{"id":2828,"date":"2026-01-28T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?p=2828"},"modified":"2026-01-28T11:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:00:23","slug":"january-28th-in-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/january-28th-in-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Gilbert White &#038; The Cold of January 1776 January 28th"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"581\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/london-fields-dec-2022-1024x581.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of London Fields in the snow of 2022\" class=\"wp-image-4449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/london-fields-dec-2022-1024x581.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/london-fields-dec-2022-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/london-fields-dec-2022-768x436.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/london-fields-dec-2022-1536x871.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/london-fields-dec-2022-2048x1162.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo of London Fields in the snow of 2022 by Kevin Flude<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>January 1776:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8216;On the 27th much snow fell all day, and in the evening the frost became very intense. At South Lambeth, for the four following nights, the thermometer fell to  7, 6, 6, and at Selborne to 7, 6, 10, and on the 3ist of <mark>January<\/mark> , just before sunrise, with rime on the trees and on the tube of the glass, the quicksilver sunk exactly to zero, being 32 degrees below the freezing point&#8217;<\/em> Gilbert White<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"820\" data-id=\"6383\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/gilbert-whites-house_27-1024x820.jpg\" alt=\"Engraving of Gilbert White's House\" class=\"wp-image-6383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/gilbert-whites-house_27-1024x820.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/gilbert-whites-house_27-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/gilbert-whites-house_27-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/gilbert-whites-house_27-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/gilbert-whites-house_27-2048x1639.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gilbert White and Darwin<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>He, of course, is talking Fahrenheit, so well below zero. If there was a Giant upon whose shoulders Charles Darwin climbed, then  Gilbert White owned one pair.. He was one of many churchmen of the 18th and 19th Century who spent their extensive leisure time, on observing God&#8217;s wonderful creation in their gardens and parishes. What made White so important was that his practice was &#8216;observing narrowly&#8217; and regularly. For example, his observations of the importance of earth worms were fundamental to Charles Darwin&#8217;s own studies. When Darwin came back from his travels on the Beagle, he settled in a country property in Orpington. Like White, he used his garden and the local area as his laboratory. Here he worked to prove his theory of evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gilbert White and Earth worms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Earth worms were one of Darwin&#8217;s passions. This is what Gilbert White wrote about their contribution to nature:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEarth-worms, though in appearance a small and despicable link in the chain of Nature, yet, if lost, would make a lamentable chasm. For, to say nothing of half the birds, and some quadrupeds which are almost entirely supported by them, worms seem to be the great promoters of vegetation, by boring, perforating, and loosening the soil, and rendering it pervious to rains and the fibres of plants, and, most of all, by throwing up such infinite numbers of lumps of earth called worm-casts, which, being their excrement, is a fine manure for grain and grass.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Quoted from <a href=\"https:\/\/gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk\/man-total-harmony-world\/\">https:\/\/gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By such minute and repeated observations, Gilbert White investigated the food chain, and the migration of birds (which was at the time disputed). He laid the foundations of what we now call ecology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gilbert White&#8217;s Career<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>He became Dean of Oriel College in Oxford. But chose to spend his career in the relatively humble occupation of Curate. A Curate is the bottom-feeder in the Anglican Church food chain. A Curate hardly earned enough to maintain a position in the Gentry (\u00a350 p.a.). Although, White was upgraded to the title of Perpetual Curate. He still would only be pulling in, I guess, something like \u00a3200 p.a. (Patrick Bronte was also a Perpetual Curate).  Essentially, it is Vicar looking after a part of a too large Parish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Financially, White didn&#8217;t need much, he inherited his father&#8217;s property at Shelborne, Hampshire. White&#8217;s grandfather was the Vicar at Shelborne. But Gilbert could not inherit the title because he went to Oriel College.  The &#8216;living&#8217; of the Parish of Shelborne was &#8216;in the gift of&#8217; Magdalen College. And they were not going to give the role to an alumnus of a rival college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gilbert White &amp; The Austen Family<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The house, now open to the public, is just around the corner from Chawton. This is where Jane Austen spent her last years. He was born in 1720; was 55 when Austen was born, and he died in 1793, when she was 18. He lived 4 miles away, so the families knew of each other. We know Jane Austen&#8217;s brother wrote a poem about Gilbert White and his natural history observations, particularly on birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From \u2018Selbourne Hanger\u2019 by James Austen<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Who talks of rational delight }<br>When Selbourne\u2019s Hill appears in sight }<br>And does not think of Gilbert White? }<br>Such sure he was \u2013 by Nature grac\u2019d<br>With her best gift of genuine taste;<br>And Providence \u2013 which cast his lot<br>Within this calm, secluded spot,<br>Plac\u2019d him where best th\u2019enquiring mind<br>Might study Nature\u2019s works, and find<br>Within her ever open book<br>Beauties which others overlook.<br>Enthusiast sweet! Your vivid style<br>The attentive reader can beguile<br>Through many a page, and still excite<br>An Interest in what you write!<br>For whilst observant you describe<br>The habits of the feathery tribe<br>Their Loves and Wars \u2013 their nest and Song,<br>We never think the tale too long.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information on White and Austen, go to Gilbert White&#8217;s House&#8217;s web page <a href=\"https:\/\/gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk\/jane-austen-and-gilbert-white\/\">here<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More Snow!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is more of that epic cold January 1776<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8216;&#8230; but by eleven in the morning, though in the shade, it sprang up to I6J,1 \u2014 a most unusual degree of cold this for the south of England. During these four nights the cold was so penetrating that it occasioned ice in warm chambers and under beds ; and in the day the wind was so keen that persons of robust constitutions could scarcely endure to face it. The Thames was at once so frozen over both above and below bridge that crowds ran about on the ice. The streets were now strangely encumbered with snow, which crumbled and trod dusty ; and, turning grey, resembled bay-salt : what had fallen on the roofs was so perfectly dry that, from first to last, it lay twenty-six days on the houses in the city ; a longer time than had been remembered by the oldest housekeepers living&#8230;..&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8216;The consequences of this severity were, that in Hampshire, at the melting of the snow, the wheat looked well, and the turnips came forth little injured. The laurels and laurustines were somewhat damaged, but only in hot aspects. No evergreens were quite destroyed ; and not half the damage sustained that befell in <mark>January<\/mark>, 1768. Those laurels that were a little scorched on the south-sides were perfectly untouched on their north-sides. The care taken to shake the snow day by day from the branches seemed greatly to avail the author&#8217;s evergreens. A neighbour&#8217;s laurel-hedge, in a high situation, and facing to the north, was perfectly green and vigorous ; and the Portugal laurels remained unhurt.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More Frost!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8216;We had steady frost on to the 25th, when the thermometer in the morning was down to 10 with us, and at Newton only to 21. Strong frost continued till the 31st, when some tendency to thaw was observed ; and, by <mark>January<\/mark> the 3d, 1785, the thaw was confirmed, and some rain fell.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"706\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rosemary_02-706x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Rosemary flowering in december\" class=\"wp-image-1169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rosemary_02-706x1024.jpg 706w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rosemary_02-207x300.jpg 207w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rosemary_02-768x1113.jpg 768w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rosemary_02-1059x1536.jpg 1059w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rosemary_02-1413x2048.jpg 1413w, https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rosemary_02-scaled.jpg 1766w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 706px) 100vw, 706px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rosemary flowering in my garden, photo by Kevin Flude<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gilbert White&#8217;s House is open to the public and also contains a display on Lawrence Oates, who died on Scots Antarctic expedition. For more information <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/lawrence-oates-i-am-just-going-outside-and-may-be-some-time-march-16th-1912\/\">look at my post here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is another mention of Gilbert White in the Almanac of the Past <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/january-23rd-planting\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Foods in Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are food stuffs that are in season now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Wild Greens<\/strong>: Chickweed, hairy bittercress, dandelion leaves, sow thistle, winter cress<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vegetables:<\/strong> Forced Rhubarb, purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts, turnips, beetroot, spinach, kale, chard, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, lettuces, chicory, cauliflowers, cabbages, celeriac, swedes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Herbs:<\/strong> Winter savory, parsley, chervil, coriander, rosemary, bay, sage<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cheeses<\/strong>: Stilton, Lanark Blue<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(from the Almanac by Lia Leendertz)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>On This Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1754<\/strong> &#8211; Horace Walpole coined the new word &#8216;serendipity&#8217;  from the &#8216;Three Princes of Serendip&#8217; fairy tale.  The Princes &#8216;ere always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1898<\/strong> &#8211; Walter Arnold became the first motorist to be fined for speeding. He was going 8 miles an hour in a 2 mile an hour area in Kent<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1986<\/strong> &#8211; Explosion of US Space Shuttle Challenger. All 7 astronauts killed, including  teacher Christa McAuliffe who would have been the first civilian in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The food section posted originally in 2023, the part on Gilbert White written on 28th January 2024, revised 2025, On This Day added 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>January 1776: &#8216;On the 27th much snow fell all day, and in the evening the frost became very intense. At South Lambeth, for the four following nights, the thermometer fell to 7, 6, 6, and at Selborne to 7, 6, 10, and on the 3ist of January , just before sunrise, with rime on the &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/january-28th-in-season\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Gilbert White &#038; The Cold of January 1776 January 28th&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[112,116,321,298,115,333,7,23,324,13,4,16,24,185,382,712,322,9],"tags":[1338,575,1346,2027,1348,1337,96,508,21,1351,1347,1344,330,1342],"class_list":["post-2828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-almanac-of-the-past","category-calendar","category-europe","category-farming-history","category-folklore","category-food-history","category-georgian","category-heritage","category-history","category-literary-history","category-london","category-modern","category-museums","category-nature","category-oxford","category-science","category-uk","category-victorian","tag-charles-darwin","tag-cold-winters","tag-curate","tag-earth-worms","tag-ecology","tag-gilbert-white","tag-jane-austen","tag-january","tag-london","tag-migrating-birds","tag-natural-history","tag-shelborne","tag-snow","tag-worms"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gilbert White &amp; 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