12
The East Anglian Earthquake.
a-plastering the Steple of St. Peter's, in this town, and upon
the uppermost scaffold, that the Steple parted so wide in the
midst that they could have put their hand into the crack or
cleft, and immediately shut up close again, without any
damage to the workmen (who expected all would have fallen
down), or to the Steple itself. Most of the houses here and
elsewhere shook, and part of a chimney fell down on North
Hill; and very many who were sensible of it were taken at
the same time with a giddiness in their head for some short
time. In witness of what is here related, I have hereto set my
hand. Robert Dickman, Minister of St. Peter, Colchester."
—' History and Description of the Ancient Town of Col-
chester,' by Thomas Cromwell, 1825, vol. i., p. 188. This
record is from the parish register.
The record relating to Coggeshall is quoted from ' Bufton's
Diary,' by the Rev. Bryan Dale in his ' Annals of Cogges-
hall," 1863:—
" 1692. September 8th being Thursday and ye same day
that Jacob Cox dyed about 2 o'clock there was an Earthquake
at Coxall and many towns beside hereabouts and at London
and several other Countries we heard and ye news-letter said
it was at ye same time in Holland and ye rest of ye provinces
in ye Netherlands—I was in our garret at that time and heard
ye house crack and perceived it shake and was afraid it would
fall and therefore ran downstairs."
The next records are in the year 1750:—
Thursday, February 8th (o.s.). " Between 12 and 1
o'clock afternoon an earthquake was felt throughout London
and Westminster; the councellors in the court of king's
bench and chancery in Westminster Hall were so alarmed
that they expected the building to fall; and in the new
buildings about Grosvenor Square People ran out of their
houses, the chairs shaking, and the pewter rattling on the
shelves ; a slaughterhouse with a hayloft over it was thrown
down in Southwark, a chimney in Leadenhall-street and
another in Billiter Square, several chimeys and part of a house
near Horslydown.
"On enquiring we find that the shock was felt at Deptford
and Greenwich to Gravesend, at Dagnams3 and Paynesbridge,
between Rumford and Brentwood, at Coopersale near Epping,
at Woodford, Walthamstow, Hertford, Highgate, Finchley,—
3 "Another shock was felt here half an hour after the first."