GoKawiil17th-Century British Pamphlets on Floods Used Named Witnesses to Prove Credibility
Historical pamphlets describing 17th-century British disasters, such as the Bristol flood and a reported shower of wheat, went to notable lengths to convince readers of their truthfulness. Authors cited named eyewitnesses, sometimes including their addresses or occupations, and in one case invoked the Lord Chancellor of Ireland as a source to lend authority to an account of a cross appearing in the moon.