1665 London Bill of Mortality

This image depicts a historical 'Bill of Mortality' from London, dated September 12 to 19, 1665. These weekly statistics were published during the Great Plague of London to track deaths across various parishes. They provided the public with alarming data on the spread of the 'Plague' versus other causes of death. These documents were produced by the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks, an ancient livery company of the City of London.

The document is a crucial primary source for historians, illustrating the scale of the epidemic that devastated London in the mid-17th century. It lists specific parishes such as St. Andrew Holborn and St. Giles in the Fields, noting the number of burials and those specifically attributed to the plague. The production of these records was a precursor to modern public health data collection and remains a significant artifact in the history of epidemiology and printing in England.