Crediton - a Town Jinxed By Fire? Part 2

Jun 3, 2020

One Monday in January 1844 fire broke out at Mr Cleave the baker’s premises in Dean Street. The property was surrounded on three sides by thatched houses but the efforts of nearby inhabitants and the favourable wind at the time meant that the fire only spread as far as the adjoining Plymouth Inn, owned by Mr Wellacott.
In April 1844 The Duke of York pub caught fire but because the wind was in a favourable direction, the fire was contained. The house to the west was thatched, but was mainly saved because the thatch was very thick and it took a long while to burn through. When the roof eventually fell in, three men who had been evacuating items of furniture from the property were buried, but came to no real harm. The owner of the pub, Henry James, a maltster, was insured.
At 4 am one morning in April 1847 there was a fire at The Dock Inn at St Lawrence Green which also damaged 2 other houses. It was accidental.

Newspaper reports in February 1849 referred to Crediton as ‘the place that has been for many years proverbial for its numerous fires’.

That same month an accidental fire occurred in East Town in a cottage opposite the tan yard, occupied by Mr Arundell, a butcher. He and his wife had gone early to market leaving their children at home alone. Most probably these were William 8, George 6 and Ann 4. Playing with a box of Congreve matches at 9am they had set the bed clothes alight and flames quickly took hold of the cottage. Being thatched, it and a further 6 cottages were destroyed. The children and other inhabitants were unhurt. One of the cottages, owned by Mrs Luxmore of Exeter was insured.

At noon one Tuesday in March 1849 fire burst out in several places on the roof of The Union Inn occupied by William Harvey. Engines speedily attended and the damage to the building was not great. It was believed that sparks from the adjoining engine house in Mr Francis’ tan yard had set the fires.
In July 1849, the 4th fire since January broke out – thought to have started when ashes raked from the hearth at bedtime, caught fuel stored in the ‘spence’ under the stairs in a cottage in Park Lane (Street). The occupier was Mr Cross. Bells were clashed but there was insufficient water available to fight the fire properly and 13 cottages were destroyed. Described as ‘a better class of cottage’, Gale, Chamberlain and Strong were named as three of the owners. Luckily Mr Berry the builder’s and Mr Buller’s barn close by were saved.
At 6am one Friday morning in August 1849 the house, barns, outbuildings, wood and ricks of Mr Francis were destroyed by fire. Again there was a scarcity of water and the tragedy for ‘a man, not a better more hospitable or more estimable in the neighbourhood’ was considerable. This event was thought to have been the work of an incendiarist.
News reports in December 1849 talked about a spate of suspicious fires in the county by those persons setting out to rob the insurance companies of money, Bills were posted around Crediton offering liberal rewards for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. Would the fires stop?‍