A

SHORT ACCOUNT

OF THE

TERRIBLE FIRE AT CREDITON.

CREDITON, commonly called Kirton, is one

of the most antient and populous towns in the west. In the times of the Saxon kings, it was the flourishing see of the bishop, till king Edward the confessor translated it to Exeter, about the year 1050, It was of old also famous for giving birth to St. Winifred, called the apostle of Germany; because he converted the Hessians, Thuringians, and Frisisians to christianity, and was canonised as a saint.*

The town is divided into two parts, the eastern and the western; the latter of which is, by far, the most considerable for trade, for number of inhabitants, and for the beauty of its buildings as well as their extent. In this western part a very large and frequented market is kept, inferior, it is said, to few in the kingdom, as to two useful conmodities, yarn and flesh. The populousness and importance of the place may be gathered from observing, that fourteen or fifteen hundred serges are, one week with another, here manufactured, and sent abroad; and that aboye seventy bullocks, throughout the winter quarter, is the weekly supply of their shambles.

This western town, as it is called, was one large and extended street, stretching from east to west, above half a mile in length, furnished with

* Cambden's Britannia, Col. 30.

spacious and convenient market-houses, and had a great number of court-leges and alleys branching from it, filled with many families of industrious poor.

About the middle part of this street, on the southern side, the fire broke forth, on Sunday August 14th. about eleven in the forenoon, by the side of a chimney in the thatch, accasioned it is supposed by too great a fire in roasting meat. The town has no supply of water, but from pumps: a drought of several weeks had both much lessened that supply, and prepared the houses to receive and propagate the flame. The wind setting strong, at first from the north-east, and increasing with the fire, the desolation was carried from house to house, with amazing rapidity; so that the southern side, before it, was quickly all in flames. A little past noon, the wind veered towards the South, by which the fire was soon communicated to the North side of the street: so that all Westward from the place of its first breaking out fell, in a few hours, a prey to the raging element, and was turned into ashes.

Eastward, against the wind, it advanced with a slower pace; but neither engines, nor blowing up, nor any other means, could stop its dreadful progress, but it continued raging uncontrouled, till about eight in the evening, when it pleased God, at length, to stop its furious course.

The whole Western town with its market-houses and public buildings, a small part only excepted, now lies in the deepest ruins. The flames ran with such violence, flying over five or six houses at once, and kindling those beyond, that great quantities of goods, corn, hay, apparel, looms with serges in them, &c. were quickly destroyed. Besides many who were in the utmost danger and were plucked as brands out of the burning: nineteen