m ANNUAL REGISTER, ]8i6. 



guishing the fire still remaining 

 in the smoking ruins. 



The whole of the plate is saved ; 

 we wish the sunie could be ob- 

 served of the pictures — many in- 

 estimable ones aie destroyed. 

 Amateurs will learn with regiet 

 that the celebrated picture of The 

 Nativity, by Sir J. Reynolds (for 

 whicli his Grace lately refused ten 

 thousand guineas), is consumed. 

 From the few historical oi' scrip- 

 tural pieces this gieat master exe- 

 cuted, the loss is irreparable. Tiie 

 insurances on the castle amount 

 to 3.5,0001. ; but the loss, at a 

 moderate comj^utation, cannot be 

 less than 1 •,!0,000l. ; as nothing 

 was saved in tlu; jjart which is 

 destroyed. I'iie cavalry, com- 

 manded by Sir R. Heron, were in 

 attendance the whoipof Sunday, to 

 ))revent the admission of improper 

 persons. His Grace arrived at the 

 Castle about eleven o'clocic on Sa- 

 turday evening, and displayed a 

 degree of firmness and gi'eatness 

 of u;ind on this trying occasion 

 truly astonirjhing. Happily no 

 lives were lost. 



Further Fartlculars.^-The fire, 

 weundeistand, was first perceived 

 by Mr. Turner (sujierintendant of 

 the works executing under Mr. 

 ^^^'att, the architect), wlio, hav- 

 ing got out of bed, found the 

 apartment used by the carpenters 

 as a work-shop jusi bursting into 

 flames. j\Ir. 'J^n^ncr immediately 

 alarmed the He\. Sir J. Thoroton 

 (domestic cha])lain) and the fa- 

 mily, and speedily tlie servants 

 and n\utu'rous workpeople were 

 assembled ; but the fire had got 

 such hold of the combustible ma- 

 terials in the carpenters' and pain- 

 teis' sho]is, that tlie hope of ex- 

 tinguishing it thert' was soon dis- 



pelled ; and from the rapid spread- 

 ing of the conflagration, and the 

 great want of water, reasonable 

 fear was entertained that the 

 whole of the magnificent mansion 

 would full a prey to the devouring 

 element. The young Marquis of 

 Granby and his tour sisters weie 

 at the castle, and were happily i e- 

 moved in safety to the Belvoir- 

 inn, a short distance from the fire. 

 Horsemen were sent in all direc- 

 tions for help, and every exertion 

 was made on so trying an occa- 

 sion that the exigency allowed. 

 The Loveden Yeomanry airived 

 in the afternoon, and rendered 

 great service in preserving tiie 

 valuable property removed from 

 the castle. By twelve o'clock in 

 the day the flames were subdued, 

 after destroying the whole of the 

 old pait of the castle, tlie roof of 

 which fell in about six in the 

 morning. The new part of the 

 extensive pile of building has not 

 .sutTered much from the fire ; but 

 great injury has necessarily been 

 done in the ])recipitation and 

 alarm with which in many in- 

 stances the costly furniture and 

 pictures wei-e thrown out of the 

 windows or otherwise removed. 

 In the part of the castle destroyed 

 were comprised all the sleeping 

 rooms of the servants, as well as 

 the new gallery and some splen- 

 didly fmnished apartments. The 

 chapel also has been greatly in- 

 jured by the fire, and is com- 

 pletely stripped. Tiie amount of 

 the damage is variously estimated : 

 by some persons it is carried as 

 high as 200,0001. A messenger 

 having been dispatchetl about six 

 o'clock to Cheveley, delivered the 

 afllicting intelligence of tlie fire to 

 his Grace on the race-course at 

 Newmaiket. 



