9th October 1665: King Charles II moves Parliament to the University of Oxford to escape the Great Plague

Scott Allsop (0:00)

On 9th October 1665, King Charles II moved the English Parliament to the University of Oxford to escape the Great Plague of London. Welcome to HistoryPod.

The plague outbreak that began in the spring of 1665 was the latest and most severe episode in the series of epidemics that had affected London for centuries. By the summer, the number of deaths had risen sharply, and since the cause of the disease was not understood at the time, London authorities attempted to control the outbreak by isolating infected households and restricting movement. Despite these efforts, the plague continued to spread, and in early July, Charles II and members of his court left London. The previous session of the Cavalier Parliament had ended on 2nd March 1665, but although government business continued, the absence of Parliament created difficulties because legislation and taxation required parliamentary approval. As a result, arrangements were made for Parliament to meet again in Oxford. On 9th October, Charles opened the fifth session of the Cavalier Parliament in the Great Hall at Christchurch College. Although attendance was considerably lower than in earlier sessions and Parliament only remained in Oxford until 31st October, several measures were passed. Charles was granted a further £1.25 million in taxation, helping to finance the government during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, and legislation known as the Five Mile Act against religious non-conformists was passed.

Parliament's relocation to Oxford demonstrated the practical effects of the Great Plague on the institutions of government. Although the epidemic began to decline the following year, due to a particularly cold winter and the later impact of the Great Fire of London, it killed nearly a quarter of the city's population.