Great Fire of London: Mobs, Firestorms, and Revenge

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

History Hit

Myths, Folklore, Mystery, History, Ghosts, Society & Culture, Murder, Ufos, True Crime, Paranormal, Supernatural, Serial Killers

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 13 January 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

(2/2) As the Great Fire of London worsens mob rule begins to appear and a hunt for a scapegoat takes over. Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story, including a special contribution from Pete Zymanczyk, a retired LFB firefighter who is now a City of London Guide. They offer dozens of historical tours of the City of London. Find out more: https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, it's Maddie here. Before we begin, I wanted to let you know that we recorded today's
0:05.2	episode, part two of a mini-series we've put out on the Great Fire of London, before the
0:11.1	terrible events in California. To all of our amazing listeners who've been affected by the disaster
0:17.8	there, please know that our thoughts are with you at this time.
0:30.7	4am, Monday the 3rd of September 1666.
0:36.2	Samuel Pepys is awake, much like the rest of London. He's in his nightgown,
0:42.0	sitting on a cart piled high with his plate and best things, struggling now towards Bethnal
0:49.1	Green and the house of Sir William Ryder, who's offered to look after his friend's belongings in case
0:55.3	Peep's house should fall to the flames. The sky has glowed red all night. Despite the early
1:03.2	hour, the narrow streets of London are crowded with people running, riding, heaving cart,
1:08.9	shouting instructions.
1:17.0	Everyone who has any strength at all has something on their back, scurrying and pushing past each other, weighed down under chests, jars, furniture, tools and clothing.
1:23.7	Peep's has to turn back again and again as the crowds choke up the way ahead.
1:29.5	This city that is used to living cheek by jowl in a seething mass is breaking down into disorder,
1:36.9	falling apart as fire consumes it.
1:40.6	Yesterday, Peep's had seen the Mayor of London, Bloodworth, in a blind panic, claiming there was nothing he could do that nobody was listening to him.
1:51.0	Then, Bloodworth had walked off to go home and rest, never to reappear, and to take back his office.
1:58.0	No one was in charge now, or so it seemed. Anarchy was spreading amongst the
2:04.1	flames, with burglaries, deliberate arson, and mob rule taking over. On the back of Peep's
2:12.1	groaning cart, beneath the dawn dyed red with fire, amongst the yelling and fighting, the pushing through narrow posterns and blocked alleys, the city of London is teetering on the edge of chaos.
2:26.3	The Hello there and welcome back to After Dark. I am Anthony. And I'm Maddie. And this is the second and final episode in our mini-series on the Great Fire of London. And what a story. It truly has been so far. There's been so, you think you know these histories, but then little, I mean, for want of the better words, sparks of information come through. And again, Peter Fireman was one of the
3:11.4	people that was really interesting to learn from in our previous episode. And we'll be hearing
	...

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