From a press report:
“The rumbling sound was accompanied by a violent shaking of beds, like the passing of a heavy wagon at a short distance, that lasted about two seconds. Some thought that thieves had broken in; others awoke dizzy. The main oscillation was from east to west with a secondary motion of a whirling nature, producing feelings of dazed terror.
Strong doors jumped open from their catches.
The shock was most violent at Burton Bradstock, Bridport Harbour, Chideock, Charmouth and Lyme Regis. The fright was considerable though a violent shock in the early hours of the morning comes upon a populace deeply removed from the cares of this world. Even a great noise then is only comparable to a horse rearing in the afternoon, it being impossible to gauge the magnitude of the disaster. Inland the effects were less perceptible…”
After hot weather and rain, the cliffs of Charmouth in Dorset began to smoke, then burnt "with a visible but subtle flame". The flames were visible at intervals, especially after rain, till winter.Who knows what the inhabitants of Stanton St. Gabriel made of these things. We do know that the vicar of Leominster blamed the 1863 earthquake on the number of nonconformists in the town, saying that it was sent by God as a punishment.
Whatever we make of that, there's little doubt that God (or Allah) sent the angel Gabriel (or Jibrail).
