Lacock
April 18. 1861
My Dear Constance
Yesterday morning we had a serious alarm of fire in the abbey. As I was sitting at breakfast in my library I noticed that the paper of the room was discoloured and darkened in two places, a foot or two above the chimney piece. Some minutes later, on looking again I saw that the two discoloured spots had united into one, which was grown as large as a dinnerplate or the crown of one’s hat.
I went and placed my hand against the wall, and found it burning hot – I immediately rang and summoned assistance from all quarters – It came very speedily, everybody vied in zeal with one another, Wilkins, Pullen, Reuben Gale Phelps Charles Banks’s son &c.<1> Meanwhile we had put out the fire in the grate, and taken down Matilda’s large picture, <2> which disclosed another heated discoloured spot behind the picture – These appearances caused Gale immediately to give a opinion that there was a beam on fire, and when I asked him if he knew there was a beam there, he said that no one now would ever think of placing a beam in such dangerous proximity to a fireplace, but that 100 years ago when this room was probably built, people were much more ignorant so more rash and reckless – He advised breaking a hole through the plaster and getting at the beam. I observed, that if we did that, and admitted the external air, it might burst out into a blaze. We therefore sent for the garden syringe & several buckets of water, to be prepared for all events. When these were ready Banks took a hammer & with a few blows broke in the plaster and disclosed the burning beam – We immediately threw in water which came back to us in steam – We then cautiously enlarged the hole & kept throwing in water till we though it was safe to take a saw and saw off the burning part of the beam leaving the sound part in the wall – It was a large strong oak beam as sound as the day it was placed there – behind the burnt part of the beam we saw the ruins of a brick partition which had once served to protect the beam from the action of the fire but which had fallen down from age and left the beam exposed – Having cut off the burnt part we poured in quantities of water, and in about an hour the workmen thought there was no more danger. Still the wall continued very hot all day and made us uneasy lest there shd be more concealed timber – But in the evening it was cooler; this morning the wall was still sensibly hot, but about five oclock the warmth was no longer to be perceived – The damage to the apartment requires immediate repair which is to be done thoroughly as soon as it is decided how to rebuild it. I am living in the dining room – I dont think Ch. Banks <3> will be able to begin before Monday – the tiresome post hour obliges me to conclude
Love to all
Your affte
Henry
Notes:
1. George Wilkins (b. 1814), gardener at Lacock; Reuben Bennett (b. 1841), Lacock Abbey footman; William Pullen, Lacock Abbey coachman; Philip Phelps, Surveyor of Taxes & Bailiff, Lacock; unidentified son of Charles Selman Banks (1805-1881), stonemason, Lacock.
2. Possibly a portrait of Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, née Talbot (25 Feb 1839-1927), 'Tilly', WHFT's 3rd daughter.
3. Charles Selman Banks (1805-1881), stonemason, Lacock.