JUST after midnight on Tuesday, November 7, 1837 an event occurred that traumatised the then town of Southampton.

At the bottom of the High Street stood a large four storey brick warehouse the property of Messrs King and Witt ship owners and importers. Part of the store extended over the adjacent property underneath which was a stable. This stable caught fire at about 11 pm. Shouts went up and local people and passersby came rushing knowing that a fire unchecked would cause untold damage to adjacent properties.

One of the partners, who lived nearby, was quickly on the scene and gunpowder and much of the turpentine was removed from the building which enabled dozens of men to enter and form a human chain to remove the remaining contents to safety.

After about an hour the fire spread to the main building with the second and third floors alight with burning vitriol, turpentine and other flammables which was shortly followed by three explosions. These explosions blew out the front of the building. While some men in the building managed to escape, although with terrible burns to their bodies, many others were trapped buried by rubble with burning turpentine pouring down upon them.

A great effort was made by several men to rescue those trapped inside but those who were pulled from the building were in a badly burned state with other injuries and were not expected to survive. By the next day many badly mutilated bodies had been removed from the collapsed building and laid out in the Fountain Inn. Seventeen men had died immediately and five others over the next few days, twenty four were badly injured leaving in all ninety dependent women and children. Several men remained unaccounted for. The Town was left in a state of shock with some shops and the theatre closing the next day as a mark of respect.

The Mayor Joseph Lobb launched an appeal fund to which Queen Victoria gave £100 and with other donations amounted to nearly £7000. This money was used to make payments to the widows and orphans and those disabled by the fire.

There were many heroes on the night not least Richard Young who along with W Jones, William Terry, G Carr, John Ford, Nathaniel Anderson, John White, H G Greeves and William Gouk was awarded a medal by the London Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.

The men who perished were in the main workmen or tradesmen unconnected with Messrs King and Witt and they included the youngest George Bell an apprentice butcher and the oldest John Harley a stonemason. Others were Edward Ludford a cooper who died after eight days leaving four children and a pregnant wife also William Oakley a tailor leaving a child and a wife close to confinement in London.

The inquest was critical of the Town's fire fighting capability particularly the delayed response to the incident, the lack of equipment, the available supply of water and most worryingly the discipline of the firemen.

The Town was left in a state of shock with some shops and the theatre closing the next day as a mark of respect. In July of 1838 two plaques were placed each side of the door to Holyrood Church as a tribute to the memory of the men who perished. They are still there today.

Messrs King and Witt continued to trade despite their insurance not meeting the full cost of their losses.

Godfrey Collyer, tour guide with seesouthampton.co.uk