A DRAMATIC account of a tsunami-style tidal wave which devastated huge swathes of Severnside almost 400 years ago have been found by a Gazette reader.
Joy Kempster, from Shepperdine, was leafing through the pages of the Gentleman's Magazine of 1762 when she stumbled upon details of a terrible flood which swept over parts of Gloucestershire and other parts of the West Country and South Wales in 1607, though some historians have it as 1606, causing huge loss of life to man (one estimate puts the death toll at between 500 and 2,000) and beast and massive land and property damage.
She said the old copies of the Gentleman's Magazine (and Historical Chronicle) had been in her possession for many years r since she was given them by a neighbour who found them in his barn.
"I was glancing through the many pages and was amazed to read about the dreadful events in this area almost four centuries ago, " said Mrs Kempster. "The resemblence to the accounts of the recent Asian tsunami are quite uncanny."
The report in the 18th century magazine was contained in a letter from a reader who extracted it from an account written soon after the event occurred which is preserved in the Harleian library.
The report is quite long but the first few hundred words (with original spelling) go as follows:
"On Tuesday, January 27, (says my author) about nine in the morning, the sunne being fairly and brightly spred, huge and mighty hills of water were seen in the elements, tumbling one over another in such sort as if the greatest mountains in the world had overwhelmed the low vallies, to the inexpressible astonishment and terror of the spectators, who at first, mistaking it for a great mist, or fog, did not on the sudden prepare to make their escape from it, but on its nearer approach, which came on with such swiftness as it was verily thought the fowls of the air could not fly so fast: they perceived that it was the violence of the waters of the raging sea, which seemed to have broken their bounds, and were pouring in to deluge the whole land, and then happy were they that could fly the fastest.
"But so violent and swift were the huge waves, and they pursuing one another with such rapidity, that in less than five hours space, most parts of the countries on the Severn's banks were laid under water, and many hundreds of men, women, and children, perished in the floods.
"From the hills might be seen herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, with husbandmen labouring in the fields, all swept away together, and swallowed up in one dreadful inundation. Houses, barns, ricks of corn and hay were all involved in the common ruin. Many who were rich in the morning were beggars before noon, and several perished in endeavouring to save their effects. Bristol and Aust suffered terribly and all the country from Bristol to Gloucester, on both sides of the Severne, was overflowed to the distance of six miles, and most of the buildings or the bridges over it were destroyed or defaced.
"At Chepstow, Goldcliff, Matherne, Callott-Moor, Reddrift, Newport, Cardiff, Cowbridge, Swansey, Langberne, and many other parts of Glamorganshire, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, the waters raged so furiously and came on so fast, that, upon a moderate supposition, there cannot be so few persons drowned as 500, men, women and children; besides many thousand herd of cattle that were feeding in the valleys, together with sheep, hogs, horses, and even poultry, all of which were suddenly immerged in the waters, and could not escape.
"But what is still more strange, saye my author, there are now not only found floating upon the waters still remaining, the dead carcases of men and cattle, but also all kind of wild beasts, as foxes, hares, rabbits, rats etc., some of them upon one another's backs, as thereby thinking to have saved themselves.
"At a place in Merionethshire there was a maid a milking, who was so suddenly surrounded with he waters that she could not escape, but had just time to reach a high bank on which she stood secure from the inundation, but without any relief from hunger and cold for two days; several ways were devised to bring her off, but in vain, till at length two young men contrived a raft, which, with long poles they pushed along, and with great labour and hazard fetched her away half dead with fear, rather than with hunger and cold,; for, strange as it is to relate, the hill, or bank on which the maid stood was all so covered with wild beasts and vermin that came thither for safety, that she had much ado to keep then from creeping upon her; and though among those were many of opposite natures, as dogs, and foxes, hares and hounds, cats and rats, with others of like sort, yet the one never offered to annoy the other, yet in a gentle sort they freely enjoyed the liberty of life without the least expression of enmity, or appearance of natural ferocity.
"Glamorgan, Carmarthen and Cardigan and other counties in South Wales bore their part in this dreadful visitation; many to save their lives ascended hills, trees, steeples, and houses, where they might see their cattle, and sometimes their wives and children perish without being able to give them the least assistance."
The happening has been investigated by Sharpness-based author and historian Royce Denning who dealt with it in his book A History of Berkeley Vale.
Mr Denning said the earliest record of the flood was by John Smythe, custodian at Berkeley Castle, who had it as occurring in January, 1606. Smythe wrote: "The sea overflowed the banks and sea walls and many people and cattle were drowned
"All along the Severn-side from Bristol to Gloucester this flood is said to have risen nearly as high as Frampton Tower, at least 60 feet above the present level of the Severn."
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