The fire of 1834 - stories from Parliament Video Lecture | How does UK Parliament's Education Service works? - Personal Learning

stories from Parliament the fire of 1834
I keep coming back to this dreadful spot
it's so horrible to see it like this
but you want to hear about the fire
don't you not listen to me rabbiting on
so first things first I'm mrs. Wright
deputy housekeeper at the Palace of
Westminster but is sorry was the home of
parliament right here next to the River
Thames in London way back in history
kings and queens lived here Henry VIII
8th was the last of them and he thought
the place was getting a bit rundown so
he gave the building to Parliament and
why shouldn't the people have a palace
to make their laws in so come the awful
day October the 16th 1834 and two
workmen arrived to speak to the clerk of
works come on Matthew look sharp
I knew what they were about the clerk of
Works had hired them to burn a pile of
old tally sticks they were an old way of
remembering if someone owed money with a
mark made on a stick Parliament didn't
use the system anymore and there was a
huge pile of these old sticks cluttering
up the basement so they all had to be
burned as the clerk of works explained
so is that clear
two of you two furnaces get this pile of
old wood out of the way once and for all
burn along exactly burn the whole
wretched lot and so they did they worked
all morning and into the afternoon and
when I took some visitors into the House
of Lords
I am dreadfully sorry I was rather
worried and told the clerk of Works
about the smoke fire makes smoke mrs.
Wright I don't fret it will soon be over
I retired to my room with no idea what
was going on beneath
House of Lords you see the fire had
become so hot that it had set the floor
alight I must have dozed off because the
next thing I knew the doorkeepers wife
raised the alarm
and now the clerk of works had changed
his June I hurried out and on with
everyone else and stood a safe distance
away boats began to stop along the river
is a great crowd gathered to watch on
land and on the water by 7:00 that
evening the whole of the House of Lords
was ablaze you may fetch water for
Machane fetch water mr. bradwood chief
of the London Fire angel establishment
arrived on the scene get that engine
right there but it was no use
at 7:30 the roof caved in then at 8
o'clock the House of Commons caught fire
and suddenly it seemed like the whole of
Parliament was burning for a moment all
the frantic activity stopped as everyone
who looked up in horror we couldn't
believe what we were seeing
then James grave with rallied his men
one works as if there was no tomorrow
but for the Old Palace of Westminster
there was no tomorrow
just one part of the ancient palace
remains the great magnificent
Westminster Hall
it was nearly 800 years old and it had
the most splendid huge wooden beams roof
surely it would survive but then at 10
o'clock we can't stop it sir whispering
stall has caught fire
don't give up there point your hoses at
the roof I don't care what it takes
Daniel's back room quick water save
whispers to hold it over that was Lord
now born the Prime Minister himself you
are the primary stop
water quickly this is the point of your
life they're saved Westminster together
do not let the whole of Parliament be
destroyed then maybe the Lord heard our
prayers because the wind shifted just a
little and maybe the thick old wheels of
the whole played their part and there
were ladders and scaffolding already in
the hole from some repair work whatever
the reason the fire was finally beaten
god be praised
but oh when the Sun came up the next day
it looked down on a charred landscape
and they're right in front of me half
buried and half Birds was a single tally
stick sticking out of the ground like it
was mocking me for not complaining more
the day before but Westminster Hall was
saved that magnificent medieval
masterpiece with it's stunning wooden
roof survived and now there is to be a
competition amongst architects to design
a new Palace of Westminster there is
talk of an enormous clock tower so that
people will be able to see their
Parliament for miles around I wonder if
I will live to hear that giant clock
chime
you