This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Storms Fire and thunder fill British towns and Europe
Reports from July and August flag a string of disasters and events. A London Exchequer order compels Edinburgh to pay two thousand pounds to Mrs Porteous. In Oxford a lightning strike melted pewter plates. in Marlborough a youth named Knight died in a thunderstorm. A vast fire at Wellingborough destroyed hundreds of buildings and left many homeless. News from Middagten, Roosendal, and Arnheim describes royal visits and court movements as Prussian troops and dignitaries travel through Guelderland. Hail storms in Suffolk damage crops and livestock. a brutal storm near Stow Market and Stradbroke. Ship notices from Madrid and a Jamaica bound Mary report ongoing colonial affairs. In London crowds gather to view two large birds atop St Paul’s and authorities press disorderly night behavior. The East India Company holds a directors meeting with no decisive action amid unsettled affairs.