barkway fire!

An article describing the 1748 fire in Barkway, was printed in the April 2020 diary. Further to that the following excerpt is from a contemporary report in the London section of the Kentish Weekly Post of 1748.

On Thursday last, about four o'clock in the afternoon, there happened a dreadful fire at Barkway in
Hertfordshire; it was occasioned by a stack of hay being laid up too green, which took fire and
immediately communicated itself to the adjacent barns, and the wind being very brisk the flames in
a few hours laid in ashes thirteen dwelling houses, some of them pretty large ones, with all the
ricks, stacks, barns, stables, and outhouses thereunto belonging, with all of those of two very large
farms, the dwelling houses of which escaped. The damage done by this fire is said to be to the amount of near three thousand pounds; and confidently confirmed to be owing to the obstinacy of the owner of the hay, who had been frequently been told for several days before that it would certainly take fire. It is observable that most of the neighbouring gentlemen were thither on the alarm, and were of singular service in influencing the mob and directing them how to proceed.