At first, few were concerned – fires were such a common occurrence at the time. Share on Facebook Tweet Add My Story. Terrifyingly, they came true. A first-hand account of the Great Fire of London. Engraved portrait of John Evelyn by Nanteuil, for which Evelyn sat on 13 June 1650, while visiting Paris. The fire. Its closest rival in size was Bristol with a population of only 30,000. Most of the medieval City of London was swept away by the Great Fire. Seeing the flames were at the lower end of the neighbouring street, Pepys back to bed. This September will mark the 350th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Fire of London – that awful conflagration which destroyed much of what is now the City of London. Chapter 02. Rebuilding took many years. Summer 1666. The Great Fire of London started on Sunday, 2 September 1666 in a baker's shop on Pudding Lane belonging to Thomas Farynor (Farriner). A selection of the most important Great Fire-related items from the collections of the website's partners and contributors. People's lives. Douglas Kemp. I n 1666, London was England’s economic powerhouse with an estimated population of 500,000. Just before the fire, a storm started with high winds blowing from the east. There had been predictions of a great fire in London. Stories. It had been a long, dry summer. However, the fire was most likely caused by chance rather than by a deliberate act. He told the Lord Mayor of London to support collections for victims of the fire. The Great Fire of London near the Tower of London, watched by a huge crowd of people Fire engines were summoned. Enthused by Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, write diaries! Born: 23 February 1633 Died: 26 May 1703 Age at time of fire: 33 3:00 a.m. – the time that Pepys was first woken by a maid on the Sunday morning, to tell him of the fire. used to start fires. Year 1 and Year 2 children study The Great Fire of London while promoting fire-safety understanding by comparing past and present. Charles II ordered that 10 October 1666 be a day of fasting on account of the fire. … Streets and buildings. London’s Burning: Conspiracy Theories & Fictional Accounts of the Great Fire. How the Great Fire started, spread and was fought. Toggle navigation The Great Fire of London. Although he claimed to have extinguished the fire, three hours later at 1am, his house was a blazing inferno. The Great Fire begins What at first seemed to be a small fire spread very quickly. Organise a classroom tour of 17th Century London. From the Fairclough Collection, EP36, Box 2, p. 245. Eyewitness Account of the Great London Fire By Witnify Admin • September 2, 2016 Uncategorized . Witnify » Eyewitness Account of the Great London Fire. The Collection. Posted by Margaret Maclean in Library Special Collections on September 28 , 2015. The city’s architecture had … Make a range of artworks inspired by St Paul's Cathedral.