September

September was traditionally the month for the completion of the harvest. It was important, therefore, for farmers to have fine and dry weather.

Formal weather records show that September could be a very fine and dry month. Very dry Septembers, with less than an inch of rain, were recorded in the county in 1888, 1895, 1910 and 1912 for example.

The years 1843, 1908 and 1914 were very warm Septembers, with 30 September 1908 being recorded as the warmest night of the year at Weston Park at 61° Fahrenheit.  In 1914 temperatures hit 84° Fahrenheit in the first week of the month.

However September was not always a good weather month. One of the earliest surviving archive sources for weather in the county, the Croxden Chronicle, records that in 1330 the weather was so wet that the harvest could not begin until after the feast of Michaelmas, 29 September. There are also a number of later examples of violent and damaging storms as in 1696, 1848 and 1849. In Rugeley in 1708 the damage caused by the heavy rain in September was extensive and costly.

Contrasting Weather for Second Hay Making in Longnor, 2-3 September 1909

Terrific Thunder at Freehay, 3 September 1867

Bad Weather for Harvest at Weston, 4-6 September 1912

Violent Thunderstorm in North Staffordshire, 7 September 1849

High Winds Cause Fire in Wolverhampton, 10 September 1696

Harvest Home at Sandon, 10 September 1845

A Wet Day for Lichfield Races, 11 September 1827

A Great Rain in Rugeley, 15 September 1708

A Hot Week at Sandon, 18-24 September 1843

Fearful Storm at King’s Bromley and Hamstall Ridware, 23 September 1848

A Glorious Michaelmas Day at Spotacre, 29 September 1923

Heavy Floods and Late Harvest at Croxden, 29 September, 1330

A Wet Day at Trentham, 30 September 1823

Two Good Harvests, September 1737 and September 1738

Contrasting Weather for Second Hay Making in Longnor, 2-3 September 1909

From a Local Farmer’s Diary

This extract contains plenty of examples of the use of phonetic spelling by the diarist.
 
2 September- A Beautiful Fine Hay day. Our Neighbours did not get much hay. Will & I & G.H. Millward Topt Stack & part thatched same. I fetched Sheep from Mr Halls thay had been their a Fortnight.
3 September- a damp misty morning rained very nearly all day. Will Went to Mr Guest & To Wheeldon’s Daniels field & waited while my Shoes Where Soled & Healed & Brought them with him. Mr J.R. hall Finished Mowing his Meadowes down.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D6794
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Terrific Thunder at Freehay, 3 September 1867

From the Log Book of Freehay National School
 
We have had a very poor school today on account of the very heavy thunder and rain which commenced about 6 o’clock AM and continued till about 9.30 and raged all that time most terrifically.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D3656/1
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Bad Weather for Harvest at Weston, 4-6 September 1912

From the Weather Books of the Weston Park Estate

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Violent Thunderstorm in North Staffordshire, 7 September 1849

From The Staffordshire Advertiser
 
North Staffordshire was visited by a thunder-storm of great violence and long duration last night. It commenced with flashes of lightning about nine o’clock. Rain then began to fall in torrents, and the rolling sound of the thunder was for more than an hour almost as incessant as the play of the lightning, which no longer appeared to come in distinct flashes but was a sudden illumination of the sky and earth from some unseen cause. It would be difficult to say whether the periods of light or darkness were of the longer duration and the light was so pure and vivid that that objects were frequently seen in all the brilliancy of sunshine, the grass and the buildings showing their natural colours. It was not till after midnight that the storm abated; and the rain was again heavy, though unattended by thunder, about three in the morning. The turnpike roads and the streets of towns got a complete cleansing with the rain. It might have been expected that the streams would have been flooded by the torrents of rain which fell for so many hours but the thirsty ground seems to have drunk it all in; nor have we heard of any accidents from the electric fluid. Another storm of shorter duration and less violence occurred about three on Tuesday morning.
 
Reference: William Salt Library, Staffordshire Advertiser, 8 September 1849
By courtesy of The Staffordshire Newsletter

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High Winds Cause Fire in Wolverhampton, 10 September 1696

From the Parish Register of St Leonard’s, Bilston
 
On which day about 4 of the clock afternoon there happen’d a Sad & lamentable Fire in Barn –street in Wolverhampton by which the Generall part of Barn-street & almost all Boblake was layd in Ashes, the Winde being at that time very high. It was said to be Occasioned by some Harvest Hay in the Barn of [word missing] Stych which took Fire it being ill gotten in.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D667/3/1
By courtesy of the Vicar and PCC of Bilston St Leonard
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Harvest Home at Sandon, 10 September 1845

Harvesting at Cheddleton e 19th cent Watercolour drawing by L J Wood Reference: William Salt Library SV III.88a By courtesy of the Trustees of the William Salt Library © William Salt Library, Stafford

 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office 6850/4
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service 

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A Wet Day for Lichfield Races, 11 September 1827

From the Diary of Anne Bagot of Lichfield
 
Mary went to the [grand]stand with Mrs Gresley and her party. The day was very rainy- Almost a brook through the stand which was however very full, loads of people.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D4752/4
By courtesy of Nancy, Lady Bagot
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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A Great Rain in Rugeley, 15 September 1708

From the Parish Officers’ Accounts for Rugeley.

As well as the accounts for parish officers such as the overseers of the poor and the constable, this volume also includes some memoranda of significant events in the parish, such as the damage caused by heavy rain in September 1708. The figures record the substantial cost of the damage to buildings, flood-gates, streets and stock in trade. The cost of the damage totalled £163, approximately £12,500 today.
 
 
On Wednesday the 15th September 1708 was a great Rain that occasioned a Deal of Damage in Rugley Parish                                         £      s        d
Viz.  Brindley Pool Dam Broke                                            2
        Furnace Pool Dam and Flood-gates                            20
        Tippers Pool Dam & Flood-gates                                20
        Forge Pool Dam & Flood-gates                                  20
        Anthony Devitt’s Walk-Mill Dam                                  2
        Thomas Mott Dam                                                     2
        John Kearne’sDam & Flood-gates & great damage      20
        in the mill  
        Forc’d down hedges etc and fill’d the watercourses      20
        with gravel all along                                      
        Forc’d down John Saxon’s Chimney & some of             3
        his quick hedge & a stone wall & tooke away Leather,
        Lasts, Shooes etc
        Undermind William Adie’s Shopp & tooke away             2
        several thinges of his trade
        Mr Edward Collins, damage in his Fatts etc                   5
        Forc’d downe the stone Bridge that Mr Chetwynd        30
        caused to be built at his own cost about £30 in 1646
        Forc’d downe a deal of Mr Atkin’s garden Wall              2
        (each way)
        Run downe the Towne with such Force that it gall’d       5
        the Street & made severall holes at least ½ yard deep
        in danger of undermining severall houses
        Damage to most shopps & Cellers & houses all along   10
        the street
       
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D3243/4/1
By courtesy of the Vicar and PCC of Rugeley, St Augustine
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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A Hot Week at Sandon, 18-24 September 1843

From the Diary of Jeremiah Ginders of Sandon

Jeremiah Ginders was the agent to Earl Talbot of Ingestre. The following extract records the changes of weather each day, as well as his personal and some estate business. Mr Harland was the vicar of Colwich.
As the image of the document shows, Ginders displayed a bent for embellishment.
 
18 September- S[outh] foggy & cloudy afterwards- very fine day. Ellen & Mrs Eardley came here.
19 September E[ast] very fine & dry
20 September S[outh] cloudy but fine- hot day
21 September- W[est] foggy- fine & dry. Thatched the farm Rick & put the Rickyard straight. Mr Harland called here this Evening & his wife came here in the afternoon (Hawkins came with her)
22 September- N[orth] W[est] morning a frost rather. Noon E[ast] S[outh] E[ast] very hot & dry S[outh] hot & dry evening hot. Finished ploughing up the oat stubble in the Bride today. Mrs G[inders] sold W Shelton fruit 18s 6s
viz [namely] apples 1½      @ 4/6 - 6.9}
                   Nutts 14 lbs   @ 4d   - 4.9} 18s 6
                   Damsons 1¾            - 7.0}
23 September- N[orth] W[est] foggy morning hot & dry all the day
24 September- fine & a little more air but fine at noon. N[orth] N[orth] W[est] veering to N[orth]  at night
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office 6850/2
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Fearful Storm at King’s Bromley and Hamstall Ridware, 23 September 1848

From The Staffordshire Advertiser
 
A terrific storm of thunder, lightning, wind and rain passed over King’s Bromley on the afternoon of Saturday last, leaving along the course it took many awful remains of its desolating ravages, though happily no personal injury was sustained.  Little before three o’clock thunder was heard in the distance and presently the gathering clouds indicated a coming storm. In a short time the thunder and lightning became terrific, the rain fell in torrents, and the wind blew a perfect hurricane. For twenty minutes the lightning was fearfully vivid, and flash succeeded flash without intermission, whilst the pealing thunder resembled the continuous rolling of heavy artillery. Some of the inhabitants were dreadfully alarmed and thought the day of judgement was come. In its fury, it tore up some of the finest trees, shivering others to atoms; and stripping some of their branches, it left naked trunks as standing monuments of its destructive power. In a field occupied by Miss Rochford, four patriarchal oaks were completely torn up by the roots. In an orchard in the occupation of Mr Bannister, every fruit tree with one solitary exception was blown down, as was a large and ancient elm, near the mill, and several trees of different kinds in the plantations belonging to Bromley Hall. The storm, after raging twenty minutes over Bromley, crossed the Trent, and swept along the valley in the direction of Hamstall Ridware where it effected considerable damage. Two fine ornamental poplars near the Mill dam, were broken off just above the ground. A heavy weight of lead was displaced from the roof of the village church, breaking down the parapet wall. Indeed, altogether a storm so fearful for the time it lasted, is not remembered by the oldest inhabitants, either of Bromley or Hamstall Ridware.
 
Reference: William Salt Library, Staffordshire Advertiser, 30 September 1848
By courtesy of The Staffordshire Newsletter

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A Glorious Michaelmas Day at Spotacre, 29 September 1923

From the Daily Journals of the Spotacre Nursery, near Stone
 
 
Dull first thing a little dewy rain wind south west It is quite warm though. It turned out most beautiful in the afternoon hot and wind south west. It is a glorious change, glass high.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D6168/1
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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Heavy Floods and Late Harvest at Croxden, 29 September, 1330

From the Chronicle of Croxden Abbey, 1330

In 1330, the chronicler of Croxden Abbey recorded an eclipse of the sun on 9 July. This was seen as an omen of bad weather and certainly a poor autumn and late harvest followed.
 
For previously, for two months and more, and afterwards for three months, such great floods of rainwater spread and such unseasonable weather occurred that the harvest could not ripen at all, asa result of which they did not begin to reap in many places in the country until about the feast of the blessed Michael [29 September].
 
Reference: William Salt Library The Abbey of St Mary, Croxden, Charles Lynam, including extracts from The Croxden Chronicle.

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A Wet Day at Trentham, 30 September 1823

From the Memoranda Book of William Lewis, Local Agent to the Duke of Sutherland

Lewis kept a daily account of his business transacted on behalf of the estate between 1816 and 1837.  From 1821 it is virtually a diary giving information for each day and usually some account of the weather. ‘Mr Loch’ was James Loch, the Duke’s Chief Agent. Thomas Fenton was the Duke’s local solicitor.
 
A very wet morning, remained in the office wrote Mr Loch, after dinner rode to Thomas Fenton but he was gone out,  afterwards to Blurton, home and remained in the office, continued fair some hours, much rain has fallen, also hail.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office D593/L/2/2b
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Two Good Harvests, September 1737 and September 1738

From the Diary of Dr Richard Wilkes of Willenhall
 
September 1737
The Weather this Month was rather dry than otherwise; so that the Farmer had a very good seedness.
 
September 1738
The Weather was good & favourable for gathering the latter Part of the Harvest in the low, cold Parts of the Countrey [County] & the Moorlands.
 
Reference: Staffordshire Record Office 5350
© Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service

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