early modern britain -> the plague

date

explanation

1540s

widespread outbreaks of the plague

1550s

widespread outbreaks of the plague

1590s

widespread outbreaks of the plague

1610s

widespread outbreaks of the plague

april 1665

first case of plague found and two weeks later two more cases reported

august 1665

death toll of the plague doubled and doubled again

1666

by this point around 100,000 people had died of the plague

1667

plague never returned to England due to effective measures throughout Europe

facts (1665)

explanation

death rate

1/3 or more of a population

Daniel Pawston

he was the first to die of plague in his family and his house was nailed shut. within 18 days all of the Pawston family were dead

response

explanation

1518 proclamation

henry VIII adopted isolation in Europe, used for 150 years. locking up prevented the spread of plague but likely worsened the death toll

hung bundles of hay from infected windows, the sick had to carry white sticks around

john gale enforced the lock up and made lots of money

aldermen of york 1550

installed watchmen on the Ouse Bridge to stop the movement of infected people through town

appointed ‘searchers’ to bury the dead and clean infected houses as well as taking food from the parish to infected houses

pest houses 1550

infected people isolated from the healthy, five were built outside London

1578 plague orders

Elizabeth I privy council said:

→ streets and alleys should be cleaned thoroughly

→ aldermen collect money to support the sick in their town

→ people appointed in each parish to report on the plague

→ during infection justice and aldermen had to meet every three weeks

1604 plague act

extended to help sick families by allowing towns to collect money from marishes within a five mile radius and later from the whole country

if you were infected and left your house you could be hung, if you entered and left and infected house you could be whipped.

privy council 1665

ordered infected houses to be shut up and marked

cock and keye alley 1665

homeless people from Covent Garden were sent away

ordinary people 1665

tradesmen no longer directly handled money, letters were aired over boiling vinegar before opening

watchers/wardens 1665

stationed in key areas to make sure nothing was happening

watchmen made lots of money

the parish 1665

provided food, water and basic medical care

searchers 1665

confirmed that dead people had been killed by the plague

royal college of physicians 1665

rich: opium dissolved in brandy

poor: arsenic on chest and armpits, smoking

house of lords 1665

no member of the Lords can be shut in their houses

no plague hospitals should be built

europe’s response

in Europe people were quickly transported away in the early days of infection

changes from medieval britain

continuities

people were shut up and locked away to prevent spread

people continued to turn to God for help

people avoided the sick, were reluctant to enter infected houses, servants were sometimes thrown into the streets

people continued to try to find cures

violent attacks on foreigners and beggars - scapegoats

still believed in the idea of miasma

wealthy people started trying to leave infected towns

people did not abandon each other - many still had funerals

people went from Catholic → Protestant so they stopped pilgrimage and started fasting and good behaviour

physicians and apothecaries were becoming more common and some would be paid to treat people

they wore plague outfits and beaks stuffed with herbs

people were compliant

people were not compliant

neighbours imprisoned each other

one incident of neighbours coming together to free a locked up family

few fought incarceration