By the end of 1664, talk of plague in Europe was beginning to spread throughout England. What rumours occurred and how did rumour operate before and during the time of the Great Plague in London? How did the Government attempt to silence the 'rumour machine'?
This lecture is part of Professor Pick's series, Rumour, Disease and the Madness of Crowds. The other lectures in this series are:
1848: The Chartists' Revolution in London
1888: Jack the Ripper
Money Mania: The South Sea Bubble
Miracle Cures: Spas, Shrines and Spirits
Gambling Fever: The Mirage of Sudden Riches

Professor John Pick was Gresham Professor of Rhetoric in 1985 and 1987. He was the founding professor of Europe's first Department of Arts Policy and Management at City University, London. He is Emeritus Professor of Arts Policy and Management at City University and Emeritus Visiting Professor in Arts Management at South Bank University.