Two small paragraphs here published, but a whole wealth of history lies behind them! The Irish labourers who caused the run on sickles had come over to find work and send money back to their families in Ireland. They were suffering the terrible famine, caused by potato blight. The field fires were created by that exciting new mode of transport – the railway.
So unexpectedly great was the influx of Irish labourers at Stamford on Monday, that the stock of sickles was exhausted in all the ironmongers’ shops, and actually an implement of that sort could not be bought in the town. Next day a large fresh supply was received.
Fields or corn were set fire to at Uffington and Helpstone yesterday by railway trains running between Stamford and Peterboro’. Fortunately the damage was not great, as the fires were soon discovered.
The Stamford Mercury, 6th August, 1847