INUNDATION IN COVENTRY IN 1607. 



The Cittie of Coventrie is situated upon the mount or 

 rysing of a small hill, uppon which place there arose a 

 most strange and dreadful 1 sodaine inundation, the man- 

 ner whereof followeth, word for word, as I received it, 

 under the Seale of the Cittie, and signed by Henrie 

 Sewell, Maior of Coventrie. 



"Know ye, that we aswel of our owne knowledge, as 

 of the creditable report of our honest neighbors, Cittizens 

 of Coventrie, who have sustayned great losses lately by 

 a sudden floud, which unexpected and suddenly came first 

 into the Suburbes of the Cittie, from whence or where the 

 rayne that caused that sodaine floud, came, we know not, 

 but uppon Fryday morning, being the 17th of Aprill, 

 1607, about seaven of the clocke, no man suspected any 

 such floud to be, and suddenly between eyght and nine of 

 the clocke that morning, there was a great floud comming 

 towards the Cittie, where upon some seeing it came halfe 

 a myle of, and made it knowne unto some Cittizens to 

 make present hast to save some of their goods, but the 

 water came so abundantly, like the surges of the sea, into 

 the Suburbes and Cittie, that it rose within one houre in 

 some places, three yards, and better in height, more than 

 it was that morning, and overflowed divers mcdowes, and 

 grounds, & entred through the streetes and houses of the 

 Inhabitantes that dwelt neere the river, to the number of 

 two hundreth, fiftie, and seven houses, besides worke 

 houses, and other houses of office, neere the river, to the 

 great hurt of Tanners, Whittawers, Dyers, Bakers, and 

 Bruers, not only in their household goods, but in carrying 

 away many things, to their great loss and damage." 



In witnesse whereof, we have here unto put the com- 

 mon Seale of the Cittie, for such like causes, ordaj'-ned 

 the xvij of May, 1607. 



Henrie Sewell, Maior. 



(70) 



