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A report on Great Plague from 1666...
A report on Great Plague from 1666...
Item # 679628
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August 23, 1666
THE LONDON GAZETTE, England, August 23, 1666
* One of the earliest of newspapers to be had
* Report on the great plague of London (rare)
A notable issue from the year when the Great Plague was raging, and also from the year of the Great London Fire.
At the bottom of the back page is a death report which ties it specifically to this significant year: "The Account of this Weeks Bill runs thus. The Total 290. Of the Plague 42. Decreased in all 42. Decreased of the Plague 6."
A single sheet issue, 6 1/2 by 10 3/4 inches, good condition.
AI notes: The Great Plague of London, which struck in 1665 and lingered into 1666, was one of the last major outbreaks of bubonic plague in England, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis transmitted by fleas on rats. It devastated the city, killing an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 people—roughly 15 to 20 percent of London’s population—and leaving streets deserted as many fled to the countryside. Infected houses were marked with red crosses and the plea “Lord have mercy upon us,” while authorities enforced quarantines, restricted public gatherings, and patrolled the streets to contain the disease. Churches and graveyards were overwhelmed, leading to mass burials, and daily life was profoundly disrupted as trade, work, and social activity ground to a halt. The plague gradually subsided by the summer of 1666, and the subsequent Great Fire of London destroyed much of the rat-infested city, likely helping to end the outbreak.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
No Longer Available
