Burton upon Stather Heritage Group
The 29th of March History Calendar
On this day 161 years ago in 1863, there was a fire in Wray's shipyard on Burton Stather. It was noticed in the early hours of the morning and the alarm was raised.
Hunderds of locals turned out to help fight the fire, forming a human chain, taking buckets of water from the Trent to put on the flames. The sawmill was destroyed, but the six ships on the stocks were saved.
On the 6th of May, after the launch of the brig Silvery Wave
, Wray invited about 300 guests who helped with the fire to tea in the newly rebuilt moulding loft.