Losses in the Great Fire of Potton

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service is lucky in having a contemporary (1784) book on the Great Fire of Potton. It is entitled:

THE
GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE
LOSSES,
AND
THE STATE OF THE
Collections and Distributions,
ON ACCOUNT OF THE
FIRE,
Which happened at POTTON, in the
County of Bedford,
On THURSDAY the 14th Day of AUGUST, 1783

The book is particularly useful, in this pre-census era, because it lists everyone in Potton who lost money and/or property on account of the fire together with an estimate of their loss. The names are as follows (asterisks indicate that the amount claimed was not considered for relief):

• William Simms, butcher - £116/3/11
• George Hatley, glazier – £233/1/-
• John Rogers, cooper - £48/4/3
• James Newport, victualler - £15/15/11
• William Fitzjohn, tailor - £9/3/5
• John Youd, fellmonger - £449/9/6
• William Crook, victualler and tailor - £283/9/10
• William Freeman, carpenter - £12/4/-
• William Buckle, shoemaker - £24
• Thomas Buckle, shoemaker - £13/15/6
• Mary Tear, executrix of William Tear, bricklayer - £365/8/6
• John Gilbert, farmer - £98/9/6
• William Richardson, basket maker - £63/2/10
• Rev. Mr. Whittingham - £236/15/6 [perhaps Richard Whittingham who became rector in 1806]
• Jonathan Woodcock, tailor - £6/18/6
• *Mr. John Kitchin, baker - £2,308/15/6
• Peter Pettite, victualler - £272/2/6
• William Emery, shoemaker and grocer - £106/5/6
• John Emery, shoemaker and farmer - £60/16/-
• Thomas Smith, tailor - £38/1/8
• His Daughter - £5/2/-
• John Miller, carpenter - £74
• *Thomas Skegg, draper - £37/17/6
• Sarah Rayment, widow - £20/17/-
• *Mr. Thomas Raymond, farmer and maltster - £249/5/-
• Mr. John Toller, farmer - £511/6/6
• *Mr. John Raymond, woolstapler - £5,174/6/9
• *Mr. Thomas Hankin, gentleman - £45/13/10
• Mr. Charles Franklin, surgeon - £550/9/4 Mr.
• John Butler, woolstapler - £331/12/6
• Livet Frank, breeches maker - £24/8/-
• Mr. John Edwards, baker - £1,554/10/-
• John Samm, baker - £201/12/-
• *Robert Squire, mealman - £69/16/6
• William Devereux, servant - £317/16/-
• Thomas Heath, waggoner - £43/11/6
• William Verley, corn chandler - £41
• Jane and Liddy Samm, milliners - £15/10/11
• *Mr. John Long, farmer - £16/16/-
• John Smith, innholder [The George] and farmer - £704/13/2
• Anthony Corley, shopkeeper - £22/10/-
• John Dennis, butcher - £207/2/11
• Mrs. Langhorne, widow - £251/17/-
• Mr. John Pedley, attorney at law - £287/10/9
• *William Dobson, victualler - £29/4/6
• John Hine, barber - £105/10/3
• Richard Read, surgeon - £90
• *Mr. James Ind, brewer - £34/2/6
• Robert Musgrave, maltster - £80/11/-
• Mr. Henry Winn, grocer and chandler - £629/15/7
• Mr. Robert Topham, saddler and hatter - £238/15/-
• Lady Hewitt, widow - £218/2/-
• Richard Lunnis, farmer - £24/4/-
• John and George Emery, curriers - £23/12/6
• Ann Brown, widow - £18
• John and William Franklin, waggoners - £32/5/-
• *Mr. William Fowler, brewer - £165/5/-
• Executors of Nicholas Sparks (deceased) - £51
• Miss Patrick, schoolmistress - £140
• Joseph Farr, farmer - £50
• William Mean, innholder [] and farmer - £369/13/10
• Thomas Thompson, barber - £10/8/6
• John Giles, tailor - £0/12/11
• Miss Mary Sheffield - £8/19/6
• Thomas Meeks, carrier - £50/4/-
• *John Peppercorn, farmer - £15/8/-
• Catharine Edwards, widow - £111/5/10
• *George Cooper, mealman - £25/12/-
• *Mark Norman, mealman - £31/13/-
• Sarah Dennis, widow - £5/4/-
• John Waters, labourer - £6/13/8
• John Underwood, labourer - £6/2/2
• Widow Walsome - £7/8/-
• Joseph Houten, labourer - £1/2/3
• James Lovell, labourer - £7/6/3
• Widow Armitage - £1/3/-
• John Powell, labourer - £2/14/-
• William Reynolds, labourer - £1/12/-
• Widow Squires - £0/18/3
• Charles Smith, labourer - £7/1/8
• James Brown, labourer - £12/4/10
• John Theobalds, labourer - £2/18/-
• Widow Rowe - £7/7/-
• Frances Theobalds, widow - £7
• Ann Truelove, servant to Mr. Franklin - £2/12/-
• Ann Huckle, servant to George Hatley - £1/16/-
• Mary Moss, servant to Mr. Hankin - £3/18/11
• Sarah Waters, servant to Lady Hewitt - £2/12/11
• Hannah Carter, servant to Mr. Smith at the George - £1/2/-
• Thomas Medlock, servant to Mr. Kitchin - £1/4/6
• Thomas Handley, servant to Mr. Skegg - £0/8/6
• John Reynolds, servant to Mr. Edwards – £1/8/-
• Thomas Dust, ostler at the Crown - £5/7/10
• Widow Arnold - £18/16/-
• Ann Williamson, servant to William Crook - £0/17/-
• James Giddings, servant to Mr. Edwards - £3/8/-
• Cooley Finch, labourer - £76/3/-
• Henry Rich, wool comber - £7/15/-
• Ann Kirkland, servant to Mr. Pettite - £1/5/-
• Robert Fuller, servant to Mr. Kitchin - £1/15/-
• John Medlock, servant to Mr. John Raymond - £1/17/-
• John Peele, servant to Mr. John Raymond - £1/8/6
• Thomas Newberry, servant to Mr. Franklin - £18/16/-
• Susanna Huckle, servant to Mr. Pedley - £1/3/10
• John Barker, journeyman to Mr. Kitchin - £1/11/-
• Thomas Stocker, servant to Mr. Toller - £2/12/-
• George Barker, mat maker - £2/3/-
• Ann Munns, servant to Mr. Edwards - £7/2/-
• Elizabeth Gregory, servant to Mr. Pedley - £6/4/10
• Elizabeth Stanford, servant to Mr. Topham - £2/0/10
• John Peacock senior, labourer - £5/15/6
• John Peacock, servant to Mr. Winn - £2/5/6
• Elizabeth Rowney, servant to Mr. Smith at the George - £1/4/6
• Thomas Finding, servant to Mr. Smith at the George - £1/3/-
• Elizabeth Norman, servant to Mr. Winn - £4/1/-
• William Knights, labourer - £1/2/6
• Mary Newbrook, servant to Nicholas Sparks, £1/3/6
• Mary Osborne, servant to Mr. Kitchin senior - £2/18/-
• Thomas Southo, servant to Mr. Smith - £1/1/-
• John Charles, a Minor - £8/12/-
• John Storton, labourer - £0/16/9
• Jane Richardson, servant to John Dennis - £0/14/4
• William Corley, labourer - £7/8/9
• Richard Daniel, labourer - £0/18/-
• John Finch, servant to Mr. Edwards - £1/1/-
• Sarah Thompson, servant to William Mean at the Crown - £4/17/-
• Alice Boston, servant to Mr. Porteus - £4/4/2
• Ann Careless, servant to Rev. Mr. Whittingham - £3/10/-
• Mary Manton, servant to Rev. Mr. Whittingham - £1/9/-
• Elizabeth Bimson, servant to Mr. T. R. Rayment - £1/7/6
• William Lumbis, servant to Mr. T. R. Rayment - £1/11/6
• Elizabeth West, servant to Mr. Coe - £2/9/6
• David Thorne, barber - £10/11/6
• Francis Mayes, victualler - £23/1/-
• Mary Smith, servant to Mrs. Hankin senior - £2/11/6
• Ann Darlow, servant to Mrs. Wingfield - £4/5/6
• Mary Lincoln – a servant - £0/10/-
• The Right honourable Lord Viscount Torrington - £1,700
• The Right honourable Earl Spencer - £400
• The Revd. Mr. Monoux and Miss Wingfield - £1,800
• Mrs. Porteus - £100
• Matthew Rugeley, Esq. - £290
• Mr. T. R. Rayment - £1,600
• Mr. John Livelong - £1,3—

Total: £25,625/19/-