Who kept a diary during the Great Fire of London in 1666?

Who kept a diary during the Great Fire of London in 1666?

Pepys’
1666. Pepys’ diary is particularly well known for its vivid descriptions of the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London.

Who wrote a diary during the Great Fire of London?

of Samuel Pepys
The diary of Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) gives us a fly-on-the-wall account of life during the 17th century – from the devastation of war and plague, to the triumphant return of Charles II. But did you know that Pepys ‘rescued’ a cheese during the Great Fire of London and once kept a lion as a pet?

Did Samuel Pepys write about the Great Fire of London?

Samuel Pepys’s description of those four days and nights when the fire raged across the city is unmatched. Others recorded in journals, letters and official reports the key events and aftermath, but Pepys’s diary is uniquely human, honest and heartfelt.

What did Samuel Pepys observe when he sailed down the Thames the morning after the fire started?

The churches, houses, and all on fire and flaming at once; and a horrid noise the flames made, and the cracking of houses at their ruins.

Why is Samuel Pepys diary so important?

Samuel Pepys kept a diary for almost ten years, from January 1660 to May 1669. It is considered one of the most important diaries in the English language, offering a detailed account of critical historic events but also an insight into daily life in 17th century London.

Why did Samuel Pepys stop writing his diary?

Pepys stopped writing his diary in 1669. His eyesight began to trouble him and he feared that writing in dim light was damaging his eyes.

Why did Samuel Pepys keep a diary?

Historians have been using his diary to gain greater insight and understanding of life in London in the 17th century. Pepys wrote consistently on subjects such as personal finances, the time he got up in the morning, the weather, and what he ate.

Why did Samuel Pepys bury his cheese?

Samuel Pepys, we know, buried his cheese and wine in the face of the Great Fire of London because it was valuable to him (a man whose priorities we can all appreciate), and because it was valuable objectively speaking, being worth a great deal of money. Even today, cheese is pretty valuable.

What did Samuel Pepys do with his diary?

The son of John, a tailor and his wife Margaret, Samuel Pepys would later become famous for the diary he used to record the everyday events that were happening whilst he worked for the Navy. Pepys went on to marry Elisabeth de St Michel, a fourteen-year-old with French Huguenot ancestry.

What did Samuel Pepys say about the fire of London?

I have been pulling down houses; but the fire overtakes us faster than we can do it.” That he needed no more soldiers; and that, for himself, he must go and refresh himself, having been up all night.

What did Samuel Pepys write about in his diary?

On 1st January 1660 Samuel Pepys made his first diary entry, one that would lead to a further decade of recording everyday trivialities mixed with important events and battles. With candour and detail he wrote about his wife, the household, theatre, political events, social catastrophes and military might.

How The diary of Samuel Pepys helped the government years later?

As a clerk in the Admiralty, Pepys proved to be a capable administrator, instrumental in the growing efforts to make the British Navy more professional. In fact, Pepys’ personal efforts helped develop the British Navy into the great force it would become in later years.

Where did the Great Fire of London 1666 start?

A fire started on September 2nd in the King’s bakery in Pudding Lane near London Bridge. Fires were quite a common occurrence in those days and were soon quelled. Indeed, when the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth was woken up to be told about the fire, he replied “Pish!

How did the Great Fire of London cleanse London?

Although the Great Fire was a catastrophe, it did cleanse the city. The overcrowded and disease ridden streets were destroyed and a new London emerged. A monument was erected in Pudding Lane on the spot where the fire began and can be seen today, where it is a reminder of those terrible days in September 1666.

When did John Evelyn write the Fire of London?

John Evelyn’s Fire of London. John Evelyn also kept his diary during the events of September 1666 and, given their length, it seems appropriate to give them a home here.

How many people died in the Great Fire of London?

After burning for five days, the Great Fire of London was finally extinguished on the 6th September. However, whilst only ten deaths are recorded from the fire, London needed extensive re-building with over 13,000 houses and 87 churches destroyed. St Paul’s Cathedral was completely destroyed by the flames.