The Greatford Hall fire

The fire at Greatford Hall was reported by the Stamford Mercury newspaper on
 Friday 8th September 1922, as follows:

GREATFORD HALL GUTTED

Disastrous early morning fire

Occupants' thrilling escapes in night attire

A DISASTROUS fire completely gutting Greatford Hall, and doing damage to the extent of many thousand pounds, broke out before daybreak on Tuesday, and in the darkness some exciting scenes were enacted.
The outbreak was discovered soon after 4.30 am by Mr D'Arcy Bradell, a London architect who was staying at the Hall, having in hand a scheme of improvement of the mansion at a cost of £10,000 for Major C.C.L. Fitzwilliams, M.C., late of the Welsh Guards. The latter gentleman recently purchased the property and was temporary residing there while Mrs. Hugh Peacock, the tenant was away in Yorkshire. She was telegraphed for during the morning, as the major portion of the furniture belonged to her. 
The alarm was raised by a kitchen maid running into the village screaming fire, and messages were despatched for the Stamford and Bourne Fire Brigades who turned out promptly. The flames spread with startling rapidity, and when the brigade arrived from Stamford almost the whole building was a raging furnace. They had no sooner got to work than two large water tanks collapsed, and the ammunition in the gun room exploded.
The fire started in the east wing and soon enveloped the central portion of the structure and west wing, the flames throwing a glare into the sky which could be seen for many miles around. Water was easily accessible from the stream which flows through the grounds, the engines operating on the lawns, but the firemen were powerless in preventing the destruction of the picturesque house.
Nothing could be done save to check the flames from reaching the rear and centre of the building which, from the outside view appeared, when the flames had spent themselves, the only part which had escaped almost total destruction.
Before the brigade's arrival the villagers, who had turned out in large numbers, saved what little furniture they could, and some valuable paintings were got out in safety, although many had to be abandoned in the flames.
Some of the domestic staff had a narrow escape under perilous circumstances. The ordinary means of exit being cut off before they were fully aroused, they were compelled to retreat by way of the windows of the upper storey. Some succeeded in lowering themselves by the aid of bed clothes tied together. Two sisters Eva and Gladys Palmer, of Belmesthorpe, the under-housemaid and cook, were trapped in their bedroom by the flames, and before assistance could be rendered them they jumped in their terror from the window on to the gravel nearly thirty feet below. They were both injured and Dr Hutton-Attenborough ordered their removal to the Stamford Infirmary.
Major Fitzwilliams and his wife and children, who were in another part of the Hall, were able to reach safety by means of a staircase, but the flames spread so rapidly that they had no time to dress and had to get outside in their night attire.
The cause of the outbreak is unknown and unfortunately, neither the house nor the furniture were insured for anything like their true value.

The scene the following morning, from a picture postcard by
G F Hinson of Stamford.

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