On the afternoon of Monday 21st May 1866, almost exactly 200 years after the Great Fire of London, Marsh Baldon suffered its own devastating conflagration. Fourteen cottages were destroyed and, proportionately, the impact of the Marsh Baldon fire was as great as that in London, with approximately 20% of the population left homeless. Fortunately, unlike in London, nobody lost their lives.
Red shading shows the approximate extent of the fire
The account, below, taken from Jackson’s Oxford Journal
26th May 1866, describes how the combination of a strong breeze and
dry thatched roofs enabled the fire to spread along buildings on northerly part
of the Green. According to an anonymous eye witness, although the fire started
around 12.30 midday, the fire engines belonging to Dorchester, the Morrells and
the University did not arrive until 3pm or later, by which time most of the
damage had occurred. Were it not for two small engines from the Harcourt estate
which arrived shortly after 1pm, this witness claimed, considerable further
damage would have ensued. Other accounts, however, give praise to the
University fire engine and crew for reducing the damage. Whatever the was the
case, several buildings were completely lost.
As the article below suggests, there also were different
opinions about the initial cause of the fire. The truth probably was never
discovered.
As a consequence of the fire, most of the existing houses
along the north side of the Green are replacements for those lost, built after 1866.
The “strange man” who was arrested at the scene of the fire was
George White, a labourer. In July 1866 he was convicted of stealing 3 shillings
from Job Bridcot. For this and a previous offence he was sentenced to a total
of 9 months in prison and hard labour.
DESTRUCTIVE
FIRE AT BALDON
We have
to record the destruction by fire of part of the village on the estate of Sir
J. Willoughby. On Monday last a large number of the villagers went over to
Nuneham Club Feast, and, while they were absent, flames broke out in cottage
occupied by Emmanuel Hicks, on Baldon Green, contiguous to the farm of Mrs.
Lowe. The thatched roof was attacked, and the wind being high it was speedily
all ablaze, in fact, Mrs. Hicks had scarcely time to rescue her children before
the whole cottage was burning. This cottage was situated on the north-eastern
quarter of the Green, and the strong easterly wind which prevailed quickly
helped the devouring element to consume it and the adjoining tenement, which was
fortunately empty. As the fire broke out about mid-day, plenty of assistance
was speedily obtained. Portions of burning thatch were carried over the other
cottages on the same side of the Green, and within twenty minutes of the first
alarm being given, all the buildings in that vicinity were burning. The second
group consisted of tenements occupied by Mrs. Polly, Joseph Gooden, Joseph
Webb, and Benjamin Ormond; next was the scbool occupied by Mrs. Bridcut, with
tiled roof, which did not, howevcr, save it from the fate which befel the rest;
then were the barn, cow-houses, shed, stable, and thatched granary, occupied by
Mr. Hissey, containing a quantity of farming implements and articles of
husbandry. Several agricultural machines were saved, but number of wagons and
other valuable property was destroyed, The next cottage was Thos. Freeman's,
and adjoining it the farm buildings and dwelling-house of Mrs, Lowe. The
buildings were destroyed, but the house was left intact, William White occupied
the next cottage, and Mrs, Freeman, laundress, the one contiguous, the latter
forming the corner of the road leading to Toot Baldon. From these two cottages
the fire continued to others occupied by George Hedges and R, Harmans, and,
lastly, to a cart hovel belonging to Mrs. Lowe.
As soon as the news spread to Nuneham, the members of
the Friendly Society there assembled at dinner in the Harcourt Arms Inn, rose
from the table and hastened to the scene of conflagration. Members of the Club
at Garsington did the same, and as soon as practicable engines from Dorchester
and Nuneham House were taken to the spot and set to work. These were
subsequently joined by the Oxford University enging No.2 which was in charge of
Mr. Goundrey, but this was mainly employed for the purpose of preventing the
extension of the fire to the farm buildings and ricks of Mr. Weston; as well as
those of Mrs. Lowe, other than the one already spoken of. Of course great
excitement prevailed, and Mr. Superintendent Yates did good yeoman service by
his presence, with a body of men under his control. A strange man, who meanly
took advantage of the prevailing confusion to pocket the purse of one of the
cottagers, got marched off to gaol for his thieving, and will be brought before
the Magistrates today, charged with robbery.
The result of this disaster that with the exception of
one thatched shed—which seems to have been spared from a caprice in the wind,
though in the centre of the conflagration—the whole of the buildings on the
northern side of the village were destroyed by the fire. The extent of the
damage done may be judged from the fact that in three hours fourteen cottages,
two barns, a granary, a number of sheds and out-houses, besides the contents of
13 buildings, were demolished. Nearly sixty persons were rendered houseless and
their goods scattered about in the wildest disorder. No time was lost in
affording shelter, and the goods were conveyed to places of safety with the
assistance of the police. Guy Thomson, Esq., J. Parsons, jun, Esq., J. Thomson,
Esq., the Rev. H. Hubert, E. Franklin Wsq., and the Rev. G. Teel, exerted
themselves on behalf sufferers, the first-named gentleman kindly providing
freshment for the women and children from Baldon House. Messrs. Weston, Clarke,
Fruin, and Lowe were also among the foremost in similar labours.
The property destroyed is, we hear, wholly uninsured,
except a portion of Mrs. Lowe's machinery. As to the origin of the fire, it is
alleged that it was occasioned by the throwing into an out-house the embers of
wood ashes, but it is stated as more probable that it arose from a spark from
chimney, which, owing to the dry nature of the thatch and the high wind that
prevailed during the afternoon, easily ignited.
The strongest sympathy exists in the neighbourhood with the unfortunate people who were suddenly deprived of their homes, and it is fully expected that a subscription will be commenced to reimburse them their losses.