Monday, November 18, 2024

The Mayor of London to Lord Burghley. January 14, 1582. Preparations for the Government during the plague.

Here, as in our earlier piece, “The 1593 London Plague and the Bartholomew Fair”1, the particular interest lies in what the adjustments for public safety teach about normal life. Here we learn that the Mayor of London, Thomas Blanke, has been making preparations for the population of Westminster to explode as the Hilary Term2 will begin about the week from the next Monday. The area will be packed with people.

Normally, we learn, the various eateries would suddenly to be packed with customers. Not just government officials but their clerks and servants, the various laborers that will present themselves to transport the sudden deluge of goods through the area, the additional seasonal employees in the inns and stables, those to repair the area's infrastructure and many more. Into this welter, of course, will come the thousands of clients attending the Exchequer, the Courts, the offices of the Parliament, the Inns of Court, etc. All will need places to eat, sleep, perhaps stable their horses, and buy the merchandise necessary for daily life in government.

England had slowly learned its lessons about plague. The first to learn those lessons were the Venetians, the ships that entered their port being carriers of the sickness from the four corners of the known world. As early as the mid-1400s, they had begun quarantining the crews for 40 days before allowing cargoes to be unloaded. Even as late as the mid-1500s, England was still at the mercy of each new outbreak.

But here we learn that the mayor and Burghley are well aware of the concept of contagion. If any inn, eatery or other establishment has been the site of an infection within the previous two months a large-lettered sign must be posted, in clear, simple language, informing the public of the fact.

There could be no thought of moving the government. It would be an impossible task therefore some degree of risk must be accepted.

As we learn all of this, we also learn that pretty much every bit of space in and around Westminster is rented out or pressed into service to feed the multitude... and to make a gratifying profit. The popular areas, we further learn, were Fleet Street and the Temple area (around the Inn's of Court) and their environs.

While all of this is going on, there will still be wildly popular bear-baiting exhibitions at the Paris Gardens across the city in Southwark.

The Mayor

  of London to Lord Burghley. January 14, 1582.3


My duty humbly done to your Lordship, I have, according to your Lordship's direction by your letters, reformed the catalog of victuallers' hovvses infected within the liberties of this citie, from the 8th daye of November laste, being within the two monethes appointed by your former letters, which I have done as your Lordship willed, with advise of Mr. Norton, who informeth me that he hathe herein had speciall regard to two thinges, the one to give suche plaine description and note of the stretes and places as maye serve for easy notice to suche as repaire to this citie, the other that it be in suche shortenes as maye be brought into lesse than one face of a shete of paper to be fixed in places convenyent.

It may please your Lordship also to consyder of the places which I have thought good to signifie after my opinion in the note enclosed, having respecte to Westminster and the way thither, and the entrance allwaies into this citie. Further, I thought good to move your good Lordship to the same intent, that in terme tyme usually in manner all the howses in Flete-strete and the stretes and lanes adjoining, as also without Temple-barre, do use lodgings, victualling, or letting out of chambers, whether it be not your pleasure that all suche howses in those partes, as do so lodge and lett out chambers, though they be not otherwaies usuallie victuallers, be likewise noted, if they have bene infected within the space of these two monethes. I do humblie thanke your Lordship for your honorable and loving care of this citie in the saide matter of infection, and the repaire of the Quene's subjects hither, and for my owne parte will not faile in diligence by your direction according to my duty.

Edward de Vere's Ulysses & Agamemnon (1584)!

It maye please your Lordship to be further advertised, which I think you have alreadie heard of, a great mishappe at Paris-garden, where by ruin of all the scaffolds at once, yesterdaye a greate number of people are some presentlie slayne, and some maymed and grievouslie hurte. It giveth great occasion to acknowledge the hande of God for suche abuse of the sabbath daie, and moveth me in conscience to beseeche your Lordship to give order for redresse of suche contempt of God's service. I had to that ende treated with some justices of peace of that countie, who signifie themselfs to have very good zeale, but alledge want of commission, which we humblie referre to the consideration of your honorable wisedoms. And so I leave to trouble your Lordship.


At London, the 14th of Januarye, 1582.

Your Lordship's humble,

Thomas Blanke, Maior.




1 Purdy, Gilbert Wesley. “The 1593 London Plague and the Bartholomew Fair”. Virtual Grub Street, August 4, 2024. https://vgs-pbr-reviews.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-1593-london-plague-and-bartholomew.html

2 See my “A Thousand Years of English Terms”. Virtual Grub Street, June 2, 2019. https://gilbertwesleypurdy.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-thousand-years-of-english-terms.html

3 Wright, Thomas. Queen Elizabeth and her times, original letters... (1838). 183-4.



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