Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

On the 16th of January the same year it began to snow and freeze, and so by intervals snowing without any thaw till the 7th of March following; at which time was such a heavy snow upon the earth as was not remembered by any man then living. It pleased God that at the thaw fell very little rain, nevertheless the flood was so great, that the Ouse ran down North Street and Skeldergate with such violence as to force all the inhabitants of those streets to leave their houses. This inundation chanced to happen in the assize week, John Armitage esquire, being then high-sheriff of Yorkshire. Business was hereby much obstructed; at Ouse bridge end were four boats continually employed in carrying people cross the river; the like in Walmgate cross the Foss. Ten days this inundation continued at the height and many bridges were driven down by it in the country, and much land overflown. After this storm, says my manuscript, followed such fair and dry weather, that in April the ground was as dusty as in any time of summer. This drought continued till the 20th of August following without any rain at all; and made such a scarcity of hay, beans and barley, that the former was sold at York for 30s. and 40s. a wain-load; and at Leeds for four pounds.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

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Original

On the 16th of January the same year it began to snow and freeze, and so by intervals snowing without any thaw till the 7th of March following; at which time was such a heavy snow upon the earth as was not remembered by any man then living. It pleased God that at the thaw fell very little rain, nevertheless the flood was so great, that the Ouze ran down Northstreet and Skeldergate with such violence as to force all the inhabitants of those streets to leave their houses. This inundation chanced to happen in the assize week, John Armitage esquire, being then high-sheriff of Yorkshire. Business was hereby much obstructed; at Ouse bridge end were four boats continually employed in carrying people cross the river; the like in Walmgate cross the Foss. Ten days this inundation continued at the height and many bridges were driven down by it in the country, and much land overflown. After this storm, says my manuscript, followed such fair and dry weather, that in April the ground was as dusty as in any time of summer. This drought continued till the 20th of August following without any rain at all; and made such a scarcity of hay, beans and barley, that the former was sold at York for 30 s. and 40 s. a wayne load; and at Leeds for four pounds.

232 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Armytage, John (-1650) (1), sheriff of Yorkshire 1614-15, owner of Kirklees Hall ·
• Assizes (24) ·
• Barley (5) ·
• Bean (2) ·
• Drought (1) ·
• Flood (10) ·
• Hay (9) ·
• 📌Leeds (235) ·
• North Street (York) (1) ·
• Ouse Bridge (6) ·
• River Foss (4) ·
• River Ouse, Yorkshire (19) ·
• Skeldergate (1) ·
• Snow (16) ·
• 📌Walmgate (4), street in central York, fish and cattle market in the Middle Ages, saw action during the 1644 siege of York, considerable clearance in the 20th century ·
• 📌York (164) ·

All tags.

Similar

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