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Tewkesbury Memories

Tewkesbury Historical Society

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Tewkesbury Memories

Summer Newspaper Facts from the Database:

4th July 1844:
Several hours of refreshing rain, after an almost unexampled drought - for not a single considerable shower fell during the entire months of April, May and June.

24-25 July 1844:
2nd race meeting on the Ham - weather delightfully fine. ..."inconsequence of great heat,,,several of the races were run almost in a canter." A Lacemaker from Nottingham named Gardener drowned bathing as did tailor Woodward. "The 'swell mob' attended in strong force" leading to thefts and two people being arrested for robbery.

5th July 1853:
Haymaking has met with a severe check in the neighbourhood by the uninterrupted rains of the past fortnight. A very extensive tract of fine meadow land on the banks of the Avon has been inundated, and the lowlands of Ashchurch, Walton Cardiff, Tredington and along the course of the rivers Swilgate and Carron have also been covered. The Severn rose to nearly bank full on Tuesday morning and the fishermen gave in as their verdict that, unless it kept fine, the splendid crop of grass in the Ham would be spoiled by a flood over it.
The Ham is divided into plots from 6 to 20 acres each, and it was amusing to see the Town farmers, or vulgarly speaking the apron-string farmers, speculating and consoling with each other as to the probabilities of a flood, the weather cock and weather glass being constantly consulted. Fortunately, on Tuesday evening, the Severn sunk a few inches which raised the spirits of the depressed haymakers, who were again set to work.
But while the Severn showed signs of a fall, the Avon waters were coming down most rapidly, bringing with it's streams tons of grass which had just been cut, and carried off the land by the flood. The fishermen, some with boats, and others with barges, were to be seen stopping the grass as it was flowing with the stream, and depositing load by load upon some safe bank. It is to be feared great will be the loss of the tenants of the Avon meadows, the grass which had been cut entirely washed away, and that left uncut being rendered good for nothing but packing.

11th July 1853:
Not for many years past has the season been so fraught with losses and disasters.
The immense quantity of rain speedily overflowed the Avon, and the luxuriant valley of that river between Evesham and this Town, was for several days submerged to such a degree that the whole fields were denuded of their crops, which came whelming down, large ricks of hay being floated away entire, and in one or two instances bearing upon their tops the implements which had been used in their construction. At Bredon and Twyning considerable damage was done, while nearer here, at Mytton, Messrs. Pike and Firkins have sustained losses to the amount of several hundred pounds.
In the Town itself considerable alarm was felt on Saturday, when it was discovered that the Stanchard Wall ( the weir between the Severn and the Avon) had been partly washed away, and great fears were entertained that the whole of it must go, in which case the dwelling of Mr W. Bathurst, close by, would most probably have followed; This catastrophe was fortunately avoided by the prompt and energetic endeavours of a number of men who dammed the water with boards and clay and shored up the wall with timber until the flood had subsided.

19th June 1856:
A tremendous thunderstorm with vivid lightning and torrential rain. Lightning damage at the Railway Station, a tree at the Mythe was struck and other damage done.

27th June 1857:
During the past week the public have been seen panting at the excessive heat.

30th August 1857:
One of the most terrific thunderstorms witnessed for many years did considerable damage, destroying human life, cattle and trees. There were two severe storms during the day with rain falling in torrents and flash after flash of vivid lightning. At Chaceley, two labourers named Hill And Webb took shelter under a tree, when lightning struck Hill was Killed and Webb was paralysed and badly scorched. At Tirley, two cows were killed by lightning. At Kemerton, a cow was similarly killed in a field on Aston Hill Farm. At Pamington, a fine, old tree was completely struck to the ground.

1st August 1885:
Hot weather leads to a fear of spread of Cholera from Spain.

10th August 1895:
Regatta most successful ever in three and a half decades; 8256 people paid to see the regatta, athletics, water polo, show jumping, walking the greasy pole, parachute descent - and illegal gaming (dice)!

20th August 1898:
Heavy thunderstorm affects field opposite Mr Healing's mansion on Barton Road

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