West Sussex County Times - Saturday 14 October 1882

CUCKFIELD.

NARROW ESCAPE FROM FIRE—

On Saturday evening, a cottager’s wife named Burtenshaw, residing at the brewery, heard a child cry, whom she had put to bed; she picked up a paraffin lamp and went into the room, but on entering it she either let the lamp fall or, as she says, the bottom came off, and the paraffin instantly ignited the bed carpet.

She called to her husband, and he endeavoured to beat out the flames, but without success; however a neighbour named King, who resides in the same cottage, came to the rescue, as he had the presence of mind to roll up the carpeting, bundle it into the washhouse, and smother the burning - luckily before it communicated with the bedclothes or furniture in the room.

Visit Cuckfield Museum for ‘Horsepower – Before machines altered the pace of life forever’ display and much, much more. Follow the link for details https://cuckfieldmuseum.org/