The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed over 13,000 homes, 87 churches, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The king’s baker, Thomas Farriner, is believed to have accidentally started the fire. In 1986, the Worshipful Company of Bakers apologized for his actions and unveiled a plaque at the site of his former bakery.
The Great Fire of London broke out in central London in September 1666, gutting the medieval city in four days. The uncontrolled blaze destroyed more than 13,000 homes, 87 parish churches, St. Paul’s Cathedral and many other buildings across 450 acres, leaving 70,000 people homeless. In 1986, members of the Worshipful Company of Bakers gathered along Pudding Lane and formally apologized for the actions of Thomas Farriner (also spelled Faryner or Farynor), the king’s baker, who is thought to have accidentally started the Great Fire there, 320 years ago .
Sorry, Robert, the baker did it:
At the ceremony, a plaque was unveiled on the site of Farriner’s former bakery. Allen Davis, Mayor of London at the time, said: “It’s never too late to apologize.”
Farriner is believed to have failed to properly turn off his oven before going to bed. The widower escaped the flames together with his three children, but their maid died.
A French watchmaker named Robert Hubert claimed to have caused the fire and was hanged. It was later determined that Hubert had arrived in London two days after the fire started.
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