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1847 Damage by the late Storm:
On Sunday sen'night the several parishes of Northbourne, Bettshanger, Tilmanstone and Mongeham, were visited by a severe storm, accompanied by such a tremendous fall of rain that not even the oldest inhabitant can remember anything equal to it. Damage sustained by many farmers was very great; the rain having deeply penetrated many corn stacks that were built but not thatched; but the greatest mischief has happened to the newly moved lands such as turnip fallows and spuddled fields, upon the hillsides. In such situations the topsoil in many places completely washed into the valleys leaving the chalk quite bare; and at Tilmanstone turnpike road, which lies at places some 2 or 3 feet below the fields, was entirely blocked up and rendered impassable for vehicles. In the valley by Studdle, Messrs Inge and Rainer have experienced a similar disaster, a great deal of the surface earth of the hills being carried to the bottom. Mr Inge lost 13 pigs and Mr Rainer's corn was floated heterogeneously with rabbits and partidges from one field into another. Mr Jennings of Bettshanger was compelled to move the produce of 60 acres of barley from one part of a barn to another, damaging at least from 30 to 40 quarters.
During the thunderstorm on Sunday sen'night a fine horse belonging to Mr Wootton of Fordwich was struck by lightning while grazing in a field. The animal was found in a ditch in a deplorable condition, life being not quite extinct. Several sheep also belonging to the same gentleman near Rushborne, were similarly struck.
(Kentish Gazette) Aug 24 1847 p.3 col.3, 3" down: