Death's Masterpiece: OR, A true Relation of that great and sudden Fire in Towerstreet, London; which came by the firing of Gunpowder, on Friday the 4 th'. of January, 1649. depiction of a (child's?) skeleton Jan. 18 Printed for Francis Grove, 1649. Death's Masterpiece: OR, A true Relation of that great and sudden Fire in Tower-street, London, etc. IN Tower-street London, on Friday the 4th of January, 1649. about 8 of the clock at night hapued a lamentable & fearful Fire in a Ship-chandlers house by Gunpowder, as followeth; the said Chandler Robert Porter had in his house 27 barrels of Powder, 20 of them was brought down into his shop, which he had sold to the Master of a Ship, and to be sent on board the next day, 7 of them was remaining in his Warehouse above stairs; by casualty and negligence fire came to those in the shop, by what means cannot be known, because none in the house was left alive to report, and did blow up suddenly many houses, and shatter and deface many more. The Houses that were blown up towards the street were five fair houses; Namely, 1. The house of Mr. Water Wormewell Vintner, at the sign of the Rose in Towerstreet, over against Barkin Church, London. 2. The house of Mr. Robert Porter, Ship-chandler, in whose house the fire did begin. 3. The house of Mris. Shaw a Midwife of good esteem and quality. 4. The house of Mr. Bradley a Shoemaker latey come to dwell there. 5. The house of Mr. Charles Compton a Merch. And Mr. Wood's house a Merch, utterly defaced. The houses backward from the street in an Alley called Priests Alley which was quite blown up were these. The houses of Matthew Neeve James Gizzard Nicholas Mabb James Roberts Mary Fillett John Barsto William Higley Mrs. Harrison a Minister's Widow Edward Tapp John Lasher The Houses that were scattered and part beaten down, so that the Inhabitants could not keep possession, or dwell in the said houses, but were forced to seek other habitations; were, The houses of John Norcott john Cox john Sadler Widow Boole William Stone Robert Garrett Evan Davis john Lewis Arthur Tipper Thomas Pinfold Mr. Higgins Abraham Durance Widow Pitts Widow Madox Widow Foster George Gunnis Henry Warden Widow Povill Widow Brookes Widow Carter Francis Hunt Richard Jackson John Courtesy Michael Baskaby Richard Emry Henry Price. All these out of Possession. Besides these houses which were made altogether not inhabitable, there were at least an hundred more much shattered shaken and defaced, the tiles blown off, the glass windows broken and much hurt done to them, even as fare as into the Tower of London, also the windows of the Parish Church was wholly all broken and blown out, thus much for the hurt done by this unhappy accident to the houses there abouts. Now concerning the persons that were slain, according to a just and true relation, were as followeth. 1. In Mr. Wormewells' house, were 16. several companies, consisting of Gentlemen, Merchants, Tradesmen and divers of very good quality, of whom divers were slain, and many wounded; but an exact account cannot be given of them but in the general, among the whole number; but of his own family were slain, (the master of the house himself being abroad about business) his wife, an apprentice, found dead together, also a maid servant. 2. In Mr. Robert Porter's house was slain himself, his wife, his apprentice, his maid servant, and a kinswoman. 3. In Mrs. Shawes' house was slain her Son in law Mr. Dunne, who was going into bed, and was blown out of the house into the Church yard in his shirt, taken up alive, but died quickly after, three of her grandchildren, and her maid. 4. In the house of Mr. Bradley the Shoemaker, was slain, his wife and a servant. 5. In the house of Mr. Compton praised be God, none In the several houses which were burnt in Priests-alley, there is missing 24. of the Inhabitants, which is conceived to be all destroyed and burnt, of whom there is only found some parts of their bodies, and of others bare bones, and other quite consumed, so that no other account can be given of them, but that they buried what parts of the bodies and bones they found among the rubbish. So the number buried that were not so much disfigured by the fire, but they were known, some buried at Barkin-Church, and others carried home to their own places of abode, were 43. and 24. which were so missing and found out by piece meal, amounts to three score and seven, which is the number that is yet known certainly to be killed by this unhappy accident, which were all found betwixt Friday the 4 th'. of January, and Wednesday the 17 th'. The fire after the blow was given did much increase, for the space of two hours, till help came, and by the endeavour and labour of those that came to help, and by the use of the Engines for quenching of fire which did great service, it were well overcome by morning. Now as concerning the losses that came by the fire, it was so great that it is not to be known, considering the loss by houses household goods, Money, Jewels, Plate, Merchandise, wares of all sorts, is thought to be the greatest that hath happened in London this many years, and judged to be threescore thousand pounds. FINIS.