100 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1771.' 



neither are the walls much damaged. The belfry window was shattered to pieces, 

 not one whole pane to be found in it; many other windows also suffered greatly, 

 the glass and munnions being much shattered. The lightning entered also 

 through two places in the roof, one near the singing loft, and struck on the top 

 of a pillar just by it: the traces of it are to be seen from the top of the pillar 

 almost to the bottom : there were then sitting by this pillar 2 young men, one in 

 the singing loft, and the other under him in the church, who were both lightly 

 scorched ; he in the loft from head to foot, and the other in the face only ; but 

 it is remarkable that his hat, which hung on a nail just above him, was cut in 

 two pieces. In the other place, the lightning entered just over the desk and 

 pulpit, and fell in like manner on a pillar that stands in the vicarage seat ; but 

 here it was a great deal more violent, and the object of its fury was Mr. W.'s 

 sister. On this pillar rested a large oak soil, the bottom of which was burst into 

 6 pieces, and one of the pieces, being a very large one, was thrown from its 

 place to the distance of about 20 feet, and appeared to be burnt; the other pieces- 

 did not fall. Hence the lightning came down the pillar with great force, tore 

 the seat into many pieces, knocked down his sister, and made its way through 

 the bottom of the seat into the earth. She had pattens on, and the wooden part 

 of one of them was broke into 3 pieces; the holes through which the ribbon is 

 put to tie them together, were quite burnt out, and the ribbon found in the 

 seat without the least damage, or so much as the knot loosened; her shoe was 

 burnt, and rent from the toe to the buckle; but the buckle, which was of silver, 

 remained unhurt; her stocking was burnt and rent in the foot, just in the same 

 manner as her shoe, and scorched along to the garter, and two little holes were 

 burnt through in the leg ot it : her apron, petticoats, &c. were burnt through 

 and through, and she had several slight burns on several parts of her body, be- 

 sides two bruises on her head and breast, caused by the rubbish that fell into the 

 seat. As she was carrying out of church, she greatly complained of a deadness 

 in her legs, which, as she could not move them at all, he supposed were broken ; 

 however they were only a little burnt, and turned as black as ink ; which, by 

 timely care, not only came to their natural colour by Tuesday noon, but could 

 support her also to come down stairs; and, excepting a hurry of spirits, got quite 

 well that week. 



Not more than 10 persons out of the whole congregation were hurt, and none 

 of them to any great degree ; one young fellow, who was more frightened than 

 hurt, remained ill a long time, but he is now quite well ; the lightning touched 

 his watch in his pocket, the marks of which may be seen on the crystal and silver 

 part of it. Nobody remembers to have heard any more thunder, or seen any 

 lightning after this, though the weather continued very stormy all that day ; so 

 that this thunder-storm, from beginning to end, could last but a very short 

 time. 



