June 15th, 1765

The following is an extract from the London Evening Post:

The London Evening-Post
Numb.5872
From Thursday June 18, to Thursday June 20, 1765

Extract of a letter from Brailes in Warwickshire 

Dated June 15

“On Monday last, between two and three o’clock, we had a most dreadful storm of hail, attended with thunder and lightning, which has cut off great part of the corn in Upper Brailes, Lower Brailes, and Sutton fie1ds. In Lower Brailes all the fruit trees are stripped bare as if it was Christmas. The gardens are likewise cut off to that degree, that in the whole town there is not a plant big enough to wrap round your hand. The windows are broke in a most shocking manner, particularly those that lay north; in the three windows in the school 50 squares are broke; besides those broke above stairs, etc.

“Many of the hail-stones measured six or seven inches round: rooks, pigeons, etc. were killed in great numbers, and it continued about an hour, the thunder not ceasing one instant; and the hail (which I measured in the open field after the storm was over) lay fourteen inches thick on the ground.

“Nor was this all, for during the storm the flood rose in such a manner, that all the town, except about where I live, was under water, and by the time we could put our heads out of doors, the water was running over the great bridge top, and had drove down the whole range of walling from Co1egrave’s corner to David’s; so that every house in the Brook-row was five or six feet under water.
“It also carried away all the bridges, several sheep, gates, stiles, and every thing that was moveable, from the houses in Crook-row and Cuttle-Brook. In short, it was the most awful scene I ever beheld. The loss, ‘tis thought, will amount to near three thousand pounds.

“We have likewise so bad a fever amongst us, that many are carried off by it, and those that have survived, have lain for several weeks in so shocking a condition, that you would think every minute to be their last.”

(Transcription note: Modern characters have been substituted where appropriate but spelling, punctuation and grammar are as in the original text.)

In 1765 the road between Upper and Lower Brailes appears to have crossed Sutton Brook further up-stream so the Bridge and Brook-Row referred to probably no longer exist.