An Account of the Death of Henry Allitt in 1881

Blizzard in 1881 left people trapped in their homes

"A blizzard of epic proportions tore through the southern half of Britain in 1881. Huge snowfalls and gale force winds blasted southern parts of England, East Anglia and south Wales for three days, from January 17 to 20, 1881. The winds drove the snow into giant drifts some 20ft or more and trapped many people in their homes. Even in central London there were 3ft drifts in places, and unusually for snowfall in Britain, the snow was so fine and dry it penetrated the insides of houses through roofs, gaps around doors and windows, and even minute cracks in walls."  ~ The Times

Here is the 1881 newspaper account of Henry Allitt, an Oxhill resident, who sadly died attempting to return home to Oxhill from Banbury, during the storm. A drawing of Henry Allitt follows the newspaper article: