• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Caroline Shenton

Archivist, historian and writer

  • Home
  • Books
    • National Treasures
    • Mr Barry’s War
    • The Day Parliament Burned Down
    • Victoria Tower Treasures
  • Speaking
  • Consultancy
  • About
  • News
  • Contact

An Eyewitness on an Omnibus Comes Forward

18 January 2013 By Caroline Shenton

Breaking news! 

The Nichols family who edited and printed The Gentleman’s Magazine were also parliamentary printers and their office was at 25 Parliament Street. John Gough Nichols (1806-1873) sent a letter to his father – who was on holiday in Hastings with the rest of the family – the day after the fire, and this has now come to light thanks to the efforts of Julian Pooley who is undertaking the enormous task of editing the Nichols family correspondence.  Julian has kindly transcribed it for me and I reproduce it here:

 17 Oct 1834

John Gough Nichols at Parliament Street to John Bowyer Nichols at 6 Pelham Place, Hastings

‘As bad news travels fast, you will probably have heard of the great & awful calamity of last night. The two Houses of Parliament are totally destroyed; but, thank Heaven, the noble Hall is safe. You may suppose our neighbourhood is in the greatest bustle with the curious multitudes. I was on my way home when I first saw it from an omnibus at the opening of the Green Park in Piccadilly, & seeing it was so very near Parliament Street, I thought it right to go back, but by the time I got to St James’ Palace in the Park, I saw it between the towers of St Margarets & the Abbey, & so felt secure that it was not immediately near us: nor did I think it was so very close to the Abbey, but set it down for a manufactory in Lambeth. The flames rose to a tremendous height, to which I suppose the valuable accumulation of Petitions added fuel. I understand Mr Hume was there rejoicing that a way was now cleared for his new House of Commons. Brewster was in the premises, & Eben[eze]r Tymms [a compositor for the Nichols Press] within the Hall. They drew engines into the Hall, & fortunately it is quite safe, at the expense of the glass in the great window. It is said the fire commenced very near that spot, but the wind was rather the other way – exceedingly high & blustery, as [you] know. St Margaret’s church is full of things saved: I shall not have time to go and look about with my own eyes.’

(Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Eng. Lett. c. 6165/3/f. 302 NAD6954)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Historic Westminster, Old Palace of Westminster, Parliamentary History, The 1834 Fire

About Caroline Shenton

Dr Caroline Shenton is an archivist and historian. She was formerly Director of the Parliamentary Archives in London, and before that was a senior archivist at the National Archives. Her book The Day Parliament Burned Down won the Political Book of the Year Award in 2013 and Mary Beard called it 'microhistory at its absolute best' while Dan Jones considered it 'glorious'. Its acclaimed sequel, Mr Barryís War, about the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster, was a Book of the Year in 2016 for The Daily Telegraph and BBC History Magazine and was described by Lucy Worsley as 'a real jewel, finely wrought and beautiful'. During 2017 Caroline was Political Writer in Residence at Gladstone's Library.

Footer

About Caroline

Dr Caroline Shenton is an archivist and historian. Her book The Day Parliament Burned Down won the Political Book of the Year Award in 2013. Read More…

Recent Posts

  • Nine Ways to Support An Author for Free
  • Tickets for The Day Parliament Burned Down, 16 Oct 2021 6pm
  • Safe As Houses – An Article for Historic Houses Magazine
  • All the News that’s Fit to Print
  • New Year, New Book

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Sign up for my newsletter!

© 2012–2022 Caroline Shenton | All Rights Reserved | Website by Callia Web