The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
In this parish is the dwelling of Edward Chapman, Gent. that married
Bligh of Botadon.
This gentleman received from God’s holy angels a wonderful
preservation in the beginning of the reign of William III. when
returning from Redruth towards his own house about seven miles
distant, with his servant, late at night, and both much intoxicated
with liquor, (as himself told me,) nevertheless having so much sense
left as to consider that they were to pass through several tin mines
or shafts near the highway, on the south-east side of Redruth town,
alighted both from their horses, and led them in their hands after
them. The servant went somewhat before his master, the better to keep
the right road in those places, which occasioned Mr. Chapman’s turning
aside somewhat out of the way, whereby in the dark he suddenly fell
into a tin mine above twenty fathom deep, at whose fall into this
precipice his horse started back and escaped; in this pit or hole Mr.
Chapman fell directly down fifteen fathoms without let or
intermission, where meeting a cross drift (above six fathom of water
under it), he in his campaign coat, sword, and boots, was miraculously
stopped, where coming to himself, he was not much sensible of any hurt
or bruises he had received, through the terror and horror of his fall;
when, considering in what condition he was, he resolved to make the
best expedient he could to prevent his falling further down, (where,
by the dropping or reesing of stones and earth moved by his fall, he
understood there was much water under,) so he rested his back against
one side of the mine, and his feet against the other, athwart the
hole, and in order to fix his hands on some solid thing, drew his
sword out of its sheath and thrust the blade thereof as far as he
could into the opposite part of the shaft, and so in great pain and
terror rested himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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