DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0338
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MIRACULOUS PRESERVATION OF A CHILD.
[In consequence of an Explosion of Gunpowder.]
In the year 1649, and during the civil wars between
Charles and his Parliament, the particulars of which are
thus described by Stow :—
“ Over against the wall of Barking church-vard, a sad
and lamentable accident happened by gunpowder, in this
manner :—One of the houses in this place was a ship-
chandler’s, who, upon the 4th of January 1649, about
seven of the clock at night, being busy in his shop about
barrelling up of gunpowder, it took fire ; and, in the
twinkling of an eye, blew up not only that, but all the
houses thereabouts, to the number towards the street, and
in back alleys of fifty or sixty. The number of persons
destroyed by this blow could never be known ; for the next
house but one was the Rose Tavern, a house never empty
at that time of night, but full of company ; and that day
the parish dinner was in that house.—And in three or four
days after digging, they continually found heads, arms,
legs, and half bodies, miserably torn and scorched, besides
many whole bodies, not so much as their clothes singed.—
In the course of this accident, I will instance only two,
one a dead, the other a living monument. In the digging,
as I said before, they found the mistress of the house of the
Rose Tavern, sitting in her bar, and one. of the drawers
standing by the bar’s side, with a pot in his hand, only
stifled with dust and smoke, their bodies being preserved
whole, by means of great timbers failing across one an-
other: this is one.—-Another is this: the next morning
there was found upon the upper leads of Barking Church,
a young child lying in a cradle, as newly laid in bed ;
neither the child nor cradle having the least sign of any
fire or other hurt. It was never known whose child, it was;
sfi
MIRACULOUS PRESERVATION OF A CHILD.
[In consequence of an Explosion of Gunpowder.]
In the year 1649, and during the civil wars between
Charles and his Parliament, the particulars of which are
thus described by Stow :—
“ Over against the wall of Barking church-vard, a sad
and lamentable accident happened by gunpowder, in this
manner :—One of the houses in this place was a ship-
chandler’s, who, upon the 4th of January 1649, about
seven of the clock at night, being busy in his shop about
barrelling up of gunpowder, it took fire ; and, in the
twinkling of an eye, blew up not only that, but all the
houses thereabouts, to the number towards the street, and
in back alleys of fifty or sixty. The number of persons
destroyed by this blow could never be known ; for the next
house but one was the Rose Tavern, a house never empty
at that time of night, but full of company ; and that day
the parish dinner was in that house.—And in three or four
days after digging, they continually found heads, arms,
legs, and half bodies, miserably torn and scorched, besides
many whole bodies, not so much as their clothes singed.—
In the course of this accident, I will instance only two,
one a dead, the other a living monument. In the digging,
as I said before, they found the mistress of the house of the
Rose Tavern, sitting in her bar, and one. of the drawers
standing by the bar’s side, with a pot in his hand, only
stifled with dust and smoke, their bodies being preserved
whole, by means of great timbers failing across one an-
other: this is one.—-Another is this: the next morning
there was found upon the upper leads of Barking Church,
a young child lying in a cradle, as newly laid in bed ;
neither the child nor cradle having the least sign of any
fire or other hurt. It was never known whose child, it was;
sfi