222 The East Anglian Earthquake.
23rd year of Elizabeth (Hasted, in his ' History of Kent,' gives
the date as the 22nd year of Elizabeth). It seems surprising,
however, that an earthquake which appears to have been most
severe in Kent, should have caused damage at York (see this
report, p. 6). Most authorities fix the date of the 1580 shock
as April 6th. Mallet gives no record under 1585. There is
probably some confusion of dates.
1650. The Cumberland and Westmoreland earthquake of April, 1651, is
dated 1650 by the author of the 'History of the Weather, &c.'
An Earthquake possibly felt at Colchester in 1760. — The
following letter (anonymous) addressed to the ' London Maga-
zine,' is dated from Diss, Norfolk, July 26th, 1760 :—
" On Wednesday, June 11th, about fifty minutes past four in the
afternoon, as I was standing at an outward door, of a sudden I heard a
very loud noise, like the explosion of a cannon fired near, and it seemed
full as loud : I immediately stepped abroad, and found the noise appeared
to be in the air; it seemed to burst westward of the place where I was,
and gradually to roll towards the east: the day was very hot, the sun
shone in its full splendour, nor was there a cloud to be seen, only a few
light ones to the west; the wind was N.E., and had been so for some
days; it blew then pretty fresh. We are more than twenty miles from
Ipswich ; it was likewise heard at Norwich, Bungay, Beccles, Southwold,
Colchester, Bury, Sudbury, and Thetford, and in all probability at a
greater distance. Whether it was a collection of sulphureous particles,
or other homogeneous matter [!!], I hope some of your ingenious corre-
spondents will satisfy us in."
This extract may refer to a slight shook of earthquake or to
the bursting of a large meteor, and we give it here in order
that local antiquaries may make further search into the
records of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.
The Earthquakes of 1580 and 1692 in Essex. — Through the
kindness of our member, Mr. E. M. Christy, we are enabled
to give two more references to slight shocks felt in the county.
The earthquake of April 6th, 1580, which caused damage in
London (p. 6), is mentioned in a black-letter tract printed in
the year 1580, containing " Three Proper & Wittie familiar
Letters" which passed between the literary critic, Gabriel
Harvey, and his friend Spenser ("Immerito"), the poet. In
reply to a letter from the latter, written in London and
addressed "to my long approoved and singular good frende
Master G. H.," inquiring as to whether the earthquake which
had overthrown " divers old buildings and peeces of churches "