London, September 1666: with the Great Fire spreading across the City, diarist Samuel Pepys buries his important papers, his wine and a large wheel of Parmesan cheese in his garden
Fire Spreads From Bakery
LONDON, September 1666 – A fire that began in the early hours of Sunday 2 September at the bakery of Thomas Farriner on Pudding Lane, near London Bridge, has spread across the City of London, driven by a strong east wind through streets of closely packed timber houses after a long, dry summer. Within days, much of the medieval City has been destroyed, including St Paul Cathedral, dozens of churches and many thousands of homes. Residents are fleeing with whatever they can carry. Some are carrying furniture. One man is carrying cheese.
The Pepys Response
Samuel Pepys, a senior official at the Navy Board, has been keeping a remarkably detailed private diary for several years, in shorthand. His entries for the fire are among the most vivid eyewitness accounts we have. He describes watching the flames from the river, the pigeons reluctant to leave their homes until their wings caught fire, and people throwing their goods into the Thames. He went to warn King Charles II and the Duke of York, who ordered houses pulled down to create firebreaks.
Then, on 4 September, with the fire approaching his own house near Tower Hill, Pepys and a colleague, Sir William Penn, dug a pit in his garden. According to his diary, Pepys buried his wine there, along with his Parmesan cheese and some other things. His official papers went into another pit. Historians note that Parmesan was an expensive, prized import, and that Pepys had clear priorities.
Firebreaks and Gunpowder
Efforts to stop the fire were hampered at first by hesitation. The Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Bloodworth, initially dismissed the danger, reportedly saying that a woman could put it out, a remark that history has not let him forget. As the fire grew, the authorities used gunpowder to blow up houses and create gaps the flames could not cross. When the wind finally dropped on 5 and 6 September, the fire was brought under control.
The Aftermath
The recorded death toll was very low, though historians believe many deaths, especially among the poor, were never recorded. Tens of thousands of people were made homeless. Rumours spread that foreigners or Catholics had started the fire deliberately, and a French watchmaker, Robert Hubert, confessed to starting it and was executed, although it later became clear he could not have done so. The rebuilding transformed London: Christopher Wren designed the new St Paul Cathedral and many City churches, and the Monument to the Great Fire, near Pudding Lane, still stands today.
As for the cheese, Pepys does not record exactly what became of it. His house survived. Historians like to assume the Parmesan did too.
Meanwhile, in 2026
Diaries and memoirs continue to make news. The London Prat reports Prince William reportedly calling Earl Spencer and Harry traitors over a memoir by their uncle, after an anonymous source claimed the heir believes his brother read it first. The uncle says everyone was told. Historians of Restoration London point out that Pepys diary, written in private shorthand, was not published until the nineteenth century, so nobody in his family could argue about who read it first.
The London Prat has been burying important cheese since 1961 at https://prat.uk/, with its royal row video on YouTube. Bohiney at https://bohiney.com/ covers American disasters, and what Americans save first.
Study Questions for Students
Why did the fire spread so quickly? How reliable is a private diary like Pepys as a historical source? Why were foreigners blamed? What would you bury? Discuss, keeping all cheese indoors.
SOURCE: https://prat.uk/prince-william-called-earl-spencer-and-harry-traitors/