On Sunday October 21st 1638, in the afternoon during a service. there was a severe thunderstorm which affected the whole of the Widecombe valley.  the NE pinnacle on the tower was struck and a lightning ball fell through the roof and passed right through the church. Afterwards, the locals explained the storm by ascribing it to a visit from Satan who had come to claim the soul of a man who was to  be his.

The landlady of the Inn at Poundsgate testified that on that Sunday afternoon a horseman had called in for a drink and she had noticed, as he poured the drink down his throat, that it sizzled as water does when poured onto a hot iron. He rode on to Widecombe, some 4 miles distant, found his victim asleep in the church and dragged him up to the top of the tower where,  in hitching his horse, he knocked the pinnacle over, vanishing in a clap of thunder and a vivid flash of lightning.  And there you have it - a perfectly logical explanation - for 1638!

The local schoolmaster went home from the event and carefully wrote it up. Later his version was inscribed on boards which were placed in the tower. In 1786, new boards were made to replace the originals which used to hang in the church and in 1876 these were removed to the tower itself - now, they are the  only trace of the great storm - the tower having been fully restored to remove the scorch marks and shattered stonework and other structural evidence of  the storm.

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not.

The second being from Psalm CM1 . 4: "The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done His marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance."

In token of our thanks to God these tablets are erected,

Who, in dreadful thunder storm, our persons here protected.

Within this church of Widecombe, 'mongst many fearful signs.

The manner of it is declared in these ensuing lines.

In sixteen hundered thirty eight, October twenty first

On the Lord's day afternoon, when people were addressed

To their devotions, in this church, while singing here they were

A Psalm, distrusted nothing of the danger then so near,

A crack of thunder suddenly, with lightning, hail and fire

Fell on the church and tower here and ran  into the choir.

A sulphrous smell came with it, and the tower strangely rent

The stones abroad; into the air with violence they were sent.

Some broken small as dust, or sand, some whole as they came out

Forth of the building, and here in pieces round about,

Some fell upon the church, and brake the roof in many places;

Men so perplexed were, they knew not one another's faces;

They all or most were stupified that with so strange a smell

Or other force, what e'er it was, which at that time befell:

One man was struck dead, two wounded, so they died a few hour after.

No father could think on his son, nor mother mind her daughter,

One man was scorched so that he lived but fourteen days and died,

Whose clothes were very little burnt, but many there beside

Were wounded, scorched and stupified on that so strange a storm

Which, who had seen, would say 'twas hard to have preserved a worm;

The different affections of people then were such

That, touching some particulars, we have omitted much.

But, what we here related have, in truth, in most men's mouths.

Some had their skin all over scorched, ye no harm in their clothes.

One man had money in his purse, which melted was in part,

A key, likewise which hung thereto, and yet the purse not hurt,

Save only some black holes so small as with a needle made.

Lightning, some say no scabbard hurts but breaks and melts the blade.

One man there was sat on the bier that stood fast by the wall,

The bier was torn with stones that fell, he had no harm at all.

Not knowing how he thence came forth, nor how the bier was torn

Thus in this doleful accident, great numbers were forebourne,

Amongst the rest, a little child which scarce knew good from ill

Was seen to walk amidst the church, and yet preserved still.

The greatest admiration was that most men should be free

Among so many dangers here which we did hear and see.

The church within so filled was with timber, stones and fire,

That scarce a vacant place was seen in church, or in the choir,

Nor had we memory to strive from these things to be gone,

Which would have been but work in vain, all was so quickly done.

The wit of man could not cast down so much from off the steeple,

From off the church's roof, and not destroy much of the people:

But He who rules both air and fire, and other forces all,

Hath us preserved, bless'd be his name, in that most dreadful fall.

If ever people had a cause to serve the Lord and pray

For judgement and deliverance, then surely we are they;

Which, that we may perform, by the assistance of His grace

That we at last in time, may have with Him a dwelling place.

All ye that look upon these lines of this so sad a story.

Remember who hath you preserved, ascribe unto His glory

The preservation of your lives, who might have lost your breath

When others did, if mercy had not stepped 'twixt you and death.

We hope that they were well prepared, although we know not how

'Twas then with them. It's well with you if you are ready now."

Then follows another Biblical quotation: Ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning" and the names of the churchwardens who replaced the original tablets - Peter and Silvester Mann.