On 4 August 1577, at Blythburgh, Black Shuck burst in through the doors of Holy Trinity Church to a clap of thunder. He ran up the nave, past a large congregation, killing a man and boy and causing the church steeple to collapse through the roof. As the dog left, he left scorch marks on the north door which can be seen at the church to this day.

On the same day Black Shuck visited terror and death on St Mary’s Church, Bungay as described in A Straunge and Terrible Wunder by Abraham Fleming.

“This black dog, running all along down the body of the church with great swiftness, and incredible haste, among the people, in a visible form and shape, passed between two persons, as they were kneeling upon their knees, and occupied in prayer as it seemed, wrung the necks of them both at one instant clean backward, in so much that even at a moment where they kneeled, they strangely died.”

“All down the church in midst of fire, the hellish monster flew, and, passing onward to the choir, he many people slew.”