Although the Black Death peaked in Europe between 1348 and 1351, plague was almost always present in Britain for the next four centuries. In most years, plague was a dormant threat that affected very few people, and diseases such as smallpox and influenza were much more widespread; however, bubonic plague was prone to outbreaks that could decimate populations in a few short years. In London, plague outbreaks occurred every few decades, usually with death tolls in the tens of thousands. The duration and severity of these epidemics varied, sometimes having high death tolls but subsiding quickly, while others had relatively lower death tolls but could last for a number of years. As London's population and density also grew drastically during this period, plague affected the city differently in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Great Plague of London
The final major plague epidemic observed in Britain took place in 1665 and 1666. It became known as the "Great Plague" as it was the last of its kind in Britain, and its death toll eclipsed all other epidemics in the preceding century (although it was much smaller than that of the Black Death). The plague lasted for eighteen months, and had a reported death toll of more than 70,000 in this time; although modern historians estimate that the actual death toll exceeded 100,000. At its peak in September 1665, it is reported that there were more than 7,000 deaths per week, although this may have also been much higher due to the limited records kept at the time. Another reason for the lack of accurate records relating to this epidemic is because of the Great Fire of London in 1666. The fire started on September 02. 1666, and destroyed almost all of the city within the walls, leaving thousands homeless. Historians continue to debate the fire's significance, some citing that it destroyed the unsanitary dwellings where infected rats lived and drove them from the city, while others claim that the timings were purely coincidental and that the epidemic had already begun to subside in February.
Total number of deaths and bubonic plague deaths in London from 1562 to 1680
Characteristic
Total deaths
Plague deaths
1680
21,053
0
1679
21,730
2
1678
20,678
5
1677
19,067
2
1676
18,732
2
1675
17,244
1
1674
21,201
3
1673
17,504
5
1672
18,230
5
1671
15,729
5
1670
20,198
0
1669
19,432
3
1668
17,278
14
1667
15,842
35
1666
12,738
1,998
1665
97,306
68,596
1664
18,297
6
1663
15,356
9
1662
16,554
12
1661
19,771
20
1660
15,118
14
1659
14,756
36
1658
14,993
14
1657
12,434
4
1656
13,752
6
1655
11,409
9
1654
13,126
16
1653
9,083
6
1652
12,539
16
1651
10,773
23
1650
8,581
15
1649
10,532
67
1648
9,996
611
1647
14,059
3,597
1646
13,532
2,436
1645
11,479
1,871
1644
10,933
1,492
1643
13,202
996
1642
12,167
1,824
1641
18,291
3,067
1640
12,771
1,450
1639
9,862
314
1638
13,624
363
1637
11,763
3,082
1636
23,359
10,400
1635
10,865
0
1634
10,865
1
1633
8,428
0
1632
9,439
8
1631
8,358
274
1630
10,554
1,317
1629
8,814
0
1628
7,743
3
1627
7,715
4
1626
7,353
134
1625
54,265
35,417
1624
12,210
11
1623
11,112
17
1622
8,959
16
1621
8,123
11
1620
9,712
21
1619
8,008
9
1618
9,614
18
1617
8,286
6
1616
8,072
9
1615
7,887
37
1614
7,389
22
1613
7,519
16
1612
7,842
64
1611
7,343
627
1610
9,087
1,803
1609
11,785
4,240
1608
9,020
2,262
1607
8,022
2,352
1606
7,920
2,124
1605
6,391
444
1604
5,219
896
1603
42,042
36,269
....
-
-
1593
-
10,664
1592
25,886
11,503
...
-
-
1563 (April 06. - November 30)
-
23,000
1562
23,630
20,136
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Cambridge University Press. (May 5, 2020). Total number of deaths and bubonic plague deaths in London from 1562 to 1680 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 14, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114899/plague-deaths-london/
Cambridge University Press. "Total number of deaths and bubonic plague deaths in London from 1562 to 1680." Chart. May 5, 2020. Statista. Accessed December 14, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114899/plague-deaths-london/
Cambridge University Press. (2020). Total number of deaths and bubonic plague deaths in London from 1562 to 1680. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 14, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114899/plague-deaths-london/
Cambridge University Press. "Total Number of Deaths and Bubonic Plague Deaths in London from 1562 to 1680." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 May 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114899/plague-deaths-london/
Cambridge University Press, Total number of deaths and bubonic plague deaths in London from 1562 to 1680 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114899/plague-deaths-london/ (last visited December 14, 2024)
Total number of deaths and bubonic plague deaths in London from 1562 to 1680 [Graph], Cambridge University Press, May 5, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114899/plague-deaths-london/