The Storm

The Wind hath very much prejudiced many Churches in several Parts of the Nation.

At Tewksbury in Gloucestershire, it blew down a very fair Window belonging to the Church there, both the Glass, and the Stone-work also; the Doors likewise of that Church were blown open, much of the Lead torn up, and some Part of a fair Pinnacle thrown down.

Also at Red-Marly and Newin, not far from Tewksbury, their Churches are extreamly broken and shatter'd, if not a considerable part of them blown down. The like was done to most, if not all the Publick Meeting-places at Gloucester City. And it is reported, that some Hundreds of Pounds will not suffice to repair the Damage done to the Cathedral at Worcester, especially in that Part that is over the Quire.

The like Fate happen'd to many more of them, as Hereford, and Leighton Beau-desart in Bedfordshire, and Eaton-Soken in the same County; where they had newly erected a very fair Cross of Stone, which the Wind blew down: and, as some of the Inhabitants did observe, that was the first Damage which that Town sustained by the Storm, though afterwards in other respects also they were in the same Condition with their Neighbours. The Steeples also, and other Parts of the Churches of Shenley, Waddon, and Woolston in the County of Bucks, have been very much rent and torn by the Wind. The Spire of Finchinfield Steeple in the County of Essex, was blown down, and it brake through the Body of the Church, and spoil'd many of the Pews; some Hundreds of Pounds will not repair that Loss. But that which is most remarkable of this kind, is, the Fall of that most famous Spire, or Pinnacle of the Tower-Church in Ipswich: it was blown down upon the Body of the Church, and fell reversed, the sharp End of the Shaft striking through the Leads on the South-side of the Church, carried much of the Timber-work down before it into the Alley just behind the Pulpit, and took off one Side of the Sounding-board over the Pulpit: it shattered many Pews: The Weather-Cock, and the Iron upon which it stood, broke off as it fell; but the narrowest Part of the Wood-work, upon which the Fane stood, fell into the Alley, broke quite through a Grave-stone, and ran shoring under two Coffins that had been placed there one on another; that Part of the Spire which was pluck'd up was about three Yards deep in the Earth, and it is believed some Part of it is yet behind in the Ground: some Hundreds of Pounds will not make good the Detriment done to the Church by the Fall of this Pinnacle.

Very great Prejudice has been done to private Houses; many of them blown down, and others extreamly shattered and torn. It is thought that five thousand Pounds will not make good the Repairs at Audley-End House, which belongs to the Earl of Suffolk. A good Part also of the Crown-Office in the Temple is blown down. The Instances of this kind are so many and so obvious, that it would needlesly take up too much time to give the Reader an Account of the Collection of them; only there has been such a wonderful Destruction of Barns, that (looking so much like a Judgment from the Lord, who the last Year took away our Corn, and this our Barns) we cannot but give a short Account of some Part of that Intelligence which hath come to our Hands of that Nature.

A Gentleman, of good Account, in Ipswich, affirms, that in a few Miles riding that Day, there was eleven Barns and Out-houses blown down in the Road within his View; and within a very few Miles of Ipswich round about, above thirty Barns, and many of them with Corn in them, were blown down. At Southold not far from the Place before mentioned, many new Houses and Barns (built since a late Fire that happened there) are blown down; as also a Salt-house is destroyed there: and a thousand Pounds, as it is believed, will not make up that particular Loss.

From Tewksbury it is certified, that an incredible Number of Barns have been blown down in the small Towns and Villages thereabouts. At Twyning, at least eleven Barns are blown down. In Ashchurch Parish seven or eight. At Lee, five. At Norton, a very great Number, three whereof belonging to one Man. The great Abby-Barn also at Tewksbury is blown down.

It is credibly reported, that within a very few Miles Circumference in Worcestershire, about an hundred and forty Barns are blown down. At Finchinfield in Essex, which is but an ordinary Village, about sixteen Barns were blown down. Also at a Town called Wilchamsted in the County of Bedford (a very small Village) fifteen Barns at least are blown down. But especially the Parsonage Barns went to wrack in many Places throughout the Land: In a few Miles Compass in Bedfordshire, and so in Northamptonshire, and other Places, eight, ten, and twelve are blown down; and at Yielding Parsonage in the County of Bedford (out of which was thrust by Oppression and Violence the late Incumbent) all the Barns belonging to it are down. The Instances also of this kind are innumerable, which we shall therefore forbear to make further mention of.

We have also a large Account of the blowing down of a very great and considerable Number of Fruit-Trees, and other Trees in several Parts; we shall only pick out two or three Passages which are the most remarkable. In the Counties of Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester, several Persons have lost whole Orchards of Fruit-Trees; and many particular Mens Loss hath amounted to the Value of forty or fifty Pounds at the least, meerly by Destruction of their Fruit-Trees: and so in other Parts of England proportionably the like Damage hath been sustained in this Respect. And as for other Trees, there has been a great Destruction made of them in many Places, by this Storm. Several were blown down at Hampton-Court. And three thousand brave Oaks at least, but in one principal Part of the Forest of Dean, belonging to his Majesty. In a little Grove at Ipswich, belonging to the Lord of Hereford (which together with the Spire of the Steeple before-mentioned, were the most considerable Ornaments of that Town) are blown down at least two hundred goodly Trees, one of which was an Ash, which had ten Load of Wood upon it: there are now few Trees left there.

In Bramton Bryan Park in the County of Hereford, belonging to Sir Edward Harly, one of the late Knights of the Bath, above thirteen hundred Trees are blown down; and above six hundred in Hopton Park not far from it: and thus it is proportionably in most Places where this Storm was felt. And the Truth is, the Damage which the People of this Nation have sustained upon all Accounts by this Storm, is not easily to be valued: some sober and discreet People, who have endeavoured to compute the Loss of the several Counties one with another, by the Destruction of Houses and Barns, the blowing away of Hovels and Ricks of Corn, the falling of Trees, &c. do believe it can come to little less than two Millions of Money.

There are yet behind many Particulars of a distinct Nature from those that have been spoken of; some whereof are very wonderful, and call for a very serious Observation of them.

In the Cities of London and Westminster, especially on the Bridge and near Wallingford-house, several Persons were blown down one on the Top of another.

In Hertfordshire, a Man was taken up, carried a Pole in Length, and blown over a very high Hedge; and the like in other Places.

The Water in the River of Thames, and other Places, was in a very strange manner blown up into the Air: Yea, in the new Pond in James's Park, the Fish, to the Number of at least two Hundred, where blown out and lay by the Bank-side, whereof many were Eye-witnesses.

At Moreclack in Surry, the Birds, as they attempted to fly, were beaten down to the Ground by the Violence of the Wind.

At Epping in the County of Essex, a very great Oak was blown down, which of it self was raised again, and doth grow firmly at this Day.

At Taunton, a great Tree was blown down, the upper Part whereof rested upon a Brick or Stone-wall, and after a little time, by the force of the Wind, the lower part of the Tree was blown quite over the Wall.

In the City of Hereford, several persons were, by the Violence of the Wind, borne up from the Ground; one Man (as it is credibly reported) at least six Yards.

The great Fane at Whitehall was blown down; and one of the four which were upon the white Tower, and two more of them strangely bent; which are to be seen at this Day, to the Admiration of all that behold them.

The several Triumphant Arches in the City of London were much shattered and torn; That in Leaden-hall-Street lost the King's Arms, and many other rare Pieces that were affixed to it; That in Cheapside, which represented the Church, suffered very much by the Fury of the Storm; and a great Part of that in Fleet Street (which represented Plenty) was blown down: but, blessed be God, none as we hear of were either killed or hurt by the Fall of it.

The Wind was so strong, that it blew down several Carts loaded with Hay in the Road between Barnet and London; and in other Roads leading to the City of London.

Norwich Coach, with four or six Horses, was not able to come towards London, but stayed by the way till the Storm was somewhat abated.

It is also credibly reported, That all, or some of the Heads which were set up upon Westminster-Hall, were that Day blown down.

There was a very dreadful Lightning which did at first accompany the Storm, and by it some of his Majesty's Houshold conceive that the Fire which happened at Whitehall that Morning, was kindled; as also that at Greenwich, by which (as we are informed) seven or eight Houses were burnt down.

Thus far the Author of Mirabilis Annis

'Tis very observable, that this Storm blew from the same Quarter as the last, and that they had less of it Northward than here; in which they were much alike.

Now as these Storms were perhaps very furious in some Places, yet they neither came up to the Violence of this, nor any way to be compar'd for the Extent, and when ruinous in one County, were hardly heard of in the next.

But this terrible Night shook all Europe; and how much farther it extended, he only knows who has his way in the Whirlwind, and in the Storm, and the Clouds are the Dust of his Feet.

As this Storm was first felt from the West, some have conjectur'd that the first Generation or rather Collection of Materials, was from the Continent of America, possibly from that part of Florida and Virginia where, if we respect natural Causes, the Confluence of Vapours rais'd by the Sun from the vast and unknown Lakes and Inland Seas of Water, which as some relate are incredibly large as well as numerous, might afford sufficient Matter for the Exhalation; and where time adding to the Preparation, God, who has generally confin'd his Providence to the Chain of natural Causes, might muster together those Troops of Combustion till they made a sufficient Army duly proportion'd to the Expedition design'd.

I am the rather inclin'd to this Opinion, because we are told, they felt upon that Coast an unusual Tempest a few Days before the fatal 27th of November.

I confess, I have never studied the Motion of the Clouds so nicely, as to calculate how long time this Army of Terror might take up in its furious March; possibly the Velocity of its Motion might not be so great at its first setting out as it was afterward, as a Horse that is to run a Race does not immediately put himself into the height of his Speed: and tho' it may be true, that by the length of the way the force of the Wind spends it self, and so by degrees ceases as the Vapour finds more room for Dilation; besides, yet we may suppose a Conjunction of some confederate Matter which might fall in with it by the way, or which meeting it at its Arrival here, might join Forces in executing the Commission receiv'd from above, all natural Causes being allow'd a Subserviency to the Direction of the great supream Cause; yet where the vast Collection of Matter had its first Motion, as it did not all take Motion in one and the same moment, so when all the Parts had felt the Influence, as they advanc'd and press'd those before them, the Violence must increase in proportion: and thus we may conceive that the Motion might not have arriv'd at its Meridian Violence till it reach'd our Island; and even then it blew some Days with more than common fury, yet much less than that last Night of its force; and even that Night the Violence was not at its extremity till about an hour before Sun-rise, and then it continued declining, tho' it blew a full Storm for four Days after it.

Thus Providence, by whose special Direction the Quantity and Conduct of this Judgment was manag'd, seem'd to proportion things so, as that by the course of things the proportion of Matter being suited to Distance of Place, the Motion shou'd arrive at its full Force just at the Place where its Execution was to begin.

As then our Island was the first, this way, to receive the Impressions of the violent Motion, it had the terriblest Effects here; and continuing its steady Course, we find it carried a true Line clear over the Continent of Europe, travers'd England, France, Germany, the Baltick Sea, and passing the Northern Continent of Sweedland, Finland, Muscovy, and part of Tartary, must at last lose it self in the vast Northern Ocean, where Man never came, and Ship never sail'd; and its Violence cou'd have no effect, but upon the vast Mountains of Ice and the huge Drifts of Snow, in which Abyss of Moisture and Cold it is very probable the Force of it was check'd, and the World restor'd to Calmness and Quiet: and in this Circle of Fury it might find its End not far off from where it had its Beginning, the Fierceness of the Motion perhaps not arriving to a Period, till having pass'd the Pole, it reached again the Northern Parts of America.

The Effects of this impetuous Course, are the proper Subjects of this Book; and what they might be before our Island felt its Fury, who can tell? Those unhappy Wretches who had the misfortune to meet it in its first Approach, can tell us little, having been hurried by its irresistible Force directly into Eternity: how many they are, we cannot pretend to give an Account; we are told of about seventeen Ships, which having been out at Sea are never heard of: which is the common way of Discourse of Ships founder'd in the Ocean: and indeed all we can say of them is, the fearful Exit they have made among the Mountains of Waters, can only be duly reflected on by those who have seen those Wonders of God in the Deep.

Yet I cannot omit here to observe, That this Loss was in all probability much less than it would otherwise have been; because the Winds having blown with very great Fury, at the same Point, for near fourteen Days before the Violence grew to its more uncommon height, all those Ships which were newly gone to Sea were forc'd back, of which some were driven into Plymouth and Falmouth who had been above a hundred and fifty Leagues at Sea; others, which had been farther, took Sanctuary in Ireland.

On the other hand, All those Ships which were homeward bound, and were within 500 Leagues of the English Shore, had been hurried so furiously on afore it (as the Seamen say) that they had reach'd their Port before the Extremity of the Storm came on; so that the Sea was as it were swept clean of all Shipping, those which were coming home were blown home before their time; those that had attempted to put to Sea, were driven back again in spight of all their Skill and Courage: for the Wind had blown so very hard, directly into the Channel, that there was no possibility of their keeping the Sea whose Course was not right afore the Wind.

On the other hand, these two Circumstances had fill'd all our Ports with unusual Fleets of Ships, either just come home or outward-bound, and consequently the Loss among them was very terrible; and the Havock it made among them, tho' it was not so much as every body expected, was such as no Age or Circumstance can ever parallel, and we hope will never feel again.

Nay, so high the Winds blew even before that we call the Storm, that had not that intolerable Tempest follow'd so soon after, we should have counted those Winds extraordinary high: and any one may judge of the Truth of this from these few Particulars; That the Russia Fleet, compos'd of near a hundred Sail, which happen'd to be then upon the Coast, was absolutely dispers'd and scatter'd, some got into Newcastle, some into Hull, and some into Yarmouth Roads; two founder'd in the Sea; one or two more run a-shore, and were lost; and the Reserve Frigat, their Convoy, founder'd in Yarmouth Roads, all her Men being lost, and no Boat from the Shore durst go off to relieve her, tho' it was in the Day-time, but all her Men perished.

In the same previous Storms the – Man of War was lost off of Harwich; but by the help of smaller Vessels most of her Men were sav'd.

And so high the Winds blew for near a Fortnight, that no Ship stirr'd out of Harbour; and all the Vessels, great or small, that were out at Sea, made for some Port or other for shelter.

In this juncture of time it happen'd, that together with the Russia Fleet, a great Fleet of Laden Colliers, near 400 Sail, were just put out of the River Tine: and these being generally deep and unweildy Ships, met with hard measure, tho' not so fatal to them as was expected: such of them as could run in for Humber, where a great many were lost afterwards, as I shall relate in its course; some got shelter under the high Lands of Cromer and the Northern Shores of the County of Norfolk, and the greater number reach'd into Yarmouth Roads.

So that when the Great Storm came, our Ports round the Sea-Coast of England were exceeding full of Ships of all sorts: a brief account whereof take as follows.

At Grimsby, Hull, and the other Roads of the Humber, lay about 80 Sail, great and small, of which about 50 were Colliers, and part of the Russia Fleet as aforesaid.

In Yarmouth Roads there rode at least 400 Sail, being most of them Laden Colliers, Russia Men, and Coasters from Lynn and Hull.

In the River of Thames, at the Nore, lay about 12 Sail of the Queen's hir'd Ships and Store-ships, and only two Men of War.

Sir Cloudsly Shovel was just arriv'd from the Mediterranean with the Royal Navy: Part of them lay at St. Hellens, part in the Downs, and with 12 of the biggest Ships he was coming round the Foreland to bring them into Chatham; and when the Great Storm began was at an Anchor at the Gunfleet, from whence the Association was driven off from Sea as far as the Coast of Norway: What became of the rest, I refer to a Chapter by it self.

At Gravesend there rode five East India Men, and about 30 Sail of other Merchant-men, all outward bound.

In the Downs 160 Sail of Merchant Ships outward bound, besides that part of the Fleet which came in with Sir Cloudsly Shovel, which consisted of about 18 Men of War, with Tenders and Victuallers.

At Portsmouth and Cowes there lay three Fleets; first, a Fleet of Transports and Tenders, who with Admiral Dilks brought the Forces from Ireland that were to accompany the King of Spain to Lisbon; secondly, a great Fleet of Victuallers, Tenders, Store-ships, and Transports, which lay ready for the same Voyage, together with about 40 Merchant-ships, who lay for the benefit of their Convoy; and the third Article was, the Remainder of the Grand Fleet which came in with Sir Cloudsly Shovel; in all almost 300 Sail, great and small.

In Plymouth Sound, Falmouth and Milford Havens, were particularly several small Fleets of Merchant-ships, driven in for Shelter and Harbour from the Storm, most homeward bound from the Islands and Colonies of America.