In terms of firefighting, Bridgwater has been somewhat lucky in its history in never having had a ‘Great Fire’ that destroyed a large proportion of the town – the closest being the terrible fires breaking out in the town when it was attached during the Civil War in 1645. But there has been nothing so severe and accidental as the 1731 fire of Blandford Forum for example. All the same, in an age when every home was heated, fed and lit by naked flames, fires happened and often.
Fires would have been fought by the townsfolk forming bucket chains, or pulling down adjoining houses to create breaks.
The Great Fire of London of 1666 resulted in a development of the ‘fire engine’. These machines were quite crude, simply a pair of plunger pumps on wheels with a cistern needing to be filled by a bucket chain. A gooseneck swivelling branch pipe was coupled to the outlet and the water was delivered by a series of pulses as each pump made its delivery. Improvements in fire engine design came from Holland and the ship that brought William and Mary to Britain in 1688 carried several fire engines. They did not require buckets of water since they were able to suck water up and deliver it to the fire by means of a leather hose. They were fitted with proper wheels and could be rapidly taken to where they were required. English makers were quickly producing fire engines, and in 1712 Nicholas Mandell and John Grey obtained a patent for a new machine for fire fighting. Richard Newsham greatly improved fire engine design with his patented design of 1721. Although legislation had been bought in to cover London, there was no legal obligation placed on town councils, churchwardens or vestries to provide proper fire-fighting equipment. However in many cases corporations did accept the responsibility.
Bridgwater’s member of parliament, George Bubb Dodington, Baron Melcombe of Melcombe-Regis, 1691 1762, presented Bridgwater with a fire engine -presumably the Newsham type – in 1725.
Bridgwater’s engine was housed next to the Poorhouse by the South Gate, where, incidentally it would have been adjacent to the Durleigh Brook and so be able to be kept topped up with water ready for every emergency. This machine was used in 1738 by a Bridgwater mob, including the then Vicar (Moses Williams), who used it to disperse a crowd being addressed by the Methodist George Whitefield. It was later kept at St Mary’s. In the mid-nineteenth century there was a row at a vestry meting at St Mary’s, which led to fisticuffs, when the Fire engine minder was out-voted and lost his place.
Nineteenth Century
As the town’s population exploded in the nineteenth century, and housing became much denser, fire became more frequent. Houses were also getting taller, which presented new problems. In February 1870 a fire broke out in number 11 Cornhill, which soon spread to number 10 next door. The houses were completely destroyed, indicating that the fire engine only had so much utility. The main break on the fire was because the recently re-built number 9 Cornhill had a purposely thick wall separating it from number 10. There were no fatalities, although the occupants had to be rescued from the roof, and it was remarked that the town had no ‘fire escape’ – a specialised fire-proof self-supporting ladder (Western Times, 9 February 1870; Squibbs’ History no.67)
In November 1876 George Ricks of the George Hotel in George Street proposed that the Town Council should purchase a fire escape for the town, which passed to the finance committee to organise (North Devon Journal, 30 November 1876). However, nothing seems to have come of this, as the town was gifted a fire escape in June 1879 by the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from fire. This was to be manned by a volunteer team (Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 11 June 1879).
Water System
With the creation of the town’s waterworks 1879, Bridgwater now had a system of piped water, which could be diverted for firefighting when needed.
The opening ceremony occurred on December 2 1879 with great high jinks. In the centre of Cornhill a fountain with five jets was erected by Thompson Bros, the local ironmongers, and this was profusely decorated with evergreens, as were the railings surrounding the Market House. The tradesmen were invited to close their premises early and in Cornhill and Fore Street flags were put up. A dais for the dignitaries was also erected.
At 3.00 p.m. a civic procession left the Town Hall, headed by the town crier and the mace-bearers. The mayor was accompanied by four ex-mayors all in their robes of office and a large number of the leading inhabitants, followed by some members of the Yeovil fire brigade and the newly-formed Bridgwater fire-escape team. The band of the 26th Somerset Rifle Corps was drawn up on Cornhill. The ceremony attracted a vast crowd of inhabitants, thought to be larger than the turn-out for elections.
After a succession of speeches from the dignitaries, the mayor turned on the fountain to the accompaniment of the crowd cheering, the band playing and ladies waving their handkerchiefs from the upper windows of the surrounding buildings. The mayor returned to the dais and called for ‘Three cheers for the waterworks to which the crowd responded with enthusiasm. The ceremony was completed by the band playing the National Anthem.
Some members of the Yeovil fire brigade, assisted by some members of the Bridgwater fire brigade, took charge of the fire hose recently bought by the Council and ascended by the fire escape to the top of the Market House, where they sprayed water in all directions, including onto the roof of the Royal Clarence Hotel on the opposite side of the road. The firemen then slid down the inside of the fire escape, much to the amusement of the crowd, many of whom had received a soaking.
When darkness set in, gas stars were ignited on the front of the Royal Clarence Hotel, and on the shop premises of Messrs Thompson Bros. on Cornhill. The fountain was illuminated by coloured flares. A well-patronised public dance later took place in the Market House.
The Firemen
The 1883 Whitby Town Directory gives us a snapshot of the town’s firefighting capabilities. There were two fire engines: the Town Engine, which was kept at the Police Station at the top of High Street and Clare Street, which was captained by John Fackrell of Clare Street (who was a basket maker and also town crier – he had led the 1879 firefighting demonstration).
A second engine, was kept at the ‘West of England Fire Engine Station’ in George Street, and was captained by W.J. Major of St Mary Street. We find elsewhere that the ‘West of England Engine and Brigade’ seems to have responded to fires in the wider district (Frome Times, 1 January 1879).
Meanwhile the fire escape had its own station in Clare Street, behind the Town Hall, and was worked by a volunteer brigade. The captain was George Ricks (mentioned above), the lieutenant was Joseph Davis (furniture maker of Fore Street); and the crew were P. Parsons (of Escott Cottage Chilton Street), F. Babbage (Church Street), F.W. Rose (High Street), I. Goldie (Monmouth Street), G.B. Laffan (Church Street), R. Ashton (Washington Terrace, Victoria Road), H.W. Pollard (the builder – Eastover), E.T. York (George Street), while John C. Hunt was the honorary secretary and treasurer. John Fackrell, mentioned above with the town Fire Engine, was the Fire Escape engineer, presumably responsible for maintenance.
Sadly the limitations of this system were showcased the same year, when a disastrous fire occurred at the Bridgwater Mercury offices on the corner of Fore Street and Court Street. Three children of John and Ellen Dunsford were suffocated in the fire, while Ellen was fatally wounded falling from the second storey window. The town’s fire escape in Clare Street was locked up and it took too long to get it to the scene, although it eventually arrived in time to save Elizabeth Barber, the Dunsfords’ servant from the roof (for the full story see the biography of John Dunsford on the website of the Friends of the Wembdon Road Cemetery).
Later that year the Town Council resolved to improve the access to the fire escape, but also to teach the town’s police men in how to use it (Bristol Times and Mirror, 7 September 1883).
Fire Station
The greatest step forward for firefighting in Bridgwater came in 1906, when a purpose-built fire station was built in Clare Street, on the corner of Honey Suckle Alley.
Plans were discussed in 1904, and described the previous arrangement as:
[behind] an entrance from Clare Street, were situate the present yard, sheds, and buildings now utilised by the Town Council as their depot, and in which accommodation was found for harness room, loose box and stabling for seven horses, with fodder store over, masons’ store, engine house, water department store, shed for carts and stores, and shed for the housing of the fire brigade and fire escape. Those buildings for Corporation and fire brigade purposes were now quite inadequate and overcrowded.
The old fire escape shed would be retained, while a new building would be added as
fire brigade and large appliances’ room and cleaning or working room, fitted with pipe trough, hot water boiler, etc, for cleaning hose, and brigade room for men on duty, and attached to that a small yard with necessary sanitary fittings.
(see the page on Honeysuckle Alley for further details)
The new buildings were opened in June 1906 by Mayor Pollard (Western Daily Press 22 June 1906)
In November that year discussion was made for the establishment of a fire engine and brigade for the Rural District (Wells Journal, 15 November 1906). However, this was not acted on and there was still no such force in the 1930s, and each parish made its own provisions, or called to Bridgwater for help.
In March 1907 a new Fire Escape was purchased by the town council for £71 from a firm called Merryweather (Western Daily Press, 22 March 1907).
Modern Fire Engine
By 1932 it was felt Bridgwater was falling behind in terms of fire fighting capabilities. The old engines were dependent on pressure from the water supply hydrants, which if low on a particular day or place meant poor performance. That was demonstrated that year when the town fire engine had severe difficulty putting out a burning hay rick. The old engines were felt sufficient in most cases as the town’s hydrants were generally quite good. However, outside of the town there was more severe danger (Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 17 February 1932). A new Fire Engine was high-pressure pump was purchased, and it led the November 1933 Carnival procession (Langport & Somerton Herald, 11 November 1933). We find the specifications of this engine in 1947 when it was sold:
A Merryweather Fire Engine with Tender combined, comprising 1933 ‘Albion’ 33/40 H.P. Mootor Chassis with ‘Merryweather’ Fire Engine, reciprocating ‘Hatfield’ Pump (275 gallons per minute) mahogany body work, 35 foot extension ladder, 30 gall. First-aid tank’ (Western Daily Press, 4 May 1946).
The 1935 Whitby Town Directory informs us:
FIRE STATION Clare Street, fitted with modern ‘Clear View’ Fire Escape, ‘Merry Weather’ Fire Engine and all appliances. Keys are kept at the house of the Captain of the Fire Brigade, opposite the Fire Station, also at the Police Station. Alarms of Fire should be communicated to the Captain by message or telephone (no. 40) night or day; to the Police Station (no. 24).
FIRE BRIGADE: G. Goodman Captain, Clare Street; J. Hobbs, Lieutenant; H. Hill, T. Billings, J. Manchip, J. Lovell, W. Collard, H. Saunders, R. Slocombe, A. Sprouting, W. Turner.
The old fire station in Clare Street was demolished in 1954. At some point prior to 1956 a fire station had been established at the Cattle Market in Bath Road. The lease was due to expire in 1962 and a new site was earmarked in Salmon Lane (Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 29 September 1956).
The new and current fire station therefore opened at 58 Salmon parade in 1964.
Miles Kerr-Peterson & Tony Woolrich 21 April 2025
If you are able to help expand this history of Bridgwater’s Fire Brigade, especially the more recent history, please get in contact.