The Storm Part 10

_W.M._ and bruised some part of the Bed-teaster and Furniture; but himself, Wife and Child were signally preserved: An Out-house of Mr.

_F.M._ (containing a Stable, Millhouse, and a sort of Barn, judged about 40 Foot in length) standing at the end of our Town, and much expos'd to the Wind, intirely fell, which was the most considerable Damage: Not one of our Town was kill'd, or notably hurt; tho' scarce any but were terribly alarm'd by the dreadful Violence of it, which remitted about five in the Morning: The beautiful Cathedral Church of _Glocester_ suffer'd much; but of that I suppose you will have an account from some proper Hand: This I was willing to signifie to you, in answer to your Letter, not that I think them worthy of a publick Memorial; but the Preservation of _W.M._ his Wife and Child was remarkable,

_Your unknown Friend and Servant_, _Teuxbury Jan._ 12. 1703/4. John Matthews.

_Bishop's Hatfield_, Decem. 9. 1703.

_SIR_,

I perceive by an Advertis.e.m.e.nt in the _Gazette_ of last _Monday_, that a Relation of some considerable Things which happened in the late Tempest is intended to be printed, which design I believe will be well approved of, that the Memory of it may be perpetuated. I will give you an Account of some of the observable Damages done in this Parish: The Church which was Til'd is so shattered, that the Body of it is entirely to be ripp'd. Two Barns, and a Stable have been blown down; in the latter were 13 Horses, and none of them hurt, tho' there was but one to be seen when the Men first came. I have number'd about 20 large Trees blown down, which stood in the regular Walks in the Park here. It is said, that all the Trees blown down in both the Parks will make above an hundred Stacks of Wood. A Summer-house which stood on the East-side of the Bowling-green at _Hatfield_-House, was blown against the Wall, and broken, and a large part of it carried over the Wall, beyond a Cartway into the plowed Grounds. A great part of the South-wall belonging to one of the Gardens was levelled with the Ground; tho' it was so strong, that great part of it continues cemented, tho' it fell upon a Gravel-walk. Several Things which happened, incline me to think that there was something of an _Hurricane_. Part of the fine painted Gla.s.s-window in my Lord _Salisbury_'s Chapel was broken, tho' it looked towards the East. The North-side of an House was untiled several Yards square. In some places the Lead has been raised up, and over one Portal quite blown off. In _Brocket-hall_ Park belonging to Sir _John Reade_, so many Trees are blown down, that lying as they do, they can scarce be numbred, but by a moderate Computation, they are said to amount to above a Thousand. The Damages which this Parish hath sustained, undoubtedly amount to many hundred Pounds, some of the most considerable I have mentioned to you, of which I have been in great Measure an Eye-witness, and have had the rest from Credible Persons, especially the matter of _Brocket-hall_ Park, it being two Miles out of Town, tho' in this Parish. I am,

_Sir, Your humble Servant_, George Hemsworth, _M.A._ _Curate of_ Bishop's Hatfield, _in Hartfordshire_.

_The shorter Accounts which have been sent up from almost all parts of_ England, _especially to the South of the_ Trent; _tho' we do not transmit them at large as the abovesaid Letters are, shall be faithfully abridg'd for the readier comprising them within the due compa.s.s of our Volume._

_From_ Kent _we have many strange Accounts of the Violence of the Storm, besides what relate to the Sea Affairs._

_At_ Whitstable, _a small Village on the Mouth of the East Swale of the River_ Medway, _we are inform'd a Boat belonging to a Hoy was taken up by the Violence of the Wind, clear off from the Water, and being bourn up in the Air, blew turning continually over and over in its progressive Motion, till it lodg'd against a rising Ground, above 50 Rod from the Water; in the pa.s.sage it struck a Man, who was in the way, and broke his Knee to pieces._

_We content our selves with relating only the Fact, and giving a.s.surances of the Truth of what we Relate, we leave the needful Remarks on such Things to another place._

_At a Town near_ Chartham, _the Lead of the Church rolled up together, and blown off from the Church above 20 Rod distance, and being taken up afterwards, and weigh'd it, appear'd to weigh above 2600 weight._

_At_ Brenchly _in the Western Parts of_ Kent, _the Spire of the Steeple which was of an extraordinary hight was overturn'd; the particulars whereof you have in the following Letter, from the Minister of the place._

_SIR_,

According to your request, and my promise, for the service of the publick, I have here given you an Account of the Effects of the late Tempestuous Winds in the Parish of _Brenchly_, in the County of _Kent_, as freely and impartially as can be consistent with the Damages sustained thereby, _viz._

A stately Steeple, whose Alt.i.tude exceeded almost, if not all, in _Kent_, the height whereof, according to various Computations, it never in my knowledge being exactly measured, did amount at least to 10 Rods; some say 12, and others more; yet this strong and n.o.ble Structure by the Rage of the Winds was levelled with the Ground, and made the sport and pastime of Boys and Girls, who to future Ages, tho' perhaps incredibly, yet can boast they leaped over such a Steeple, the fall thereof beat down great part of the Church and Porch, the damage of which to repair, as before, will not amount to less than 800 or 1000 _l._ This is the publick loss; neither does private and particular much less bemoan their Condition, for some Houses, and some Barns, with other Buildings, are quite demolished; tho' Blessed be G.o.d, not many Lives or Limbs lost in the fall, and not one House, but what suffered greatly by the Tempest. Neither were Neighbouring Parishes much more favoured; but especially, a place called _Great Peckham_, whose Steeple also, almost as high as ours, was then blown down, but not so much Damage to the Church, which G.o.d preserve safe and sound for ever.

_This is the nearest account that can be given, by your unknown Servant_, Tho. Figg.

_As the above Letter mentions the fall of the Spire of_ Great Peckham, _we have omitted a particular Letter from the place._

_In or near_ Hawkhurst _in_ Suss.e.x, _a Waggon standing in a Field loaden with Straw, and bound well down in order to be fetch't away the next day, the Wind took the Waggon, drove it backward several Rods, force't 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 six Horses could not pull it out._

_The Collector of these Accounts cannot but enter the Remarks he made, having occasion to Traverse the County of_ Kent _about a Month after the Storm; and besides, the general Desolation which in every Village gave almost the same prospect; he declares, that he reckoned 1107 dwelling Houses, Out-houses and Barns blown quite down, whole Orchards of Fruit Trees laid flat upon the Ground, and of all other sorts of Trees such a quant.i.ty, that tho' he attempted to take an Account of them, he found 'twas impossible, and was oblig'd to give it over._

_From_ Monmouth _we have a Letter, that among a vast variety of Ruins, in their own Houses and Barns; one whereof fell with a quant.i.ty of Sheep in it, of which seven were kill'd: The Lead of the great Church, tho' on the side from the Wind, was roll'd up like a roll of Cloth, and blown off from the Church._

_I chose to note this, because the Letter says, it was upon the North-side of the Church, and which seems to confirm what I have observ'd before, of the Eddies of the Wind, the Operation whereof has been very strange in several places, and more Violent than the Storm it self._

_At_ Wallingford, _one_ Robert Dowell, _and his Wife, being both in Bed, the Chimney of the House fell in, demolish'd the House, and the main Beam breaking fell upon the Bed, the Woman receiv'd but little Damage, but the Man had his Thigh broke by the Beam, and lay in a dangerous Condition when the Letter was wrote, which was the 18th of_ January _after_.

_From_ Axminster _in_ Somersetshire _take the following plain, but honest Account._

_SIR_,

The best account I can give of the Storm in these Parts is as follows: Dr. _Towgood_ had his Court Gate, with a piece of Wall blown to the other side of the Road, and stands upright against the Hedge, which was 12 Foot over, and it was as big as two Horses could draw: A sheet of Lead which lay flat was carried from Sir _William Drake_'s quite over a Wall into the Minister's Court, near three-score Yards: There was a Tree which stood in Mr. _John Whitty_'s Ground which broke in the middle, and the top of it blew over the Hedge, and over a Wall, and over a top of a House, and did not hurt the House: There was a Mow of Corn that was blown off the Posts, and sate upright without hurt, belonging to _William Oliver_, at an Estate of _Edward Seymour_'s, called _Chappel Craft_: A Maiden Oke which stood in the _Quille_ more than a Man could fathom, was broke in the middle: Several hundred of Apple-Trees, and other Trees blown down: Most Houses d.a.m.nify'd in the Tiles and Thatch, but no Houses blown down, and no Person hurt nor killed; neither did the Church nor Tower, nor the Trees in the Church-yard received much Damage: Our loss in the Apple-Trees is the greatest; because we shall want Liquor to make our Hearts merry; the Farmer's sate them up again, but the Wind has blown them down since the Storm.

_From_ Hartley _in the County of_ Southampton_, an honest Countryman brought the following Account by way of Certificate, from the Minister of the Parish._

_SIR_,

I the Minister of the abovesaid Parish, in the County of _Southampton_, do hereby Certifie of the several Damages done by the late great Wind in our own, and the Parish adjacent; several dwelling Houses strip'd, and several Barns overturn'd, several Sign Posts blown down, and many Trees, both Timber and Fruit; and particularly my own Dwelling House very much mortify'd, a Chimney fell down, and endanger'd both my own, and Families Lives. I am,

_Sir, your humble Servant_, Nathan Kinsey.

_From_ Okingham _in_ Berkshire, _and from_ Bagshot _in_ Surrey, _as follows_.

_SIR_,

Great damage to the Houses, some Barns down, the Market-house very much shattred, the Clock therein spoiled, several hundreds of Trees torn up by the Roots, most of them Elms, nothing more remarkable than what was usual in other places. It is computed, that the damage amounts to 1000 _l._ And most of the Signs in the Town blown down, and some of the Leads on the Church torn up: Yet by the goodness of G.o.d, not one Person killed nor hurt.

_Bagshot_ in _Surry_.

The Chimneys of the Mannor House, some of them blown down, and 400 Pannel of Pales, with some of the Garden Walls blown down, and in and about the Town several great Elms torn up by the Roots, most of the Houses shatter'd, and the tops of Chimneys blown down.

_In the Parish_, a great many Chimneys, the tops of them blown down, and the Houses and Barns very much shatter'd, _&c._ the damage in all is supposed about 300 _l._ none killed.

This is all the Account I can give you concerning the damage done by the Tempest hereabouts. This is all at present from,

_Your Humble Servant_, _Bagshot_, _Feb._ 1. 1704. Jo. Lewis.

_At_ Becles _the Leads of the Church ript up, part of the Great Window blown down, and the whole Town exceedingly shatter'd._

_At_ Ewell _by_ Epsome _in_ Surry, _the Lead from the flat Roof of Mr._ Williams'_s House was roll'd up by the Wind, and blown from the top of the House clear over a Brick Wall near 10 Foot high, without d.a.m.nifying either the House or the Wall, the Lead was carried near 6 Rod from the House; and_ as our Relator says, _was Computed to weigh near 10 Tun.

This is Certified by Mr._ George Holdsworth _of_ Epsome, _and sent for the Service of the present Collection, to the Post House at_ London, _to whom we refer for the Truth of the Story._

_From_ Ely _in the County of_ Cambridge, _we have the following Relation; also by a Letter from another Hand, and I the rather Transmit this Letter, because by other hands we had an account, that it was expected the Cathedral or Minster at_ Ely, _being a very Ancient Building, and Crazy, would not have stood the fury of the Wind, and some People that lived within the reach of it, had Terrible Apprehensions of its falling, some shocks of the Wind gave it such a Motion, that any one that felt it, would have thought it was impossible it should have stood._

_SIR_,

According to your request, I have made it my business to get the exactest and truest account (I am able) of the damages and losses sustain'd on this side the Country, by the late Violent Storm. The Cathedral Church of _Ely_ by the Providence of G.o.d did, contrary to all Men's expectations, stand out the shock; but suffered very much in every part of it, especially that which is called the Body of it, the Lead being torn and rent up a considerable way together; about 40 lights of Gla.s.s blown down, and shatter'd to pieces, one Ornamental Pinacle belonging to the North Isle demolish'd, and the Lead in divers other parts of it blown up into great heaps. Five Chimneys falling down in a place called the Colledge, the place where the Prebendaries Lodgings are, did no other damage (prais'd be G.o.d) then beat down some part of the Houses along with them; the loss which the Church and College of _Ely_ sustain'd, being by computation near 2000 _l._ The Sufferers are the Reverend the Dean and Chapter of the said Cathedral. The Wind Mills belonging both to the Town and Country, felt a worse fate, being blown or burnt down by the Violence of the Wind, or else disabled to that degree, that they were wholy unable of answering the design they were made for; three of the aforesaid Mills belonging to one _Jeremiah Fouldsham_ of _Ely_, a very Industrious Man of mean Substance, were burnt and blown down, to the almost Ruin and Impoverishment of the aforesaid Person, his particular loss being upward of a 100 _l._ these are the most remarkable disasters that befel this side of the Country. The Inhabitants both of the Town of _Ely_ and Country general, receiv'd some small damages more or less in their Estates and Substance, _viz._ The Houses being stript of the Tiling, Barns and Out-houses laid even with the Ground, and several Stacks of Corn and c.o.c.ks of Hay being likewise much damaged, the general loss being about 20000 _l._ the escape of all Persons here from Death, being generally miraculous; none as we can hear of being kill'd, tho' some were in more imminent danger than others. This, Sir, is as true, and as faithful an account as we are able to collect.

_I am Yours_, Ely, Jan. 21. 1703. A. Armiger.

_From_ Sudbury _in_ Suffolk_, an honest plain Countryman gives us a Letter, in which telling us of a great many Barns blown down, Trees, Chimneys and Tiles, he tells us in the Close, that their Town fared better than they expected, but that for all the neighbouring Towns they are fearfully shatter'd._

_From_ Tunbridge, _a Letter to the Post Master, giving the following Account._

_SIR_,

I cannot give you any great account of the particular damage the late great Winds has done, but at _Penchurst Park_ there was above 500 Trees blown down, and the Grove at _Southborough_ is almost blown down; and there is scarce a House in Town, but hath received some damage, and particularly the School-House. A Stack of Chimnies blown down, but no body, G.o.d be thanked, have lost their Lives, a great many Houses have suffered very much, and several Barns have been blown down: At _East Peckam_, hard by us, the Spire of the Steeple was blown down: And at Sir _Thomas Twisden_'s in the same Parish, there was a Stable blown down, and 2 Horses killed: And at _Brenchly_ the Spire of the Steeple was blown down; and at _Summer Hill Park_ there were several Trees blown down; which is all at present from,

_Your Servant to Command_, Elizabeth Luck.

_At_ Laneloe _in the County of_ Brecon _in_ Wales, _a Poor Woman with a Child, was blown away by the Wind, and the Child being about 10 years old, was taken up in the Air two or three yards, and very much Wounded and Bruised in the fall._