parish, it was observed that the ordinary burials increased in number
considerably. For example: –
From December 27 to January 3 { St Giles’s 16
{ St Andrew’s 17
” January 3 ” ” 10 { St Giles’s 12
{ St Andrew’s 25
” January 10 ” ” 17 { St Giles’s 18
{ St Andrew’s 28
” January 17 ” ” 24 { St Giles’s 23
{ St Andrew’s 16
” January 24 ” ” 31 { St Giles’s 24
{ St Andrew’s 15
” January 30 ” February 7 { St Giles’s 21
{ St Andrew’s 23
” February 7 ” ” 14 { St Giles’s 24
Whereof one of the plague.
The like increase of the bills was observed in the parishes of St
Bride’s, adjoining on one side of Holborn parish, and in the parish of
St James, Clerkenwell, adjoining on the other side of Holborn; in both
which parishes the usual numbers that died weekly were from four to
six or eight, whereas at that time they were increased as follows: –
From December 20 to December 27 { St Bride’s 0
{ St James’s 8
December 27 to January 3 { St Bride’s 6
{ St James’s 9
” January 3 ” ” 10 { St Bride’s 11
{ St James’s 7
” January 10 ” ” 17 { St Bride’s 12
{ St James’s 9
” January 17 ” ” 24 { St Bride’s 9
{ St James’s 15
” January 24 ” ” 31 { St Bride’s 8
{ St James’s 12
” January 31 ” February 7 { St Bride’s 13
{ St James’s 5
” February 7 ” ” 14 { St Bride’s 12
{ St James’s 6
Besides this, it was observed with great uneasiness by the people that
the weekly bills in general increased very much during these weeks,
although it was at a time of the year when usually the bills are very
moderate.
The usual number of burials within the bills of mortality for a week
was from about 240 or thereabouts to 300. The last was esteemed a
pretty high bill; but after this we found the bills successively
increasing as follows: –
Buried. Increased.
December the 20th to the 27th 291 …
” 27th ” 3rd January 349 58
January the 3rd ” 10th ” 394 45
” 10th ” 17th ” 415 21
” 17th ” 24th ” 474 59
This last bill was really frightful, being a higher number than had
been known to have been buried in one week since the preceding
visitation of 1656.
However, all this went off again, and the weather proving cold, and
the frost, which began in December, still continuing very severe even
till near the end of February, attended with sharp though moderate
winds, the bills decreased again, and the city grew healthy, and
everybody began to look upon the danger as good as over; only that
still the burials in St Giles’s continued high. From the beginning of
April especially they stood at twenty-five each week, till the week
from the 18th to the 25th, when there was buried in St Giles’s parish
thirty, whereof two of the plague and eight of the spotted-fever, which
was looked upon as the same thing; likewise the number that died of
the spotted-fever in the whole increased, being eight the week before,
and twelve the week above-named.
This alarmed us all again, and terrible apprehensions were among
the people, especially the weather being now changed and growing
warm, and the summer being at hand. However, the next week there
seemed to be some hopes again; the bills were low, the number of the
dead in all was but 388, there was none of the plague, and but four of
the spotted-fever.
But the following week it returned again, and the distemper was
spread into two or three other parishes, viz., St Andrew’s, Holborn; St
Clement Danes; and, to the great affliction of the city, one died within
the walls, in the parish of St Mary Woolchurch, that is to say, in
Bearbinder Lane, near Stocks Market; in all there were nine of the
plague and six. of the spotted-fever. It was, however, upon inquiry