Following a recent post about a fire in Fleet Street, another was reported in the same edition. This one was in Ludgate Hill near many workshops and warehouses.
“On Monday night about eight o’clock, an extensive fire commenced at the stables of Messrs. James Wilkinson and son, of Ludgate-hill, perhaps the largest upholsterers and cabinet makers in London; the stables were at the back of their large warehouses, and situated in a narrow lane called Little Bridge-street, – across which, above the houses, was a wooden bridge passing over the roofs leading from Messrs. W.’s workshops, &c. to other warehouses belonging to the same firm. The fire burst out in the course of a few minutes into an amazing blaze, illuminating Fleet-street and St. Paul’s-church-yard, and the uppermost portion of the cathedral being as distinguishable as at noon-day. Every avenue (and all the avenues are remarkably narrow) leading to the spot, was soon crowded to a painful and alarming excess, the curiosity being the greater from the rumour that ‘Apothecaries’ Hall’ was on fire: this rumour gained credence from the vivid and various appearances of the flames, which however were occasioned by the dry and large rooms, containing furniture and seasoned woods, having caught fire. Each sifde of Little Bridge-street, which was literally covered as well as surrounded with the workshops and warehouses belonging to Messrs. Wilkinson, were soon in flames; and the inhabitants of those humble dwellings, consisting of working people, had great difficulty in escapoing with their lives – if all did escape, whch is exceedingly problematical, as the street was soon blocked up with people and engines. Engines arrived at the spot soon after the fire broke out; indeed, several were in tne neighbourhood, around the premises where the fire had been in Fleet-street on Sunday morning. Water was soon afterwards obtainable, aa the plugs in Bridge-street were drawn; but it was still some time ere thee engines could be brought into effective operation. By half-past nine, however, they began to produce some some effect, as was visible by their volumes of black smoke that rose and curled frightfully amongst the extensive atmosphere of flame. But it was long before the conflagration would be readily brought under, there being such an immense extent of buildings on fire, and it being difficult to get many engines near enough to play on them. Saying nothing of the numersous small houses in Little Bridge-street, (and the inhabitants merit the most active commiseration,) the premises of Messrs. Wilkinson alone (now a ruin) consituted what might be termed a village. The property therein was valuable and immensely extensive; Mr. John Kay, a rich and extraordinary man, still well remembered in the city of London, and who on his death was succeeded by Messrs. Wilkinson and Son – The following are the names of the paarties ascertained to be sufferers by the above calamitous event: – Messrs, Wilkinnson and Son, upholsterers, who have experiences damage to an enormous exteent; Mr. Harveym linen-draper, the back of whose premises are considerably damaged; Messrs. Barlow and Blake, wine-merchants; and Mr. Blades, glass-manufacturer, sustained very serious losses; Mr. James, the foreman to the Hand-in-Hand Fire-office, had his house entirely destroyed, besides most of his household furniture; the houses of Mr. Larkin, a glass-cutter, – Smith, a rocking horse-maker, – Gregory, Jones, and Holland, in Evangelist-court, – were extensively injured; – all those houses were mostly let out in tenements to labouring artizans. As yet it is not precisely ascertained how the disaster originated. At one o’cock the walls of the burning pile fell down with a tremendous crash, and smothered the fire, but still an immense column of smoke continued to ascend. The light-fingered gentry were, as usual, on the alert, and made a successful harvest upon the property of the persons assembled, and that of the unfortunate sufferers. Some of the thieves are in custody. – This calamitous event has, in addition to the destruction of a vast quantity of uninsured properpty, caused an inconvenience almost immeassurable to Messrs. Wilkinson and Son, as the entire of the stock packed for foreign markets is destroyed. The workshops being also destroyed, all their workmen are thrown out of employ, and the loss of these poor artizans (their tools being included in the general wreck) is very great.”
The Stamford Mercury, 19th November, 1824.