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World renowned fire investigator Liveryman Peter Mansi decided to research the fire and in
particular, the way in which it was investigated at the time. The following is an extract from the
books introduction.
The Great Fire of 1666 was one of the most
notable events within the history of the City
of London. Although not involving major loss
of life, it devastated the fabric of the city. The
fire had a tremendous impact on churches and
livery halls in particular, with many losing not
only their establishments, but also precious
records dating back to antiquity. There was
great angst within both Royal and Government
circles as to the reason for the fire and the poor
response to dealing with the outbreak – the
political and diplomatic drama surrounding the
fire came close to initiating war and causing
Government bankruptcy.
However, slowly, a new city was to arise from
the smouldering embers of the fire. City and
parliamentary authorities determined that such
an event should never happen again.
Although it would be another 200 years before
the founding of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade,
the first insurance companies were born in the
years after the fire, and these soon developed
means to take effective action against those
fires that did occur. Fine new churches were
built by some of the greatest architects of the
time, and many livery companies dusted off
the soot and picked up their activities in new
premises, once again building up the City as
the key economic powerhouse for the country.
Fortunately, from the historian’s perspective,
the Great Fire of 1666 was one of the first
events to have its progress well recorded in
diaries such as those of Samuel Pepys, and
within the minutes of livery companies and
parish church records. The fire was also well
depicted by artists living at the time. There was
a comprehensive parliamentary report written
on the origins and consequences of the fire
and this was published the following year.
THE GREAT FIRE OF
LONDON 1666
A commemorative view marking the
350th anniversary of the Great Fire
FEATURE: GREAT FIRE OF LONDON 1666
image courtesy of London Fire Brigade