E. Bodham from Lynn to Joseph Williamson, 7 September 1666. Catalogue ref: SP 29/170 f139.
King’s Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop’s Lynn and locally as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King’s Lynn in the county of Norfolk.
Joseph Williamson (1633-1701) was the Under-Secretary of State (1660-74) and Keeper of the State Papers which he reorganised from (1661-1701). He also started the ‘Oxford Gazette’ at the time of the Great Plague in 1665, which later became established as the ‘London Gazette’.
- What language is used to describe the fire in this letter?
- Can you find similar language used in this way in other sources?
- What does the letter suggest about how people were affected by the Great Fire outside London?
- Why do you think the town of Lynn was placed under armed guard?
Transcript
We are in this place in great trouble & sorrow from a sad and lamentable calamity by fire upon the city of London, we hear the loss to be out of all measure great & that it continued on Wednesday as fierce & furious as ever, we failed of the mail yesterday which in this calamitous time we could not expect.
Hear our reports of several townes to have been on fire. We hear the contrary of some of these towns yet were nominated to have been on fire so that we doubt not but all is fable concerning the worst. The Lord Mandeville’s troop have been from here this 5 days is come to town this morning & gone out again this afternoon towards London. We keep here our strong guard upon our town with our own trained bands, we make inquiry to secure all Dutch & French; we hear our fleet & the Dutch to be engaged but hear nothing of the issue, God in his great mercy send us victory over our enemies.
Yours to command
E.B.[Bodham]
Simplified Transcript
Here we are very sad about the unfortunate disaster of the fire of London, we fear the losses to be great & that it continued Wednesday as fierce & furious as ever. We failed to get the mail yesterday, which in this terrible time we could not expect.
We hear reported that several towns have been on fire. We fear that these towns mentioned are falsely reported on fire. The Lord Mandeville’s troops have been gone for 5 days and come to town this morning and gone out again this afternoon towards London. We keep a strong guard upon the town with our own trained bands. We make inquiries to secure all Dutch & Frenchmen. We worry that our fleet & the Dutch are engaged but hear no news, God in his great mercy send us victory over our enemies.
At your service
E.B. Bodham