A letter from Cuckfield in Suffolk [Sussex], dated August 3, says, that last Friday in the afternoon they had a violent storm of thunder and lightening, which threw the inhabitants into great consternation. The spire of the church, which was almost destroyed by a violent storm the beginning of the hard weather last winter, being nearly repaired, the new work was beat down, and the inside set on fire in three or four different places, and it was with great difficulty they extinguished they extinguished the flames.

Reading Mercury, 12 August 1776

Photo: photomontage of a drone image and lightening photo from Vecteezy.com, by the author

More on the 1776 lightening strike at https://www.cuckfieldconnections.org.uk/post/did-sir-christopher-wren-design-cuckfield-church-s-spire

Contributed by Malcolm Davison.