306 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1762. 



XXII. Proceedings relative to the Accident by Lightning at Heckingham. By 

 Dr. Blagden and Mr. Nairne. p. 355. 



The first communication is a letter to the president of the r. s. from the prin- 

 cipal officers of the Board of Ordnance, dated Dec. 22, 1781, as follows. 



Sir — Having received information that, last summer, a stroke of lightning 

 set fire to the poor-house at Heckingham, near Norwich, notwithstanding it 

 was armed with eight pointed conductors, we request you will communicate to 

 us such particulars relating to that fact, as may have come to your knowledge. 



(Signed) Amherst; Charles Frederick ; H. Strachey ; J. Kenrick. 



Sir Jos. Banks, Bart. President of the Royal Society. 



It does not appear that any particulars relating to that fact had come to the 

 president's knowledge. However, the council of the r. s. appointed a commit- 

 tee of their members to inquire into the particulars, as appears by the following 

 extracts. 



Extracts from the Minutes of the Council of the Royal Society. 



Jan. lO, 1782. — The president laid before the council a letter to him from 

 the Board of Ordnance, acquainting him, that the poor-house at Heckingham, 

 near Norwich, had been struck by lightning, notwithstanding it was armed with 

 8 pointed conductors ; and requesting him to communicate to them such particu- 

 lars relating to that fact as may have come to his knowledge. — Resolved, That 

 Dr. Blagden and Mr. Nairne be requested to repair to Heckingham, and examine 

 into the circumstances of the accident, and report thereon to the council : that 

 they engage a draughtsman, to take such drawings as may be requisite ; and 

 that the necessary expenses be defrayed by the Society. 



Feb. 7, 1782. — Dr. Blagden read to the council his and Mr. Nairne's report 

 of the survey made by them of the poor-house at Heckingham in Norfolk, in 

 consequence of their appointment by a former council. The said report was 

 ordered to be read to the Society on Thursday the 14th inst. And the president 

 was requested to transmit it immediately afterwards to the Board of Ordnance ; 

 and to desire that they would return the drawings as soon as they should have 

 taken copies of them, or made such other use of them as they might think 

 necessary. 



Report of the Committee. — Read February 14, 1782. — To the President 

 and Council of the Royal Society. — Gentlemen, pursuant to your resolution, 

 appointing us a committee to examine the House ol Industry at Heckingham in 

 Norfolk, which had been struck by lightning though it was armed witli conduc- 

 tors, we arrived there on the 21st of January. Seven months had then elapsed 

 since the accident, yet we had the satisfaction to learn, that no material changes 

 had been made in the conductors or the building in that period ; some laths that 

 had been burnt, some bricks and pantiles which had been damaged or thrown 



