Great Plague of London

In 1665, the Great Plague of London broke out in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields. In the span of one month, the earthen mounds of 1,391 burials covered the churchyard and the plague spread throughout the city – eleven years later Edward MASHBURN (Sr) would marry Elizabeth NASH in the parish church.

Great Fire of London

As soon as the population began to recover from the Plague, the Great Fire of London destroyed one-third of the city in 1666.

Rise Of The Middle Class

After recovering from two disasters, the citizens rolled up their sleeves and began rebuilding London Town. Tremendous growth and the rise of a large middle class would characterize the city’s next decade. The MASHBURN family, no doubt, was part of this mass migration to the city.