Transcript

of

Devon Session Rolls, Midsummer 1693: endorsed Hemyock fire

Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries 9 (1916-17) pp.165-157.

by

J. Manfield

Prepared by Michael Steer

The risk of fire was great in Stuart England. People used candles for light and open fires for cooking. Houses were built close together and were made out of wood. Tradesmen used large ovens and often kept supplies of fuel in their houses and the many inns had stables attached to them filled with hay and straw. Before the 20th century, fires were a major hazard to rural and urban areas and the cause of massive amounts of damage. For example, There were many fires in seventeenth century London. A fire in 1633 destroyed houses on London Bridge and in 1643 another fire caused £2,880 worth of damage. In 1650 seven barrels of gunpowder exploded in a fire in Tower Street that made 41 houses uninhabitable. People did not have house insurance and if their house was damaged by fire they had to rely on the charity of other people to replace their possessions. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

126. DEVON SESSIONS ROLLS. MIDSUMMER, 1693. ENDORSED " HEMYOCK FIRE." 2 JUNE, 1693.

(Note. - This is an exact copy - total is incorrect).

                                                  J. Manfield