Much of the information I gain comes from the fantastic British Newspaper collection. Little notes can lead to large stories when cross-referenced with other collections, archive material, census information, books etc. Sometimes, it's just nice to find accounts of small events and share them for the fun of it.
Back on the 3rd October 1750 an earthquake was recorded in Stamford. This was obviously long before we have the sophisticated material that exists today and any earthquake can feel quite alarming, so how did they explain its strength?
Thankfully, there were people who had experienced two earlier earthquakes in London that were able to compare it with the Stamford earthquake. It was described as 'stronger than the first [London earthquake], but neither so violent, nor continued so long as the latter.' If this were a competition, I have a feeling that the Stamford earthquake would have managed a respectable 2nd place rosette. A reminder, if one were needed, that provincial towns should not compete with great cities like London on such matters!
Whilst researching, I came across a book that made me wonder if the town's well-known historian William Stukeley had witnessed the earthquake, for I discovered he had published a book called 'A Philosophy of Earthquakes, Natural and Religious'. The book, I discovered, pre-dated the earthquake, and Stukeley was living in London then, but additional information in the third edition printed in 1750 was just what I was looking for.
Stukeley still had many local friends and they corresponded with him on local earthquakes. The Stamford earthquake was claimed to have occurred on 30th September at '36 minutes after 12 o'clock at noon' and the description by Mr Alderman Taylor is vivid:
They were suddenly surprised with an uncommon noise in the air, like the rolling of large carriages in the streets, for about 20 seconds. At the same instant they felt a great shake, or snap, as he calls it; insomuch that it sensibly shook a punchbowl, which was in his parlour, and made it ring. He says it was perceiv'd of most of the people of Stamford, who generally ran out of their houses.
The description continues, stating that the earthquake was felt far and wide including Oakham and Peterborough. However this detail is part of a much larger book in which Stukeley attempts to use philosophy (science) and a little religion to try to understand what earthquakes are and how they're formed. One note regarding the centre of another earthquake being situated in Deeping Fen which was 'under water in the winter time; underneath 'tis a perfect bog' ruled out a theory that earthquakes came from subterranean fires.
I recommend taking a look at the book, which is free to access thanks to the Gutenberg Project, and diving into that great philosophical mind. He makes some interesting observations which need to be read in context to be really appreciated.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/63322/63322-h/63322-h.htm
B. Country News, The Ipswich Journal, 13 October 1750, p.1.
No comments:
Post a Comment