On August 6^th 1613, whilst people were gathering in the harvest from the fields at Fordington, they were amazed to see flames and smoke rising above Dorchester.

A local candle-maker named Chandler Baker had been in his workshop when we think he accidentally spilt some boiling tallow – a mistake that would have tragic consequences for the entire community. Very quickly the timbers of his home-workshop, located in Trinity parish, set on fire and the building rapidly burned down. Unfortunately, due to an uncharacteristically hot and dry summer in England in 1613, in addition to the widespread use of wood and thatch to build homes during this time period, it was not long until the surrounding town-houses and shops were engulfed in flames.

With there being no official fire-fighting service at this time, it was left to the citizens of the town to stop the fire. Due to a lack of manpower to put out the fire, inmates of Dorchester Gaol were released by the town Bailliffs, John Spicer and Nicholas Vawter prisoners were given buckets full of water with the order of assisting to put the fire out. Five inmates were even pardoned for their crimes on account of their hard work.

Although Shire Hall dates back to 1797, there was a Guild Hall on this site before. It was here that barrels of the county’s gunpowder were stored. Thanks to quick thinking from the Town Bailiffs, they and the prisoners managed to roll up to 40 barrels of gunpowder to safety by wrapping them first in wet sacking.

But despite the efforts of locals, the fire continued to have disastrous effects. Beginning in Trinity Parish, the fire rapidly spread across the vast majority of the town.  Approximately three-hundred homes were left incinerated, with the total cost amounting to £200,000, around £40 million in today’s currency. Furthermore, only one of three churches within the county-town were left usable, with the churches of the Holy Trinity and All Saints losing their interiors, roof and some exterior, only St. Peters Church was left immediately usable as a place of worship.

While the property damage was significant, surprisingly there was almost no loss of life, except for one casualty. Cecily Bingham, the wife of a shoemaker, sadly died during the events. In an attempt to save her husband’s stock from the burning shop, Cecily unfortunately did not make it out alive.

It was neither the damage to property nor the loss of life which impacted Dorchester so significantly, but instead the numerous reforms that aimed to transform the town in the aftermath of the disaster. The ‘Fire from Heaven’ was seen by many as God’s punishment for the alleged immorality and impropriety of the community. Excessive drinking, theft, sexual deviancy, and failure to appropriately worship God were all seen as issues adding to the disorder and corruption of the town. Despite such activity being a consequence of poverty the vast majority of Dorchester citizens had to face, it was thought by many that a complete religious and moral overhaul of the town was needed to appease the wrath of God.

Spearheading the campaign for the reformation of the town was John White, Dorchester’s well known Puritan Rector. It was White’s personal mission to lead a complete transformation of the town. Through this, White made a number of improvements, such as new hospitals for children, significant increases in poor relief, education for children, shelter for the elderly, and the enlargement of churches to accommodate the rise in population.

White’s primary aim was to shape the community into becoming more respectable, disciplined, and godly. In order to achieve this goal, White gave a number of evangelical sermons which encouraged sobriety and godliness. White’s campaign against excessive drinking was mostly unsuccessful, with Justices of the Peace and magistrates unable to reduce the number of alehouses. However, White’s mission to further instil godliness amongst the population was far more successful, due to the enforcement of regular church attendance, with absence fines of one shilling to those who failed to attend Sunday services. Furthermore, White’s attack on sexual immorality was a considerable success, with the sharp decline in illegitimacy rates as well as the number of children born as a result of pre-marital sex.

Due to the series of reforms implemented, Dorchester witnessed a religious revolution that made it one of the most puritanical towns in the country. Even raising arms for Parliament against the crown in 1641 during the English Civil War, puritan belief was strong in Dorchester. Therefore, it was because of the unfortunate mistake of one man that the course of history for an entire town and community was forever changed.

Shire Hall Museum’s Learning programme provides exciting hands-on Great Fire of Dorchester sessions for Key Stage 1 & 2. Using primary sources, objects and our whole building, children can discover and act out the key parts of the story, as well as compare and contrast the Great Fires of Dorchester and London. Please contact our Learning Manager for further details anne.brown@shirehalldorset.org