The Impact of the Plague on the Economy

To try and prevent the plague from spreading, strict controls were placed on travel during 1665. For example, innkeepers in York were ordered to report the arrival of travellers in the city to the mayor. This had a severe impact on the economy, as people could no longer trade freely. In Leicester, travel to London was banned and if anyone brought goods back from the capital, they had to find somewhere to lodge and leave their goods outside of the city. People also feared the spread of the plague from Europe. Ships entering English ports were prohibited from landing people or cargo for forty days. Certificates of health were issued to ships coming from ports were there was no known infection. People who were shut up could not go to work and in some places deaths had resulted in a shortage of people to harvest crops, whilst many shops and inns closed.

Not everyone was willing to comply with the restrictions imposed on them. In Norwich, five or six people were employed by the city corporation to punish those who did not adhere to orders issued to prevent the spread of the plague. There was a fear of widespread disorder, especially as many clergy and government officials fled from the cities and towns. Anxieties about unrest were fuelled by the fact that taxes intended to pay for plague officials and to provide relief for the poor affected by the plague did not raise sufficient funds.