Eyewitness Accounts London's Great Plague

by Samuel Pepys

On 30 April 1665, the diarist Samuel Pepys recorded the first rumours that the bubonic plague was spreading through 'Great fears of the sickness here in the City - God preserve us all!' Thought to have come by ship from Amsterdam, which had been ravaged by the disease for two years, the Plague reached its height in August and September 1665, when over 7,000 Londoners were dying every week. The disease continued until the Great Fire of London in September 1666. Throughout the long summer when the Plague was at its worst, Pepys stayed in the city and his diary is one of the most vivid accounts of what became known as the Great Plague.

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2014

About the author

Samuel Pepys was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under King James II. His influence and reforms at the Admiralty were important in the early professionalization of the Royal Navy.

The detailed private diary he kept during 1660–1669 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.

His surname is usually pronounced /'pi:ps/ ('peeps').

Reviews

[Paul Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise day by day account of the plague and the fire of London from Pepys limited perspective. It gives a flavour of the fear and disruption of a City dweller's life.