Bernal Allen (Bernie), in New Zealand, has been sending me a wealth of information gathered together from his late father, Wilfred.
Wilfred was born, in Glemsford, in 1883, but emigrated
to New Zealand in 1902.
I'll pursue the Allen family in Glemsford on another page. But to begin with, here is a newspaper article, transcribed from the "South West Suffolk Echo", published in Haverhill. As yet we are unsure of the date, for reasons we'll explore later, but an informed guess puts it between 1894 and 1896.
As always with this sort of thing, there are several levels of interest.
(The original was published as a single item. I've divided it into several paragraphs for ease of consumption!)
On Monday morning an alarming and disastrous fire broke out in the town of Glemsford, when no fewer than ten cottages – nine of which were occupied by working people, one being unoccupied – were totally destroyed. Happily the occurrence took place in broad daylight, the discovery having been made about seven A.M. when smoke was seen issuing in increasing volume from the bakehouse of Mr. Isaac Allen, which is situate opposite the Cock Inn.
The adjoining house is, or rather was, occupied by an old gentleman not unknown to the readers of the South-West Suffolk Echo, for some three years ago a member of the staff of this journal gave a lengthened account in our columns of an interview which he then had with Mr Henry Allen, now in his ninety-ninth year.
Our representative was glad to find that Mr Henry Allen was safely rescued from the cottage which he occupied, and which in a very short time afterwards was a mass of burning debris. Mr Henry Allen was of course in bed when the cry of “Fire” was raised. His housekeeper aroused the old gentleman, and by the aid of willing hands he was soon rescued.
The houses occupied by Messrs. Frederick Hartley, John Mason, Walter Oakley and Thos. Brown, and owned by Mr David Crick, were next attacked. Efforts were made to save them, but it was not until the arrival of the Cavendish Fire Brigade with their engine that anything practical could be done. They set to work under the direction of Mr. John Chinnery (captain), and prevented to a great extent the fire, which by this time had assumed alarming proportions, spreading to valuable property adjacent.
The Clare Fire Brigade, under Mr. C. Dawson (captain), arrived also in excellent time, and had it not been for their united efforts the consequences would have been still worse. The members of both brigades worked most energetically.
The houses of Messrs. Joseph Nobbs and W. Brewster were destroyed, but were insured by the owner (Mr. H. Allen) in the Norwich Union. Mr David Crick’s houses were insured with the Northern Insurance Company. The house owned and occupied by Mr. John Suttle was insured in the Liverpool and London and Globe, but unfortunately the tenants who had not had their little goods and chattels covered by the Insurance were the greatest sufferers. Only four of the occupiers had their furniture insured.
The back premises of Mr Oscar Clark, D.C., narrowly escaped as they were as close as eighteen inches to the bakehouse where the fire originated. Some damage has been done to several neighbouring houses, but this is covered by Insurance. Several families were able to procure accommodation in empty houses in the neighbourhood, and the others are enjoying the shelter of friends who have kindly taken them under their roof.
It is expected that a subscription list will at once be started to help those who have lost their property through the fire, and no doubt the movement will meet with a generous and sympathetic response. It should be stated that Supt. Bardwell (Clare), Sergt. Reeve (Glemsford), and half-a-dozen constables did all within their power to avert what might have been a terrible calamity.
Wilfred Allen left us some notes to accompany the newspaper cutting. You can read them, with some other observations, on the next page.