Old Cumbria Gazetteer - Longsleddale: storm 1670s


included in:-	Longsleddale
	Longsleddale: storm 1670s
civil parish:-	Longsleddale (formerly Westmorland)
county:-	Cumbria
locality type:-	storm
locality type:-	weather
1Km square:-	NY4904 (etc)
10Km square:-	NY40

evidence:-	old newspaper:- K5703013.txt
source data:-	K5703013.txt Kendal Times Transcription from the Kendal Mercury 3 January 1857 page 3:- "..." "Though more than suspected of having dealings with the evil one, he [Dr Lickbarrow, 17th century] still seems to have paid some attention to the observances of religion, and one fine Sunday morning he attended the little chapel, among his neighbours. The morning was a remarkably beautiful and calm one. Scarcely a breath of air stirred a leaf or blade of grass. The congregation had assembled, and the minister was about the middle of the service, when, all at once, all present were startled by the commencement of such a hurricane of wind as none there had ever heard. Slates were blown from the roof of the chapel, and louder and louder became the uproarious element. The Doctor, meanwhile, looked like one who felt that mischief was abroad, and comprehended the quarter from whence it sprung. At length endurance could go no further, - he hastily quitted his place, and took the road home. When just below Beech Hill Bridge he, it is said, met with the Prince of Darkness, in propria persona, who, for the time present, professed to be his servant, and humbly asked for work. The Doctor desired him to make thumb-symes of the river sand. He requested straw. The Doctor answered, "never a bit!" and hastily pursued his homeward route. On entering his farm-yard he was met by his servant lad, who greeted him by saying, "Maister, I believe t' d-l's abroad to-day, for our taam buck hes knocked me doon twice i' t'faald, and hed like tell hae putten me intel't midden." To this his master had no time to respond, but hurrying onwards into his parlour, to the window of which his book of books was chained: he there found his man busily engaged in reading. The unfortunate wight had, it seems, just taken a peep into the ponderous volume, through curiosity, during his master's absence, and having begun to read felt compelled, in spite of himself, to read on. The Doctor, however, speedily exorcised him by taking him by the shoulders and flinging him to the door. The possessor of the extraordinary volume then took a turn at it himself, and the wind was allayed and things returned to their usual course."

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