A broadside (printed sheet) which also appeared in the London Gazette on 10 September 1666. Catalogue ref; SP 29/170 f150
- How does this document try to convey that it is a reliable source of news?
- What reasons are given for the spread of the fire?
- What steps were taken to stop the spread of the fire?
- How did Charles II respond to the fire?
- How is his role portrayed?
Transcript
A True
RELATION
Of that sad and deplorable Fire, that happened and brake out in London, the second of September 1666, as it came from Whitehall, the 8th of the same month, and there published by Authority.
ON the second instant at one of the clock in the Morning, there happened to break out a sad and lamentable Fire in Pudding Lane near New Fish Street, which falling out at that hour of the night, and in a quarter of the Town so close built with wooden pitched houses spread itself so far before day, and with such distractions to the Inhabitants and Neighbours, that care was not taken for the timely preventing the further diffusion of it by pulling down houses, as ought to have been, so that this lamentable Fire in a short time became too big to be mastered by any Engine or working near it. It fell out most unhappily too, that a violent Easterly wind fomented it, and kept it burning all that day, and the night following, spreading itself up to Grace Church Street, and downwards from Cannon Street to the water-side as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintry, [Upper Thames Street tavern]. The People in all parts about it distracted with vastness of it, and their particular care to carry away their Goodes, many attempts were made to prevent the spreading of it by pulling down houses, and making great intervals, but all in vain, the Fire seizing upon the Timber and Rubbish, and so continuing itself, even through those spaces, and raging in a bright Flame all Monday and Tuesday, not withstanding his Majesty’s own, and his Royal Highness’s indefatigable and personal pains to apply all possible remedies to prevent it, calling upon, and helping the people with their Guards; and a great number of Nobility and Gentry unweariedly assisting therein for which they were requited with a thousand blessings from the poor distressed people. By the favour of God the wind slackened a little on Tuesday night , and the Flames meeting with brick buildings at the Temple, by little and little it was observed to lose its force on that side, so that on Wednesday morning we began to hope well and his Royal Highness never despairing or slackening his personal care, wrought so well that day, assisted in some parts by the Lords of Council before and behind it, that a stop was put to it at the Temple Church, near Holborn Bridge, Pie Corner, Aldersgate, Cripple gate, near the lower end of Coleman Street , at the end of Basing Hall Street by the Postern, at the upper end of Bishopsgate Street and Leaden-Hall Street, at the Standard in Cornhill, at the Church in Fen Church Street, near Clothworkers Hall in Mincing Lane, at the middle of Mark Lane, and at the Tower dock. On Thursday by the blessing of God it was wholly beat down and extinguished but so as that Evening it unhappily burst out again afresh at the Temple, by the falling of some sparks (as is supposed) upon a pile of Wooden buildings. But his Royal Highness who watched there that whole night in Person, by the great labours and diligence used, and especially Powder to blow up the Houses about it before day most happily mastered it. Divers Strangers, Dutch and French were during the Fire, apprehended, upon suspicion that they contributed mischievously to it, who are all Imprisoned and Informations prepared to make a severe inquisition thereupon by my Lord Chief Justice Keeling, assisted by some of the Lords of the Privy council, and some principal Members of the City notwithstanding which suspicions, the manner of the burning all along in a Train and so blown forwards in all its way by strong winds, makes us conclude, the whole was the effect of an unhappy chance, or to speak better, the heavy hand of God upon us for our sins, shewing us the terror of his Judgment in thus raising the fire; and immediately after his miraculous and never enough to be acknowledged Mercy in putting a stop to it when we were in the last despair, and that all attempts for the quenching it, however industriously pursued, seemed insufficient. His Majesty then sat hourly in council, and ever since hath continued making rounds about the City in all parts of it where the danger and mischief was greatest, till this morning that he hath sent his Grace the Duke of Albemarle whom he has called for to assist him in this great occasion to put his happy and successful hand to the finishing this memorable deliverance. About the Tower the seasonable orders given for plucking down Houses to secure the Magazines of Powder was more especially successful, that part being up the Wind, notwithstanding which it came almost to the very Gates of it, so as by this early provision, the several stores of War lodged in the Tower were entirely saved; And we have further this infinite cause particularly to give to God thanks that the Fire did not happen in any of those places where his Majesty’s Naval stores are kept, so as tho.’ it has pleased God to visit us with his own hand, he hath not, by disfurnishing us with the means of carrying on the War, subjected us to our enemies. It must be observed that this Fire happened in a part of the Town, where tho.’ the Commodities were not very rich, yet they were so bulky that they could not well be removed, so that the inhabitants of that part where it first began have sustained very great loss, but by the best inquiry we can make, the other parts of the Town, where the Commodities were of greater value, took the Alarm so early, that they saved most of their goods of value, which possibly may have diminished the loss; though some think, that if the whole industry of the Inhabitants had been applied to the stopping of the fire, and not to the saving of their particular Goods, the success might have been much better, not only to the Public, but to many of them in their own particulars. Through this sad accident, it is easy to be imagined how many Persons were necessitated to remove themselves and Goods into the open fields, where they were forced to continue some time, which could not but work compassion in the beholders, but his Majesty’s care was most signal in this occasion, who, besides his personal pains, was frequent in consulting all ways for relieving those distressed persons, which produced so good effect, as well by his Majesty’s Proclamations and the Orders issued to the Neighbour Justices of the Peace, to encourage the sending in provisions to the Markets which are publicly known, as by other directions, that when his Majesty, fearing lest other Orders might not have been sufficient, had commanded the Victualler of his Navy, to send Bread into Moor-fields for the relief of the poor, which for more speedy supply he sent in Bisket out of the Sea [ships biscuits] stores; it was found that the Markets had been already so well supplied, that the people, being unaccustomed to that kind of Bread, declined it, and so it was returned in great part to his Majesty’s Stores again, without use made of it.
And we cannot but observe, to the confutation of all his Majesty’s enemies, who endeavoured to persuade the World abroad of great parties and disaffection at home against his Majesty’s Government, That a greater instance of the affections of this City could never be given, then hath been now given in this sad and deplorable Accident, when if at any time disorder might have been expected from the losses, distractions and almost desperation of some persons in their private fortunes, thousands of people not having had Habitations to cover them. And yet, in all this time, it hath been so far from any appearance of designs, or attempts against His Majesty’s Government that his Majesty and his Royal brother, out of their own care to stop and prevent the fire, frequently exposing their Persons with very small attendants in all parts of the Town, sometimes even to be intermixed with those who laboured in the business, yet nevertheless there hath not been observed, so much as a murmuring word to fall from any, but on the contrary, even those persons whose losses rendered their conditions most desperate and to be fit objects of others Prayers, beholding those frequent instances of his Majesty’s care of his people, forgot their own misery, and filled the streets with their Prayers for his Majesty, whose trouble they seemed to compassionate before their own.
YORK, Printed by Stephen Bulkley, for Francis Mawbarne, 1666
Simplified transcript
A true account of that sad and terrible fire, that broke out in London, on 2 September 1666, as published directly from Whitehall on 8 September.
At 2 am, a sad and awful fire broke out in Pudding Lane near New Fish Street, which owing to the time of night, and in a place of closely built houses with wooden roofs, spread so rapidly that the people found it difficult to stop and take the precaution of pulling down houses, as they should have been, so that this quickly became too big to control by fire pumps nearby. A violent Easterly wind made it worse, keeping it burning all that day, and the night following, so it spread to Grace Church Street, and downwards from Cannon Street to the river as far as the Three Cranes in the Vintry, [Upper Thames Street tavern]. People nearby were distressed by the extent and tried to save their goods. Many efforts were made to prevent the spreading of it by pulling down houses, and leaving spaces between, but this effort was all in vain. The fire continued burning timber and rubbish between spaces and raged with bright flames all Monday and Tuesday. This happened despite his Majesty’s determined efforts to prevent it, calling upon, and assisting the people with the royal guards. Many of the nobility also helped tirelessly with great thanks from the poor distressed people. By the grace of God, the wind dropped a little on Tuesday night, and fire reached the brick buildings at the Temple, gradually it was seen to lose its force on that side, so that on Wednesday morning we began to hope. His Royal Highness never despaired and without thought for his personal safety assisted in some parts by the Lords of Council before stopped the fire at the Temple Church, near Holborn Bridge, Pie Corner, Aldersgate, Cripple gate, near the lower end of Coleman Street , at the end of Basing Hall Street by the Postern, at the upper end of Bishopsgate Street and Leaden-Hall Street, at the Standard in Cornhill, at the Church in Fen Church Street, near Clothworkers Hall in Mincing Lane, at the middle of Mark Lane, and at the Tower dock. By Thursday and God’s blessing the fire was extinguished but that Evening it burst out again afresh at the Temple, by the falling of some sparks (as is supposed) upon a pile of wooden buildings. His Royal Highness watched there that whole night and with the great determination used gunpowder to blow up the houses nearby and controlled its spread. Various foreigners including the Dutch and French were detained during the Fire, because they were suspected to have contributed mischievously to it. They are to be questioned by Lord Chief Justice Keeling, assisted by some of the Lords of the Privy council, and some principal Members of the City. Despite these suspicions, the rapid spread of the fire made worst by strong winds, makes us conclude, the whole was the effect of an unhappy chance, or due to, the heavy hand of God upon us for our sins, shewing us the terror of his Judgment in thus raising the fire; and Mercy in when our efforts to put it out seemed ineffective.
His Majesty then sat hourly in council, continued to visit most dangerous parts of the city. This morning that he sent his Grace the Duke of Albemarle help.
Near the Tower of London, houses were pulled down so that gunpowder stored there would not set be on fire which was especially successful as the wind was blowing in that direction. and several stores held in the Tower were saved.
We thank God that the Fire did not happen in any of those places where his Majesty’s Naval stores are kept. It seems that it has pleased God not to prevent us the means the means of carrying on the War.
It must be said that the fire happened in a part of the town, where although the goods bought and sold there were not expensive, they were so bulky that it was hard to move them, so people there have experienced very great loss. Other enquiries show that in parts of the town, where the goods were of greater value, people acted earlier and saved most of their goods of value. Some people think that if everyone had concentrated on stopping the fire, and not saving their goods, the success might have been much better, not only to the public, but to many of them in their own situations. Due to the fire, many people were forced to remove themselves and goods into open fields, where they had to stay. This is so sad to see, and his Majesty’s care was clear to all by his personal efforts and frequently consulting for ways for relieving those distressed persons, which produced so good effect, as well by his Majesty’s Proclamations the local Justices of the Peace, to encourage the sending in food to the public Markets. Also, his Majesty, fearing might not be enough, commanded the food supplier of his Navy, to send Bread into Moorfields for the relief of the poor, and for speedy supply he sent ships biscuits. It was found that the Markets had been already so well supplied, that the people, being unused to these biscuits refused them and so it was mostly returned his Majesty’s Stores.
We can only reject as false, his Majesty’s enemies, who have tried to convince the world abroad that there is great disaffection with his Majesty’s Government. A greater instance of the affections of this City could never be given, than has now been seen with this sad and deplorable accident. Any other time might have expected disorder from these losses and the almost desperation of some persons in their private fortunes. Thousands of people are homeless. And yet, in all this time it clear that the fire was not planned or an attempt against His Majesty’s Government. His Majesty and his Royal brother, tried to stop the fire frequently appearing with few attendants in all parts of the town, and sometimes mixed with those who worked to put out the fire.
There have been no complaints and even the most desperate people, the subjects of other people’s prayers forgot their own misery, with frequent examples of his Majesty’s care of his people. These people filled the streets with their prayers for his Majesty.