The Natural History of Selborne

Yew tree at Selborne, Hieronymus Grimm

• 1792: February 27, 1792 – Mr Littleton Etty called.  Long tailed titmouse. Crocus’s blowing very much.  Winter aconites fade.
• 1791: February 27, 1791 – Snow covers the ground.  A large bough broken from the yew-tree, in the church yard, by the snow.
• 1790: February 27, 1790 – Daffodils begin to open.  Dr Chandler left us.
• 1788: February 27, 1788 – Dug up the suckers of rose-trees, & planted them in a nursery.
• 1787: February 27, 1787 – On this day my niece Edmd White was delivered of a daughter, who encreases my Nephews, & nieces to the number of 48.
• 1786: February 27, 1786 – Snow shoe-deep.  Wrote to Dr Chandler at Nismes.
• 1781: February 27, 1781 – Vast storm.  Had the duration of this storm been equal to it’s strength, nothing could have withstood it’s fury.  As it was, it did prodigious damage.  The tiles were blown from the roof of Newton church with such violence, that shivers from the them broke the windows of the great farm-house at near 30 yards distance.  This storm blew the alcove back into the hedge, & threw down the stone dial-post.
• 1779: February 27, 1779 – The gardener begins to mow my Brother’s grass-walks.
• 1775: February 27, 1775 – Crocuss in great splendor.
• 1774: February 27, 1774 – Ewes die in lambing.
• 1773: February 27, 1773 – Sun & clouds, showers & wind.

Notes:

The yew tree in the Selborne churchyard, estimated to be around 1400 years old, blew down in a gale in 1990.