Willersey 1843
One and a half miles from the centre of Broadway is the village of Willersey, where, in the early hours of Wednesday 29th November 1843, seven people lost their lives in a house fire. It is almost certain that this appalling loss of life, in a single fire, has not been equalled in the area since

The fire spread with such speed and ferocity that the other five children, David, Anne, Mary, Sarah and Betsy, along with their mother, were lost. Elizabeth Jeffs, the family's employee, also died, despite being the one, it was said, who had first raised the alarm. The house was totally destroyed before the arrival of fire brigades from Campden and Evesham.

A Coroner's inquest was held at The New Inn two days later, where a verdict was returned of, 'Accidental death from burning, in consequence of a beam taking fire in the chimney'. The chimney of the house had been on fire on Tuesday, the day before the tragedy. At about 7pm Phillip Cooke, a miller and neighbour, had informed Thomas Rimell that sparks and flames were still issuing from the chimney. But, he claimed, Mr Rimell disregarded his advice.
The fire was so intense that it was not possible to identify the victims individually. Three days after the fire, on December 2nd 1843, their remains were buried in a single coffin in Willersey churchyard, where the gravestone still stands.(*) A fund was set up to help Thomas Rimell, who had lost almost everything. His house was insured, but not his furniture and stock. Elizabeth Jeffs, a widow, left six orphaned girls, four of whom were still living at the family home in Weston-Subedge, and who had lost their mother, and their only source of income.