Thomas Bloodworth
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Bloodworth (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 1663 he served as one of the two sheriffs of London.
In the early hours of 2 September 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.
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
from October 1665 to October 1666. His inaction during the early stages of the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
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
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
the Company of Vintners
Worshipful Company of Vintners
The Worshipful Company of Vintners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, England.- History and origins :It probably existed as early as the twelfth century, and it received a Royal Charter in 1364. Due to the Royal Charter, the Company gained a monopoly over wine imports from Gascony...
, 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 1663 he served as one of the two sheriffs of London.
In the early hours of 2 September 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.