349 years ago for four days a major fire burnt in London. The Great Fire of London swept through the city from 2 to 5 September 1666, and destroyed many buildings including St Paul’s Cathedral. As the fire burnt, the inhabitants looked for culprits and so foreigners and Catholics were attacked. During the Popish Plot, Titus Oates accused the Jesuits of setting the fire. An article, written by the historian and former Province Archivist Thomas McCoog SJ, on the religious and political landscape in which Catholics, and in particular Jesuits, became the prime suspects for the Great Fire, can be read on Thinking Faith, the online journal of the Jesuits in Britain.
A copy of the pamphlet mentioned by McCoog in his article is held in the Archives. If you would like to make an appointment to view this document, please us.
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