The Impact of the Plague

The Great Plague of 1665 was undoubtedly devastating. Historians have estimated that around 130,000 people died across England. Between 75,000 and 100,000 of these deaths were in London alone. But was the ‘Great Plague’ the worst outbreak of the disease in the seventeenth century?

Click on the images to find out more about the impact of the plague on the population and economy, and how these recovered afterwards

The Impact of the Plague on the Population
The Impact of the Plague on the Economy
Recovery

Questions and Activities:

  1. There are no exact figures for the numbers of people who died in either the Great Plague of 1665 or other outbreaks such as those during the Civil Wars. Why do you think that it was difficult to keep accurate records?
  2. Read the petition of Richard Cocombe. During the Civil Wars, Cocombe was stationed in Gloucester, where there was an outbreak of plague in 1643-4. How do you think wartime impacted upon the effects of the plague?
  3. Debate time! 'The Great Plague of 1665 was a complete disaster' Divide the class into two groups, one group arguing for and the other against this statement.