If true, this would have been one of the largest plague pits in London and would have covered acres of grounds. Also buried here is the Crown jewels thief, Colonel Thomas Blood, although he died somewhat later in 1680.Īlthough the specific location of the Stepney Mount pest fields are unsure, it is thought that they were in the area surrounding St Philip's church. The map below is an ongoing project and we’re always in search of new sites, so if you know of any omissions then please let us know by using the contact form at the bottom of this page.Ĭonfirmed use as one of the five plague pits located in Stepney, used between 1664 - 1666.Įstablished in 1640 to provide additional burial space for nearby St Margaret's, part of the site was designated as a plague pit in 1665 and is now a public garden. Instead, to construct the map below we have had to use a variety of sources including Peter Ackroyd’s London: The Biography, Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, Basil Holmes’ The London Burial Grounds: Notes on Their History From the Earliest Times to the Present Day, the internet, as well as help from our social media channels! Unfortunately there is very little evidence about the exact location of these plague pits. The majority of these sites were originally in the grounds of churches, but as the body count grew and the graveyards became overcharged with dead, then dedicated pits were hastily constructed around the fields surrounding London. The answer: in tens, if not hundreds of plague pits scattered across the city and the surrounding countryside. Over 15% of London’s population was wiped out between 16 alone, or some 100,000 people in the space of two years. Overcrowded, dirty and awash with sewage… it’s hardly surprising that the bubonic plague flourished in the crowded streets of London.
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