Short Notes on the Church and Parish of Ottery St. Mary, Devon (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869 Excerpt: ...and, probably in pursuance of this order, there is an entry in the parish book of Heavitree, "Delivered unto Wm. Leigh, the constable of the parish, in August, 1604, towards the relieving of such as had taken great loss by misfortune of fire at Otterye, xvi. Communicated by Br. Oliver in 1832.) "The Great Fire," as it was formerly called, took place on the 16th day of March, 1767, "by which" (according to a notice in the Gentleman's Magazine), "the best part of the town is said to be consumed." By that catastrophe (we learn from another source), fifty houses in the middle of the town were consumed, together with the market house, which then adjoined the premises of the King's School, the progress of the fire being stopped by the eastern gable of the schoolroom. A tradition prevailed fifty years ago as to the cause of the fire, viz.: that the fire engine was being exercised near the market place, and some beggars, who were passing by at the time, were fiercely played upon by the fire men. Whereupon, one of them turned round and threatened that the Ottery people should soon have some other work for their engine; and. the fire which broke out on the following day was, not unreasonably, attributed to their desire of vengeance. Both these visitations, however, were eclipsed by the fire which commenced at noon on the 25th day of May, 1866, and in the space of four hours destroyed 111 houses, and rendered 500 persons houseless. It broke out in a cottage adjoining the National School premises in Jesu street, quickly ran along the eaves of the thatched roof of the school, and leaping over many blocks of houses in its capricious course, came at length within a dangerous proximity to the corn mills and silk factory. It had been prece...