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:
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)
