Chapter IV (3)

The Wind being South West and by West, it began to blow very hard at
12 of the Clock at Night, and about four or five in the Morning
_Nov._ 27, the Hurricane was very terrible; many large Trees were
torn up by the Roots in this Place; the Leads of the Church were
Roll'd up, the Stone Battlements of the Tower were blown upon the
Leads, several Houses and Barns were uncover'd, part of a new built
Wall of Brick, belonging to a Stable was blown down, and very much
damage, of the like Nature, was done by the Wind in the Towns and
Villages adjacent.

_William Offley_, Rector of _Middleton-Stony_.

_From_ Leamington Hasting, _near_ Dun-_Church in_ Warwickshire, _we have the following Account._

_SIR_,

I find in the Advertisments a Desire to have an Account of what
happen'd remarkable in the late terrible Storm in the Country; the
Stories every where are very many, and several of them such as will
scarce gain Credit; one of them I send here an Account of being an
Eye Witness, and living upon the place: The Storm here began on the
26th of _Novem._ 1703. about 12-a-clock, but the severest Blasts
were between 5 and six in the Morning, and between Eight and Nine
the 27th I went up to the Church, where I found all the middle Isle
clearly stript of the Lead from one End to the other, and a great
many of the Sheets lying on the East End upon the Church, roll'd up
like a piece of Cloth: I found on the Ground six Sheets of Lead, at
least 50 Hundred weight, all joyn'd together, not the least parted,
but as they lay upon the Isle, which six Sheets of Lead were so
carried in the Air by the Wind fifty Yards and a Foot, measured by a
Workman exactly as cou'd be, from the place of the Isle where they
lay, to the place they fell; and they might have been carried a
great way further, had they not happen'd in their way upon a Tree,
struck off an Arm of it near 17 Yards high; the End of one Sheet was
twisted round the Body of the Tree, and the rest all joyn'd together
lay at length, having broke down the Pales first where the Tree
stood, and lay upon the Pales on the Ground, with one End of them,
as I said before, round the Body of the Tree.

At the same time at _Marson_, in the County of _Warwick_, about 4
Miles from this place, a great Rick of Wheat was blown off from its
Staddles, and set down without one Sheaf remov'd, or disturb'd, or
without standing away 20 Yards from the place.

If you have a mind to be farther satisfied in this Matter, let me
hear from you, and I will endeavour it: But I am in great hast at
this time, which forces me to be confus'd.

_I am your Friend_,
E. Kingsburgh.

_The following Account we have from_ Fareham _and_ Christ Church _in_ Hampshire, _which are also well attested_.

_SIR_,

I received yours, and in Answer these are to acquaint you; That we
about us came no ways behind the rest of our Neighbours in that
mighty Storm or Hurricane. As for our own Parish, very few Houses or
Outhouses escaped. There was in the Parish of _Fareham_ six Barns
blown down, with divers other Outhouses, and many Trees blown up by
the Roots, and other broken off in the middle; by the fall of a
large Elm, a very large Stone Window at the West End of our Church
was broken down; there was but two Stacks of Chimneys thrown down in
all our Parish that I know of, and those without hurting any Person.
There was in a _Coppice_ called _Pupal Coppice_, an Oak Tree, of
about a Load of Timber, that was twisted off with the Wind, and the
Body that was left standing down to the very Roots so shivered, that
if it were cut into Lengths, it would fall all in pieces.
Notwithstanding so many Trees, and so much Out-Housing was blown
down, I do not hear of one Beast that was killed or hurt. There was
on the _Down_ called _Portsdown_, in the Parish of _Southwick_,
within three Miles of us, a Wind-Mill was blown down, that had not
been up very many Years, with great damage in the said Parish to Mr.
_Norton_, by the fall of many Chimneys and Trees. The damage
sustained by us in the _Healing_ is such, that we are obliged to
make use of Slit Deals to supply the want of Slats and Tyles until
Summer come to make some. And so much Thatching wanting, that it
cannot be all repaired till after another Harvest. As for Sea
Affairs about us, we had but one Vessel abroad at that time, which
was one _John Watson_, the Master of which was never heard of yet,
and I am afraid never will; I have just reason to lament her Loss,
having a great deal of Goods aboard of her. If at any time any
particular Relation that is true, come to my knowledge in any
convenient time, I will not fail to give you an Account, and at all
times remain

_Fareham_, _Your Servant_,
_January the_ 23_d._ 1703/4. Hen. Stanton.

_SIR_,

In Answer to yours, relating to the Damages done by the late Storm
in, and about out Town, is, that we had great part of the Roof of
our Church uncover'd, which was cover'd with very large
Purbick-stone, and the Battlements of the Tower, and part of the
Leads blown down, some Stones of a vast weight blown from the
Tower, several of them between two or three hundred weight, were
blown some Rods or Perches distance from the Church; and 12 Sheets
of Lead rouled up together, that 20 Men could not have done the
like, to the great Amasement of those that saw 'em: And several
Houses and Barns blown down, with many hundreds of Trees of all
sorts; several Stacks of Chimneys being blown down, and particularly
of one _Thomas Spencer_'s of this Town, who had his Top of a Brick
Chimney taken off by the House, and blown a cross a Cart Road, and
lighting upon a Barn of _Richard Holloway_'s, broke down the end of
the said Barn, and fell upright upon one End, on a Mow of Corn in
the Barn; but the said _Spencer_ and his Wife, al-tho' they were
then sitting by the Fire, knew nothing thereof until the Morning:
And a Stack of Chimneys of one Mr. _Imber_'s fell down upon a young
Gentlewoman's Bed, she having but just before got out of the same,
and several Outhouses and Stables were blown down, some Cattel
killed; and some Wheat-ricks entirely blown off their Stafolds; and
lighted on their bottom without any other damage; this is all the
Relation I can give you that is Remarkable about us,

_I remain your friend and Servant_,
William Mitchel.

At _Ringwood_ and _Fording-Bridge_, several Houses and Trees are
blown down, and many more Houses uncovered.

_From_ Oxford _the following Account was sent, enclosed in the other, and are confirm'd by Letters from other Hands_.

_SIR_,

The inclos'd is a very exact, and I am sure, faithful Account of the
Damages done by the late Violent Tempest in _Oxford_. The
particulars of my Lord Bishop of _Bath_ and _Wells_, and his Ladies
Misfortune are as follows, The Palace is the Relicks of a very old
decay'd Castle, only one Corner is new built; and had the Bishop had
the good Fortune to have lain in those Apartments that Night, he
had sav'd his Life. He perceiv'd the fall before it came, and
accordingly jump't out of Bed, and made towards the Door, where he
was found with his Brains dash'd out; his Lady perceiving it, wrapt
all the Bed-cloaths about her, and in that manner was found
smother'd in Bed. This account is Authentick,

_I am, Sir, yours_,
Dec. 9. 1703. J. Bagshot.

_SIR_,

I give you many thanks for your account from _London_: We were no
less terrified in _Oxon_ with the Violence of the Storm, tho' we
suffer'd in comparison but little Damage. The most considerable was,
a Child kill'd in St. _Giles_'s by the fall of an House; two
Pinnacles taken off from the Top of _Magdalen_ Tower, one from
_Merton_; about 12 Trees blown down in _Christ_ Church long walk,
some of the Battlements 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 University Garden was blown off, and a Branch of
the Oak in _Magdalen_ walks; the rest of the Colleges scaped
tolerably well, and the Schools and Theatre intirely. A very
remarkable passage happened at Queen's College, several Sheets of
Lead judged near 6000 _l._ weight, were taken off from the Top of
Sir _J. Williamson_'s Buildings, and blown against the West-end of
St. Peter's Church with such Violence, that they broke an Iron-bar
in the Window, making such a prodigious Noise with the fall, that
some who heard it, thought the Tower had been falling. The rest of
our Losses consisted for the most part in Pinnacles, Chimneys,
Trees, Slates, Tiles, Windows, _&c._ amounting in all, according to
Computation, to not above 1000 _l._

_Ox. Dec._ 7. 1703.

_From_ Kingstone-upon-Thames, _the following Letter is very particular, and the truth of it may be depended upon_.

_SIR_,

I have inform'd my self of the following Matters; here was blown
down a Stack of Chimneys of Mrs. _Copper_, Widow, which fell on the
Bed, on which she lay; but she being just got up, and gone down, she
received no harm on her Body: Likewise, here was a Stack of Chimnies
of one Mr. _Robert Banford_'s blown down, which fell on a Bed, on
which his Son and Daughter lay, he was about 14 years and the
Daughter 16; but they likewise were just got down Stairs, and
received no harm: A Stack of Chimnies at the _Bull-Inn_ was blown
down, and broke way down into the Kitchen, but hurt no Body: Here
was a new Brick Malt-House of one Mr. _Francis Best_ blown down, had
not been built above two Years, blown off at the second Floor:
besides many Barns, and out Houses; and very few Houses in the Town
but lost Tiling, some more, some less, and Multitudes of Trees, in
particular. 11 Elms of one Mr. _John Bowles_, Shooe-maker: About 30
Apple-trees of one _Mr. Peirce_'s: And of one _John Andrew_, a
Gardiner, 100 Apple-trees blown to the Ground: One _Walter Kent_,
Esq; had about 20 Rod of new Brick-wall of his Garden blown down:
One Mr. _Tiringam_, Gentleman, likewise about 10 Rod of new
Brick-wall blown down: Mr. _George Cole_, Merchant, had also some
Rods of new Brickwall blown down: Also Mr. _Blitha_, Merchant, had
all his Walling blown down, and other extraordinary Losses. These
are the most considerable Damages done here,

_Your humble Servant_,
C. Castleman.

_From_ Teuxbury _in_ Gloucestershire, _and from_ Hatfield _in_ Hertfordshire, _the following Letters are sent us from the Ministers of the respective Places._

_SIR_,

Our Church, tho' a very large one, suffered no great discernable
Damage. The Lead Roof, by the force of the Wind was strangely
ruffled, but was laid down without any great cost or trouble. Two
well-grown Elms, that stood before a sort of Alms-house in the
Church-yard had a different Treatment; the one was broken short in
the Trunck, and the head turn'd Southward, the other tore up by the
Roots, and cast Northward: Divers Chimnies were blown down, to the
great Damage and Consternation of the Inhabitants: And one rising in
the middle of two Chambers fell so violently, that it broke thro'
the Roof and Cieling of the Chamber, and fell by the Bed of Mr.
_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 Advertisement 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
Glass-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 compass 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 passage 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 Assurances 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 Altitude 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 noble
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 God, 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 God 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_ Sussex, _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 quantity, 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 quantity 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 damnify'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
God, 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 damnifying 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 God 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 Glass 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
God) 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 Cocks 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, God 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._

_At_ Ledbury _in_ Herefordshire, _we have an Account of two Wind Mills blown down, and four Stacks of Chimneys in a new built House at a Village near_ Ledbury, _which Wounded a Maid Servant; and at another Gentleman's House near_ Ledbury, _the Coachman fearing the Stable would fall, got his Master's Coach Horses out to save them, but leading them by a great Stack of Hay, the Wind blew down the Stack upon the Horses, killed one, and Maimed the other._

_From_ Medhurst _in_ Sussex, _the following Letter is a short account of the loss of the Lord_ Montacute, _in his Seat there, which is extraordinary great, tho' Abridg'd in the Letter_.

_SIR_,

I received a Letter from you, wherein you desire me to give you an
account of what damage was done in and about our Town, I praise God
we came off indifferent well; the greatest damage we received, was
the untiling of Houses, and 3 Chimneys blown down, but 4 or 5 Stacks
of Chimneys are blown down at my Lord _Montacute_'s House, within a
quarter of a mile of us, one of them fell on part of the Great Hall,
which did considerable damage; and the Church Steeple of _Osborn_,
half a mile from us, was blown down at the same time; and my Lord
had above 500 Trees torn up by the Roots, and near us several Barns
blown down, one of Sir _John Mill_'s, a very large Tiled Barn.

Medhurst, _Your humble Servant_
_Jan._ 18. 1703/4. John Prinke.

_From_ Rigate _the particulars cannot be better related, than in the following Letter_

_SIR_,

In answer to the Letter you sent me, relating to the late great
Wind, the Calamity was universal about us, great numbers of vast
tall Trees were blown down, and some broken quite asunder in the
middle, tho' of a very considerable bigness. Two Wind-mills were
blown down, and in one there happened a remarkable Providence, and
the Story thereof may perhaps be worth your observation, which is,
_viz._ That the Miller of _Charlewood_ Mill, not far from _Rigate_
hearing in the night time the Wind blew very hard, arose from his
Bed, and went to his Mill, resolving to turn it toward the Wind, and
set it to work, as the only means to preserve it standing; but on
the way feeling for the Key of the Mill, he found he had left it at
his Dwelling House, and therefore returned thither to fetch it, and
coming back again to the Mill, found it blown quite down, and by his
lucky forgetfulness saved his Life, which otherwise he most
inevitably had lost. Several Stacks of Corn and Hay were blown down
and shattered a very great distance from the places where they
stood. Many Barns were also blown down, and many Stacks of Chimnies;
and in the Town and Parish of _Rigate_, scarce a House but suffered
considerable damage, either in the Tyling or otherwise. In the
Parish of _Capel_ by _Darking_ lived one _Charles Man_, who was in
Bed with his Wife and two Children, and by a fall of part of his
House, he and one Child were killed, and his Wife, and the other
Child, miraculously preserved, I am

Rigate, _Sir, Your humble Servant_,
Jan. 13. 1703/4. Tho. Foster.

_From the City of_ Hereford, _this short Letter is very explicit._

_SIR_,

The best account I can give of the Storm, is as follows; a Man and
his Son was killed with the fall of his House, in the Parish of
_Wormsle_, 2 miles off _Webly_ in _Herefordshire_. My Lord
_Skudamoor_ had several great Oaks blown down in the Parish of
_Hom_, 4 miles from _Hereford_; there were several great Elms blown
down at a place called _Hinton_, on _Wye_ side, half a mile off
_Hereford_, and some hundreds of Fruit Trees in other Parts of this
County, and two Stacks of Chimnies in this City, and abundance of
Tiles off the old Houses,

_Hereford_, _Yours_, &c.
_Jan._ 2. 1703. Anne Watts.

_At_ Hawkhurst, _on the Edge of_ Sussex _and_ Kent, _11 Barnes were blown down, besides the Houses Shatter'd or Uncover'd._

_From_ Basingstoke _in_ Hampshire, _the following Letter is our Authority for the Particulars_.

_SIR_,

I cannot pretend to give you a particular account concerning the
great Wind, but here are a great many Houses blown down, many Barns,
and abundance of Trees. A little Park, three Miles from _Basing
Stoke_, belonging to Esq. _Waleps_ has a great quantity of Timber
blown down, there is 800 _l_'s worth of Oak sold, and 800 _l_'s
worth of other Trees to be sold, and so proportionably all over the
Country. Abundance of Houses until'd, and a great many Chimneys
blown down; but I do not hear of any body kill'd about us. Most of
the People were in great Fears and Consternation; insomuch, that
they thought the World had been at an end. Sir,

_Yours to Command_
W. Nevill

At _Shoram_ the Market House, an Antient and very strong building, was blown flat to the Ground, and all the Town shatter'd. _Brighthelmston_ being an old built and poor, tho' populous Town, was most miserably torn to pieces, and made the very Picture of Desolation, that it lookt as if an Enemy had Sackt it.

_The following Letter from a small Town near_ Helford _in_ Cornwall _is very Authentick, and may be depended on_.

_SIR_,

According to your Request, in a late Advertisement, in which you
desir'd an Impartial Account of what Accidents hapned by the late
Dreadful Storm, in order to make a true and just Collection of the
same, please to take the following Relation, _viz._ Between 8 and
9-a-Clock the Storm began, with the Wind at N.W. about 10-a-Clock
it veer'd about from W. to S.W. and back to West again, and between
11 and 12-a-Clock it blew in a most violent and dreadful manner,
that the Country hereabouts thought the great day of Judgment was
coming.

It continued thus blowing till 5-a-Clock and then began to abate a
little, but has done a Prodigious damage to almost all sorts of
People, for either their Houses are blown down, or their Corn blown
out of their tack-yards (some Furlongs distance) from the same that
the very fields look in a manner, as if they had shak'd the Sheaves
of Corn over them. Several Barns blown down, and the Corn that was
in the same carried clear away.

The Churches here abouts have suffered very much, the Roofs of
several are torn in pieces, and blown a considerable Distance off.

The small Quantity of Fruit-Trees we had in the Neighbourhood about
us are so dismember'd, and torn in pieces, that few or none are left
fit for bearing Fruit.

The large Timber Trees, as Elm, Oak, and the like, are generally
blown down, especially the largest and highest Trees suffered most;
for few Gentlemen that had Trees about their Houses have any left;
and it is generally observ'd here, that the Trees and Houses that
stood in Valleys, and most out of the Wind, have suffered most. In
short, the Damage has been so general, that both Rich and Poor have
suffered much.

In _Helford_, a small Haven, not far from hence, there was a Tin
Ship blown from her Anchors with only one Man, and two Boys on
Board, without Anchor, Cable or Boat, and was forc'd out of the
said Haven about 12-a-Clock at Night; the next Morning by 8-a-Clock,
the Ship miraculously Run in between two Rocks in the _Isle of
Wight_, where the Men and Goods were saved, but the Ship lost: Such
a Run, in so short a time, is almost Incredible, it being near 80
Leagues in 8 hours time, I believe it to be very true, for the
Master of the said Ship I know very well, and some that were
concern'd in her Lading, which was Tin, &c.

_From St._ Keaverne _Parish in_ Cornwall,
_May_ 26. 1704. _Yours &c._ W.T.

_Thus far our Letters_.

It has been impossible to give an exact relation in the matter of publick Damage, either as to the particulars of what is remarkeable, or an Estimate of the general loss.

The Abstract here given, as near as we could order it, is so well taken, that we have, _generally speaking_, something remarkable from every quarter of the Kingdom, to the South of the _Trent_.

It has been observ'd, that tho' it blew a great Storm farther Northward, yet nothing so furious as this way. At _Hull_, indeed, as the Relation Expresses, it was violent, but even that violence was moderate, compar'd to the Stupendious fury with which all the Southern part of the Nation was Attack'd.

When the Reader finds an Account here from _Milford-haven_ in _Wales_, and from _Helford_ in _Cornwall_ West, from _Yarmouth_ and _Deal_ in the East, from _Portsmouth_ in the South, and _Hull_ in the North, I am not to imagine him so weak as to suppose all the vast Interval had not the same, or proportion'd suffering, when you find one Letter from a Town, and two from a County, it is not to be supposed that was the whole damage in that County, but, on the contrary, that every Town in the County suffered the same thing in proportion; and it would have been endless to the Collector, and tiresom to the Reader, to have Enumerated all the Individuals of every County; 'twould be endless to tell the the Desolation in the Parks, Groves, and fine Walks of the Gentry, the general havock in the Orchards and Gardens among the Fruit Trees, especially in the Counties of _Devon_, _Somerset_, _Hereford_, _Gloucester_ and _Worcester_, where the making great quantities of Cyder and Perry, is the reason of numerous and large Orchards, among which, for several Miles together, there would be very few Trees left.

In _Kent_ the Editor of this Book has seen several great Orchards, the Trees lying flat on the Ground, and perhaps one Tree standing in a place by it self, as a House might shelter it, perhaps none at all.

So many Trees were every where blown cross the Road, that till the People were call'd to saw them off, and remove them, the ways were not passable.

Stacks of Corn and Hay were in all places either blown down, or so torn, that they receiv'd great damage, and in this Article 'tis very observable, those which were only blown down receiv'd the least Injury; when the main body of a Stack of Hay stood safe, the top being loosen'd by the Violence of the Wind, the Hay was driven up into the Air, and flew about like Feathers; that it was entirely lost and hung about in the Neighbouring Trees, and spread on the Ground for a great distance and so perfectly seperated, that there was no gathering it together.

Barly and Oats suffered the same casualty, only that the weight of the Corn settled it sooner to the Ground than the Hay.

As to the Stacks of Wheat, the Accounts are very strange; from many places we have Letters, and some so incredible, that we dare not venture on the Readers faith to transmit them, least they should shock their belief in those very strange Relations already set down, and better Attested, as of a great Stack of Corn taken from the Hovel on which it stood, and without Dislocating the Sheaves, set upon another Hovel, from whence the Wind had just before remov'd another Stack of equal Dimensions; of a Stack of Wheat taken up with the Wind, and set down whole 16 Rod off, and the like. But as we have other Relations equally strange, their Truth considered, we refer the Reader to them, and assure the World we have several Accounts of Stacks of Wheat taken clear off from the Frame or Steddal, and set down whole, abundance more over-set, and thrown off from their standings, and others quite dispers'd, and in a great measure destroy'd.

'Tis true, Corn was exceeding cheap all the Winter after, but they who bring that as a reason to prove there was no great quantity destroy'd, are oblig'd to bear with me in telling them they are mistaken, for the true reason was as follows,

The Stacks of Corn in some Counties, the West chiefly, where the People generally lay up their Corn in Stacks, being so damnify'd as above, and the Barns in all parts being Universally uncovered, and a vast number of them overturn'd, and blown down, the Country People were under a necessity of Threshing out their Corn with all possible speed, least if a Rain had follow'd, as at that time of Year was not unlikely, it might ha' been all spoil'd.

And it was a special Providence to those People also, as well as to us in _London_; that it did not Rain, at least to any quantity, for near three Weeks after the Storm.

Besides this, the Country People were obliged to thresh out their Corn for the sake of the Straw, which they wanted to repair the Thatch, and covering of their Barns, in order to secure the rest.

All these Circumstances forc'd the Corn to Market in unusual quantities, and that by Consequence made it Cheaper than ordinary, and not the exceeding quantity then in Store.

The Seats of the Gentlemen in all places had an extraordinary share in the Damage; their Parks were in many places perfectly dismantled, the Trees before their Doors levelled, their Garden Walls blown down, and I could give a List, I believe, of a thousand Seats in _England_, within the compass of our Collected Papers, who had from 5 to 20 Stacks of Chimnies blown down, some more, some less, according to the several Dimentions of the Houses.

I am not obliging the Reader to comply with the Calculations here following, and it would have took up too much room in this small Tract to name particulars; but according to the best estimate I have been able to make from the general Accounts sent up by Persons forward to have this matter recorded, the following particulars are rather under than over the real Truth.

25 Parks in the several Counties, who have above 1000 Trees in each Park, blown down.

_New Forest_ in _Hampshire_ above 4000, and some of prodigious Bigness; above 450 Parks and Groves, who have from 200 large Trees to 1000 blown down in them.

Above 100 Churches covered with Lead, the Lead roll'd up, the Churches uncover'd; and on some of them, the Lead in prodigious Quantities blown to incredible Distances from the Church.

Above 400 Wind-mils overset, and broken to pieces; or the Sails so blown round, that the Timbers and Wheels have heat and set the rest on Fire, and so burnt them down, as particularly several were in the Isle of _Ely_.

Seven Steeples quite blown down, besides abundance of Pinacles and Battlements from those which stood; and the Churches where it happened most of them Demolish'd, or terribly Shattered.

Above 800 dwelling Houses blown down, in most of which the Inhabitants received some Bruise or Wounds, and many lost their Lives.

We have reckoned, including the City of _London_, about 123 People kill'd; besides such as we have had no account of; the Number of People drowned are not easily Guest; but by all the Calculations I have made and seen made, we are within compass, if we reckon 8000 Men lost, including what were lost on the Coast of _Holland_, what in Ships blown away, and never heard of, and what were drowned in the Flood of the _Severn_, and in the River of _Thames_.

What the Loss, how many poor Families ruin'd, is not to be Estimated, the Fire of _London_ was an exceeding Loss, and was by some reckon'd at four Millions sterling; which, tho' it was a great Loss, and happened upon the spot, where vast Quantities of Goods being expos'd to the fury of the Flames, were destroy'd in a hurry, and 14000 dwelling Houses entirely consum'd.

Yet on the other Hand, that Desolation was confin'd to a small Space, the loss fell on the wealthiest part of the People; but this loss is Universal, and its extent general, not a House, not a Family that had any thing to lose, but have lost something by this Storm, the Sea, the Land, the Houses, the Churches, the Corn, the Trees, the Rivers, all have felt the fury of the Winds.

I cannot therefore think I speak too large, if I say, I am of the Opinion, that the Damage done by this Tempest far exceeded the Fire of _London_.

They tell us the Damages done by the Tide, on the Banks of the _Severn_, amounts to above 200000 pounds, 15000 Sheep drown'd in one Level, Multitudes of Cattle on all the sides, and the covering the Lands with Salt Water is a Damage cannot well be Estimated: The High Tide at _Bristol_ spoil'd or damnify'd 1500 Hogsheds of Sugars and Tobaccoes, besides great quantities of other Goods.

'Tis impossible to describe the general Calamity, and the most we can do is, to lead our Reader to supply by his Immagination what we omit; and to believe, that as the Head of the particulars is thus collected, an infinite Variety at the same time happened in every place, which cannot be expected to be found in this Relation.

There are some additional Remarks to be made as to this Tempests, which I cannot think improper to come in here: As,

1. That in some Parts of _England_ it was join'd with terrible Lightnings and Flashings of Fire, and in other places none at all; as to Thunder the Noise the Wind made, was so Terrible, and so Unusual, that I will not say, People might not mistake it for Thunder; but I have not met with any, who will be positive that they heard it Thunder.

2. Others, as in many Letters we have received to that purpose insist upon it, that they felt an Earthquake; and this I am doubtful of for several Reasons.

1st. We find few People either in City or Country ventur'd out of their Houses, or at least till they were forced out, and I cannot find any Voucher to this opinion of an Earthquake, from those whose Feet stood upon the _Terra Firma_, felt it move, and will affirm it to be so.

2d. As to all those People who were in Houses, I cannot allow them to be competent Judges, for as no House was so strong as not to move and shake with the force of the Wind, so it must be impossible for them to distinguish whither that motion came from above or below: As to those in Ships, they will not pretend to be competent Judges in this case, and I think the People within doors as improper to decide, for what might not that motion they felt in their Houses, from the Wind do, that an Earthquake could do. We found it rockt the strongest Buildings, and in several places made the Bells in the Steeples strike, loosen'd the Foundations of the Houses, and in some below them quite down, but still if it had been an Earthquake, it must have been felt in every house, and every place; and whereas in those Streets of _London_, where the Houses stand thick and well Built, they could not be so shaken with the Wind as in opener places; yet there the other would have equally been felt, and better distinguisht; and this particularly by the Watch, who stood on the Ground, under shelter of publick Buildings, as in St. _Paul_'s Church, the Exchange Gates, the Gates of the City, and such like; wherefore, as I am not for handing to Posterity any matter of Fact upon ill Evidence, so I cannot transmit what has its Foundation only in the Amazements of the People.

'Tis true, that there was an Earthquake felt in the _North East parts of the Kingdoms_, about a Month afterwards, of which several Letters here inserted make mention, and one very particularly from _Hull_; but that there was any such thing as an Earthquake during the Storm, I cannot agree.

Another remarkable thing I have observ'd, and have several Letters to show of the Water which fell in the Storm, being brackish, and at _Cranbrook_ in _Kent_, which is at least 16 Miles from the Sea, and above 25 from any Part of the Sea to windward, from whence the Wind could bring any moisture, _for it could not be suppos'd to fly against the Wind_; the Grass was so salt, the Cattel would not eat for several Days, from whence the ignorant People suggested another Miracle, _viz._ that it rain'd salt Water.

The answer to this, I leave to two Letters printed in the _Philosophical Transactions_; as follows,

_Part of a Letter from Mr._ Denham _to the Royal Society_,

_SIR_,

I have just now, since my writing, receiv'd an account from a
Clergy-man, an Intelligent Person at _Lewes_ in _Sussex_, not only
that the Storm made great desolations thereabouts, but also an odd
Phænomenon occasioned by it, _viz._ 'That a Physician travelling
soon after the Storm to _Tisehyrst_, about 20 Miles from _Lewes_,
and as far from the Sea, as he rode he pluckt some tops of Hedges,
and chawing them found them Salt. Some Ladies of _Lewes_ hearing
this, tasted some Grapes that were still on the Vines, and they also
had the same relish. The Grass on the Downs in his Parish was so
salt, that the Sheep in the Morning would not feed till hunger
compelled them, and afterwards drank like Fishes, as the Shepherds
report. This he attributeth to Saline Particles driven from the
Sea.--He heareth also, that People about _Portsmouth_ were much
annoyed with sulphurous Fumes, complaining they were most suffocated
therewith'.

V. _Part of a Letter from Mr._ Anthony van Lauwenhoek, _F.R.S. giving his Observations on the late Storm_.

Delft, Jan. 8. 1704. N.S.

_SIR_,

I affirmed in my Letter of the 3d of _November_ last past, that
Water may be so dash'd and beaten against the Banks and Dikes by a
strong Wind, and divided into such small Particles, as to be carried
far up into the Land.

Upon the 8th of _December_, 1703. N.S. We had a dreadful Storm from
the South West, insomuch, that the Water mingled with small parts of
Chalk and Stone, was so dasht against the Glass-windows, that many
of them were darkned therewith, and the lower Windows of my House,
which are made of very fine Glass, and always kept well scower'd,
and were not open'd till 8-a-Clock that Morning, notwithstanding
that they look to the North East, and consequently stood from the
Wind; and moreover, were guarded from the Rain by a kind of Shelf or
Pent-house over them; were yet so cover'd with the Particles of the
Water which the Whirl-wind cast against them, that in less than
half an hour they were deprived of most of their transparency, and,
forasmuch as these Particles of Water were not quite exhaled, I
concluded that it must be Sea-water, which the said Storm had not
only dasht against our Windows, but spread also over the whole
Country.

That I might be satisfied herein, I blow'd two small Glasses, such
as I thought most proper to make my Observations with, concerning
the Particles of Water that adhered to my Windows.

Pressing these Glasses gently against my Windows, that were covered
with the suppos'd Particles of Sea-water, my Glasses were tinged
with a few of the said Particles.