Thomas Bloodworth

Thomas Bloodworth

Sir Thomas Bloodworth (sometimes spelled Bludworth) (1620-1682) was Lord Mayor of London from October 1665 to October 1666. His inaction during the early stages of the Great Fire of London was widely criticized as one of the causes for the great extent of the damage to the city.

Prior to his time as mayor, Bloodworth was a wealthy merchant and a member of the mercantile guild the Company of Vintners, holding the post of Master of the Company for a time. Aside from an apprenticeship, however, he was primarily a timber merchant, as the Company did not require participation in the wine industry for membership.

In the early hours of September 2, 1666, a fire broke out in the house of Thomas Farriner (sometimes spelled Farynor), a baker. The methods of firefighting at the time included the use of long sticks with hooks on the end, which were used to pull down buildings adjacent to those burning. This was meant to contain the fire by not giving it any material to spread to. However, this was also destruction of property and was considered a serious matter, so the mayor was summoned to permit it to take place.

When Bloodworth arrived, he refused to allow the demolition to take place. Possibly, this was due to fear of complaints from the owners of the buildings which would be destroyed that such actions were unnecessary. He expressed a lack of concern that the fire would become dangerous, saying that "a woman might piss it out," before returning to his home and going back to sleep. Over the next three days, the fire would destroy more than 75 percent of the city.

He would maintain for the rest of his life that the scope of the fire was not his fault.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thomas Bloodworth — Sir Thomas Bloodworth ou Bludworth (né en 1620, mort le 12 mai 1682) fut le Lord maire de Londres d octobre 1665 à octobre 1666. Son mandat fut marqué par le Grand incendie de Londres. Son manque de réactivité au début du sinistre lui valut d… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thomas Bludworth — Thomas Bloodworth Sir Thomas Bloodworth ou Bludworth (né en 1620, mort le 12 mai 1682) fut le Lord maire de Londres d octobre 1665 à octobre 1666. Son mandat fut marqué par le Grand incendie de Londres. Son manque de réactivité au début du… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Bloodworth — ist der Name mehrerer Personen: Jimmy Bloodworth (1917–2002), US amerikanischer Baseballspieler Linda Bloodworth Thomason (* 1947), US amerikanische Fernsehproduzentin und autorin Margaret Bloodworth (* 1949), kanadische Politikerin Timothy… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Jarvis — Thomas Jordan Jarvis (* 18. Januar 1836 in Jarvisburg, North Carolina; † 17. Juni 1915 in Greenville, North Carolina) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und 44. Gouverneur von North Carolina. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Frühe Jahre und politischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Lanier Clingman — (* 27. Juli 1812 in Huntsville, Yadkin County, North Carolina; † 3. November 1897 in Morgantown, North Carolina) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und Brigadegeneral der Konföderierte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bloodworth — This interesting surname is of Anglo Saxon origin, and has two possible sources. Firstly, the surname may be locational from Blidworth in Nottinghamshire, which was recorded as Blideworde in the Domesday Book of 1086, and as Bledewurda in the… …   Surnames reference

  • Great Fire of London — This article is about the Great Fire of 1666. For other great fires in London, see Early fires of London or Second Great Fire of London . The Great Fire of London, a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of London from Sunday,… …   Wikipedia

  • Gran Incendio de Londres — Detalle de una pintura de 1666 del Gran Incendio de Londres de un artista desconocido, representando el incendio como pudo haber sido observado en la tarde del martes 4 de septiembre desde un barco. La Torre de Londres está a la derecha y el… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Grand Incendie De Londres — Détail d’un tableau de 1666 représentant le Grand incendie de Londres (artiste inconnu). À droite la tour de Londres, à gauche le pont de Londres, et la cathédrale Saint Paul à l’arrière plan, au cœur des plus hautes flammes. Le Grand incendie de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Grand incendie de londres — Détail d’un tableau de 1666 représentant le Grand incendie de Londres (artiste inconnu). À droite la tour de Londres, à gauche le pont de Londres, et la cathédrale Saint Paul à l’arrière plan, au cœur des plus hautes flammes. Le Grand incendie de …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”