The Great Sutton Benger Fire of 1802

On 24 May 1802 a fire broke out in Sutton Benger, probably at a house opposite the entrance to Park Lane, roughly where 43 High Street is today.

The fire destroyed the house of Isaac Smith, which he rented from Joseph Uncles. On the 1808 Map, the house is shown as No 265. Joseph seems to have been at least partly to blame, because he was ordered to pay for the repair and rebuilding. Other houses that were destroyed were those of John Riley, John Pearce, Edward Giddings, Mary Skeates, and William Herbert. Mary Skeates’ property was a small farmstead, with a ‘dwelling house, barn, stables and outhouse’ located just to the north of Park Lane. The fire also seriously damaged several houses, mainly on the north side of the High Street and west of Park Lane. However, there are no reports of anybody being hurt during the fire. The contemporary report (in the Manor Court Rolls) does not provide precise locations, but a possible ‘map’ of the fire can be put together by combing the report from evidence in other sources.

Many houses appear to have escaped unscathed, suggesting that the wind quickly blew the fire to the west-north-west, perhaps sparing those houses that were substantially stone-built, but destroying or damaging those that were more wooden-built buildings, barns and outhouses. For example, those that were seriously damaged included the ‘dwelling house, malthouse and other buildings’ of Joseph Stockham, and the ‘dwelling house, barn, stable and outhouses’ of William Lawrence. Both these properties were on the north side of the High Street, between Park Lane and the entrance to The Park.

‘The malthouse’ may also have been the location of an Inn, known as The Cross Keys. However, this Inn disappeared from the records at about the same time, so perhaps the fire was good news for the other Inns in the village.