Russell Street fire, compensation requests

Manuscript volume containing a draft of a petition of the inhabitants of Russell Street, London, 'whose houses were burnt and blowne up and that lost their goods by the late fire that began in the Theatre Royal' to the Justices of the Peace at Hicks Hall, 1672. The document also contains a list of the men appointed to examine the petitioners, and a list of the petitioners and the value of their losses in goods and property.

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, first opened in 1663 under a Royal Charter from Charles II. In 1672 it was badly damaged by fire, and replaced by a new theatre designed by Sir Christopher Wren, which was opened in 1674.

Single item.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Bought from Percy Dobell in 1947.

Collection level description.

Manuscript folio. Cloth back and paper sides.

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Further material relating to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, may be found in the British Library, the Theatre Museum in London, and the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.