“Orlando Whistlecraft – a Suffolk Weather Prophet”.

Talk by Kevin Pulford May 8^th 2024.

Kevin Pulford has extensively explored the life of Orlando Whistlecraft, a farmer’s son born in 1810 in the village of Thwaite, near Eye. As a child, Orlando suffered from rheumatic fever and lost the use of his right hand. From an early age, he took an interest in the weather and atmospheric phenomena. He went to school in Ipswich where he later became assistant master. He recorded the weather every day from 1827 – 1892 in his “Weather Diaries”, making notes on rainfall, temperature, wind direction and strength. He was also an accomplished artist, illustrating his own books. He wrote several authoritative books such as “The Climate of England” in 1840. He produced a popular yearly Almanac which included a church calendar, weights and measures, eclipses and moon phases. He used astrology and based predictions on phases of the moon. In 1854, the MET office was set up by Robert FitzRoy, Captain of the Beagle. Gradually interest in Orlando’s Almanac waned.  On his tombstone is written “Orlando Whistlecraft, Weather Prophet & Poet”.
A thoroughly researched talk on an early Suffolk meteorologist.

Announcements

1. Final details for our first excursion of the year – Wimpole Hall, NT, 17^th May.
2. Last call to join the June excursion – Thames barge cruise on the River Orwel. Coach to be booked for transport.
3. A member has volunteered to support our Treasurer, for which we are very grateful