Events

Posts in The Copybook for ‘The Great Fire of London’

1
‘London Was, but Is No More!’ John Evelyn

The day after the Great Fire of London finally burned itself out, John Evelyn walked through the charred streets.

In 1665, an epidemic of plague claimed some 70,000 lives in London alone. Then on September 2nd, 1666, fire broke out in Pudding Lane, and raged for five days. Casualties were low, but dozens of churches and civic buildings were destroyed, and over 13,000 houses went up in flames leaving some 80,000 Londoners homeless. On the 7th, John Evelyn went wandering among the ashes.

Read