Page 19 - Salamander News Letter September 2023

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This book is a commemorative view marking the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London of 1666. The book has been authored by the Worshipful Company of Firefighters to provide, from a 21st century perspective, an educational appreciation of why and how this fire progressed. It also sets out the impact that the fire had within the City of London, on livery companies, churches and on society in general. It brought about a realisation that fire safety and fire precautions needed to be enhanced and, in so doing, stimulated the development of both fire insurance and organised firefighting arrangements.
Prompted by a simple question: ‘Why would anybody confess to starting a fire that they hadn’t, and allow themselves to be hanged as a consequence?’ world renowned fire investigator Liveryman Dr Peter Mansi decided to research the fire and, in particular, the way in which it was investigated at the time. He uses current methodologies to conduct a cold-case review and his work has highlighted some serious shortcomings in the original investigation and its documentation.
In places, his conclusions are at variance with those of the Parliamentary Report, the document that was the catalyst for the production of this book.
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