by Daniel Defoe
There has been a strange thing at Butly, eight Miles from Brewton, which was thought to be Witchcraft, where a great many unusual Things happened to one Pope, and his Family, especially to a Boy, that was his Son, that having lain several Hours Dead, when he came to himself, he told his Father, and several of his Neighbours, Strange Stories of his being carried away by some of his Neighbours that have been counted wicked Persons; the Things have been so strangely related that Thousands of People have gone to see and hear it; it lasted about a Year or more: But since the Storm I have inquired of the Neighbours how it was, and they tell me, that since the late Tempest of Wind the House and People have been quiet; for its generally said, that there was some Conjuration in quieting of that House. If you have a desire to hear any farther Account of it, I will make it my Business to inquire farther of it, for there were such. Things happened in that time which is seldom heard of,
Your humble Servant
Hu. Ash.
Our Town of Butly lyes in such a place, that no Post-House is in a great many Miles of it, or you should hear oftner.
SIR,
I received yours, desiring an Account of the Damage done by the late great Wind about us. At Wilsnorton, three Miles from Wittney, the Lead of the Church was rouled, and great Damage done to the Church, many great Elms were tore up by the Roots: At Helford, two Miles from us, a Rookery of Elms, was most of it tore up by the Roots: At Cockeup, two Miles from us, was a Barn blown down, and several Elms blown down a Cross the High-way, so that there was no passage; a great Oak of about nine or ten Loads12 was blown down, having a Raven sitting in it, his Wing-feathers got between two Bows, and held him fast; but the Raven received no hurt: At Duckelton, a little thatch’t House was taken off the Ground-pening, and removed a distance from the place, the covering not damaged. Hay-recks abundance are torn to pieces: At Wittney, six Stacks of Chimneys blown down, one House had a sheet of Lead taken from one side and blown over to the other, and many Houses were quite torn to pieces; several Hundred Trees blown down, some broke in the middle, and some torn up by the Roots. Blessed be God, I hear neither Man, Woman nor Child that received any harm about us.
Your Servant ,
Wittney, Oxfordsh.
Richard Abenell.
ILMISTER, Somerset
Brief but exact Remarks on the late Dreadful Storms of Wind, as it affected the Town, and the Parts adjacent.
Imprimus.13 At Ashil-Parish 3 Miles West from this Town, the Stable belonging to the Hare and Hounds Inn was blown down, in which were three Horses, one kill’d, another very much bruised.
2. At Jurdans, a Gentleman’s Seat in the same Parish, there was a Brick Stable, whose Roof, one Back, and one End Wall, were all thrown down, and four foot in depth of the Fore Wall; in this Stable were 4 Horses, which by reason of the Hay-loft that bore up the Roof, were all preserv’d.
3. At Sevington Parish, three Miles East from this Town, John Hutkens had the Roof of a new built House heaved clean off the Walls. Note, the House was not glazed, and the Roof was thatch’d.
4. In White Larkington Park, a Mile East from this Town, besides four or five hundred tall Trees broken and blown down, (admirable to behold, what great Roots was turned up) there were three very large Beaches, two of them that were near five Foot thick in the Stem were broken off, one of them near the Root, the other was broken off twelve Foot above, and from that place down home to the Root was shattered and flown; the other that was not broken, cannot have less than forty Waggon Loads in it; a very fine Walk of Trees before the House all blown down, and broke down the Roof of a Pidgeon House, the Rookery carried away in Lanes, the Lodg-House damaged in the Roof, and one End by the fall of Trees. In the Garden belonging to the House, was a very fine Walk of tall Firrs, twenty of which were broken down.
5. The damage in the Thatch of Houses, (which is the usual Covering in these Parts) is so great and general, that the price of Reed arose from twenty Shillings to fifty or three Pounds a Hundred; insomuch that to shelter themselves from the open Air, many poor People were glad to use Bean, Helm and Furse, to thatch their Houses with, Things never known to be put to such Use before.
6. At Kingston, a Mile distance from this Town, the Church was very much shattered in its Roof, and Walls too, and all our Country Churches much shattered, so that Churches and Gentlemen’s Houses which were tiled, were so shatter’d in their Roofs, that at present, they are generally patch’d with Reed, not in Compliance with the Mode, but the Necessity of the Times.
7. At Broadway, two Miles West of this Town, Hugh Betty, his Wife, and four Children being in his House, it was by the violence of the Storm blown down, one of his Children killed, his Wife wounded, but recovered, the rest escaped with their Lives. A large Alms-house had most of the Tile blown off, and other Houses much shattered; a very large Brick Barn blown down, Walls and Roof to the Ground.
8. Many large Stacks of Wheat were broken, some of the Sheaves carried two or three Hundred Yards from the Place, many Stacks of Hay turned over, some Stacks of Corn heaved off the Stadle,14 and set down on the Ground, and not broken.
9. Dowlish Walk, two Miles South East, the Church was very much shattered, several Load of Stones fell down, not as yet repair’d, therefore can’t express the damage. A very large Barn broken down that stood near the Church, much damage was done to Orchards, not only in this Place, but in all places round, some very fine Orchards quite destroyed: some to their great Cost had the Trees set up right again, but a Storm of Wind came after, which threw down many of the Trees again; as to Timber Trees, almost all our high Trees were broken down in that violent Storm.
10. In this Town Henry Dunster, his Wife and 2 Children, was in their House when it was blown down, but they all escaped with their Lives, only one of them had a small Bruise with a piece of Timber, as she was going out of the Chamber when the Roof broke in.
The Church, in this Place, scap’d very well, as to its Roof, being cover’d with Lead only on the Chancel; the Lead was at the top of the Roof heaved up, and roll’d together, more than ten Men could turn back again, without cutting the Sheets of Lead, which was done to put it in its place again: But in general the Houses much broken and shatter’d, besides the fall of some.
This is a short, but true Account. I have heard of several other things which I have not mentioned, because I could not be positive in the truth of them, unless I had seen it. This is what I have been to see the truth of. You may enlarge on these short Heads, and methodize ’em as you see good.
At Henton St. George, at the Lord Pawlets’, a new Brick Wall was broken down by the Wind for above 100 foot, the Wall being built not above 2 years since, as also above 60 Trees near 100 foot high.
At Barrington, about 2 miles North of this Town, there was blown down above eight-score Trees, being of an extraordinary height, at the Lady Strouds.
As we shall not crow’d our Relation with many Letters from the same places, so it cannot be amiss to let the World have, at least, one Authentick Account from most of those Places where any Capital Damages have been sustain’d and to summ up the rest in a general Head at the end of this Chapter.
From Wiltshire we have the following Account from the Reverend the Minister of Upper Donhead near Shaftsbury; to which the Reader is referr’d as follows.
SIR,
As the Undertaking you are engag’d in, to preserve the Remembrance of the late dreadful Tempest, is very commendable in it self, and may in several respects be serviceable not only to the present Age, but also to Posterity; so it merits a suitable Encouragement, and, ’tis hop’d, it will meet with such, from all that have either a true sense of Religion, or have had any sensible share of the care of Providence over them, or of the goodness of God unto them in the Land of the Living, upon that occasion. There are doubtless vast numbers of People in all Parts (where the Tempest raged) that have the greatest reason (as the Author of this Paper for one hath) to bless God for their wonderful preservation, and to tell it to the Generation follow
ing. But to detain you no longer with Preliminaries, I shall give you a faithful Account of what occurr’d in my Neighbourhood (according to the Conditions mention’d in the Advertisement in the Gazette) worthy, at least, of my notice, if not of the Undertakers; and I can assure you, that the several Particulars were either such as I can vouch-for on my own certain Knowledge and Observation, or else such as I am satisfy’d of the truth of by the Testimony of others, whose Integrity I have no reason to suspect. I will say no more than this in general, concerning the Storm, that, at its height, it seem’d, for some hours, to be a perfect Hurrican, the Wind raging from every Quarter, especially from all the Points of the Compass, from N. E. to the N. W. as the dismal Effects of it in these Parts do evidently demonstrate, in the demolishing of Buildings (or impairing ’em at best) and in the throwing up vast numbers of Trees by the Roots, or snapping them off in their Bodies, or larger Limbs. But as to some remarkable Particulars, you may take these following, viz.
1. The Parish-Church receiv’d little damage, tho’ it stands high, the chief was in some of the Windows on the N. side, and in the fall of the Top-stone of one of the Pinnacles, which fell on a House adjoining to the Tower with little hurt to the Roof, from which glancing it rested on the Leads of the South-Isle of the Church. At the fall of it an aged Woman living in the said House on which the Stone fell, heard horrible Scrieches (as she constantly averrs) in the Air, but none before nor afterwards.
2. Two stone Chimney-tops were thrown down, and 2 broad Stones of each of them lay at even poize on the respective ridges of both the Houses, and tho’ the Wind sat full against one of them to have thrown it off, (and then it had fallen over a Door, in and out at which several People were passing during the Storm) and tho’ the other fell against the Wind, yet neither of the said Stones stirr’d.
3. A Stone of near 400 Weight, having lain about 7 Years under a Bank, defended from the Wind as it then sat, tho’ it lay so long as to be fix’d in the ground, and was as much out of the Wind, as could be, being fenced by the Bank, and a low Stone-wall upon the Bank, none of which was demolish’d, tho’ 2 small Holms15 standing in the Bank between the Wall, and the Stone, at the foot of the Bank were blown up by the roots; I say, this Stone, tho’ thus fenced from the Storm, was carried from the place where it lay, into an hollow-way beneath, at least seven Yards from the place, where it was known to have lain for 7 Years before.
4. A Widdow-woman living in one part of an House by her self, kept her Bed till the House over her was uncover’d, and she expected the fall of the Timber and Walls; but getting below Stairs in the dark, and opening the Door to fly for shelter, the Wind was so strong in the Door, that she could neither get out at it, tho’ she attempted to go out on her knees and hands, nor could she shut the Door again with all her strength, but was forced to sit alone for several hours (’till the Storm slacken’d), fearing every Gust would have buried her in the Ruins; and yet it pleas’d God to preserve her, for the House (tho’ a feeble one) stood over the Storm.
5. Another, who made Malt in his Barn, had been turning his Malt sometime before the Storm was at its height, and another of the Family being desirous to go again into the said Barn sometime after, was disswaded from it, and immediately thereupon the said Barn was thrown down by the Storm.
6. But a much narrower Escape had one, for whose safety the Collector of these Passages has the greatest reason to bless and praise the great Preserver of Men, who was twice in his Bed that dismal Night (tho’ he had warning sufficient to deter him the first time by the falling of some of the Seiling on his Back and Shoulders, as he was preparing to go to Bed) and was altogether insensible of the great danger he was in, ’till the next morning after the Day-light appear’d, when he found the Tiles, on the side of the House opposite to the main Stress of the Weather, blown up in two places, one of which was over his Beds-head (about 9 foot above it) in which 2 or 3 Laths being broken, let down a Square of 8 or 10 Stone Tiles upon one single Lath, where they hung dropping inward a little, and bended the Lath like a Bow, but fell not: What the consequence of their Fall had been, was obvious to as many as saw it, and none has more reason to magnify God’s great Goodness, in this rescue of his Providence, than the Relater.
7. A young Man of the same Parish, who was sent abroad to look after some black Cattle and Sheep that fed in an Inclosure, in, or near to which there were some Stacks of Corn blown down, reports, That tho’ he had much difficulty to find the Inclosure in the dark, and to get thither by reason of the Tempest then raging in the height of its fury; yet being there, he saw a mighty Body of Fire on an high ridge of Hills, about 3 parts of a Mile from the said Inclosure, which gave so clear a Light into the Valley below, as that by it the said young Man could distinctly descry all the Sheep and Cattle in the said Pasture, so as to perceive there was not one wanting.
8. At Ashegrove, in the same Parish (where many tall Trees were standing on the steep side of an Hill) there were two Trees of considerable bigness blown up against the side of the Hill, which seems somewhat strange, to such as have seen how many are blown, at the same place, a quite contrary way, i.e. down the Hill; and to fall downwards was to fall with the Wind, as upward, was to fall against it.
9. One in this Neighbourhood had a Poplar in his Back-side of near 16 Yards high blown down, which standing near a small Current of Water, the Roots brought up near a Tun of Earth with them, and there the Tree lay for some days after the Storm; but when the Top or Head of the Tree was saw’d off from the Body (tho’ the Boughs were nothing to the weight of the But End, yet) the Tree mounted, and fell back into its place, and stood as upright without its Head, as ever it had done with it. And the same happen’d at the Lady Banks her House near Shaftsbury, where a Wall-nut-Tree was thrown down in a place that declin’d somewhat, and after the greater Limbs had been cut off in the day time, went back in the Night following, of it self, and now stands in the same place and posture it stood in before it was blown down. I saw it standing the 14th of this Instant, and could hardly perceive any Token of its having been Down, so very exactly it fell back into it’s place. This is somewhat the more remarkable, because the Ground (as I said) was declining, and consequently the Tree raised against the Hill. To this I shall only add, at present, that
10. This Relator lately riding thro’ a neighbouring Parish, saw two Trees near two Houses thrown besides the said Houses, and very near each House, which yet did little or no harm, when if they had fallen with the Wind, they must needs have fallen directly upon the said Houses. And
11. That this Relator had two very tall Elms thrown up by the Roots, which fell in among five young Walnut Trees, without injuring a Twig or Bud of either of them, as rais’d the admiration of such as saw it.
12. In the same place, the Top of another Elm yet standing, was carry’d of from the Body of the Tree, a good part of 20 Yards.
SIR;I shall trouble you no further at present, you may perhaps think this enough, and too much; but however that may be, you, or your ingenious Undertakers are left at liberty to publish so much, or so little of this Narrative, as shall be thought fit for the Service of the Publick. I must confess the particular Deliverances were what chiefly induced me to set Pen to Paper, tho’ the other Matters are Considerable, but whatever regard you shew to the latter, in Justice you should publish the former to the World, as the Glory of God is therein concern’d more immediately, to promote which, is the only aim of this Paper. And the more effectually to induce you to do me Right, (for contributing a slender Mite towards your very laudable Undertaking) I make no manner of Scruple to subscribe my self,
Upper Donhead, Sir, Yours, &c.
Decemb. 18th 1703. Rice Adams.
Rector of Upper Donhead Wilts near Shaftsbury.
From Littleton in Worcestershire, and Middleton in Oxfordshire, the following Letters may be a Specimen of what those whole Counties felt, and of which we have several other particular Accounts.
SIR,
Publick notice being given of
a designed Collection of the most Prodigious, as well as lamentable Effects of the last dreadful Tempest of Wind. There are many Persons hereabouts, and I suppose in many other places, wish all speedy furtherance and good Success to that so useful and pious Undertaking, for it may very well be thought to have a good Influence both upon the present Age, and succeeding Generation, to beget in them a holy admiration and fear of that tremendous Power and Majesty, which as one Prophet tells us, Causeth the Vapours to ascend from the Ends of the Earth, and bringeth the Wind out of his Treasures, and as the Priest Saith, hath so done his marvellous Works, that they ought to be had in remembrance.16 As to these Villages of Littleton in Worcestershire, I can only give this Information, that this violent Hurricane visited us also in its passage to the great Terror of the Inhabitants, who although by the gracious Providence of God all escaped with their Lives and Limbs, and the main Fabrick of their Houses stood; tho’ with much shaking, and some damage in the Roofs of many of them: Yet when the Morning Light appeared after that dismal Night, they were surpris’d with fresh apprehensions of the Dangers escaped, when they discover’d the sad Havock that was made among the Trees of their Orchards and Closes,17 very many Fruit Trees, and many mighty Elms being torn up, and one Elm above the rest, of very great Bulk and ancient Growth I observed, which might have defied the Strength of all the Men and Teams in the Parish, (tho’ assaulted in every Branch with Roaps and Chains) was found torn up by the Roots, all sound, and of vast Strength and Thickness, and with its fall (as was thought) by the help of the same impetuous Gusts, broke off in the middle of the Timber another great Elm its Fellow, and next Neighbour. And that which may exercise the Thoughts of the Curious, some little Houses and Out-houses that seemed to stand in the same Current, and without any visible Burrough or Shelter, escaped in their Roofs, without any, or very little Damage: What Accidents of Note hapned in our Neighbouring Parishes, I suppose you may receive from other Hands. This, (I thank God) is all that I have to transmit unto you from this place, but that I am a Well-wisher to your Work in Hand, And your Humble Servant,
