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This increase of the bills stood thus: the usual number of burials in a week, in the parishes of St. GilesintheFields and St. Andrew's, Holborn,[11] were[12] from twelve to seventeen or nineteen each, few more or less; but, from the time that the plague first began in St. Giles's Parish, it was observed that the ordinary burials increased in number considerably. For example:
Dec. 27 to Jan. 3, St. Giles's 16
St. Andrew's 17
Jan. 3 to Jan. 10, St. Giles's 12
St. Andrew's 25
Jan. 10 to Jan. 17, St. Giles's 18
St. Andrew's 18
Jan. 17 to Jan. 24, St. Giles's 23
St. Andrew's 16
Jan. 24 to Jan. 31, St. Giles's 24
St. Andrew's 15
Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, St. Giles's 21
St. Andrew's 23
Feb. 7 to Feb. 14, St. Giles's 24
Whereof one of the plague.
The like increase of the bills was observed in the parishes of St. Bride's, adjoining on one side of Holborn Parish, and in the parish of St. James's, Clerkenwell, adjoining on the other side of Holborn; in both which parishes the usual numbers that died weekly were from four to six or eight, whereas at that time they were increased as follows:
Dec. 20 to Dec. 27, St. Bride's 0
St. James's 8
Dec. 27 to Jan. 3, St. Bride's 6
St. James's 9
Jan. 3 to Jan. 10, St. Bride's 11
St. James's 7
Jan. 10 to Jan. 17, St. Bride's 12
St. James's 9
Jan. 17 to Jan. 24, St. Bride's 9
St. James's 15
Jan. 24 to Jan. 31, St. Bride's 8
St. James's 12
Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, St. Bride's 13
St. James's 5
Feb. 7 to Feb. 14, St. Bride's 12
St. James's 6
Besides this, it was observed, with great uneasiness by the people, that the weekly bills in general increased very much during these weeks, although it was at a time of the year when usually the bills are very moderate.
The usual number of burials within the bills of mortality for a week was from about two hundred and forty, or thereabouts, to three hundred. The last was esteemed a pretty high bill; but after this we found the bills successively increasing, as follows:
Buried. Increased.
Dec. 20 to Dec. 27 291 0
Dec. 27 to Jan. 3 349 58
Jan. 3 to Jan. 10 394 45
Jan. 10 to Jan. 17 415 21
Jan. 17 to Jan. 24 474 59
Buried. Increased.
Dec. 20 to Dec. 27 291 0
Dec. 27 to Jan. 3 349 58
Jan. 3 to Jan. 10 394 45
Jan. 10 to Jan. 17 415 21
Jan. 17 to Jan. 24 474 59
This last bill was really frightful, being a higher number than had been known to have been buried in one week since the preceding visitation of 1656.
However, all this went off again; and the weather proving cold, and the frost, which began in December, still continuing very severe, even till near the end of February, attended with sharp though moderate winds, the bills decreased again, and the city grew healthy; and everybody began to look upon the danger as good as over, only that still the burials in St. Giles's continued high. From the beginning of April, especially, they stood at twentyfive each week, till the week from the 18th to the 25th, when there was[13] buried in St. Giles's Parish thirty, whereof two of the plague, and eight of the spotted fever (which was looked upon as the same thing); likewise the number that died of the spotted fever in the whole increased, being eight the week before, and twelve the week above named.
This alarmed us all again; and terrible apprehensions were among the people, especially the weather being now changed and growing warm, and the summer being at hand. However, the next week there seemed to be some hopes again: the bills were low; the number of the dead in all was but 388; there was none of the plague, and but four of the spotted fever.
But the following week it returned again, and the distemper was spread into two or three other parishes, viz., St. Andrew's, Holborn, St. Clement'sDanes; and, to the great affliction of the city, one died within the walls, in the parish of St. MaryWoolChurch, that is to say, in Bearbinder Lane, near Stocks Market: in all, there were nine of the plague, and six of the spotted fever. It was, however, upon inquiry, found that this Frenchman who died in Bearbinder Lane was one who, having lived in Longacre, near the infected houses, had removed for fear of the distemper, not knowing that he was already infected.
This was the beginning of May, yet the weather was temperate, variable, and cool enough, and people had still some hopes. That which encouraged them was, that the city was healthy. The whole ninetyseven parishes buried but fiftyfour, and we began to hope, that, as it was chiefly among the people at that end of the town, it might go no farther; and the rather, because the next week, which was from the 9th of May to the 16th, there died but three, of which not one within the whole city or liberties;[14] and St. Andrew's buried but fifteen, which was very low. It is true, St. Giles's buried two and thirty; but still, as there was but one of the plague, people began to be easy. The whole bill also was very low: for the week before, the bill was but three hundred and fortyseven; and the week above mentioned, but three hundred and fortythree. We continued in these hopes for a few days; but it was but for a few, for the people were no more to be deceived thus. They searched the houses, and found that the plague was really spread every way, and that many died of it every day; so that now all our extenuations[15] abated, and it was no more to be concealed. Nay, it quickly appeared that the infection had spread itself beyond all hopes of abatement; that in the parish of St. Giles's it was gotten into several streets, and several families lay all sick together; and accordingly, in the weekly bill for the next week, the thing began to show itself. There was indeed but fourteen set down of the plague, but this was all knavery and collusion; for St. Giles's Parish, they buried forty in all, whereof it was certain most of them died of the plague, though they were set down of other distempers. And though the number of all the burials were[16] not increased above thirtytwo, and the whole bill being but three hundred and eightyfive, yet there was[17] fourteen of the spotted fever, as well as fourteen of the plague; and we took it for granted, upon the whole, that there were fifty died that week of the plague.