Thomas Bloodworth
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Sir Thomas Bloodworth | |
|---|---|
| House of Commons | |
| In office 1660–1679 | |
| Lord Mayor of London | |
| In office October 1665 – October 1666 | |
| Personal details | |
| Occupation | Merchant and Politician |
Sir Thomas Bloodworth, born Blidward, also spelt Bludworth (baptised 13 February 1620 – 12 May 1682), was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679. He was Lord Mayor of London from October 1665 to October 1666 and his inaction during the early stages of the Great Fire of London was widely criticised as one of the causes of the great extent of the damage to the city.
Background
Bloodworth was the son of Edward Blidward,
Fire of London
Bloodworth became 330th Lord Mayor of London in November 1665. In the early hours of 2 September 1666, a fire broke out in the house of Thomas Farriner (sometimes spelt Farynor), a baker. The methods of firefighting at the time included the use of long sticks with hooks on the end, which were used to pull down buildings adjacent to those burning. This was meant to contain the fire by removing material it could spread to. However, this was also the destruction of property and was considered a serious matter, so the Mayor was summoned to permit it to take place.
When Bloodworth arrived, he refused to allow the demolition to take place. Possibly, this was due to fear of complaints from the owners of the buildings which would be destroyed that such actions were unnecessary. According to Samuel Pepys' record of the events, he expressed a lack of concern that the fire would become dangerous, saying that "a woman might piss it out," before returning to his home and going back to sleep.[3] Over the next three days, the fire destroyed more than 15 per cent of the city.
Bloodworth was widely blamed for the failure to stop the fire, however, he appears to have been made a scapegoat. Without the King's authority, he could not pull down houses without being personally responsible for the cost of rebuilding them, and he was also faced with stiff resistance from the aldermen.[1]
Bloodworth continued to sit in parliament until 1679 and was one of the Court Assistants of the Levant Company from 1673 to 1675. He died in May 1682, aged 62, and was buried at Leatherhead, Surrey.[1]
Pepys wrote of Bloodworth as "a silly man, I think" (30 June 1666) and "a very weak man he seems to be" (1 December 1666). He was described as "a zealous person in the King's concernments; willing though it may be not very able, to do great things". Dr. Scott gave his funeral sermon in which he said "he had a mighty affection and zeal for the King and for the Church of England".[4]
Family
Bloodworth married:
- Firstly Mary Rogers, daughter of Walter Rogers, a leather seller in London and Leatherhead and had two sons and a daughter.
- Secondly, on 6 January 1657, Mary Benn, widow of Henry Benn, slopseller of London and daughter of a boat-builder called Butcher, and had two sons and three daughters.[1]
His daughter Anne married firstly Sir John Jones, and secondly
In popular culture
Thomas Bloodworth is a featured character in the 2016 musical Bumblescratch.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e History of Parliament Online - Bludworth, Thomas
- ^ a b : 'Chronological list of aldermen: 1651-1700', The Aldermen of the City of London: Temp. Henry III - 1912 (1908), pp. 75-119. Date accessed: 15 May 2012
- ^ James Malcolm, Londinium Redivivum; or an Ancient History and Modern Description of London... Volume 4 (London, 1807), pp. 73-74.
- ^ 'Notes on the aldermen, 1502-1700', The Aldermen of the City of London: Temp. Henry III - 1912 (1908), pp. 168-195. Date accessed: 15 May 2012
- ^ "Bumblescratch gala concert – latest cast details". Musical Theatre Review. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
External links
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