The day parliament burned down

In the early evening of 16 October 1834, to the horror of
bystanders, a huge ball of fire exploded through the roof of the
Houses of Parliament, creating a blaze so enormous that it could be
seen by the King and Queen at Windsor, and from stagecoaches on top
of the South Downs. In front of hundreds of thousands of witnesses
the great conflagration destroyed Parliament's glorious old
buildings and their contents. No one who witnessed the disaster
would ever forget it - yet today this national catastrophe is a
forgotten disaster. Find out about one of the most seminal events
of the 19th century, which not only changed the face of London, but
also led to the creation of The National Archives itself. Caroline
Shenton is Clerk of the Records at the Parliamentary Archives, and
a former senior archivist at The National Archives, where her
interest in the fire of 1834 was first kindled. She has worked in
and around collections relating to the old Palace of Westminster
for over 20 years, and is a Fellow of both the Society of
Antiquaries and the Royal Historical Society. Sponsored by the
Friends of The National Archives.