Government Measures 1665

Part of The Great Plague · Section 3 of 13

Deep DiveUnit: Medicine Through TimeGCSE

Quarantine: Infected houses locked for 40 days with red cross painted on door. Watchmen prevented escape.

Bills of Mortality: Weekly death counts published. First systematic disease tracking.

Searchers: Old women examined bodies to determine cause of death.

Public Health: Banned public gatherings, ordered fires lit in streets, killed dogs and cats (wrong target — should have been rats!).

Burial: Bodies buried quickly in mass graves. No church bells at night (to avoid panic).

This deep dive covers Government Measures 1665 within The Great Plague for GCSE History. Revise The Great Plague in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 3 of 13 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Practice questions for The Great Plague

Approximately how many people died in the Great Plague in London in 1665?

A. 10,000
B. 100,000
C. 500,000
D. 2 million

1 markfoundation

What were Bills of Mortality introduced during the Great Plague of 1665?

A. Laws banning public gatherings
B. Fines imposed on households that broke quarantine
C. Weekly published counts of deaths from plague
D. Orders to kill dogs and cats in infected areas

1 markfoundation

Quick recall flashcards

What were the Plague Orders?

Government rules during the Great Plague: infected houses marked with a red cross, residents locked inside for 40 days, watchmen posted to enforce quarantine

What were Bills of Mortality?

Weekly death counts published by the government — first systematic disease tracking

Comparing Black Death (1348) and Great Plague (1665)

Exam Technique: Continuity vs Change

8 questions on The Great Plague: practise free

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