Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1886-11-06 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

TERRIBLE AND FATAL FIRE AT ASCOT. A terrible fire has occurred at Berystede, the Ascot residence of Mr. Henry Standish, the calamity, in addition to great destruction of valuable property, unfortunately involving the death of one of the inmates of the villa, a modern erection about a mile from the Ascot Junction of the South-Western Railway, and picturesquely situated among the pine. groves for which the district is famous, The resi. dents of Berystede, which was visited a month ago by the Prince of Wales, who stayed there for a night, consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Standish, a lady's maid known as Madame Elise, s housekeeper, butler, valet, and a couple of maidservant. The whole of the household appear to have retired to rest with the exception of Mr. Standish, who, it tumid, was sitting up Mt his room at the time of the outbreak, which was discovered by Houghton, the watchman. Hearing screams of "Murder," Houghton ran along the garden terrace on the west front of the building to the turret at the corner, the upper part of which was on fire, and saw Mrs. Standish, attired only in her nightdress, at the firet.floor window, about 15ft. from the walk. Houghton, noticing the extremely perilous position of the lady, who was burnt about the face, neck, and arms, requested her to jump out, and she did so,being caught by Houghton, who at once took her to thehousekeeper's room, at the other end of the mansion, whence she was ultimately removed to King's Beech, the residence of Mr. Barnett, where she received every attention. Sergeant Curl, of the Berkshire Constabulary, reached the place soon after the fire was discovered, an d Mr. Philip 13arnett, Miss Barnett, and several of the servants from Kings Beech also hastened to the burning building, which by this time was well alight, and from which some of the inmates escaped with ' considerable difficulty, half suffocated and bewildered by the dense smoke, retch, the valet, who was sleeping on the upper floor of the mansion. hastily rose from his bed, wrapped a pair of trousers about his head, and after a desperate struggle for life managed to get out of a closet window on to the roof, where he was followed by the butler (Trateart), who was badly burnt, and whence both ultimately descended to the ground. The residents occupying apartments on the ground door and sway from the fire escaped easily, and only one of these had to be se. counted for. This was Madame Elise, the lady's maid, whose ale( ping apartment was the uppermost room in the central pavilion of the west front, and which was now in flames. Sergeant Curl, on hearing that she was still within the burning villa, fetched a mattress and bed, and a ladder was also obtained, but nothing could be done to save the unfortunate woman, who perished in the flames. Little water could be procured—that used was of small avail, and the fire burnt on unchecked for several hours till the interior of the mansion was gutted, leaving only the walls standing. The valuable contents of the mansion were nearly all destroyed, the furniture of only two or three rooms and noise linen being rescued. The jewel box was found subsequently. Mr. Superintendent Blake, of the Windsor division of the Berkshire Constabulary, visited Berystede lathe afternoon, and the ruins were also examined by Mr. W. Clinch, the surveyor of the Law Union Fire and Life Insurance Company, with whom the place was insured for £12,000. Mr. and Mrs. S:andish, who were about to visit the Prince and Princess of Water at Sandringham shortly, are staying at King's Beech.