The 1692 Earthquake

The central tower, which was a feature of the old church's outline, was shaken by an earthquake shock in 1692 and an interesting and painstaking entry in a rather fine early hand was made in the ancient Register of St Peter's about this event. The original is preserved in the archives at the Essex Record Office.

Memorandum

That on Thursday Sept: 8 1692 there happened about two of y^e Clock in the afternoon for y^e space of a minute or more an universall earthquake all over England France Holland & fome parts of Germany. and particularly it waf attefted to me by the Masons that were then a plaistring the Steeple of S^t Peter in this Towne & uppon the upper most scaffold that the steeple parted fo wide in y^e midst that they could have put their hand into the crack or cleft y immediately shut up clofe again, without any damage to the workmen (who expected all would have fallen down) or to the fteeple it felf, most of the houfes here and elfewhere fhooke, & part of a chimny fell downe on North Hill, & very many who were fenfible of it were taken at y^e same time with a giddynef in their head, for fom fhort time, in witnefs of w^t is here related I have here fet my hand.

Rob^t Dickman Minist^r of S^t Pet: Colchefter

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