The Great Blizzard of 1891
February of 1891 was unseasonably dry and mild after a severe winter and no one was expecting the sudden storm that caused such havoc in the South Hams, killing 52 people and hundreds of sheep and other livestock. Snow started falling at midday on Monday March 9th after a wet and windy morning and the storm increased in severity that afternoon and night. Gale and hurricane-force winds piled the snow into huge drifts which blocked the roads. Telegraph lines were blown down, railway lines were clogged. Many travellers were stranded and forced to seek shelter where they could.
Looking across Kingsbridge towards West Alvington, March 1891
By Tuesday March 10th the wind had died down a little although snow continued to fall heavily. The storm was enlivened by thunder and lightning during the day and snow fell until midnight. Wednesday dawned bright and clear and the extent of the damage began to be assessed. Most tragic had been the loss of four ships between Torcross and Start Point resulting in the deaths of 52 seamen. The steamship Marana, the schooners Lunesdale and Lizzie Ellen and the barque Dryad all foundered along this stretch of coast during Monday night and the desperate attempts to render aid in the midst of the blizzard and the harrowing accounts of the survivors make compelling reading.
Snow piled in Fore Street, Kingsbridge
Many farmers suffered major loss of livestock. Sheep, cattle and horses were buried in deep snowdrifts and either suffocated or froze to death. Orchards were destroyed by the storm, many trees and gardens were ruined. The weight of snow caused roofs to collapse, and a stable attached to the King of Prussia Inn at Dodbrooke caved in. All the roads in the area were blocked with drifts up to 16 feet deep. It took three weeks for the South Hams to dig itself out and occasional amazing discoveries were made like the lad who fell through the snow near Churchstow to find himself next to a live sheep which had been buried for 20 days.
A full account of the great blizzard and its aftermath can be found in the Kingsbridge History Society’s reissued publication, details here.
Sweeping the roofs in Fore Street, Kingsbridge
Photos courtesy of Cookworthy Museum
