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John Ivie – a plague of reforms |
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The plague that hit Salisbury in 1627 was not all bad news. Or so John Ivie, city Mayor and reformer thought. He claimed the plague was caused by "all the drunkards, whore-masters and lewd fellows of the city" and that the scourge was a perfect opportunity for complete social reform.
And with his friend, ally and Recorder of Salisbury, Henry Sherfield and Councillor Matthew Bee, he set about not only preaching the virtues of religion, 
© Courtesy of Derbyshire County Council Cultural and Community Services |
but putting them into practical use for poor relief at a particularly dark time in English history.
Rats have a lot to answer for in England, especially in the Tudor and Stuart periods. In the 14th-Century, the disease they spread was known as the “Black Death” and across Europe, historians agree that it accounted for about 25 million deaths. It spread rapidly along trade routes, from major ports to cities and then into neighbouring villages.
Infected fleas from the poisoned rodents latched on to the backs of men and would randomly jump ship and share their deadly venom. With little or no medical knowledge available, the infection they carried decimated the population wherever it struck. Ever since the Black Death in 13th-Century, and up to 1660, plagues re-visited these shores with devastating effect.
Plague was a reminder of the transience of everything to do with life. It ate into the very fabric of society, bringing work to a halt, and destroying wealth at all levels. Financial stability was fractured at a local and national level.
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