Historian Trevor delves into bad weather and saintly names

Trevor James has written Come Wind, Come Weather, featuring examples of people’s documented experiences of bad weather as far back as the 16th century, and England’s Saintly Landscape, which explores the significance of saints in place names throughout the country.

“Both books are about me writing up what I have been talking about for 40 years,” said Trevor, 74.

“I have enjoyed the process.”

The former history teacher and schools inspector, has been giving lectures about bad weather in the Midlands for more than 30 years.

Come Wind, Come Weather, which includes major instances of snow, wind, flooding, lightning and hail, refers to the times before mankind could predict the weather scientifically.

“Some of our forebears did recognise weather patterns hence ‘red sky at night, shepherds delight’ and ‘red sky in the morning, shepherds warning’,” said Trevor.

“At the beginning of the book I refer to weather diaries.

“A James Losh, of Jesmond in what is now Tyne and Wear, recorded his daily observations from 1802 until his death in 1833 - he was possibly the first person to record the weather every day.”

Fascinated by natural phemonena, Trevor details specific examples including a tsunami that hit Somerset on January 20, 1607.

“People woke up on the day to find their homes and churches flooded,” Trevor explained.

“Water had come up the Bristol Channel.

“It’s only in retrospect we know it was a tsunami. It came at great speed and spilled over into Somerset.

Cold

“Someone in their diary said the day before the tide had gone out further than usual which we now know is a sign of a tsunami.”

Trevor’s book mentions The Great Snow of 1615, where there is evidence of people perishing because of the cold.

Of course heavy snow has continued to be a feature of the British winter.

Trevor himself recalled when he moved to Crich, Derbyshire, in March 1978 the snow was so deep the furniture delivery driver could not get up the hill to his house.

He had to grit the road to enable the delivery to take place.

“In June of that year we were in the Market Place,” said Trevor.

“My mother-in-law said ‘it is scruffy here’ whereupon my wife pointed to a pile of snow waiting to thaw.”

Trevor is also a lay minister at Lichfield’s St Michael’s Church, takes services at Wall and has also taken services at Whittington, Weeford and Hints.

Through his connection with St Michael’s, Trevor learned that that the church was hit by lightning in the 1590s.

“In the course of tutoring in Derbyshire I have been involved with other churches where spires were struck,” he said.

Routes

England’s Saintly Landscape focusses on the significance of places, churches and inns named after saints across the country.

“Most towns in Cornwall are named after a saint,” said Trevor.

“In England I have identified pilgrim routes - certain saint names are associated with certain places.

“The church at Abbotts Bromley is dedicated to St Nicholas.

“A St Nicholas dedication is to be found in a settlement known to have a long-standing market, reflected by a surviving market place and market cross, and a trading history.

“It tells you there was a community of merchants there.”

Trevor explains that St Bartholomew, who was martyred with a butcher’s knife, was the patron saint of leather workers, and that St Giles was associated in the public mind with fairs and with lepers.

Trevor said that most people think The George Hotel in Lichfield is named after King George.

In fact it is named after the patron saint of England, St George.

“I enjoyed the research process,” added Trevor. “It is what I was trained to do.

“When I was a student it became apparent I enjoyed studying the English landscape, but I had to go to work and for 27 years I was a teacher.

“In fact I was keeping notes and card indexes - lots of information.”

Trevor thanked his wife Alison, Philip Modiano, the late Trevor Osgerby, Ron Plimmer, Barry Abell, Michael Arnold, Richard Stone, Preston North End Football Club and Ralph James, of The Lichfield Press, for their support in the production of the books.

Come Wind, Come Weather and England’s Saintly Landscape are available for purchase on eBay or by calling Trevor on 01543 258434.