Money and House Ownership in 17th Century London

In the 17th century, ‘London’ was the City of London. Within its stone walls, it had grown into a bustling, overcrowded residential and commercial centre. As the population grew, space was at a premium, and storey was piled on storey. Tall, jettied timber houses overhung narrow streets. It was this pattern of building that made the Great Fire of London in 1666 so hard to control and led to the loss of 80% of the city.