Accounts of Survival from the Devastating Great Gale

On November 23, 1824, a hurricane-force storm struck England’s south coast, resulting in the deaths of up to 100 individuals. In Lyme Regis, an elderly couple, William Kerridge, a harbour pilot, and his wife, sought refuge inside the Customs Watch House on the Cobb breakwater. They had entered through a window after their adjacent cottage was swept away. Given that these structures were only accessible during low tide, the couple remained trapped for two days and nights until the storm subsided and their rescue could be effected. The Great Gale commenced its assault on the coast during the night of November 22. Dorset experienced the most severe impact, though flooding affected communities stretching from Kent to Cornwall. Local schoolmaster George Roberts documented the Kerridges’ harrowing experience in 1834. He recounted that the couple also witnessed the drowning of two men from a revenue tender that was swept out of the harbour. “Their situation was dreadful,” he wrote. “They saw the death of the men in the revenue vessel.” “They saved themselves by getting out at the back of their dwelling, and then into a window of the watch house belonging to the customs, where the man scuttled the floor and saved the house. ” “His dwelling was destroyed. There was no staying on the quay for the sea.” Upon the Kerridges’ eventual emergence, a 90-metre section of the Cobb had been demolished, and low-lying residences along the shore lay in ruins. Fossil hunter Mary Anning detailed the aftermath in a letter to her friend, Frances Bell, in London. “Oh, my dear Fanny,” she wrote. “You cannot conceive what a scene of horror we have gone through at Lyme, in the late gale. ” “A great part of the Cobb is demolished, every vessel and boat driven out of the harbour, and the greatest part destroyed, two of the revenue men drowned, all the back part of Mrs England’s houses and yards washed down, with the greater part of the hotel, and there is not one stone left of the next house. ” “Indeed, it is quite a miracle that the inhabitants saved their lives.” Similar catastrophic events unfolded along the coast at Portland, where a portion of the village of Chiswell was obliterated. “Several houses in Chiswell were washed down, drowned and killed 22 persons,” recorded Weston resident John Thomas Elliott in his diary. “On this morning of 23 November 1824, Ferry House between Portland and Weymouth washed down.” Elliott reported that both ferrymen perished, but only one body was ever recovered. The following day, he observed: “A Dutch galleon ran on shore opposite the Ferry. Her crew was all drowned.” In Sidmouth, cottages situated on the esplanade were destroyed, and numerous other homes were inundated. At Plymouth, 22 vessels sank, and over 200,000 tons of stone were dislodged from the city’s breakwater, which was still under construction. Historians indicate that normal tidal conditions were not restored until after Christmas, and coastal communities required years to fully recover. Experts attribute the storm to a rare confluence of factors: hurricane-force winds, spring high tides, extremely low atmospheric pressure, and immense waves. Andrea Summers, Environment Agency flood and coastal risk manager for Wessex, stated that the anniversary serves as a “stark reminder of the destructive power of nature” and “highlighted the importance of being prepared.” She remarked: “We are much more resilient now, with major innovations in forecasting, warning and defence systems but our climate is changing and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.” An exhibition showcasing additional personal accounts from the storm is currently on display at Portland Community Venue in Fortuneswell until 16:00 GMT on Sunday. The arts organization B-Side is organizing various events, including poetry readings, talks, a craft workshop, and an open mic night with a storm theme.