 of it was from eleven at noon till one ; dur- ing which time, it rained very hard, and the wind often fhifted: nearly one half of the houfes are thrown down, or fhattered to fuch a degree, that they are irreparable, and few,
or none, have efcaped without fome damage 5
Q info-
St. jago <de la Ve¬ ga, Sept.
188 STORM AT
infomuch that the town appears in a ruinous condition : Several people are wounded $ but we hear of no more than three perfons who loft their lives. The wharfs are all deftroy’d, and mod of the fugars and other commodities that were there, are waihed away. From Lguania we hear, that moft of their works and houfes are blown down, and a plantation entirely deftroyed by a vaft quantity of fand being wafhed into it. We like wile hear, they have fuftained great da¬ mages at St. Marys, W agwater , St . David's and St. Tdkomass in the Eaft; but we have not the particulars. We are informed, the hurricane began at fome of thofe places, about feven the night before ; and the da¬ mage they received, was between that time and eight the next morning, when its vio¬ lence abated.
We have received confiderable damage in our buildings in the late hurricane, parti¬ cularly the king’s houfe, and fecretary’s office ; but we hear of very few that are any ways hurt in their perfons. It is remark¬ able, that thofe houfes which were built by the Spaniards fuftained very little damage, though ftis now fixty-feven years fince the conqueft of that ifland ; consequently, thofe buildings are of a. much older date : from
whence
JAMAICA. 189
whence we may reafonably conclude, that they have met with accidents of the like na¬ ture, that put them upon that manner of building. We have an account from Old- Harbour that the houfes and people there are all destroyed except two ; and that mod of their works and houfes at the plantations
are thrown down : They have likewife fuf-
*
fered very much at Sixteen- Mile- Walk, and St. Thomas's in the Vale. Yederday his Excellency fate in Council ; and this day was publifh’d a proclamation, for redoring to the right owners, the goods that have been embezzl’d in this calamity.
The dreadful hurricane we had here, the Port_Roy 28th of lad month, we were under appre- ai» Sept, hendons of the day before, from the weather 3* appearing very unfettled, and the wind often (hiding: but the mod furprifing circum- dance, which put us under the greated con¬ densation, was the prodigious fwell of the fea; throwing up feveral hundred tuns of dories, and rocks of a large fize, over the wall, at the eadward part of the town, though at the fame time there was very little if any wind. In the night, there was fume rain, thunder and lightning, the which, we were in hopes would have cleared the air but before the morning, the town was over-
O 2 flowed
I90 S T OR M A T
flow'd with water, occafioned by the conti¬ nuance of the fwell of the fea: about eight, it began to blow with great violence, at N. E. and continued till ten at night, during which time, it rained very hard, and the wind often fhifted ; but the extream part was from eleven at noon till one, when the water was five feet high all over the town, and we ex¬ pected every moment to be deflroyed/ About three in the afternoon, the wind abated by degree?, and the waters fell away ; but a more melancholy profpedt fcarcely ever was fetn, and is not to be deferibed : the ftreets being covered with ruins of houfes, wrecks of boats and veflels, and great numbers of dead bodies : the inhabitants that were preferved, reduced to great extremity for want of water, provifions, and other neceffaries, which were moftly deflroyed ; infomuch that a great number muft have perifhed,had it not been for the affiftance of his Majefty’s (hips that rid out the ftorm. Fort-Char les has fuffered very much, and the eaft end funk feveral foot ; moft of the cannon dif- mounted, and lome walked into the lea : the church, and the row of houfes to the eaftwardof the town, are walked away; in¬ fomuch that there is very little appearance of any buildings. Near four hundred per- fons loft their lives, and above half the town is deflroyed : in fhort, the damage is fo cen-
fiderable.
J AM AIC A.* igx
fiderable, that it cannot be computed. The magiftrates were very diligent on this un¬ happy occafion, in burying the dead bodies, and preventing provifions being fold at higher rates than they were at, before the dorm.
The following is an extrad of a letter dated the 13th of November , 1722, from Port-Royal in Jamaica , containing further No* particulars of the terrible ftorm which hap¬ pened in thatifland.
Since my laft to you, the affairs of this ifland are altered infinitely for the worfe. This change has been made by a moft ter¬ rible ftorm, that happened 2k-th of Augujl laft, the damage which the ifland has fuf- fered by it, is too great to be eafily repaired again. * Abundance of people have loft their lives by it, in one part or other of this ifland: fome of them were dafhed in pieces by the
fudden fall of their houfes ; but the much greater part were fwept away by the terrible inundation of the fea, which, being raifed by the violence of the vund to a much greater height than was ever known before, in many parts of the ifland broke over its ancient bounds, and of a fudden overflowed
a large trad of land, carrying away with an irrefiftible fury, men, cattie, houles, and, in fhort, every thing that flood in its way. In this laft calamity, the unfortunate town of Port 'Royal has had at leaft its full fhare.
* O 3 And
i92 storm at
And here I confefs myfelfat a lofs for words to give a juft description of the horror of fcene that we the inhabitants faw before our eyes, when the terrour of the fea that broke in upon us from ail quarters* with an im¬ petus force, confpired with the violence of the wind to cut off all hopes of fafety from us; and we had no other choice before us, but that cnfmal one of periffnng in the waters if we fled out of our houfes, or of being buried under their ruins if we continued in them. In this fearful fufpence we were held for fever al hours; for the violence of the ftorm began about eight of the clock in the morning, and did not fenfibly abate ’till be¬ tween twelve and one: within which fpace of time, the wind and fea together demolifh- ed a considerable part of the town, laid the church even with the ground, deftroyed above 120 white inhabitants, and 150 Haves* befides ruining alrnoft all the ftore-houfes in the town, together with all the goods that were in them, which amounted to a consi¬ derable value. We had at Pert-Royal two very formidable enemies to encounter at the fame time, viz. the wind and the fea. The fituation of the place, it being on all fides furrounded with the fea, rendering it more expofed than other places to the fury of that boifterous element. Our only defence againft the fea, confifts in a great vrall run
all
1
JAMAICA, 193
all along on the eaftern fhore of the town ; the fide where we apprehended mofi danger. Th is wall is raifed about nine foot above the furface of the water, and may be about fix or feven foot broad : and for thefe twenty years pad, for fo long the wall has been built, it has proved a fufficient fecurity to the town. But in this fatal dorm, the fea fcorned to be redrained by fo mean a bulwark ; for the wind having, as I obferved before, raifed it very much above its ordinary height, it broke over the wall with fuch a force, as nothing was able to withdand. Two or three rows of houfes that were next to the wall, and run parallel with it, were entirely w a died away; among which was the church, a handfome building, and very drong ; which yet was fo perfectly demolifhed, that fcarcely one brick was left upon another. A confi- derable part of the wall of the cadle was thrown down, notwithdanding its being of a prodigious thicknefs, and founded altoge¬ ther upon a rock ; and the whole fort was in the utmod danger of being !od, the fea breaking quite over the walls of it, though they are reckoned to dand thirty feet above the water. This information I had from the captain of the fort, and other officers that were in it during the dorm, who all told me, that they expeded every minute to have the fort wafhed away, and gave up themlelves
O 4 and
194 STORM AT
and the whole garrifon for loft. In the higheft ftreets of the town, and thofe that are moft remote from the fea, the water rofe between five and fix foot. And at the fame time the current was fo rapid, that it was fcarce poffible for the ftrongeft perfon to keep his legs, or to preferve himfelf from being carried away by it. In thefe circum- ftances, we were obliged to betake oiirfelves to our chambers and upper rooms, where yet we ran the utmoft hazard of perifhing by the fall of our houfes which trembled and ftiook over our heads to a degree that was fcarcely credible : the roofs were for the moft part carried off by the violence of the wind; and particularly in the houfe to which mine, and fev^ral other families had betaken our- feives, the gable end was beaten in withfuch a force, that a large parcel of bricks fell quite through the garret floor into the chamber where we were, and had they fallen upon any of us, muft infallibly have beaten out our brains: but God was pieafed to order it fo, as that not a foul received any hurt.
There was the morning on which the ftorm happened, a good fleet of fbips riding at the harbour of Port-Royal , moft of which had taken in their full freight, and were to have returned home in a few days, had they not been prevented by this terrible ftorm, which left but one veffel in the harbour, befides four
fail
JAMAICA. 195
fail of men of war, all which had their marts
and rigging blown away, and the (hips them- felves, though in as fecure a harbour as any in the W eft-indies y were as near to deftrudtion as it was portable to be, and efcape it. But the moft fenfible proof of the unaccountable force of the wind and fea together, was the vaft quantity of (tones that were thrown over the town-wall ; which, as I obferved before, ftands nine foot above the furface of the water ; and yet fuch a prodigious number of (tones were forced over it, that aim oft an hundred negroes were employed for near fix: weeks together to throw them back again into the fea ; and fome of thefe ftones were fo vaftly big, that it was as much as nine or ten men could do to heave them back again over the wall. I am fenfible this part of the relation will feem a little ftrange ; but yet I doubt not of obtaining your belief, when I affirm it to you for a certain truth. But Port-Royal was not the only place that dif¬ fered in the ftorm. At Kingjton alfo, great damage was done : abundance of houfes were blown quite down, and many more were fo miferably broken and (battered, as to be little better than none : abundance of rich goods were fpoiled by the rain, the warehoufes being either blown down or un¬ covered. But they had only one enemy to encounter, viz. the wind, and were not pre¬ vented by the fea from forfaking their fal¬ lings.
i96 S T O R M AT
lings, and betaking themfelves to the Sava- nabs, or open fields, where they were ob¬ liged to throw themfelves all along upon the ground, to prevent being blown away $ and yet even in Kingftcn , fome perfons were kil¬ led ; among whom was a very worthy gentlewoman, the wife of the Rev. Mr. Ma\\ minifter of the town, and tne bifhop of Lon- dmh commiffary : (he was killed by the fall of their houfe, as (he lay with her husband under a large table, who had aifo the mife fortune of having his own leg broke. All the vefFels that rode in the harbour of King - fioriy which were between forty and fifty fail, were either driven on (bore* or overfet and funk. Abundance of the men and goods were loft, and one could not forbear being furprized to fee large (hips, with all their lading in them, thrown quite up upon the dry land. And nothing could afford a more difmal profpedt than the harbour did the next day, which was covered over with nothing but wrecks and dead bodies. At Spanijh- Town , no body indeed was killed, but a great many had very narrow efcapes, fome families having fcarceiy quitted their houfes before they fell down flat at once, without giving any warning. The king’s houfe (lands in¬ deed, but it is all uncovered, and the ftables, coach-houfe, &c. are quite demolifhed. The river, near to which the town is fituated, fwelled to fuch a degree as was never before
known ;
4
JAMAICA. i £7
known ; and I was affured by the minifter of the place, the reverend Mr. Scot, that it rofe fall forty foot perpendicular above its ordinary mark, and did incredible damage to the eftates that lay bordering upon it. From other parts of the country we had alfo very melancholy accounts of the great Ioffes they had fuftained, and particularly at Old-Harbour , a village built at a little diftance from the fhore, the fea made fuch hafte to devour, as moft unexpectedly to intercept many poor creatures before they had time to make their efcape ; and almoft forty poor fouls perilhed together in one houfe, and whilll: they only fought fecurity from the the wind, expofed themfelves to be deftroyed by the fea, from which they apprehended no danger. In Clarendon alfo, and Vere parifhes, great mifehief was done; in the latter, the minifter, Mr. White, had his leg broke by the tall of the houfe where he was, not to mention feveral perfons that were killed outright. But I thould quite tire out your patience, fhould I undertake to give you a particular account of the damage that was done by the dorm in all parts of the ifland. It fhall therefore fuffice to fay, that the da¬ mage which the trading part of the ifland has fuftained by the lofs of their flapping and goods, is not to be valued ; and on the other hand, it is impoffibie to lay how deeply the planting intereft has lhared in this common
calamity,
Storm in England,
1735*
i93 historical account
calamity, by the lofs of their dwelling houfes and fugar-works, and many other ways; and v in fhort, had the fury of the ftorm lafted much longer, the whole ifland mu ft have been one general wreck, and nothing but final and univerfal ruin could have eniued.—
On Wpdnefday, Jan. 8th, 1735. About an hour before noon, the wind increafed to a ftorm, at W. and W. S. W. fo violent as has not been known fince that memorable one Nov. 27, 1703; hi comparifon of which it was of longer continuance, but fome think not quite fo violent. In London it threw down feveral houfes and flacks of chimnies, fhattered windows, and almoft covered every ftreet with* tiles ; in the country, churches were ftrif ped, many bains and fome houfes blown down, and trees without number torn up by. the roots, and laid acrofs the roads. But the greateft damage was done to the (hip¬ ping; wrecks were to be feen every where along the coafts ; feveral fhips of the royal- navy, at Portfinouth and Plymouth, were drove afhore, or loft their mafts, and rigging; feveral boats were caft away on the Thames, but larger veflels efcaped better there than in other harbours. Thirty-fix large trees
were laid flat in St. James’s park - —360 in
the parifh of Stockton, Wil till ire— - 100 in
the D. of Queenlberry’s paddock at Amef-
bury - -8o in St. Pier’s walk in Monmouth-
‘ 1 {hire
Hiire-
OF STORMS. i99
^ooo/, damage done to the fine
grotto, park and park walls of Mr. Scawen at Carfhalton, Surry. The rivers beincr high from the great rains before, and during the {form, the waters were forced over their banks and overflowed the low lands ; fheep, and other cattle were loll in fome places, in others the people betook to their upper rooms to fecure themfelves from the inun¬ dations that were on every fide. But we have not room to enumerate more particulars of the damage done before 6 o’clock in the evening, about which time it abated ; nor indeed is it neceflary ; for the effects of it were perceived in much the fame manner, at the fame time, in every corner of the king¬ dom. But we muft not omit the good, occafloned by this dreadful tempeft, to the harbour of Wifbech, which has deepened by harbour*, the frefhes to above 15 foot water, fo that fhips come up to the town, which faving lighteridge, will be of great fervice to the trade. The price of tiling and workmen were railed double in many places on this occafion.
Sunday, January 14th, 17393 happened £t Storm in Edinburgh a dreadful hurricane of wind, ^cmlana* which continued with great fury from one 1 to four in the morning, whereby the high- built houfes of that city received confiderable damage ; the leads which covered the {lately buildings in the parliament clofe were carried
off
Hunting-
donihire.
200 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
off the ro >fs, fome upward of forty feet in dimenfion ; the Canon-Gate church fuffered extremely, and its portico almoft demo- lifhed ; the buildings in the caflle were very much damaged, their fine lead coverings carried off, and thrown upon the rocks, and the magazine ruined. At Glafgow feveral fjhips drove afhore, and are very much da¬ maged, and two were caft away ; the north coaft betwixt Rofeneth and Glafgow, is full of gabarts and fmall boats drove up among the corn land. In the merfe few houfes are left undeftroyed, feveral churches are blown down, numbers fmothered in the ruins, and an univerfal havock made amongft the fheep and cattle ; at Dumfries, the fine new church was unroofed, and the high fteeple much damaged ; at Dyfart a woman in labour, at¬ tended by the midwife and neighbours were all killed by the falling in of the houfe.
At Londonderry the ftorm was obferved to begin and end with the eclipfe of the moon, raging with the fame violence and doing a vaft deal of damage to the houfes ; at Dublin it threw down three chimnies be¬ longing to the Lord Chief juftiee Reynolds, blew down a corner of the deanery houfe belonging to Chrift-Church, the front of a houfe in Francis-ftreet, and almoft innumer¬ able chimnies.
Tuefday, Sept, the 8th, 1741. About three quarters after eleven, began at St. Ives,
Hunting-
OF STORMS. 2oi
Huntingdonshire, a very violent hurricane of wind from the W. that did not continue above half an hour, hut blew down the fpire, which broke through the church, and the damage is computed at 1500/. Scarcely a windmill is left (landing within feven or eight miles of the place. The fpires of Hemingford and Bluntifham churches were blown down, and the damage done the redtor’s houfe, and gardens of the latter place amounts to above 500/. The fame dorm reached Lynn about one, and fpread a gene¬ ral defolation round that place ; mills, trees, barns, flacks of hay, were fome blown down, fome dripped of the thatch 5 two fpires fell, one of them through the body of the church, / feveral (hips lod their mads and rigging, and the damage in the town is reckoned above 2®, 000/. Maidenhead, Slough, Rocheder, Chatham, Stroud, and feveral parts of Surry and Kent likewife felt the fury of this hur- ricane, which there came from the S. At night the (hipping of Sunderland in York- (hire differed gready by the dorm where the wind was at E.
Wednefday, June 7th, 1749. About two Storm aE hours after midnight, a tempeft at Rome Rome, threatened the return of all the dements into *749* their tuft chaos. Befide lighcenings and thunder-claps, which continued without ceafing from the different points of the hea¬ vens, befide a deluge of rain, which over-
flowed
Storm at
Cadiz,
175-2.
202 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
flowed the whole city, filling the cellars, and even many houfes, and befide a terrible hail, which broke the windows and the tiles which covered the houfes, a hurricane or toarbillon of fire and wind, beginning near the Colefio, where it made the firft ravages, extended itfelf along the great flreet which leads to Santa Maria Majora> and after¬ ward broke on the gardens of the hdufe of Negrovi , and on the other gardens, vine¬ yards and buildings on each fide the Porto Pia , carrying off the roofs of houfes, throw¬ ing down entire walls, breaking the doors, the frames and glafs of windows, rooting up the largeft trees, and carrying them to a great diftance* in one word, leaving in every part of this city marks of its fury.
At Cadiz, on the 15th of January 1752, at nine in the evening, wind E. S. E. began the moft furious hurricane that was ever re¬ membered in this bay, which drove all the fhips from their anchors and foul of one another. All fired guns in fignal ofdiftrefs, but the night was fo dark that none could help another ; next morning nothing was to be feen but veflels wreck’d, and others ready to be fwaliowed up in the waves, the horrcr of which was increafed by the di final cries of unfortunate men, who endeavoured to fwim to the walls of this city, againft which they were violently dallied, and fo perifhed. The night between the 16th
and
OF STORMS.
2°3
and 17th was no lefs terrible, but on the 18th the wind fell, and the fhore difcovered nothing but pieces of wreck and dead bo¬ dies, fifty veffels, large and fmall, with a prodigious number of fmall craft were loft in the bay. — Above two hundred houfes were blown down at Ceuta ; a Dutch (hip of war of twenty guns was caft away on the Bar¬ bary coaft, ten perfons drowned, and the captain and the reft of the crew, in number
134, made prifoners. -
Sept. 14th 1752 in the evening it began at Charles-Town to blow very hard, at N. E. the fky looking wild and threatening: It continued blowing from the fame point, with little variation ’till about four o’clock in the morning of the 15th, at which time it be¬ came more violent, and rained, increafing very faft till about nine, when the flood came in like a boar, filling the harbour in a few minutes : before eleven o’clock, all the veffels in the harbour were on fhore, except the Hornet man of war, which rode it out by cutting away her main maftj all the wharfs and bridges were ruined, and every houfe, ftore, &c. upon them beaten down, and carried, away, (with all the goods, &c. therein), as were alfo many houfes in the town; and abundance of roofs, chimnies, &c. Almoft all the tiled and flated houfes were uncovered ; and great quantities of mer- chandife, &c. in the (tores on the Bay-ftreet
P damaged.
A terrible hurricane at Charles Town, S. Carolina. From the S. Caroli* na Ga¬ zette, Sept. 19,
1 7 5 2* '
I
204 historical account
damaged, by their doors being burftopen: the town was likewife overflowed, the tide or fea having rofe upward of ten feet above the high-water mark at fpring-tides, and nothing now was to be feen but ruins of houfes, canoes, wrecks of pettiauges and boats, mails, yards, incredible quantities of all forts of timber, barrels, ilaves, fhingles, houfehold and other goods, floating and driving, with great violence, through the ftreets and round about the town. The in¬ habitants finding themfelves in the midft of a tempeftuous fea, the wind flill continuing, the tide (according to its common courfe) being expedted to flow till one o’clock, and many of the people being already up to their necks in water in their houfes, began now to think of nothing but certain death : but [here we mu ft record as fignal an inftanee of the .immediate interpofition of the divine providence, as ever appeared] they were loon delivered from their apprehensions ; for, about ten minutes after eleven o’clock, the wind veered to the E. S. E. S. and S. W. very quick, and then, (though it continued its violence, and the fea beat and dafhed every where with amazing impetuofity) the waters fell above five feet in the fpace of ten minutes, without which unexpected and fud- den fall, every houie and inhabitant in this town, mu ft, in all probability, have perifhed : And, before three o’clock, the hurricane was
OF STORMS. 205
entirely over. - Many were drowned, and
others much hurt by the fall of the houies. — At Sullivant’s ifland, the peft houfe was carried away, and of fifteen people that were in it nine are loft, the reft faved themfelves by adhering ftrongly to fome of the rafters of the houfe when it fell, upon which they were driven fome miles beyond the ifland to Hebcaw. - At fort Johnfon the bar¬
racks were beat down, moft of the guns dif- mounted, and their carriages carried away. — At Craven’s and Granville’s baftions, and the batteries about this town, the cannon were likewife difmounted. — The Mermaid man of war, which had juft gone up to Hebcaw to heave down, was drove afbore not far from the careening place : the fhip Lucy, of and for London, John Bulman mafter, which lay wind-bound in Rebellion load, dragg’d her anchors, drove by the fort and this town, and ran afhore upon a marfh about feven miles up Cooper river : A new velfel was driven off the flocks, and wrecked at Mr. Wright’s : The fchooner Nancy, John Baddeley, three other fchooners, and the floop Nancy, John Babb mafter, all of this port, afhore in Col. Heron’s pafture: Another new veflel was wrecked near Mr. Scott’s; and one but lately begun, with the fnow Induftry, belonging to Mr. David Brown, afhore on the green near his houfe ; Capt. Walker’s pilot-boat againft the go-
P 2 vendor's
2c6 historical account
vernoi’s. houfe ; and his Hoop the Endeavour, hound for Jamaica, after beating down his Excellency’s coach-houfe, ftables, &e. was dafhed to pieces againfl: Mr. Rapers houfe, whole balceny door her mad entered : Two or three peuiauges were wreck’d againfl Mr. Caw's houfe ; a fmall fchooner drove up againfl the old Cuflom-houfe door ; and one of Mr. Edward’s pilot-boats to Mr. Thomas Smith’s : Several boats, &c. againfl Mr. Price’s. Thefloop Katharine of New-York, Rich. Manley, mafter, bound for Halifax, and the lloop Indufhy, of and for Rhode Ifland, aflbore on the head of Mr. Bei esford’s wharf : The (now Charming Nancy, of and for Hull, on the head of Capt. Simmons’s, near the Council-chamber; the brig. Peggy and Sally, of and for Briftol, Wm. James m after, againfl the curtain-line, between Mr. Tho. Elliott’s and Mr. Motte’s; the floop Henry, Henry Cregier mafter, of and for New York, againfl; the Exchange or New-market, where Mr. Edward’s other pilot-boat is wiecked; the Inow Dove, John Tuppen, bound for Cape Fear, on the head of Mr. Eveleigh’s wharf ; a fmall fchooner, againfl the cui tain-line, near the Dove; the bng. Two Friends, of and for Falmouth, Robert Johns mafter, beat down fonie houles, and lies on the weft fide of the Church-ftreet, along fide of Mr. John Mathews’s: the fhip Upton, of Liverpool, lately arrived from
Rot-
OF STORMS. 207
Rotterdam, which lay up Afhley river, was drove a great way into the marfh near Wap- poo : the (loop Polly, George Gore, bound for Barbadoes; the fchooner Elizabeth, Alexander IVl^Gilli vray , of this port, for Ja¬ maica ; the Hoop Sulannab, Amos Minot, a!fo of this port; the fchooner Baulk, with eight or ten other lmall fchooncrs, owned here, and three or four pilot-boats, are drove, feme into the woods, tome into corn-nelds, and others far into the marfhes, on and
about James illand, Wappoo, &c. - For
about thirty miles round Charles-1 own, there is hardly a plantation that has not loll every houfe upon it. — All our roads are io tilled with trees blown and broke down, that travelling is rendered extremely difficult; and hardly a fence was left {landing in the town or country. Our lofs in fine timber- trees is almoft incredible; and we have fuffered greatly alto, in the lofs of cattle, fheep, hogs, and ail kinds of provifion.
From Winyaw and Port-Royal, our ac¬ counts are much more favourable than were expected, no damage having been done to the {hipping in thole harbours, and very little to the houfes, as the hurricane was hardly felt at either place. — —
On Sept. 30, we bad another terrible hur¬ ricane, which began with wind and rain,
about four o'clock in the afternoon, but
p ^ ceafed
Carolina Gazette* ,
Oft. 3.
208 historical account
ceafed foon after fevers in the evening. For two or three days before, the violence of the wind (which blew from N. E. and E. and at laft fettled at S. E.) and the great quantity of rain that had fallen, kept tht tides from ebbing their due courfe and time, fo that when this hurricane began to abate, though the water fhould have been low, it was higher than at common fpring- tides ; and had the wind rofe as was expected, when the flood fhould have come in, our fituation would have been raofl deplorable indeed ! But the fame providence that interpofed be¬ fore, was again vifible here.
^ The hurricane which happened on the
Carolina , , . , 1 1 r ,
Gazette, jOtii uit. has clone greater damage at lea and
Gd. 9. to the fonthward, than that of the 15th: abundance of trees and feveral houfes hav¬ ing been blown down that did not fuffer before. At Port-Royal, the water rofe four feet and an half higher than ufual, and a floop was drove afhore that entirely beat down Mr. Purry’s wharf: a floop from Rhode-iiland, — Waldron mafter, bound
for this port, put into Edifto, loft all her anchors, bowfprit, fails, boat, &c, the captain wafhed out at one of the port-holes, and thrown in again: thefchooners Betty, John Mills mafter* from Maryland, with German paftengers, and Minerva, Ifaac Colcock, from Philadelphia, were obliged to put into
Edifto ;
OF STORMS. 209
Edifto : the fnow Briftol Merchant, Capt. Parfons, from Briftol for this port, with a very valuable cargo on board, that failed to come round from Port Royal after the fir ft hurricane, loft her bowfprit, top-mafts, fails, 6cc. in this; and is fince beat to pieces upon Edifto bar, the veffel and cargo entirely loft : a large (loop, whofe quarter was painted green and white, drove afhore and beat to pieces upon Kaywah ifland, none of the people, but many limes, found : Capt. Te- dar’s fnow, drove into a marfh at St. Helena ; near which inlet another fnow, from fea, is faid to beat to pieces: a large fhip beat to pieces, upon the Hunting iflands ; and another Hoop faid to be afhore upon the
fouthern coaft. - — ’Tis reported, that a fhip
and floop are alfo afhore upon the Racoon keys. —The fhip Africa, of Barbadoes, and fnow Vine, of Liverpool, drove afhore on the QOth ult. are fince beat to pieces; but their cargoes have been faved : Tuckers fchooner has been got off. Ail the books, fur- veysand papers, &c. in the furveyor-generafs office, were five feet under water, in the firft hurricane, many of them wafhed away, and the reft are in a perifhing condition, though the utmoftcare has been taken of them.
On this calamity rice rofe from 60 per cent, to 70, but fince the hurricane, the wea¬ ther having been warm, we now hope to
P 4 make
N. Caro lina and
C. Bre¬ ton.
Great Britain. ?7S6. .
210 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
make 60,009 barrels of rice; though juft alter it we expected no more than 30,000.
By a ftorm that happened on the ift of Odtober, much damage has likewife been futiered in North Carolina and Cape Breton, at the latter of which places no Ids than 57 veffels were driven on fhore, none of which can ever be got off. On the 9th of October, much lofs was iu named aifo, by a ftorm on the coaft of New England amongft the (hip- ping.
October 7, 1756. About one in the morning a dreadful hurricane happened, the effedts of which were very extraordinary and extenfive over G. Britain. Fifteen paffengers, and twelve horfes were loft in the Old Paf- fage crofs thq Severn from Wales. At Bath, a tree that flood in Dr. Harrington's garden was broken fhort off in the middle. At Penrith, in Cumberland, it blew down the N. W. battlement of the church, and the battlements of Mrs. Gaitfgarth’s tower, which fell upon the roof of the lower houfe, and broke through it into a room where two young ladies, Mifs Molly Bolton, and Mifs Dawion of Blencoe were in bed. Mifs Bol¬ ton was unfortunately killed, and Mifs Da w- fon buried in the ruins, but afterward taken put unhurt. Almoft every houfe in the (own was damaged, and almoft all the trees
in
211
OF STORMS.
in the neighbouring country ffiivered to pieces, or blown up by the roots. The corn was all laid flat, and damaged to the amount of a thoufand pounds. A gentleman near this place obferved, that the barometer fell two degrees and a half in lefs than three quarters of an hour. At Sunderland above forty keels are miffing, and feveral (hips da¬ maged, and driven to fea; the bodies of twelve men were taken up the next morning, and there is therefore much reafon to fear that fome of the veflels that were driven to fea are loft. At Newcafile many houfes were blown down, others unroofed, and fcarcely a chimney left ftanding ; above forty keels, and feveral veflels from London, were either funk or driven to fea, and many men on hoard periffied. A Daniffi veflel loaded with iron was funk: The Bleffing, of Whit¬ by, was overfet, and four boys drowned. At Aldftone Moor the people imagined the earth ffiook, and therefore ran out for fafety, but were driven by the wind againft banks and hedges, where they fuflfered much by the breaking of trees, and the falling of ftones. Gibfide wood, a place much vifited by per- fons of tafte, has fuffered great damage ; great numbers of the ftately trees are either torn up, or fhivertd to pieces, large branches of others were twifted off, and Icattered on the neighbouring hills, walks, lawns, and roads ; great part of the fouth front and roof
of
2i2 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
of the elegant banquetting-houfe is rained, though a column near 140 feet high, fur- rounded with fcaffblding almoft to the top, fuffered no damage, nor was one rafter re¬ moved. At Greenock and Port Glafgow, the (hipping both in the road and harbour broke from their moorings, and ran foul of one another, by which they loft their heads, boltfprits and mafts. At Greenock, 500 trees are blown up by the roots, and two wo¬ men, who went out to look after their friends on fbip board, were blown into the water and perifhed.^— -At Dumfries, both the churches and many houfes have fuffered, and fome thoufand pounds worth of timber has been deftroyed. In the midft of the ftorm a veffel drove away with only the mafter and one boy on board, but happily put on fhore at the Englifh fide without damage, but feveral other veflels were loft with all their hands.— At Senwick, near Kirkudbright, the ftorm was felt with great violence, and befide the common effects it divided two very large hay-ftacks in the middle, and carried the upper part to a very confiderable diftance ; feveral corn ftacks were intirely carried away, and all the thatched houfes uncovered. At Belfaft, in Ireland, feveral veffels Were driven on the Giant’s caufway, feveral houfes blown down,
and many perfons killed.' - The ftorm
was alfo very violent all along the coaft of
Hoi-
OF STORMS. 213
Holland. In the diftridt of Warmund and Leidendorp, a whirlwind took up feveral (lacks of hay, the remains of which were no where to be found ; ten cows that were grazing in the fame meadow were blown into the water, and feveral carts and waggons that were going along the road were blown down, and rolled over and over with their drivers and horfes into the water, which was taken up in great (beets, and fcattered over the land to a confiderable diftance. Above (ixty (hips on the coafl: were (Iranded and loft.
On the day after this hurricane, it was ob- ferved that the tide at Long Drax did not flow above five or fix inches, though it flowed above fix or feven feet perpendicular the night before. There have been former inftances of the tide being flopped by the wind, but none equal to this.
On March 6, 1757, arofe the greateft Liver_ ftorm of wind on the weftern coafl of this pool,
ifland that has been known. - At Liver- 1757,5
pool it began about nine, preceded by a dreadful roaring of the fea; at ten it blew a hurricane, and about eleven veered to the W. N. W. and was attended with fuch heavy fqualls of wind, that the oldeft perfon here don’t remember the like. The (loop Duke, Thomas Deaz, for Drogheda ; a river (loop, Tarlton, for Prefton ; and brigantine Quefter, Potter, for Africa, funk. Brigan¬ tine Drogheda Merchant, James Heys, for
Drogheda,
214 historical account
Drogheda, and the brigantine Manchefter, Randle, McDonald, for Londonderry, over- fet, funk, and were ftranded all of them op- polite the town.
The fnow Monmouth, Twentyman, (hip Johnfon, Gawith, and fnow Swale, Pollard, for Virginia; (hip TrafFord, Clarke, for Philadelphia; fnow Hopewell, Langford, for Barbadoes ; fnow Mears, Barrel, for Af¬ rica ; and a lloop, Williams, from Holyhead, all riding at anchor at the Black Rock, parted their cables, and were put afhore in Bootle Bay. The Marlborough, Ward, for Vir¬ ginia ; Rainbow, Harrifon, for Africa; and St. Andrew, Burden, for New York, were the only veffels that rode it out there. The fhip Great Britain, Hicks, from Riga, and the bng John, Clifton., for Yarmouth, were put on fhore near Knott’s Hole. The Liver¬ pool Exchange, Urmfon; the Smithfon, Salifbury, from London and Barneveff Ho¬ ward, for London, were forced afhore near High lake ; a Dutch veffel, name unknown, and all her crew perilhed. A pilot-boat, William Cerlett, late owner and mailer, met with the fame fate. Duke of Argyle, Har¬ dy, for Virginia; Carolina, Erfkine, for Barbadoes, with many others, parted their cables. Ship Alice, Brigs, from London, cut away her mads, and the Ince boat, with feveral others, were bulged and ftranded.
The
OF STOR MS. 225
The damage in the town of Liverpool was very conliderable, numbers of chimnies, fome houies, and many walls, were levelled with the earth; roofs unftripped, and fhowers of broken fates, bricks, &c. rendered the ft reels im- paflibie. About forty-two feet of the lofty Ipire of St. Thomas’s church, (which was efteemed one of the mod beautiful in Europe) fell upon the body of the church, bioke through the roof, and has tore down the weft galleries.
In the different parts of the adjacent coun¬ try, barns, houfes, and other buildings were ftripped, and many levelled with the ground. Conliderable damage is done at Knowsley- hall, the feat of the Earl of Derby. Crof- bie, Sephton, Woolfall, Spellow, and feveral other mills are blown down, ricks of hay entirely deftroyed and carried away. Hap¬ pily for the fea coaft, the tides were at the the loweft, or in all probability there would have been conliderable more damage done ; for though it was ebb tide in courfe, yet the flood returned, or rather did not go out of the river. The gale abated and backed to N. N. W. and N. about one o’clock in the afternoon.
At Chefter above an 100 chimnies were Chefter, blown down, moft of the houfes ftripped of their Hating ; the chimnies at the minfter* and all the windows on one fide are blown to pieces; and all along the adjacent road
the
2 16 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
V
Worcefter at the Town- hall.
the houfes and barns were ftripped, and hundreds of large trees torn up by the roots* At a little town called A&on, within a mile of Nantwicb, the top of the church fteeple beat in the roof of the church, and damaged it to the amount of 2000 L At Nantwich the church is much fhattered, and the houfes moftly ftripped.
• At Worcefterthe wind blew down a ftack of chimnies at the Town-hall, which beat through the roof, and thence through the ceilingover the Nifi-prius bar, while the court ofaffize was fitting. Mr. Juftice Wilmot was on that bench, but his Lordfliip happily received no hurt, and there happened to be only five of the counsellors prefent, four of whom were hurt, but not dangeroufiy, viz. Mr. Moreton, Mr. Afton, Mr. Nares, and Mr. Afhurft; Mr. Afton prevented further damage to himfelf by inftantly flipping un¬ der the council table ; but Mr. Moreton was prefently jammed in by the rubbifib, and remained fo lbme time. The fix fol¬ lowing perfons loft their lives on this occa- fion, viz. Mr. Lawes, the cryer of the court ; Mr. Chambers, an attorney of Kidderminfter ; Mr. Freme, an ironmonger; Mr. Hurtle, of Hartlebury; and Mr. Shaw of Omber- lley ; all of whom were taken out dead from amongft the rubbifih, and moft diftnal fpec- tacles they were, as was likewife Mr, Vain- wright of Bromfgrove, who did not die till
fome
OF STORMS. 2,7
fome time after he was carried oat of the hall. Divers other people were greatly hurt.
It is not to be conceived what confufion the court was prefently in, or what mifchief en- fued from the people's hurrying out of the hall, and in going down the hall fteps, whereby feveral were thrown down, and trampled upon a confiderable time; nor is it eafily to be defcnbed the anxiety of fuch people who happened to be at home, while fome of the family were out and fup- pofed to be gone to the hall. Mr. Baron Adams, who fat at the crown-bar, at the other end of the hall, had adjourned the court, and was gone to his lodgings but a few minutes before this melancholy accident hap¬ pened, which put an entire flop to the bufi- nefs of the aflizes.
April ift, 1 757, a moft violent hurricane France arofe in France, which threw down chimnies 1757. ’ at Paris, tore up trees by the roots in the ad¬ jacent country ; and at Havre de Grace the play-houfe was blown down while the opera of Sampfon was performing, and above 100 perfons perifhed in the ruins, &c. The candles fetting fire to the timber, the whole was reduced to albes.
Lafl: Monday about noon, a violent hur- Bolton in ricane, or whirl-wind, pafled through part of NewEns- Chelfea (or Rumney-marlhj in New England,
which
London,
%j60e
218 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
which arofe and came off the water from the S. W. bending its courfe about N. E.fuppofed to extend its width but about four or five rod, and feemed to carry all before it, tearing up by the roots a great number of fta.tely oaks, and elms above fixty feet in height, as alfo a great many apple trees in feveral orchards 5 particularly in one orchard only, fixty-three fine trees were torn up, leaving the ground about the roots open twenty or thirty feet over. With great fury it came againft fome of their (lone fences, and threw them down, in fome places hardly leaving one ftone up¬ on another : A cart ftanding in the midft of a barn loaded with hay, was forced a confi- derable way out; and forne of the pods or rafters of the barn broke off. In one place, the guft feemed to rife, fo that the limbs and branches of lofty trees, were broke off as if cut with an axe. It paffed by one corner of a dwelling houfe, and fhook it fo violent¬ ly, that the people expecting it would be turned over, ran cut to lave their lives. So
violent a hurricane was fcarcelv ever known
*
in thefe parts.
February 15, 1760. It blew a hurricane, by which much damage was done both at land and in the river. A (lack of chimnies falling in Newcaftle court, near Grofvenor fquare, demolifhed the bed and furniture of two rooms. The lead was blown off the
houfe
OF STORMS. ' 219
houfe of Earl Cowper, in Great George ftreet, into the ftreet. A houfe in Hanover- ftreet, had the gable end blown off. One of the pinnacles of a building adjoining to the Houfe of Commons was blown down, and broke through the roof of the room over the Speaker’s chamber. The Mai! in St. James’s Park was covered with branches of trees. Upwards of twenty feven feet of lead on the admiralty roof was rolled up by the force of the wind like a icroll ; and a great number of chimnies, fences, &c. were blown down in Weftminfter.
Many fhips in the river were driven from their anchors, fome loft their rudders, and received confiderable damage by running foul of one another. The Mary, Whitfon, was driven afhore below Limehoufe, but by tak¬ ing out her guns, &c. they got her off with little damage.
The papers from the country were filled with the terrible effects of this ftorm. In many places it was attended with thunder, lightning, hail, and rain ; and it untiled houfes, blew trees up by the roots, and fwept away ricks of corn, hay, and collages.
At fea it did incredible damage to the fhipping ; in almoft every harbour fome perfohs perifhed in boats and in fhips ^ but the lofs mo ft to be regretted is that of the Rami’Iies unfortunate Ramillies, Capt. Taylor, with ^ mu 734 men. Being embayed -within the Bolt.
Q^. head
Charles- Town, S Carolina.
220 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
head (which they had miftaken tor the Ram-head, and imagined they were going into Plymouth Sound) and ciofe upon the rocks, they let go their anchors, and cut away all their mads, and rode fafe till five in the evening, when the gale increafed fo much his impoffible to defcribe ; they parted, and only one midfhipman and twen¬ ty-five men out of the whole, jumped off the item on the rocks, and were laved.
On the 4th of May 1761, a molt violent whirlwind of that kind commonly known by the name of Typhones, palled down Afhlv river, in S. Carolina; and fell upon the (hip¬ ping in Rebellion road, with incredible vio¬ lence. This terrible phenomenon ploughed Afhley river tothebottom, and laid the channel bare. It made a noife like conftant thunder ; its diameter was judged to be about 300 fa¬ thoms, and its height 35 degrees. Upon its meeting another guff the tumultuous agita¬ tion of the air was increafed, and the froth and vapour feemed to be thrown up to the height of forty degrees, while the clouds that were driving in all directions to this place, feemed to be precipitated, and whirled round st the fame time with incredible velocity. There were forty-five fail of fhips in the road, five of which were funk, and his ma- jelly’s (hip the Dolphin, with eleven others, loft their malts, &c. The damage to the
OF STORMS. 221
Shipping was reckoned at 20,000/. flerling.
The ftrong guft by which it was met checked its progref, otherwife Charles Town mint have been driven before it like chaff. This tremendous column was firft feen about noon, upward of fifty miles W. by S. from Charles Town ; and destroyed in its courfe houfes, plantations, men, and cattle. In fe~ veral parts, every tree and fhrub was torn up; great quantities of branches and limbs of trees were feen furioufly driven about, and agi¬ tated in the body of the column as it palled along. By four o’clock the fky was clear and ferene, fo that it was fcarcely to be believed that fuch a dreadful fcene had been fo recent¬ ly exhibited.
Augufl 19, 176?. About twelve at noon r
1/1 y n • r 7 , Storms in
the iky was overcait m luch a manner, that r gland, the darknefs in and about London was &c* 3763* greater than at the late great eclipfe in 1748, infomuch, that many apprehended an earth¬ quake, the appearance being much the fame as preceded the laft great earthquake at Lifbon. About Chatham, this darknefs was accompanied with one continued rolling of thunder for the fpace of forty minutes, and the lightning was almoft inceffant, but at a great diftance, for the fame fpace of time.
At Twickenham large trees were torn up by the roots, {lacks of chimnies were blown down?, and other damage done by the hurri-
Q_2 cane
France.
222 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
cane that accompanied thedarknefs. About Reading feveral trees were torn up by the roots, two flieep were killed, and feveral people were beat down and terribly fright¬ ened. At Brighthelrnftone the ftorm was very awful, and the oldeft fifhermen fay nothing had been like it in their memories’. About Maid ft one in Kent, the hops buffered conliderably by the ftorm. The fame at Farnham and about Canterbury. But the molt furprifing circumftance that attended this phenomenon, was the fudden flux and re-flux of the tide in Plymouth poo], £Sy correfponding with the like agitation in the fame place at the time of the great earth- quake at Ldbon. At Sheernefs, feme dread- mi convuliion of nature was apprehended. Tne windows expofed to the fury of the ftorm were crufhed to pieces ; fowls were killed by the hail, and much damage done.
During the fame month many melan- cnoly accounts were received from di vers places abroad, of the devaluations made
by Rorms inundations, earthquakes, and other terr.ble phenomena. On the i qth of July there fell, at Mart.ze in France", a violent ftorm of hail, wh.ch for three leagues round deftroyed the corn, fruits, vines? flax, and every other vegetable. Several of thefe hail ftones weighed three pounds. At Penev- Luxemburg, in the fame kingdom, the corn
2 and
OF STORMS.
223
and trees for eight leagues round, were en¬ tirely ruined by the fame ftorm ; and at St. Florentin, thirteen parifhes felt the like dread¬ ful effe&s. On the 12th, 15th, and 1 6th, fixty communities in the eledtion of Bar- fur-Ante met the fame fate j and by the ftorm on the 14th, the fruits of the earth in twenty-eight parifhes in Berry, were almoft deftroyed. At Rebau in Voigtland, on the 1 6th, ninety-four houfes were reduced to afhes by the lightning that accompanied a ftorm that happened in that neighbourhood.,
The hopes of the harveft in Denmark were deftroyed by ftotms of hail and wind. On the 28th of July a moil violent ftorm arofe in the neighbourhood of Bruffels, in which the torrents overwhelmed houfes, and the lightning killed men. On the 1 6th of June, a moft violent eruption of Mount Gabal, in the ifland of Medina, terrified the inhabitants Meffina. for many miles round. The torrent of in¬ flammatory matter thrown out on the 24th, had advanced two miles, and was fuppofed to be thirty feet broad and fixteen deep. On the ift of July the lava had extended twelve miles. The roaring which proceeded from the volcano, was heard diftindtly at the diftance of twenty miles ; and, added to the frequent fhocks fpread confirmation throughout the neighbourhood. A prodigious quantity of fine black fand was difcharged from the mountain, and darkened the air to the di-
3 fiance
224 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
fiance of fifteen miles , but the eruption did no other damage than burning fame trees in .the wood of Paterno, and defiroying the grafs over which it proceeded. At Dana, in Ruffian Lithuania, feven hundred houfes were deftroved bv fire; and at Kohelin, in Poland, the whole city was reduced to allies. At Limbec in Hanover, fix* houfes were let on fire by lightning ; and at other places in the fame deflorate, the (forms had done confiderable damage. On the 19th of July a very thick fog at Prefbourg in Hun¬ gary, was luccetded by a violent fhower, in which there fell many thoufands of flying infefls. In the neighbourhood of Nantes in France, the heavy and continual rains Htnoft entirely deftroyed the harveft of every kind. On the 21ft and 22d of June, the waters rofe in two hours to the height of twenty-five feet ; at the fame time the tide fuddenly funk about a foot, and as fuddenly rofe a foot and an half. At Petersbourg, the weather had been hotter than is ufual in Spain or Italy, and the inhabitants were appre- henfive of a great mortality. In Sweden, the mortality among the horned cattle made great havock, the very horfes fuffered by it ; and, what added to the diflrefs of the inhabitants, there raged a great famine in the country. Poland had fupplied them with corn hitherto, but that refource began like- to fail. On the 2d inftant at Ander-
licht
T3
OF S TO RPvI S. 225
licht, about a league from Bruflels, a conflict of feveral winds, borne upon a thick fog, lafted four or five minutes, and was attended with a frightful hiding noife, which could be compared to nothing but the yejlings of an infinite number of wild hearts. The cloud opening difcovered. a kind of very blight lightning, and in an inftant the roofs of one fide of the houfes were carried otf and dif- perfed at a di fiance ; above a thou fan d large trees, were feme broke off at the root, others towards the top, and others tore up by the roots, and many both of the branches and of the tops, carried to the di fiance of 6o, 100, or 120 paces; whole coppices were laid on one fide, as corn is by ordinary winds. The glafs of the windows which were molt expofed, were broken. A tent in a gentleman's gar¬ den was carried to the diftance of four thou- fand paces ; and a branch tore from a large tree ftruck a girl in the forehead, as (he was coming into town at the difiance of forty paces from the trunk of the tree, and killed her on the fpot. Some days before, there was a heavy rain which overflowed, in the fame direction, the very fpace of ground which the whirlwind fince ravaged. Ma¬ ny more infiances of the fame kind might have been collected.
Odlober 2, 1763. A violent ftorm did confiderable damage to the fhipping in dif-
ferent
226 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
*
ferent parts of the coafts of this kingdom, as well as in the river Thames, where two out* ward-bound Indiamen were driven from their moorings, and the lighters, with their guns on board, funk. This dorm was no lefs violent in Ireland and Scotland than here, the fatal effects of which were more and more heard of every day. — The packet boats for Ireland were reduced to the greateft diftrefs in this dorm, and having, as it is faid, nei¬ ther dre nor candle on board, the paffengers, in number ioo, and more, were almoft fuf-? focated in the hold, where they were forced to remain in as bad a fituation as the black hole, till the packet very fortunately got to Haverford-Wed, where the hatches were opened and the poor creatures releafed, juft as many of them were ready to expire.
Letters from Ireland alfo gave dreadful accounts of the damages done by this ftorm. At Thorn as-Town the bridge was carried away, together with the poft-office and fe- veral houfes, and fame perfons drowned, John’s and Green’s bridges in Kilkenny ; alfo Callen, Eniftague, Bennet’s Ballyiyncb, and and T wo-mile bridges were all thrown down $ and a fmall rivulet, which runs through Gowran, rofe twenty feet. The falling of John’ s bridge was attended with the moft affedting circumftances, being crouded with people going to the afliftance of a family whofe houfe was furrounded with water,
■
OF STORMS. 227
and was fhortly after carriedaway : the num¬ ber of perfons loft on this melancholy occa- lion was upward of feventy. Seventeen bridges in the county of Wicklow were carried away : and the commons of Lyons laid four feet under water.
*
December 2, 1763* A raoft violent ftorm of wind and rain did incredible damage in and about London, and in many other parts of the kingdom, the like hardly known in the memory of man. At London feveral houfes were blown down, fome people kil¬ led, many wounded, and bufinefs interrupted; chimnies in many parts of the town fell upon the roofs ; the roofs were ftript, and the ftreets, during the violence of the ftorm, rendered impaffable; part of the walls of Hyde-park and Sadler’s- wells gave way; trees were blown up by the roots ; and the river Thames rofe fo high, that in piapy places it overflowed its banks ; filled cellars ; overflowed land, and did immenfe damage to
the (hipping below bridge. - At Oxford,
the battlement on the north fide of the quad¬ rangle was thrown down, and many houfes ftript. At Trompington near Cambridge, the houfe of Elias Bland wras blown down, his wife and child killed, and himfelf muck
Tf f ' "j, 1 f - 1 ■* ' ’ < f ' r '
wounded; but the inland towns fuffered little to what was felt at the fea-ports. At Chat¬ ham feveral boats were funk, and the fea- ■ ‘ ; ’ 1 walls
228 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
walls were beat down, overflowed, and great¬ ly damaged. At Wells near Lynn, the quay and ftreets adjacent were covered with cables, and boats belonging to (hips, fome in halves, and others fo broken as not to be known by the owners ; wrecks, rafts, planks, blocks, ropes, ftones, and mud fo clogged up the ftreets that they were utterly impaffable to the quays. More than ioo (beep perifhed in the neighbourhood , and j 500 between that town and Lynn. — At Lynn the town was a! mo ft drowned, and people's beds floated under them ; near 3000 cattle were loft in the neighbourhood j all Marfhland was overflowed, and frefh water was fcarcely to be bought for money. Near Spalding in Lincoinfhire, the paftures were overflowed, and more than 3000 (beep drowned. At Yarm the floods rofe fix feet high in the ftreets, and filled feveral houfes to the fame height. At half paft eight at night it was in mod houfes four feet deep, in few lets, and in many near two yards. Some people did not perceive the danger till their beds floated under them. The walls about the town were thrown down, but no houfes fell. At Wisbech the river overflowed its banks, and laid the country under water for many miles, by which more than 10,000 fheep were drowned. At York the battlement at the eaft end of the minfter was blown down, houfes were unroofed, and the river Qufe rofe
to
OF STORMS. 229
to an alarming height. At Whitby the tide rofe fo high, the wind raged fo furiouflv, and the land floods rufhed down fo rapidly, that * almoft all the hotifes near the river were ei¬ ther driven away or damaged ; fome of the {hips in the harbour were dafhed to pieces, and even thofe in the dry dock were forced off the blocks, and fuffered confiderably ; in fhort, when the ftorm abated, and the waters were affuaged, nothing was to be ieen but de¬ flation and ruins. What is remarkable, the S. W. fide of the Weft ifle of the Old Ab¬ bey, though fupported by more than twenty Gothic arches, gave way, and tumbled to the foundation, ; nd not a ftone of it remain¬ ed {landing. At Scarborough houfes were ftript, chimnies thrown down, and {hips broke loofe from their moorings in the har¬ bour; fome dafhed againft the rocks, and many lives were loft on the adjacent fhores; fuch was the fury of the winds and waves that fragments of rocks were thrown up againft the caftle, and it is amazing, faid a letter writer from thence, that any thing was left (landing. At Newcaftle the fwell of the river was three feet higher than ever had been known ; the cellars, {hops, and warehoufes contiguous to it were fo filled, that the damage done by the flood only is computed at about 4000 L In fome places the water was three feet deep in the ftreets, gnd the confternation the people were in is
mere-
230 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
incredible. In fliort, the whole town was fo alarmed, that the people fat up all night, many of them expe&ing every minute to be theirlaft; and the cries that were poured forth in the dead of the night, through fpeak- ing trumpets, from perfons going down to the great deep, without any portability of relief from the land, was inexpreflibly affect¬ ing. At Margate the fea made a free paf- fage over the new pier-head, beat down the light that guided veffels into port, threw down the gun-battery, and forced the can¬ non into the fea 3 fome {hops and ware- houfes on the fhore were wafhed away, and a great number of fmall craft were dafhed to pieces . The number of wrecks all along the eaft coaft was incredible ; but the violence of the (lorm feemed to have been centered there. At Deal it is only faid, that the fea ran mountains high, and had done confider- able damage to the outworks there. Near .Falmouth the Hanover packet from Lisbon was loft, and near lixty perfons perifhed. There were treafure and effedts on board to a large amount, a great part of which, it was hoped, would be recovered by the divers when the weather fettled, as the wreck was feen at low water. The Tinners behaved with great decorum on this melancholy occafion.
Janaury 13th, 1764. A prodigious ftorm of wind did irreparable damage on the fea- 1 ; ' coaft y
OF STORMS. 231
coaft ; and the rife of the waters in moft of the confiderable rivers, was no lefs ruinous to the inland parts. Such a number of fliips have been driven afliore and wrecked, as never were known before in one feafon; the infurers m u ft be fufferers to the amount of vaft fums, and many merchants and owners of fhips in various nations are probably un¬ done by the hand of providence.
In England, part of the banks of the ri¬ ver between Corlton and Rawcliff, in York- fhire, were broken down, and the adjacent country overflowed. The river Oufe broke its banks, and overflowed the country from Selby to Barllbeg, to an almoft incredible height. Yarm underwent a fecond in¬ undation, and the current demolilhed e- very garden wall that flood in its way. The country adjoining to the river Hull was under water for many miles, and a more melanchoily profpedt cannot be defcribed. In the neighbourhood of Spalding a hare was taken upon a fheep's back, on the firft rife of the inundation in that neighbourhood. The river Stockferry fo over topt its banks, that it became a perfedt cafcade, roaring night and day. In Ely feveral thoufand acres were overflowed, and in Norfolk the Narr has done the fame. The north flone bridge at Oundle was broke in three places; and the great bridge at Ternpfford blown up. 1 he famous rum at Godflcw was blown
down.
232 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
down. Thorney bank was broken down, and more than 20,000 acres of land laid under water between Wisbech and Peterborough. The noted ftone mill, formerly a prifon, at Yaxley, was blown down By the waters be¬ ing fo long out, the church at Newbury funk two feet deep. The Thames over¬ flowed its banks, fo that the weft country barges could bring no meal or malt to London. The inundations have been fo general in England, that room is wanting to enumerate the damages done by them, nor have they been lefs general or lefs fatal abroad. At Hambourg the Elbe rofe eleven feet "above high water-mark. Great part of Guelder- land, Overyflel, Cleves, the diftridt of Beruwe, and almoft all South Holland, were overflowed. Fourteen mills on the Khine have all been carried away by the floods. The villages of Moes and Zell laid under water, and the cattle and corn and fruits of the earth loft. The damage done at Frankfort, by the waters, was computed at 40,000 1. 72 villages in the neighbourhood' of Mu nfter were overflowed, and it is laid 12,000 fouls perifhed.
At Monferat, an Englifh fettlement in the Weft Indies, the water poured down from the mountains in fuch torrents, about the time of the earthquake at Martinico, in Augu ft 17(16, that part of the town was car-
OF STORMS. 233
ried away, many of the inhabitants loft their all, fome negroes perished, and many veflels were heaved afhore, and ftranded.
At St. Chriftopher’s many veflels were loft.
At St. Vincent’s fome fmall craft.
At Antigua many plantations buffered, and fome fhips were loft.
At Barbadoes little or no damage was done.
At Dominica a few fhips were loft, but no material damage was done in the ifland. In fhort, almoft all the Weft India iflands were, more or lefs, affeded either by the hurricane that attended that convulflon, or foon followed it.
At St. Euftatia, a violent hurricane and earthquake laid wafte great part of the ifland, on the ftxth of Oflober $ many fhips were loft, and incredible damage done.
In November, the river Tarne in Italy overflowed its banks in fuch a manner, that the fuburbs of Montauban were laid under water, the foundations of the houfes under- mined, and many of them thrown down. Upwards of 200 families have been obliged to fly with their beft effeds, to feek for bread in the higher parts of the city in the day, and to take fheirer at night in the churches. Their fituation was the moft deplorable, and
the
234 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
the fatal effects of this deluge throughout the whole diftrid were inexpreflibly mournful.
Letters from various parts of Germany took notice, that there had not been fo long a drought in the memory of man in that country, as happened this year. The Rhine was forded in many places, and a rock dif- covered in the Neckar, on which was en¬ graved 1476, a memorandum of the drought at that time 5 four inches below which, is now engraved 1766.
A moft furious hurricane, attended with thunder and hail, feemed to threaten the ifland of Cephalonia (a Venetian ifland) on the 31ft of May. All the fteeples of the churches were blown down, trees torn up by the roots, houfes demoliflied, and the roofs whirled about in the air. The fea in the port of Argoftoli rofe to an immoderate height, and began to overflow the town, to the inexprefiible terror of the inhabitants. This fatal hurricane, which lafted thirteen minutes, was fucceeded by violent fhocks of the earth, more alarming than the hurricane, as the whole ifland feemed to be moved, many houfes thrown down, and the inhabi¬ tants obliged to lie in the open fields. The number who perifhed cannot be eftimated, but the confternation was univerfal, as the tremulous motion was felt, at times for fifty minutes.
On
OF STORMS. 225
On the 14th of Nov. 1766, at nine in the evening, a horrible temped began at Cette in Languedoc by a threatening cloud, and large doc. claps of thunder, accompanied with rain, hail, and a mod impetuous wind from the iouth- eaft. Some chimnies fell during the night, but this was only the prelude to our misfor¬ tunes. The 15th, the rain, lightening and thunder were almoft continual. Toward evening the waters of the lea rofe to fuch a height that all the warehouses along the keys were entirely overflowed. This fwell of the fea, joined with the water which defcended in abundance from the mountain, at the foot of which our town is fituated, made great ravages, and occafioned immenfe Ioffes. During the night, the inhabitants Were in the utmoft condernation, not being able to fave their effeds, and feeing them- felves every moment in danger of perifhing.
But hill this was nothing to what happened on Sunday the t 6th. The thunder, and a deluge of rain, had laded all night long j both redoubled at break of day, the firff dawn of which, joined with the frequent glare of lightening, gave us a view of all the dreadful havock that had been made. Part of the people had run to the fil'd; mafs in the parifh. There, at the indant when the
pried was making fome reflections, by way
R of
y ’ f •'v •* .
226 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
of homily on the apparent effects of the wrath of God, the thunder entered the church through the great portal, and after terrifying all prefent, made its way out again, without hurting any body, through the roof of the next chape).
Another party of the people were gone to mafs at the community of penitents. The ftreet in which this community is fitu- ated, though very large, is more expofed than any other to the fall of waters from the mountain. Accordingly in this ftreet happened thpfe difafters, which, but for the peculiar protection of providence would allured ly have been more numerous. The fall of the waters had already filled all the cellars in the night; and ftones of an enor¬ mous fize, as well as the earth which rol¬ led down along with them, had blockaded, to the height of three feet, alrnoft all the doors of the houfes in the great fquare. The penitents were at the moment of con- fecrating the hod. The church opened in two; but which is aftonifhing. the roof re- mained half opened, andhung in that manner; for fevera! minutes, To that all prefenthad time to get out. In an inftant after, the wall of the front, and one half of the roof, fell down nearly on the heels of the hindmoft, as well as two houfes fituated oppofite.
4 The
OF STORMS, 227
The fall of tbefe buildings is attributed to fubterraneous waters which hpliowed and Tapped the foundations. A Nea¬ politan fliip perifhed on the coaft, and another appears at this inftant in great djftrefs, to which we are endeavouring to point out the entrance into our port, by fignals.”
I am, &c.
At Edinburgh a moft remarkable ftorm Edin^ of lightening attended with thunder, conti- bu^gh, nued from nine in the evening Jan. 3, 17 67, -j^ 3’ till morning. The fkv, for minutes at a ‘ r time, appeared covered with fire ; and a fiery meteor, of a round fhape, was feen, for a confiderable time, running from north to fouth, with prodigious velocity.
On Thurfday night Jan. 4, 1767, a moft whitby, violent ftorm of wind and hail, coming Jan. 4, from the N. E. and blowing right into 1767’ Whitby harbour, caufed the tide to rile near three feet perpendicularly higher than the oideft man living can remember. A num¬ ber of houfes were entirely demolifhed ; a great many more damaged; nay, hardly any that flood near the river weather¬ ed out the ftorm clear of harm : The ftaithing adjoining to the river has given
R 2 way
Me of Thanet, Tan, 6.
*767.
228 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
way in many places, and fome of it is en~ tirely down : The pavements, conduits? &c. where the waves reached, were torn up in an inconceivable manner ; and the piers greatly (battered^ the allum works at Salt- wick have fuffered very confiderably ; and the damages in the whole, cannot amount to lefs than 5000/.
On the 6th of January a violent gale of wind at N. W. brought on a moft furious tide, which bore down every thing within its reach. The pier at Margate has fuffered damage eftimated at 1000/. The jettces are almoft every where much ^arpaged, and in rpany places quite deftroycd. The coach road leading to the parade, is alipoft entirely wa/hed away. The houfes on the parade were thought to be in fuch immediate dan¬ ger, that the inhabitants removed all their moll valuable effeds. The low buildings between Hall’s library and the fea are all
X 1 ;
fwcpt off. Beal’s new caftle in the air, con¬ tiguous to them, (hared, in part, the fame fate ^ fortunately it was not fo far finifhed as to be habitable. The brooks are again all under water. Great lofs and damage has been fo ftained by many private people. The whole is a (bene of the greateft defola- lion and confufion.
t fo . F . ■- u < u t i , * <
6
Some
OF STORMS. 229
Some mifchief has been done at Ramf- gate, but inconfiderable in companion of this.
Poor Broaddairs, in St. Peter’s parifh, has feit the whole force of the dorm ; the pier is utterly dedrqyed, and luch a quan¬ tity of baich carried into the harbour, as will probably ruin it for ever. Twelve ihips, belonging to the Icelancl cod-fifhery, and one veffel on the flocks, will, with great difficulty, if ever, be got out. The place is undone ; and many honed, labo¬ rious families, who gained a competent livlihood by the fifhery carried on there, mud now be turned adrift, to feek their bread where they can find it : What makes their calamity the more pitiable is, that their pier having differed very great da¬ mage in the florm of 1763; they pre- fented a petition for a brief, at that time, as the only method which could be propofed to prevent their ruin $ molt unhappily for them, their petition was re- jedted.
The country in general is very fickly, and provifions and neceffaries of all kinds are immoderately dear. The didreffes of the poor are inexpreffible, and yet they bear thefe accumulated miferies with a mod unexampled patience. They have not raifed the lead tumult, or committed
the
230 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
fhe leaft outrage. Their cafe is truly de- plorable ; and the benevolent will afford ffhem their pity at lead.
At Newcaftle Jan. loth, 1767, they had a great fall of fnow, with lightening and thunder. The fea was much higher than was Ijmown in the memory of the oldeft man liv~ ing ; feveral of the quays in the lower part of this town, and at Shields, were overflowed,* and many cellars filled with water. Se- yeral Chips in the river have alfo received pinch hurt by the violence of the wind, particularly at Shields, where many broke from their moorings, and were driven again ft the quays on the fouth fhore, breaking down and unroofing the houfes. Two veflels funk in the harbour. A keel was drove upon Mr. Cookfons ballaft wharf, wherein were five men faft afleep, y^'ho never difcovered their fituation till the fide had left them fome hours. All the Chips in the new harbour of Hartley-pans were funk, to prevent their being damaged by running foul of each other, or driving to fea. At Seaton near Hartlepool, feve¬ rs! houfes were wafhed down 5 and a cheft p.f tea, in the original package, was driven si fhore. At Staiths, Sandlend, Eaft-row, and baltburn, they have undergone a fecond
inunda^
t)F STORMS.
Inundation, ftill more fatal than the former one., one third pm of the inhabitants of Straiths are ruined. The lightening oii Friday night miftaken by fdme for the aurora borealis, was fuch ds rendered fmall bodies cohfpicuous, the fucceffion of the flafhes being fo quick and intenfe.
A mod terrible hurricane arofe in th'eifland Cu^a» of Cuba on the 25th of O&ober 1768. It 1 76S; began on the fouth fide of the iflaiid, aiid died away at the north ; and though itlafted but two hours, its violence was fuefv, that it was computed to have deftroyed 96 public * edifices, among which were reckoned the great cathedral at Havanna, the ciiftom- houfe, the great tobacco magazine, St. Jaques fort, the principal jail, and the convent of St. Auguftine; befide 4048 dwelling houfes. There were no perfons buried under the ruins, and a great number of lives loft in the plantations. Sixty-nine Chips were drove on fhore, mod of which vvere beaten to pieces ; two fine docks were ruined^ and three large veffels on the flocks deftroyed. The da¬ mage of Chipping was the greater, aS the Spaniards had enticed many th ip-carpenters * fmiths, and other artificers, from the ifland of Jamaica; and were uflng indefatigable pains to put their marine there on a refpedtable foothing.
1^2 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT, &d.
The diftrefs of the poor inhabitants wa§ inexpreffible $ and the humane behaviour of the archbilhop of St, Domingo, and the fcifhop of Cuba, highly praife worthy. Thefe benevolent men* in the midft of the floras^ went about encouraging the people, and in¬ voking the mercy of the Almighty ; and the tdk of the religious exerted thernfelves in an uncommon manner on this calamitous occa- lion. The convents were open to every one* and the unhappy fufferers were entertained in them with the greateft hofpitality, until their houfes were made habitable.