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Proclamation on the fire relief fund. Printed document on one page. There is a large royal coat of arms at the top of the page.
Proclamation on the fire relief fund
Double-paged hand-written letter. One page forms the outside of the letter and is stained with dirt. There is a red wax seal on it. The handwriting is small and cramped in style.
Letter from Henry Griffith
Proclamation on stolen goods. Printed document on one page. There is a large royal coat of arms at the top of the page.
Proclamation on stolen goods
City tax appeal. Printed document on discoloured white paper. The edges are torn and damaged.
City tax appeal

Losses

 

As well as their homes and belongings, people’s businesses were destroyed in the fire. According to Samuel Pepys and Samuel Rolle, everyone’s conversation in the aftermath revolved around what they had lost.

In the long term this led to destitution and bankruptcy for many and extra debtors’ prisons had to be built to accommodate the insolvent. At least one person was driven to suicide. Some who had been formerly well-off were forced to work as servants to get by.

A national collection on 10 October 1666 raised about £12,000 for the relief effort - a tiny sum compared to the estimated £10 million that had been lost in the fire. See the ‘Facts and figures’ section for more details.
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