The Great Snow Of 1614-15 - from Youlgreave Parish Register

The following notes are extracted from Notes and Queries, 4th Series, Vol 3, No 53, Jan 2, 1869 - p16. (cleaned up from OCR text from Google Books).  They were included, with many other historic weather references, in a recent book which I co-authered entitled "Sheffield's Weather" - available from the Sorby Natural History Society.  What follows adds a bit of context to the extract.

The notes were transcibed by John Sleight of Thornbridge, near Bakewell who was a barrister and antiquarian.  He bought the Thornbridge estate in about 1859 and sold it in 1871 (ref ref ).

The  notes are a response to a request for details of parish registers (Notes and Queries,4th Series, Vol 1, No 21, May 23, 1868 - p477 (Also on Google Books)).  Mr Sleight gave a number of extracts from various Derbyshire registers in a later issue in that volume ("No 25, June 20, 1868" p 582ff) prefixed with the following note (included here a digression which might set genealogist's heads nodding!) ...

I think I may claim to have had as much rummaging amongst the registers of this neighbourhood as most men living; and the decided conviction at which I have arrived is, that it is a simple act of fatuity on the part of the powers that be to suffer these precious documents (in many instances, be it remembered, the only available records of a whole parish) any longer to remain under their present insecure and capricious guardianship. Here and there, it is true, one may find a parson or churchwarden conscientiously alive to their immense and growing importance; but, as a rule, the utter indifference to their value, and consequent religious preservation, cannot but strike the most indifferent inquirer. Each year adds to their interest; and each year, in their present keeping, detracts from their legibility and completeness.

What I would suggest is, that Government should at once lay violent hands on all the earlier books—say up to the middle of the last century— and either have them printed in their entirety (the better course), or, at least, as soon as may be, furnish each parish with authenticated lists of every name, date, etc. contained in its own so abstracted registers; such indexes to be treated as public property by, certainly, all parishioners; and the originals to be available at a very moderate charge—6d. or even less, for each extract—the historical and genealogical student having free access to them, as he is already supposed to have to all other records. This will doubtless entail a heavy expense; but what will that weigh set against the fact of otherwise seeing our most interesting local records perishing before our very eyes, through lack of the most ordinary carer and at what price can we estimate the loss of those which have already disappeared through the crass stupidity or wilful negligence of their so-called custodians? Only think of what a Utopian boon to the at present discomfited genealogist would be a general index of all the parishes in the United Kingdom.

Appended are a few excerpta from more copious jottings which have already appeared in our useful local quarterly, The Reliquary, and which may prove interesting to the general reader

John Sleigh. Thornbridge, Bakewell.

He included the following note for Youlgreave . . .

Youlgrave (? Giolgrave, mount of burnt offering.) (These are unquestionably the finest and best preserved registers I have yet come across. They, as well as Leek and Wormhill, are particularly rich in briefs and letters-patent, some of which are sufficiently amusing and instructive. A notice of the great snow of 1614, herein recorded, I hope to give at some future time.)

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THE GREAT SNOW OF 1614-15. 
 (4th S. i. 583.)

[1614-15 refers to the 'old'Julian Calendar used in the UK prior to 1752, the Civil or Legal new year started on March 25th.  ‘1614-15’ would therefore refer to the period between 1st January and the start of 1615.]

[4th S. i. 583. is a reference to a previous note given above]

To redeem my promise, I now give such passages from the Youlgreave registers as refer to the great snow of 1614-15, noticed by Lysons and others.  Old Stow's account varies somewhat in dates and results:—

" The 17th January, 1614-5, began a great frost with extreame snow, which continued until the 14th February, and albeit the violence of the frost and snow some dayes abated, yet it continued freezing and snowing much or little until the 7th March, whereby much cattel perished, as well old as young; and in some places, divers devised snowe ploughes to cleare the ground, and to fodder cattel; this snow was very dangerous to all travailers."

I must add that I do not vouch for the accuracy of the Latin portion, although I have taken great pains to ensure an exact transcript; but it is so thumb-worn, and is couched in such charmingly simple canine latinity that it is next door to an impossibility to guarantee a faithful copy.  Oh that parsons and churchwardens throughout the kingdom could be induced to give similar jottings from the registers committed to their charge and intelligent safe-keeping!                     JOHN SLEIGH.

            Thornbridge, Bakewell.

[Latin version of register omitted here]

Th. Sweetnam, pastor hujus ecclesiae [pastor of this church]

A MEMORIALL OF Ye GREAT SNOW.

This yeare, 1614-5, Jany 16, began ye greatest snow which ever fell upon the earth within man’s memorye. It covered the earth fyve quarters deepe upon ye playne. And for heapes or driftes of snow, they were very deep; so that passyngers both horse and foot, passed over yates [?gates], hedges and walles.  It fell at 10 severall tymes, and the last, to the greatest, to the greate admiration and feare of all the land; for it came from the fowre parts of ye world, so that all countreyes were full, yea the South part as well as these mountaynes. It continued by daily encreasing untill the 12th day of March (without the sight of any earth, eyther uppon hilles or valleyes), uppon which daye (being ye Lorde's day), itt began to decreasse; and so by little and little consumed and wasted away, tyll ye 28th day of May, for then all the heapes or drifts of snow were consumed, except one uppon Kinder's Scowt, which laye till Witson-week or after.

Hynderances and Losses in this Peake-Country by the Snowe abovesayd.

1. It hyndered the seed tyme. A very cold spring.  2. It consumed much fodder (multitude of sheep, cause of continuance of cold wether).  3. And many wanted fewell; otherwyse few were smoothered in the fall or drownded in the passage; in regard the floods of water were not great, though many.

Ye name of our Lord be praysed.

The spring was so cold and so late that much cattell was in very great daunger and some dyed.

There fell also ten lesse snowes in Aprill, some a foote deep, some lesse, but none continued long.  Uppon Maydaye, in the morning, insteed of fetching in fflowers, the youthes brought in flakes of snowe, which lay above a foot deep uppon ye moores and mountaynes.  All these aforesayd snowes vanished away and thoed (sic) with little or no rayne.

1615. A dry Summer.

There was no rayne fell uppon the earth from the 25th day of March untill the 2nd day of May, and there then was but one shower; after which there fell none tyll the 18th day of June, and then there fell another; after that there fell none at all tyll the 4th day of August, after which tyme there was sufficient rayne uppon the earth; soe that the greattest part of this land, especially the South parts, was burn't upp, both corne and hay.  An ordinary summer-load of hay was at 2li [£2] and little or none to be gott for money.

This part of ye Peake was very sore burn't upp, onely Lankishyre and Cheshyre had rayne ynough all Sumer; and both corne and hay sufficient.

There was very little rayne fell the last winter, but snowe onely.

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A later entry in the same volume (Feb 13 1869, p150-151) describes how the same winter affected Beeston next Mileham in Norfolk.