The Natural History of Selborne

Frost Fair of 1814, Luke Clenell

• 1793: February 1, 1793 – The Republic of France declares war against England & Holland.
• 1792: February 1, 1792 – Turner’s heifers feed down the dead grass in my great mead.
• 1791: February 1, 1791 – My apricot trees were never stripped of their buds before; & therefore seem to have suffered from a casual flight of gross-beaks, that came into these parts.
• 1790: February 1, 1790 – A fine young hog salted & tubbed; weight 7 scores, & 18 pounds.
• 1789: February 1, 1789 – Boys play at taw on the Plestor.  Two of the Bantam hens lay each an egg.
• 1788: February 1, 1788 – Received a brace of pheasants from Woodhouse farm.
• 1786: February 1, 1786 – The hazels are finely illuminated with male bloom.  Female bloom of hazels appears, & the male-bloom sheds it’s farina.
• 1785: February 1, 1785 – On this cold day about noon a bat was flying round Gracious street-pond, & dipping down & sipping the water, like swallows, as it flew: all the while the wind was very sharp, & the boys were standing on the ice.
• 1782: February 1, 1782 – The wheatfields so hard that they carry a waggon & horses.
• 1776: February 1, 1776 – Snow now lying on the roofs for 26 days!  Thames frozen above and below bridge; crowds of people running about on the ice.  The streets strangely encumbered with snow, which crumbles & treads like bay salt– Carriages run without any noise or clatter.  Thaws,  have observed, frequently take place immediately from intense freezing; as men in sickness often begin to mend from a paroxysm.
• 1775: Feburary 1, 1775 – Vast rain, stormy.  Much damage was done by sea & land; & on the river at London.
• 1774: February 1, 1774 – Considerable snow.
• 1768: February 1, 1768 – Jack-daw, monedula, chatters on churches.  Went to London.

Notes:

A nice page with many images and period reportage on the history of freezes on the Thames.