Part of a Letter from James Burrow, Esq; F. R. S. to the President, concerning an Earthquake Felt Near Bury St. Edmund's in Suffolk, and Another at Narborough in Leicestershire, on the 30th of September, 1750

I went thro' Stamford to Grantham, in my Way to Yorkshire, an Earthquake was felt in both those Places: So that I have been within the Knowledge of no less than Four of these Shocks of Nature in Eight Months time; but, thank God, none of them attended with any ill Consequences, any farther than furnishing Room for melancholy Reflections upon such a disagreeable Altercation in our Climate, which had been generally thought before tolerably free from this Calamity. Believe me to be, with most sincere Love and Esteem, Dear Brother, Your most faithful, and obedient humble Servant, W. Folkes. XLVIII. Part of a Letter from James Burrow, Esq; F. R. S. to the President, concerning an Earthquake felt near Bury St. Edmund's in Suffolk, and another at Narborough in Leicestershire, on the 30th of September, 1750. Bury St. Edmund's, 2d October, 1750. Dear Sir, Read Oct. 25. This Morning I have been making a Visit at Lord Cornwallis's at Culford; which, I suppose, I need not tell you, is about four Miles from Bury in Suffolk. Lady Cornwallis (whose (whose Judgment and Accuracy are superior to all Doubt or Exception, and her Veracity still more so), assured me, That on Sunday last, about One o’Clock, as she was sitting and reading in her Dressing-room at Culford, she suddenly felt and saw her Chair and Person move backwards and forwards; so that she searched and examined whether any Dog had got under her Feet and Chair, or any one entered her Chamber unperceived; but found herself absolutely alone in the Room: Whereupon she tried, whether, by laying her Hand or Elbow upon the Table, she could repeat the same Motion, or anything like it; but could not. She added, that she felt herself a good deal surprised at this extraordinary Sensation, at the Instant of perceiving it: But neither then, nor afterwards, had the least Imagination about an Earthquake; till, upon coming down to Dinner, she was asked by Miss Charlotte Cornwallis, her Second Daughter, a young Lady grown up, “Whether she had not felt the Earthquake?” Miss Charlotte agreed to the Time; and was herself also sitting and reading in her own Dressing-room, which was one Pair of Stairs higher than her Ladyship’s, yet on the same Side of the House. However, it was also felt by Miss Charlotte Cornwallis’s Maid-Servant, whose Chamber was in a different Part of the House, and distant from either of the Ladies Apartments; and who was so alarmed at it, as to leave her Room, and come into her young Lady’s, to see what was the Matter. No one else in the House perceived it. But Lady Cornwallis says, that, as far as she can learn, they were all upon their Feet; none being sitting, except the three already mentioned. The House stands alone in the Park: And Lady Cornwallis had declined making any Inquiry amongst the Inhabitants of the adjacent Village; partly, for fear of alarming them with Apprehensions of Danger, of which they would be very susceptible from the Name of an Earthquake; and partly from the little Hopes she could have of procuring any tolerably accurate Account of the Fact from such Reporters. As you have been so careful and exact in collecting the several Histories of those various Shocks, which have been felt in diverse Parts of the Kingdom within these nine Months last past, it will not be unacceptable, I hope, to furnish you with this Supplement to them; especially as none of the former have (as far as I remember) affected these Parts. P. S. Great Finborough-Hall, near Stowmarket, Suffolk, Sunday, 7th October, 1750. Dear Sir, On our Return hither to Mr. Wollaston's, we found a Letter from a worthy Friend of Mr. Wollaston's and mine, Mr. Metcalfe, a Clergyman of Reputation, Sense, and Fortune; who resides at Leicester, and has two Livings near that Place; one at Narborough, the other at Tilton: Out of which I will transcribe a Paragraph, which will serve to confirm Lady Cornwallis's Relation. "Yesterday [It is dated Leicester, Oct. 1. 1750.], about Noon, we were all greatly alarmed with a very great Shock of an Earthquake. I was in the Pulpit at Narborough; where the whole Church shook with such Violence, that the Congregation expected expected that the Roof was falling in, and run out of the Church immediately, leaving the poor Parson to shift for himself. I stood my Ground; and, by calling to them, and assuring them there was no Harm, prevail'd on them to return, and make an End of the Duty: But it was with Fear and Trembling. It was felt pretty much at Leicester; but how much further, I have not heard." Since the Receipt of the above Letter, I have read, in the public Newspapers, an Account of its having been also felt at Northampton about the same time. So that no Doubt can remain of the Shock which Lady Cornwallis perceived at Culford, having been a real Earthquake. XLIX. A Letter from the Rev. Mr. John Nixon, F. R. S. to Mr. John Ward, F. R. S. and Rhet. Prof. Gresham, serving to accompany two Letters; one from Sir Thomas Cave, Bart. and another from the Minister of Weston with Sutton in Northamptonshire; concerning the Earthquake on Sept. 30. 1750. Dear Sir, Elgham, near Towcester, Northamptonshire, Oct. 8. 1750. I Beg leave to send you some Memoirs relating to the Earthquake, which happened in these Parts on Sunday Sc'nnight, viz. XXX Sep