Transcript of letter (possibly to the Bishop of Bristol?) regarding the fire in Wool in 1689
Transcribed by Justin Standfield
May it please your Lordship, We the Minister and Churchwardens and Overseers of the Parish of Wooll within the County of Dorsett and within your Lordship’s Diocese of Bristoll together also with others.
The adjacent Ministers do must humbly present unto your Lordship the sad and deplorable condition of the poor sufferers within the said Parish of Wooll and Diocese aforesaid.
~~~ that whereas the incident happened on the sixth day of August last a most sad and dreadful affair in the said Parish of Wooll. ~~~ which began at the house of one Robert Hayss where in foure hours it was totally burned downe and consumed to ashes the said house, together also with eight dwelling houses more, together with their barnes, stables, outhouses, reekes of hay and corne within the said barnes, with most of their household goods and plough tackling to the amount and value of eight hundred pounds or upwards.
~~~ amongst there taken by us, whereby your Lordship’s poor sufferers and Diocesians being hereby totally ruined and not able to subsist without the charity of well disposed Christians.
We, your Lordship’s poore petitioners, do in most humble and dutyfull manner represent the unto your Lordship the sad and lamentable condition of the poore distressed sufferers, hoping that your Lordship will take into consideration their conditions and that your Lordship will direct such a meating(?) amongst your Lordship’s Clergy in your Diocese of Bristoll whereby, your Lordship’s poore distressed sufferers might the almes and charitable benevolence of those well disposed people within the ~~~ parishes in your said Diocese for the repairing of their sad losses, and your poor petitioners shall in duly and dutyfull obedience be ever bound to pray for your Lordship’s health and prosperity amongst us.
Signed by us this nyneth day of November in the first yeare of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord and Lady William and Mary by the Grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King and Queene, Defenders of the Faith, Anno Domini 1689.
Charles Cherry, Minister
John Bascombe and William Ream(?), Churchwardens
Thomas Turberville & William Baist(?), Overseers of Wooll
John Thornburgh, Rector of Owermoigne
Cuthbert Bowne, Rector of Warmwell
Peter Smith, Rector of Winfrith
Nicholas Goldsbrough, Rector of East Stoke