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The Plague

The people of London and the larger towns and villages faced yearly outbreaks of the plague or Black Death.

In the summer of 1665 a particularly nasty outbreak led to 68,500 people dying in London alone.

Villages and towns cut themselves off from the outside world to prevent the plague spreading. It was thought the plague was caught through bad smells (there was plenty of rotting rubbish in the streets!).

People carried nosegays and sweet smelling herbs to protect themselves. In fact fleas from black rats spread the infection.

What colour was the cross painted on the houses of victims?

		Stuart Events The Gunpowder Plot Catholics feared James I would not be as tolerant of their religion as Elizabeth I had been. A group of them decided to kill the king and his principal supporters as they sat in Parliament. Guido Fawkes was amongst the conspirators. They were led by Robert Catesby. A cellar under the House of Lords was filled with barrels of gunpowder. On the evening of 4 November (the king was to open Parliament the next day) Guy Fawkes was arrested as he made his final preparations to explode the gunpowder. He was tortured until he revealed the names of the others involved. They were in hiding at Coughton Court,Warwickshire. Capture and execution soon followed Why is the candle in the lantern? Click the picture for an answer.
Guy Fawkes putting barrels of gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament.
The Plague The people of London and the larger towns and villages faced yearly outbreaks of the plague or Black Death. In the summer of 1665 a particularly nasty outbreak led to 68,500 people dying in London alone. Villages and towns cut themselves off from the outside world to prevent the plague spreading. It was thought the plague was caught through bad smells (there was plenty of rotting rubbish in the streets!). People carried nosegays and sweet smelling herbs to protect themselves. In fact fleas from black rats spread the infection. What colour was the cross painted on the houses of victims?
		There was a nasty outbreak of the plague in 1665.
		The Great Fire of London In September 1666 a fire started in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane. It raged out of control for 5 days. It destroyed old St Paul's Cathedral, 89 churches and all the houses between the Tower of London and the Temple (the law courts). Debris was still smouldering in March 1667. 250,000 people were made homeless. Even the king, Charles II, joined in the fire fighting. However the rebuilding led to new ideas being tried out. Architects like Christopher Wren were brought in to give an ordered design to houses, churches, streets and squares. What were many of the buildings made from which made them burn easily?
The Fire of London burned down a large part of London.
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