Alvandley this 18th of July 1687. Loving Couſin,

I Have not received one Line from thee, ſince thy liſt going to London: But Couſin Elizabeth Birdſey told me of thy dangerous Sickneſs, for which I am much troubled, but ſhall be glad to hear of thy perfect Recovery to Health again. God grant that all Afflictions we meet with in this vale of Tears or Tranſitory Life, may be a means to draw us nearer himſelf, who only can help, ſupport, and ſtrengthen our Infirmities. I hope theſe Lines will find thee better Recovered.

I was deſired by our Neighbour Jeremiah Leech, (whoſe kind Love is herein remembred to thee) to ſend thee a Copy of the Relation of that remarkable Accident, which by the diſpoſing hand of God, happened with us at Alvandley the 19th of June laſt paſt, to the great damage of our Corn, Houſes, Cattle, Meadowing and Fruits, which was occaſioned by the Wind and Prodigious Hail, which may appear by the following Relation, which be the ſaid J. Leech is very deſirous may be committed to the Preſs, that all might have a true accompt of it, and deſired me, to requeſt thee to do it, that for time to come it may be known and kept in mind how the Lord hath dealt with us in his Judgments in this kind, which were wonderfully mixt with Mercy to us, in preſerving our Lives, when much Cattel hardly eſcaped, being bruiſed, and hurt, and cut, till blood ran down them, as appears by the Relation following, which is a true Account how it was; I being an Eye-witneſs, and had a ſhare of it. So with mine, and Brothers kind Love to thee, wiſhing thy good health, and to hear from thee, I reſt

Thy aſſured Loving Kinſman, Nathaniel Buſhell.

The Copy as it was Directed to Sir John Arderne, take as followeth. Right Worſhipful,

WE your diſtreſſed Tenants in Alvandley, do Certifie unto you, how it hath pleaſed Almighty God to ſhew his great Power, in that terrible ſtorm of Thunder, Lightning, Rain, great Wind and Hail, that lighted on us, your Worſhips diſtreſſed Tennants in Alvandley the 19th of June 1687. But we are not able to expreſs the terribleneſs of it in full, being too apt to forget, like Pharoah of Old; but ſeeing it hath left ſuch memorable Monuments of the deſtructiveneſs of it, all the beholders have ſtood amazed at it, fetching Tears from the Eyes of the Tender-hearted, many having come far to ſee it; and ſaid, if it had been atteſted to them upon Oath how deſtructive it was, they could not have believed it had been ſo, till they came to ſee it.

May it pleaſe you, That after great Lightning, Thunder and Rain, there aroſe a great terrible Wind, which brought with it the great Hail in abundance, which at the firſt daſh broke all our Glaſs Windows that were on the South-Weſt ſides of our Houſes, the Wind at that inſtant coming from thence upon us; and iſſued a flaſhing Fire, that accompanied with great Thunder, the Hail came with great vioience, and had ſharp Ends and Edges like broken Ice, Cutting, Smiting, and driving down all tops of Trees and young Plants, and cut the Backs of our Kine, till Blood iſſued therefrom, and bruiſed the Elders and Paps, and wonderfully affrighted them, that they ran as if they had been Mad, leaping out of their Paſtures, ſome into Pits and were almoſt drowned; ſome people that were out of Doors were ill beaten and bruiſed ere they could get to ſhelter themſelves, that to our knowledge their fleſh was as black as pots, and ſcarce able to go. Although praiſed be God, he in his infinite Mercy ſpared both Man and Beaſt alive, which is no ſmall wonder, for it killed flying Fowl, both Crows and Pyes, and other Fowl. Several of our Buildings were Shattered and Battered by it; and the Roofs of both Thatch and Slate torn and uncovered: ſome Walls both Timber and Stone driven down; the Windmill was blown and driven down; nay, which is moſt remarkable, it broke ſtrong ſound Trees of a great ſubſtance off in the middle, and blew down very many fruit Trees, and deſtroyed all the Fruits, the which were abundance before the Storm was; and did ſo cut and bruiſe all ſorts of Fruit Trees and other Trees, that we think they will hardly get recovery, the Hail-ſtones being many of them ſharp, that they ſlit the Bark of Trees as if done with a Knife: if any Apple be left, it ſeems as if it were cut with a Knife. All our Gardens, Plants, and Flowers are deſtroyed but what were within Ground; our Hedges and Quickſets are pill'd, ſo as the Leaf and Bark is not left.

But we may ſay this is little in Compariſon of the loſs of our Corn in every ſort of Grain, which was Smitten very terrible, viz. Wheat, Rye, Barly, Oates, Peaſe, Beans, French-Wheat, with our Flax and Hemp; in a Word, all was by the ſaid Storm of Hail deſtroyed, ſo that ſome have Plowed it up where their Corn was, and Sowed it again; ſome have Plowed it for Summer work, and ſome have turned their Cattle into their Corn Fields, and ſome others let it lie, to ſee what the Lord will be pleaſed to do with it.

The Tythe-Corn of the Town, that uſually hath been Let from 25 to 26 l. and ſometimes at 30 l. the Morning after the Storm, none would have given 1 l. for it: The loſs of our Meadowing is not a whit behind the reſt: To the great Damage of the Town; moſt of the Town Folk being Daries; the Graſs was Beaten and Battered as if pounded in a Mortar, ſo that there is little left, and what between, the Sap of Trees, Corn and Graſs. Our Pits and Ditches are Dyed like Tanners Bark-Pits. We heard that our Neighbouring Townsmen were ſo ſorry for us, that one ſaid he would (if the reſt would do likewiſe) give us a Load of Hay for relief of our Cattle.

The Hail and Wind continued about half an hour; the Hail-ſtones were of divers ſhapes, ſome with ſharp Ends and Edges, and like your Smiths Cynders, ſome ſay there were of 8 or 9 Inches about; but we were ſo affrighted that Night we did not regard to meaſure them, but next day there was meaſured that were 5 Inches about, and on the Friday following which was 5 days after, there was found in old Thatch, Hail that was 5 Inches about, we cannot expreſs our loſs, ſuſtained by the ſaid Wind and Hail; there was ſuch abundance of it, and it beat mightily into our Houſes, that our Old Corn, Cheeſe, Meat, Bedding, and other houſhold Goods received great Damage by it, all the ſubſtance of the Storm lighted on our Village, as it afterwards appeared, for that way the Storm drove it paſſed by the Neighbouring Towns, the Hill being betwixt them and us, ſo they ſuſtained very little loſs by it.

Truly ſince the great Hail in the Land of Egypt, we do not hear that the like hath been ſeen for Thunder, Hail, and Fire mingled with it, flaſhing upon the Ground, as it appeared to many that beheld it, and came with ſuch a heideous Noiſe, that cannot be expreſs'd, betwixt the Hail and Wind, its violence was great, being in ſuch abundance, that it lay in ſome places three quarters of a Yard deep, and beat up the Ground, and drove it on heaps in ſome places, and after it, followed a great Damp or Miſt, with a very offenſive ſmell; but we deſire to give Glory and Thanks to Almighty God, that ſpared our Lives and the Lives of our Cattle, when it had been ſo eaſie a thing to deſtroy us, when ſtronger things were deſtroyed, but that he pleaſed to give a Commiſſion to its ſtrong Force, and no further to proceed.

And we humbly pray God, that we who have ſeen and felt his mighty Power, and all others, who only hear of this Relation, may make a right improvemen of it, to the Glory of Almighty God and our own ſouls good.

And we whoſe Names are hereunto ſubſcribed do humbly conclude, that all our loſſes in the afore-mentioned particulars, within the Precincts of Alvanley, will amount unto the Sum of ſeveral 1000 l. and upwards, unleſs God in his infinite Mercy find out a way for our Relief; but it pittys our hearts moſt of all, for our poor Widows and Fatherleſs, whoſe whole years profits are deſtroyed.

We whoſe Names are hereunto ſubſcribed, ſhall be ready to atteſt what is here Written for certain Truths and no feigned things. John Turner, Miniſter at Alvandley John Clarke, School-maſter Richard Walker, Clerk at the Chappel Samuel Gerrard Jeremiah Leech George Whitley Richard Simcock John Baſſnet. John Aſhbrooke Samuel Leech Robert Simcock John Hayes

John Buſhell, of the Pariſh of Allhallows the Wall, London, knows very well the perſons who ſent this Letter, as likewiſe ſome of the perſons above-named, and do believe this Relation to be very true, having received a Letter from another perſon to the ſame Effect.

John Buſhell.

I William Watts of the ſaid Pariſh of Allhallows in the Wall, do know very well, the perſon that ſent the above-written Letter, and doth really believe the above-written Relation to be true.

William Watts

I William Johnſon of London, Notary Publique, do Certifie that I do know, not only the ſaid perſon that ſent the ſaid Letter, but alſo ſeveral other of the perſons Inhabitants there, and that I believe the above Relation to be aſſuredly true, and no falſe thing, I having ſeen a Letter ſometime ſince to that Effect.

William Johnſon.

This may be Printed,

R P. July the 28th 1687.