“In a moment I was in the roof rooms with my brothers, who slept in the same chamber as myself. These rooms were even then so full of smoke that it was difficult to discern the objects near to us. The fire we found to be in a closet opening into one of these rooms; the flames appeared through the crevices of the door, which, never having been painted, appeared almost transparent with the strong light within. The first impulse was to endeavour to open the door and to throw in water, which some had brought from the chambers below; but in this we did not succeed, and, after a moment’s reflection, we gave up the attempt, judging it best to confine the flames as much as possible, for had the door been opened they would have burst upon us in such a manner as to have driven us at once from the room. The whole family had now caught the alarm. [In the midst of the alarm Rowland Hill remembered that his eldest brother’s wife, who, with her husband, happened to be staying in the house, was in a delicate state of health. He went to their room, and, quietly beckoning his brother out, in the hope of saving her a sudden shock, told him that the house was on fire.] After hastily slipping on a few clothes, some began to remove the furniture from the different rooms.... In a few moments we were all roused from a deep sleep, and plunged into the most active and distressing employment. No one can be surprised that at first the bustle and alarm should be such as to prevent our taking, perhaps, the best possible means to prevent the ravages of the fire; it has since struck us that by taking off some of the slates it is possible that we should have been able to throw water upon the fire and retard it, if not put it quite out; but this was not thought of at the moment, and the time during which there would have been any chance of success lasted but for a few minutes. “The first anxiety was for the safety of the boys; but, as the fire was over their heads, alarm on that account soon subsided. As soon as they had risen they began to throw their bedding out at the windows, and to remove the other furniture of the rooms, and even in the midst of all the bustle and anxiety I could not but admire the activity and presence of mind on the part of the boys. We are indebted to them more than to any other individuals that the loss, though it was very great, was not still more ruinous.” The fire began in a closet under the roof. It was so close to the staircase that all communication with the other rooms on the attic floor was soon cut off.