The 1720 Flood
In 1720, terrible
floods devastated the village and surrounding farms at Lytham.
Money was raised in churches throughout England to help relieve
the situation, and the petition is reproduced below.
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Copy of the Petition by the Sufferers from the Great Flood in
the year 1720 to Quarter Sessions for a Brief:
To the Worshipfull his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the
County Palatine of Lancaster at the General Quarter Sessions of
the Peace to be held at Preston in & for the said County on
Thursday the 12th day of January 1720.
The humble Petition of Robert Bawbell, Richard Gerrard, Thomas
Wilkinson, James Carter, Thomas Ball, Robert Bennet, Thomas
Dewhurst, Robert Hardman, John Ball, John Heys and Richard
Fisher, Inhabitants farmers and Tenants within the Townships of
Lytham, Warton, and Westby cum Plumpton within the County
Palatine abovesaid, Sufferers by a dreadfull inundacion of the
Sea.
Sheweth
That upon Sunday & Munday the eighteenth & nineteenth days of
December last past at the Change of the Moon & very height of
the Spring Tyde there happened a violent Tempest of Wind which
occasioned such an extraordinary & uncommon Flood that it broak
down & washed away the Banks Rampets & Sea Fences in the said
Towns & overflowed the greatest part of the Land lying there
utterly destroying all their winter Corn thereon growing & doeing
very great damadge to all their Lands & Grounds and
washed down & carryed away above forty dwelling houses with the
barns & outhouseing thereto belonging and all their Corn hay and
household Goods and a great number of their Cattle, And your Peticioners being ready to make appear to your Worships not only
by their own oaths but also by the oath of severall credible
persons who have viewed the premisses that the damadges done to
your Peticioners by the said Inundacion amounts to £2055. and
upwards.
Your Peticioners humbly pray that your Worships will be pleased
to grant your Peticioners a prop per Certiflicate under your
hands with a Due Representacion of their said Losses in order to
obtain his Majesties most Gracious Letters Patents for the
collecting and receiving the Charitable Contribucions of all
such disposed Christians as shall be duly touched with a sence
of human Misfortune & therefore be Ready and willing in some
Measure to Contribute to such an unexampled Losse, And your poor
Peticioners shall pray
Jur. Robertt. Bawbell
£10.
Richard Gerrard
£50
Thomas Wilkinson
£31. 5s.
..£20
Robert Ball
.£12
Robert Bawbell
Richard Gerrard
Thomas Ball
Robert Bennet
Robert Hardman
Thomas Dewhurst
John Heys
Thomas Wilkinson
James Carter
John Ball
Richard Fisher
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No decision could be made on how to
fairly distribute the money amongst the community so it was
decided to use it for the education of local children.
The money from these rents helped to build and maintain these
four schools:
Lytham Endowed School c1720-c1980
Heyhouses Endowed School
King Edward VII School for Boys
Queen Mary School for Girls |
