"
MR. BARRAUD. "I have read a curious description of a most remarkable
thunder storm, which visited this place in December, 1672. It is as
follows:--
"On Sunday night, about 12 o'clock, the magazine of the castle was
blown up with the powder in it by the lightning. The night was very
stormy and tempestuous, and the wind blew hard. In an instant of
time, not only the whole magazine containing the powder was blown up
in the air, but also the houses and lodgings of the castle,
particularly some fair and beautiful buildings, that had just before
been erected at great expense, under the care and direction of Lord
Viscount Hatton (then governor.) who was at the same time within the
buildings of the castle, all which buildings were with many others,
reduced to a confused heap of stones, and several persons buried in
the ruins. In the upper part of the castle, at a place called the
New Buildings, was killed by the accident the dowager Lady Hatton,
by the fall of the ceiling of her chamber, which fell in four
pieces, one of them upon her breast, and killed her on the spot. The
Lady Hatton, wife to the governor, was likewise destroyed in the
following manner:--Her ladyship, being greatly terrified at the
thunder and lightning, insisted (before the magazine blew up,) upon
being removed from the chamber she was in to the nursery; where,
having caused her woman to come also to be with her, in order to
have joined in prayer, in a few minutes after, that noble lady and
her woman fell a sacrifice, by one corner of the nursery-room
falling in upon them, and were the next morning both found dead.
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