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

Time

morning

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Mr Rutherford

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:

Pliny the Younger

Title:

account of eruption of Vesuvius over Pompeii

Genre:

Autobiog / Diary

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

borrowed (other)

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

27841

Source:

Print

Author:

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: 19 May 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.