Culture, General Things, Natural Events, Seismological Events, Earthquake

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1048. This year came Sweyne (age 29) back to Denmark; and Harold (age 33), the uncle of Magnus, went to Norway on the death of Magnus, and the Northmen submitted to him. He sent an embassy of peace to this land, as did also Sweyne from Denmark, requesting of King Edward (age 45) naval assistance to the amount at least of fifty ships; but all the people resisted it.

This year also there was an earthquake, on the calends of May, in many places; at Worcester, at Wick, and at Derby, and elsewhere wide throughout England; with very great loss by disease of men and of cattle over all England; and the wild fire in Derbyshire and elsewhere did much harm. In the same year the enemy plundered Sandwich, Kent [Map], and the Isle of Wight [Map], and slew the best men that were there; and King Edward and the earls went out after them with their ships. The same year Bishop Siward resigned his bishopric from infirmity, and retired to Abingdon [Map]; upon which Archbishop Edsy resumed the bishopric; and he died within eight weeks of this, on the tenth day before the calends of November.

John of Worcester. 1st May 1048. There was a great earthquake on Sunday the first of May, at Worcester [Map], Wick, Derby [Map], and many other places. Many districts of England were visited with a mortality among men and cattle; and a fire in the air, commonly called wild-fire, burnt many vills and cornfields in Derbyshire and some other districts. Edmund, bishop of Lindisfarne, died at Gloucester, but was carried by his people to Durham, and buried there. Edred succeeded him, but being struck by the divine vengeance, Ethelric, a monk of Peterborough, was appointed in his stead.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1060. This year was a great earthquake on the Translation of St. Martin, and King Henry (age 52) died in France. Kinsey, Archbishop of York, died on the eleventh before the calends of January; and he lies at Peterboorugh [Map]. Bishop Aldred succeeded to the see, and Walter to that of Herefordshire. Dudoc also died, who was Bishop of Somersetshire; and Gisa the priest was appointed in his stead.

Flowers of History. 27th March 1076. On the twenty-seventh day of March the earth trembled, and a general earthquake took place all over England, and a heavy frost and great abundance of ice continued from the beginning of November to the middle of April. This year, duke Waltheof was beheaded.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1117. All this year remained the King Henry (age 49), in Normandy, on account of the hostility of the King of France and his other neighbours. And in the summer came the King of France and the Earl of Flanders (age 24) with him with an army into Normandy. And having stayed therein one night, they returned again in the morning without fighting. But Normandy [Map] was very much afflicted both by the exactions and by the armies which the King Henry collected against them. This nation also was severely oppressed through the same means, namely, through manifold exactions. This year also, in the night of the calends of December, were immoderate storms with thunder, and lightning, and rain, and hail. And in the night of the third day before the ides of December was the moon, during a long time of the night, as if covered with blood, and afterwards eclipsed. Also in the night of the seventeenth day before the calends of January, was the heaven seen very red, as if it were burning. And on the octave of St. John the Evangelist was the great earthquake in Lombardy; from the shock of which many minsters, and towers, and houses fell, and did much harm to men. This was a very blighted year in corn, through the rains that scarcely ceased for nearly all the year. And the Abbot Gilbert of Westminster died on the eighth day before the ides of December; and Faritz, Abbot of Abingdon, on the seventh day before the calends of March. And in this same year….

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1119. On the eve of the mass of St. Michael was much earth-heaving in some places in this land; though most of all in Glocestershire and in Worcestershire.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 25th July 1122. And the eighth night before the calends of August was a very violent earthquake over all Somersetshire, and in Glocestershire.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1129. This same year, on the night of the mass of St. Nicholas, a little before day, there was a great earthquake.

Florence of Worcester. 4th August 1132. And on Friday, in the same week, the second of the nones of the same month [4th August], at daybreak, there was a great earthquake in many parts of England. There were some also who said that in the week following, on Monday, the sixth of the ides of the same month [8th August], when the moon was three days old, they saw her first as she generally appeared at that age, and after a short space of time, in the evening of the same day, they observed her full, like a round and very bright shield. Many also reported that on the same night they saw two moons, distant about a spear's length from each other.

Note 1. Cf. William of Malmesbury's account of this eclipse, to which, however, he has not assigned the exact date, though he tells us that he was an eye-witness. He mentions, also, an earthquake; a shock of which, probably, caused the convulsion which dashed the ships in harbour against each other.

Chronicle of English Kings Book V. ... and on the sixth day of the week [7th August 1133], early in the morning, there was so great an earthquake, that the ground appeared absolutely to sink down; a horrid sound being first heard from beneath the surface. During the eclipse I saw stars around the sun: and, at the time of the earthquake, the wall of the house in which I was sitting was lifted up by two shocks, and settled again with a third.

Annals of Tewkesbury. [1228] Gilbert de Clare (age 48), Earl of Gloucester, has a son named William, born on the 18th of May. Richard de Clare (age 44), brother of the said earl, was killed in London on Ascension Day, and in revenge for his death, many of the king's servants were slaughtered. Gilbert, the Earl of Gloucester, marched with a large army into Wales against the Welsh. An earthquake occurred in many places in England on the night of St. George's Day. Gilbert, the Earl of Gloucester, discovered silver mines in Wales, as well as iron and lead.

MCCXXVIII. Gileberto de Clare comiti Glocestriæ nascitur filius nomine Willelmus, xv. kal. Junii. Ricardus de Clare frater dicti comitis occisus est apud Lundoniam, die Ascensionis, in cujus vindictam plures de servientibus domini regis trucidati sunt. Gilebertus comes Glocestriæ cum exercitu magno profectus est in Walliam contra Walenses. Terræmotus factus est per plurima loca Angliæ, nocte sancti Georgii. Gilebertus comes Glocestriæ invenit minera argenti in Walliis, ferri et plumbi.

Hall's Chronicle. This winter season, on the 26th day of January, in the city of Lisbon [Map] in Portugal, was a wonderous Earthquake, which destroyed many houses and towers, and slew many people by falling down of the same, the Kings Palace shook so, that he and the Queen, and the Ladies fled out of their Palace, without any servants, and sought succour where they might get it, and suddenly the quaking ceased: Then the Rocks opened, and out sprang the water, that the ships in the haven were like to have perished: Then the earth quaked again, and did more harm than before, and at night it ceased: of which Earthquake, many men were murdered and destroyed.

Diary of Edward VI. 24th May 1551. An earthquake was at Croidon [Map] and Blechingliee [Map], and in the most part of Surrey, but no harme was donne.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25th May 1551. The xxv day of May was be syd Rygatt [Map] and Croydon, Suttun [Map], and Darkyng [Map], a grett wondernus of herth.. and spesshall at Darkyng [Map], and in dyvers plasys .... pottes, panes, and dyssys donst, and mett felle doune ... abowt howse, and with mony odur thyngs.

Note. Earthquake. "The 25. daye of May, beyng Monday, betwene the howers of eleven and one of the clock at afternoone, was an earthquake of halfe a quarter of a howre long at Blechynglye, at Godstone, at Croydon, at Albery, and at divers other places in Southery and Myddlesexe." Stowe's Summarie.

John Evelyn's Diary. 7th February 1645. We now approached the ruins of a very stately temple, or theater, of 172 feet in length, and about 80 in breadth, thrown down by an earthquake, not long since; it was consecrated to Vulcan, and under the ground are many strange meanders; from which it is named the Labyrinth; this place is so haunted with bats, that their perpetual fluttering endangered the putting out our links.

John Evelyn's Diary. 12th May 1687. To London. Lord Sunderland (age 45) being Lord President and Secretary of State, was made Knight of the Garter and Prime favorite. This day there was such a storm of wind as had seldom happened, being a sort of hurricane. It kept the flood out of the Thames, so that people went on foot over several places above bridge. Also an earthquake in several places in England about the time of the storm.

John Evelyn's Diary. 25th May 1688. News arrived of the most prodigious earthquake that was almost ever heard of, subverting the city of Lima and country in Peru, with a dreadful inundation following it.

John Evelyn's Diary. 18th September 1688. Earthquakes had utterly demolished the ancient Smyrna, and several other places in Greece, Italy, and even in the Spanish Indies, forerunners of greater calamities. God Almighty preserve his Church and all who put themselves under the shadow of his wings, till these things be overpassed.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 7th October 1690. Tuesday, we had an earthquake (a great one, but of short continuance) about half houer past 7; Angell went (past 10) towards Oulton; Bidolph & Swetnam a larking; past 10, I was served with a summons (by Mrs Lettice Whitley's boy) from Fawlkes, Kenyon, & Acton; to attend theire Reference on the 23rd inst: after dinner my sonne (age 39) & I went to the funerall of Mrs Radley at Tarvyn, before sermon we went with Sherard & another to the Vicars; Mr Grantham invited us to his house; we dranck a glasse of sack; there was Traverse, the Vicar, Bruen, &c. we stayd ½ houer, came home; Mrs Astrey & John retorned from Staffordshire.

John Evelyn's Diary. 12th October 1690. The French General, with Tyrconnel (age 60) and their forces, gone back to France, beaten out by King William. Cork [Map] delivered on discretion. The Duke of Grafton (deceased) was there mortally wounded and dies. Very great storms of wind. The 8th of this month Lord Spencer (age 49) wrote me word from Althorpe [Map], that there happened an earthquake the day before in the morning, which, though short, sensibly shook the house. The "Gazette" acquainted us that the like happened at the same time, half-past seven, at Barnstaple, Devon, Holyhead, Anglesey, and Dublin [Map]. We were not sensible of it here.

John Evelyn's Diary. 9th August 1692. A fast. Came the sad news of the hurricane and earthquake, which has destroyed almost the whole Island of Jamaica, many thousands having perished.

John Evelyn's Diary. 15th September 1692. There happened an earthquake, which, though not so great as to do any harm in England, was universal in all these parts of Europe. It shook the house at Wotton, but was not perceived by any save a servant or two, who were making my bed, and another in a garret. I and the rest being at dinner below in the parlor, were not sensible of it. The dreadful one in Jamaica this summer was profanely and ludicrously represented in a puppet play, or some such lewd pastime, in the fair of Southwark [Map], which caused the Queen (age 30) to put down that idle and vicious mock show.

John Evelyn's Diary. 19th February 1693. The Bishop of Lincoln (age 56) preached in the afternoon at the Tabernacle near Golden Square, set up by him. Proposals of a marriage between Mr. Draper and my daughter Susanna (age 24). Hitherto an exceedingly warm winter, such as has seldom been known, and portending an unprosperous spring as to the fruits of the earth; our climate requires more cold and winterly weather. The dreadful and astonishing earthquake swallowing up Catania, and other famous and ancient cities, with more than 100,000 persons in Sicily [Map], on 11th January last, came now to be reported among us.

John Evelyn's Diary. 26th February 1693. An extraordinary deep snow, after almost no winter, and a sudden gentle thaw. A deplorable earthquake at Malta, since that of Sicily [Map], nearly as great.

John Evelyn's Diary. 2nd February 1696. An extraordinary wet season, though temperate as to cold. The "Royal Sovereign" man-of-war burned at Chatham, Kent [Map]. It was built in 1637, and having given occasion to the levy of ship money was perhaps the cause of all the after troubles to this day. An earthquake in Dorsetshire by Portland, or rather a sinking of the ground suddenly for a large space, near the quarries of stone, hindering the conveyance of that material for the finishing St. Paul's [Map].

John Evelyn's Diary. 3rd September 1699. There was in this week an eclipse of the sun, at which many were frightened by the predictions of the astrologers. I remember fifty years ago that many were so terrified by Lilly, that they dared not go out of their houses. A strange earthquake at New Batavia, in the East Indies.

John Evelyn's Diary. 3rd December 1699. Calm, bright, and warm as in the middle of April. So continued on 21st of January. A great earthquake in Portugal.

John Evelyn's Diary. 1st February 1703. A famous cause at the King's Bench [Map] between Mr. Fenwick and his wife, which went for him with a great estate. The Duke of Marlborough (age 52) lost his only son (age 16) at Cambridge by the smallpox. A great earthquake at Rome, Italy [Map], etc. A famous young woman (age 23), an Italian, was hired by our comedians to sing on the stage, during so many plays, for which they gave her £500; which part by her voice alone at the end of three scenes she performed with such modesty and grace, and above all with such skill, that there was never any who did anything comparable with their voices. She was to go home to the Court of the King of Prussia, and I believe carried with her out of this vain nation above £1,000, everybody coveting to hear her at their private houses.