The Great Plague of London

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What was it like to experience the Plague of 1665?

Plague was both a frequent and alarming occurrence in the 17^th century.  During this period there were many small outbreaks of plague, often in large towns or cities. The worst outbreak to hit the country was in London in 1665. It was disastrous – killing more than 100,000 people (about a quarter of the city’s population), as well as limiting trade, government and travel in and out of the city.

Here you can read a selection of sources from the British Library which show how different individuals and sectors of society dealt with the epidemic.