The Harrowing Eye-Witness Accounts Of The Great Plague | Fire & Fever | Chronicle

The Great Plague of London caused widespread devastation. The streets were filled with carcasses waiting for burial and the agonizing cries of the dying echoed in the streets.
The plague spared no one, affecting people of all ages, classes, and genders, leading to a high mortality rate. The unsanitary conditions in 17th-century London, with open sewers, rampant rats, and contaminated water sources, contributed to the rapid spread of the plague. The impact of the plague was documented in weekly bills of mortality, listing the number and manner of deaths, while the dead were often collected in open carts and buried in mass plague pits.

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[helentepper]

Love a good Plague doc - will never EVER forget visiting Eyam (I’m from Manchester, U.K.) & hearing the frankly riveting story of ‘the village that escaped’ - and how they did it. Anyone interested in this subject should look up this incredible community who, through sacrifice and self-quarantine, mostly emerged unscathed. Incredible. ❤

[WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

As much as we now look back in some shock at the ignorance of our ancestors, I wonder who will look back and be shocked at our own ignorance...

[sandyposs]

You know what's an interesting thought? That plague doctor costumes are synonymised with fearful imagery and barbaric treatments, but the real people who actually wore those historic garments were probably the bravest and the best of us - physicians who voluntarily stayed within the plagued city of London to help treat people as long as they could, rather than flee to the safety of the countryside saving themselves. That the treatments they had at the time were useless was unfortunate, but their efforts should be remembered as a heroic sacrifice.

[LeifDjurfeldt]

So nice of you to upload these superb older documentaries.
When did they first air?
This kind of honest, non reality-tv like documentaries, narrated without the drama so present as of now (2024) and in perfect british dialect!!
Thank you!

[bernsky]

dont listen to this one if you are listening to it to fall alseep. the fire in the middle with the guy yelling to wake up was not helpful after i had fallen asleep.

[trailertrish]

At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go back in the same box

[leslietarkin]

It's sad that an innocent man was hanged for 'starting the fire' and he wasn't even in the country at the time. Those who hanged him, and the baker who signed the warrant, are guilty of murder.

[nadineo]

snuggling down in my bed at night, the fan's breeze gentley blowing on me, my blaket so cozy, keeping me warm. My two dogs asleep next to me on my right and my little daughter snuggled sleeping peacefully on my left. Its dark inside this cozy room. The sound of a horse drawn carriage traveling in the rain playing through the speakers of my surround sound, lulling me to sleep. I search youtube for a video to fall asleep to. Ah-ha! I press play and listen to the story of how a plague wiped out millions as i drift to sleep.

[LeadsTheFallen]

The cats were killed before the black death, not during. That's why the black death happened. Then when they reintroduced the cats, they managed to eradicate it

[vickiewallace]

WAIT! A plague doc I haven’t already seen!!! WHOOP WHOOP

[anneshields]

Our town has a plague pit it was discovered in late 1990s a priest blessed it so giving the victims a little dignity but to all those that died in the great plague RIP you won’t be forgotten.

[canttouchthis]

My favorite documentaries are plagues and pompeii

[cerdic]

The thing is, Europeans were aware that the Romans valued hygiene and order. What was ultimately lacking was a civic and philanthropic spirit to invest in public infrastructure

[bettyir]

If only there were a way to turn off the music so we could hear the narrator.

[snpvqys]

What a treat to hear the words of those who witnessed these unfortunate events. Thank you.

[mikki]

Imagine entire families wiped out by the plague, horrible way to die.

[potterj]

Love these older docos like this with the period scenes and accents.

[E-D-E]

If the eyeballs don't explode then it's not a proper plague 😂

[lindahouston]

Great documentary rhaI hadn't seen! Thanks

[kennyhaines]

Nice documentary. I really enjoyed it.