The Storm

January 6, 1703/4.

From Minehead in Somersetshire, and Swanzy in Wales, the following Accounts are to be depended upon.

SIR,

I received yours, and in answer to it these are to acquaint you, that all the Ships in our Harbour except two (which were 23 or 24 in Number, besides Fishing Boats) were, through the Violence of the Storm, and the mooring Posts giving way, drove from their Anchors, one of them was stav'd to pieces, nine drove Ashoar; but 'tis hoped will be all got off again, though some of them are very much damnified: Several of the Fishing Boats likewise, with their Nets, and other Necessaries were destroy'd. Three Seamen were drowned in the Storm, and one Man was squeez'd to Death last Wednesday, by one of the Ships that was forc'd Ashoar, suddenly coming upon him, as they were digging round her, endeavouring to get her off.

Our Peer also was somewhat damaged, and 'tis thought, if the Storm had continued till another Tide, it would have been quite washed away, even level to the Ground; which if so, would infallibly have ruined our Harbour: Our Church likewise was almost all untiled, the neighbouring Churches also received much Damage: The Houses of our Town, and all the Country round about, were most of them damaged; some (as I am credibly informed) blown down, and several in a great Measure uncovered: Trees also of a very great Bigness were broken off in the middle, and vast Numbers blown down; one Gentleman, as he told me himself, having 2500 Trees blown down: I wish you good Success in these your Undertakings, and I pray God that this late great Calamity which was sent upon us as a punishment for our Sins, may be a warning to the whole Nation in general, and engage every one of us to a hearty and sincere Repentance; otherwise, I'm afraid we must expect greater Evils than this was to fall upon us.

    From your unknown Friend and Servant,
    Frist. Chave.

Swanzy, January 24, 1703/4

SIR,

I receiv'd yours and accordingly have made an enquiry in our Neighbourhood what damage might be done in the late Storm, thro Mercy we escap'd indifferently, but you will find underwritten as much as I can learn to be certainly true.

The Storm began here about 12 at Night, but the most violent part of it was about 4 the next Morning, about which time the greatest part of the Houses in the Town were uncovered more or less, and one House clearly blown down; the damage sustain'd to the Houses is modestly computed at 200 l. the South Isle of the Church was wholly uncovered, and considerable damage done to the other Isles, and 4 large Stones weighing about One Hundred and Fifty or Two Hundred Pound each, was blown down from the end of the Church, three of the four Iron Spears, that stood with Vanes on the corners of the Tower, were broke short off in the middle, and the Vanes not to be found, and the Tail of the Weather Cock, which stood in the middle of the Tower was blown off, and found in a Court near 400 yards distant from the Tower. In Cline Wood belonging to the Duke of Beaufort near this Town, there is about 100 large Trees blown down; as also in a Wood on our River belonging to Mr. Thomas Mansell of Brittonferry about 80 large Oakes. The Tydes did not much damage, but two Ships were blown off our Bar, and by Providence one came aground on the Salt House point near our Harbour, else the Ship and Men had perished; the other came on shore, but was saved. I hear further, that there are several Stacks of Corn over-turn'd by the violence of the Wind, in the Parishes of Roysily and Largenny in Gower; most of the Thatcht Houses in this Neighbourhood was uncovered. Sir, this you may rely on to be true,

    Yours, &c.
    William Jones

From Grimsby in Lincolnshire, the following Account is taken for favourable.

SIR,

The late dreadful Tempest did not (Blessed be God) much affect us on shore, so far was it from having any events more than common, that the usual marks of ordinary Storms are not to be met with in these parts upon the Land. I wish I could give as good an Account of the Ships then at Anchor in our Road, the whole Fleet consisted of about an hundred Sail, fifty whereof were wanting after the Storm. The Wrecks of four are to be seen in the Road at low Water their Men all lost, three more were sunk near the Spurn, all the Men but one saved, six or seven were driven ashoar, and got off again with little or no damage. A small Hoy, not having a Man on Board, was taken at Sea, by a Merchant Ship, what became of the rest, we are yet to learn. This is all the Account I am able to give of the effects of the late Storm, which was so favourable to us. I am

    Sir, Your most Humble Servant,
    Tho. Fairweather

From Newport and Hastings the following Accounts are chiefly mentioned to confirm what we have from other Inland parts, and particularly in the Letter Printed in the Philosophical Transactions, concerning the Salt being found on the Grass and Trees, at great distance from the Sea, of which there are very Authentick Relations.

SIR,

I received yours, and do hereby give you the best account of what hapned by the late Storm in our Island; we have had several Trees blown down, and many Houses in our Town, and all parts of the Island partly uncovered, but Blessed be God not one Person perisht that I know or have heard of; nor one Ship or Vessel stranded on our shores in that dreadful Storm, but only one Vessel laden with Tin, which was driven from her Anchors in Cornwal, but was not stranded here till the Tuesday after, having spent her Main-mast and all her Sails. On Sunday night last we had several Ships and Vessels stranded on the South and South West parts of our Island; but reports are so various, that I cannot tell you how many, some say 7, others 8, 12, and some say 15; one or two laden with Cork, and two or three with Portugal Wine, Oranges and Lemons, one with Hides and Butter, one with Sugar, one with Pork, Beef and Oatmeal, and one with Slates. Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday came on the back of our Island, and some in at the Needles, the Fleet that went out with the King of Spain, but it has been here such a dreadful Storm, and such dark weather till this Afternoon, that we can give no true account of them; some say that have been at the Wrecks this Afternoon, that there were several great Ships coming in then: There is one thing I had almost forgotten, and I think is very remarkable, that there was found on the Hedges and Twigs of Trees, knobs of Salt Congeal'd, which must come from the South and South West parts of our Sea Coast, and was seen and tasted at the distance of 6 and 10 miles from those Seas, and this account I had my self from the mouths of several Gentlemen of undeniable Reputation,

    Yours,
    Tho. Reade.

Hastings in Sussex, Jan. 25. 1703

SIR,

You desire to know what effect the late dreadful Storm of Wind had upon this Town; in answer to your desire, take the following Account. This Town consists of at least 600 Houses, besides two great Churches, some Publick Buildings, and many Shops standing upon the Beach near the Sea, and yet by the special Blessing and Providence of God, the whole Town suffered not above 30 or 40 l. damage in their Houses, Churches, Publick Building and Shops, and neither Man, Woman or Child suffered the least hurt by the said Terrible Storm. The Town stands upon the Sea shore, but God be thanked the Sea did us no damage; and the Tydes were not so great as we have seen upon far less Storms. The Wind was exceeding Boisterous, which might drive the Froth and Sea moisture six or seven miles up the Country, for at that distances from the Sea, the Leaves of the Trees and Bushes, were as Salt as if they had been dipped in the Sea, which can be imputed to nothing else, but the Violent Winds carrying the Froth and Moisture so far. I believe it may be esteemed almost Miraculous that our Town escaped so well in the late terrible Storm, and therefore I have given you this Account. I am

    Sir, your Friend,
    Stephen Gawen.

The following melancholy Account from the Town of Brighthemstone in Sussex is sent us.

SIR,

The late dreadful Tempest in Novemb. 27. 1703. last, had very terrible Effects in this Town. It began here much about One of the Clock in the Morning, the violence of the Wind stript a great many Houses, turn'd up the Leads off the Church, over-threw two Windmills, and laid them flat on the ground, the Town in general (upon the approach of Day-light) looking as if it had been Bombarded. Several Vessels belonging to this Town were lost, others stranded, and driven ashoar, others forced over to Holland and Hamborough, to the great Impoverishment of the Place. Derick Pain, Junior, Master of the Elizabeth Ketch of this Town lost, with all his Company. George Taylor, Master of the Ketch call'd the Happy Entrance, lost, and his Company, excepting Walter Street, who swiming three days on a Mast between the Downs and North Yarmouth, was at last taken up. Richard Webb, Master of the Ketch call'd the Richard and Rose of Brighthelmston, lost, and all his Company near St. Hellens. Edward Friend, Master of the Ketch call'd Thomas and Francis, stranded near Portsmouth. Edward Glover, Master of the Pink call'd Richard and Benjamin, stranded near Chichester, lost one of his Men, and he, and the rest of his Company, forced to hang in the Shrouds several hours. George Beach, Junior, Master of the Pink call'd Mary, driven over to Hamborough from the Downes, having lost his Anchor, Cables and Sails. Robert Kichener, Master of the Cholmley Pink of Brighton, lost near the Roseant with nine Men, five Men and a Boy saved by another Vessel. This is all out of this Town, besides the loss of several other able Seamen belonging to this Place, aboard of her Majesty's Ships, Transports and Tenders.

From Lymington and Lyme we have the following Letters:

SIR,

I receiv'd your Letter, and have made Enquiry concerning what Disasters happen'd during the late Storm; what I can learn at present, and that may be credited, are these. That a Guernsey Privateer lost his Fore-top-mast, and cut his main Mast by the Board, had 12 Men wash'd over board, and by the toss of another immediate Sea three of them was put on board again, and did very well; this was coming within the Needles. That six Stacks of Chimnies were, by the violence of the Wind, blown from a great House call'd New Park in the Forrest, some that stood directly to Windward, were blown clear off the House without injuring the Roof, or damaging the House, or any mischief to the Inhabitants, and fell some Yards from the House. Almost 4000 Trees were torn up by the roots within her Majesty's Forrest call'd New Forrest, some of them of very great bulk, others small, &c. A Ship of about 200 Tun, from Maryland, laden with Tobacco, call'd the Assistance, was Cast away upon Hurst Beach, one of the Mates, and 4 Sailors, were lost. By the flowing of the Sea over Hurst Beach, two Salt-terns were almost ruin'd belonging to one Mr. Perkins. A new Barn, nigh this Town, was blown quite down. The Town receiv'd not much damage, only some Houses being stript of the Healing, Windows broke, and a Chimney or two blown down. Considerable damages amongst the Farmers in the adjacent Places, by over-turning Barns, Out-houses, Stacks of Corn and Hay, and also amongst poor Families, and small Houses, and likewise abundance of Trees of all sorts, especially Elms and Apple-Trees, has been destroy'd upon the several Gentlemen's, and others Estates hereabouts. These are the most remarkable Accidents that I can Collect at present; if any thing occur, it shall be sent you by

    Your humble Servant,
    James Baker.

Lymington, Feb. 1704.

A True and exact Account of the Damages done by the late great Wind in the Town of Lyme Regis, and parts adjacent in the County of Dorset, as followeth,

SIR

Impri. Five Boats drove out of the Cob and one Vessel lost, broke loose all but one Cabel, and swung out of the Cob, but was got in again with little Damage; and had that Hurricane happened here at High Water, the Cob must without doubt have been destroyed, and all the Vessels in it been lost, most of the Houses had some Damage: But a great many Trees blown up by the Roots in our Neighbourhood, and four Miles to the Eastward of this Town: A Guernsey Privateer of eight Guns, and 43 Men drove Ashoar, and but three Men saved of the 43; the place where the said Privateer run Ashoar, is call'd Sea Town, half a Mile from Chidock, where most of there Houses were uncovered, and one Man killed as he lay in Bed: This is the true Account here, but all Villages suffered extreamly in Houses, Trees, both Elm and Apples without Number.

    Sir, I am your humble Servant,
    Stephen Bowdidge.

From Margate, and the Island of Thanet in Kent, the following is an honest Account.

SIR,

The following Account is what I can give you, of what Damage is done in this Island in the late great Storm; in this Town hardly a House escaped without Damage, and for the most part of them the Tiles blown totally off from the Roof, and several Chimneys blown down, that broke through part of the Houses to the Ground; and several Families very narrowly escaped being kill'd in their Beds, being by Providence just got up, so that they escaped, and none was kill'd; the like Damages being done in most little Towns and Villages upon this Island, as likewise Barns, Stables and Out-housing blown down to the Ground in a great many Farm-houses and Villages within the Island, part of the Leads of our Church blown clear off, and a great deal of Damage to the Church it self; likewise a great deal of Damage to the Churches of St. Lawrance Minster, Mounton and St. Nichola: In this Road was blown out one Latchford of Sandwich bound home from London, with divers Men and Women passengers all totally lost: And another little Pink that is not heard of blown away at the same time, but where it belonged is not known; here rid out the Storm the Princess Anne, Captain Charles Gye, and the Swan, both Hospital Ships, had no Damage, only Captain Gye was parted from one of his Anchors, and part of a Cable which was weigh'd and carry'd after him to the River, by one of our Hookers. All from

    Yours to Command,
    P.H.

From Malden in Essex, and from Southampton, the following Accounts.

SIR,

By the late great Storm our Damages were considerable. A Spire of a Steeple blown down: Several Vessels in this Harbour were much shatter'd, particularly one Corn Vessel laden for London, stranded, and the Corn lost to the Value of about 500 l. and the Persons narrowly escaped by a small Boat that relieved them next Day: Many Houses ript up, and some blown down: The Churches shatter'd, and the principal Inn of this Town thirty or forty pound Damage in Tiling: At a Gentleman's House (one Mr. Moses Bourton) near us, a Stack of Chimneys blown down, fell through the Roof upon a Bed, where his Children was, who were drag'd out, and they narrowly escaped; many other Chimney's blown down here, and much Mischief done.

Southampton, February the 7th 1703/4

SIR,

Yours I have receiv'd, in which you desire me to give you an Account of what remarkable Damage the late violent Storm hath done at this place; in answer, We had most of the Ships in our River, and those that laid off from our Keys blown Ashoar, some partly torn to Wrecks, and three or four blown so far on Shoar with the Violence of the Wind, that the Owners have been at the Charges of unlading them, and dig large Channels for the Spring Tides to float them off, and with much a do have got them off, it being on a soft Sand or Mud, had but little Damage; we had, God be prais'd no body drowned, tho' some narrowly Escape't: As to our Town it being most part old Building, we have suffer'd much, few or no Houses have escape't: Several Stacks of Chimneys blown down, other Houses most part untiled: Several People bruis'd, but none kill'd: Abundance of Trees round about us, especially in the New Forest blown down; others with their Limbs of a great bigness torn; it being what we had most Material. I rest.

    Sir, your humble Servant,