HARPER, Thomas (2792)
An account of a fire that destroyed the premises of Thomas Harper II (Grimwade 2792) on the 11th May 1829.
Destructive Fire– About half past three o'clock on the morning of Monday 11th, the watchman on duty near Bell-yard, Temple-bar, discovered smoke issueing in large quantities through the joints of the shutters of the shop of Mr. Carlile, the bookseller, at the western corner of Bell-yard. The alarm being given to the inmates, who at the time were only Mr. Carlile and his maid-servant, they both escaped; Mr. Carlile, with a broken leg, in consequence of having leaped from a window. The flames, in less than five minutes after, had got entire possession of the building, which from the top to the bottom was one burning mass. The rear of the house at the opposite corner of the court having taken fire, the destruction of these premises appeared certain ; had it not been for the exertions of Mr. Roworth, the printer, in Bell-yard, and some men in his employment. Mr. Roworth, for the safety of his own property always keeps a powerful engine on his premises. It was brought into play, and confined the fire in that direction. But in the mean time, the flames had extended themselves to the westward, and reached the next house, that of Mr. Harper, a silversmith. At about five o'clock the flames reached the Sun Tavern, at the corner of Shirelane, which premises range extensively up that notorious sink of infamy. The scene which then ensued, baffled all description; and the alarm became general, as nothing but total devastation to the whole of the infamous rendezvous, with which the lane abounds, was expected. The women, with their paramours, were seen in numbers hurrying in a state of nudity with their clothing under their arms from their habitations, and seeking shelter under the roofs of others of their sisterhood, whose houses were out of the reach of the conflagration.
The flames spread with increased fury, notwithstanding the exertions of the firemen, who had an abundant supply of water; and the houses were partially injured –but two of these receptacles immediately in rear of the " Sun" .were levelled with the earth. The front walls of the houses of Mr. Harper, the silversmith, and also of the Sun Tavern, fell into the street with a tremendous crash, by which the engine of the West of England fire-office was almost broken to pieces. The falling of the walls alone checked the progress of the devastation; and at nine o'clock all further apprehensions of mischief had ceased, although the firemen still kept playing upon the burning ruins. At night, however, the fire which had been subdued in the morning, broke out several times; the engines were again called into action, and continued playing on the ruins until a late hour. About three o'clock in the afternoon a stack of chimnies belonging to the Sun tavern (a brothel), which stood tottering and threatened destruction to some of the adjacent buildings, was pulled down by the firemen, who contrived with great difficulty to get a rope round it, and by their united exertions, in about half an hour, it fell down towards Fleet-street, with a tremendous crash. The houses burnt down were those belonging to Mr. Carlile, bookseller (nothing saved) ; Mr. Harper, silversmith (stock saved–furniture, &c., destroyed) ; the Sun tavern (nothing saved); a brothel adjoining, kept by a woman named Solomons, nearly burnt to the ground; three brothels opposite, belonging to the notorious Dudfield; Mr. Ustonson's in Fleet-street, damaged and in a dangerous state; two houses, No. 4-6 and 4-7, in Bell-yard, belonging to Mr. Mason, greengrocer, the back part entirely burnt; the house of Mr. Lucas, No. 45, adjoining, partly damaged at the back.
Source: THE ANNUAL REGISTER, OR A VIEW OF THE HISTORY, POLITICS, AND LITERATURE, OF THE YEAR 1829.
Grimwade states that Thomas Harper moved from 11 Bell's Court, Gray's Inn Lane to 8 William Street, Gray's Inn lane, at a date unknown. The above account, will presumably, plug the gap in that information.
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