Record Number: 27841
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
Eliza Fenwick, a touring actress, to her mother, also Eliza Fenwick, 'Barbadoes, May 2nd [1812], Morning, 10 o clock,' describing her experiences following a nearby volcanic eruption: 'At this time yesterday morning we thought ourselves on the verge of eternity, & waited in total darkness & almost uninterrupted silence the expected shock which was to destroy us [...] It began, I believe, about two o Clock on Friday morning [...] I thought it the longest night I had ever known, & was watching for some appearance of daylight that I might get up, when Margaret came into my room, & told me, in a voice of terror, that it was past 7 o Clock. It was totally dark [...] I went into the balcony & felt that it [italics]rained[end italics], as I thought, but returning into the room I found I was covered with wet sand or ashes [...] Everyone thought an Earth-quake was coming [...] Mr R[utherford]. borrowed from Mr Ford, our next neighbour, the younger Pliny's account of an irruption of Mount Vesuvius, & read it. Pliny describes a fall of dust or ashes previous to the great shock. We all, I believe, thought the shock was coming [...] After breakfast I proposed going to Church, but none but my two companions in wickedness [Miss Simms and Mr Rutherford, who had also wanted breakfast, while the rest of Fenwick's companions slept, wept, or stayed silent with fear] were willing to join me [...] My next plan of of reading prayers was not better approved of. Mrs D[yke]. preferred the more pious amusement of abusing us to her black Confidant Margaret [...] Mr R. read the bible in his own room, I the Morning Service to Miss Brailsford in mine [...] We passed an hour in this manner, & met again to wonder at the still encreasing darkness'.
Century:1800-1849
Date:1 May 1812
Country:Barbados
Timemorning
Place:n/a
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:1781
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:Actor
Religion:n/a
Country of Origin:n/a
Country of Experience:Barbados
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
Eliza Fenwick junior, Mrs and Mrs Dyke, Miss Simms, Miss Brailsford (all fellow members of touring theatrical company).
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:account of eruption of Vesuvius over Pompeii
Genre:Autobiog / Diary
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceborrowed (other)
Source Information:
Record ID:27841
Source:n/a
Editor:A. F. Wedd
Title:The Fate of the Fenwicks: Letters to Mary Hays (1798-1828)
Place of Publication:London
Date of Publication:1927
Vol:n/a
Page:109-110; 110
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
A. F. Wedd (ed.), The Fate of the Fenwicks: Letters to Mary Hays (1798-1828), (London, 1927), p. 109-110; 110, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=27841, accessed: 17 August 2024
Additional Comments:
Reader's date of birth approximate; Rutherford (who later married Eliza Fenwick jr) mentioned in source as being aged about 31 in 1812.