Orders conceived and published by the Lord Major and Aldermen of the City of London, concerning the infection of the plague

In the first year of King James's reign, London faced a fresh wave of the deadly plague, prompting the city’s leaders to issue a sweeping set of orders aimed at controlling the outbreak. The mayor, aldermen, and local magistrates band together to create a new framework that appoints officials—examiners, watchmen, searchers, and surgeons—to monitor and contain infection within each parish. Listeners will hear how this early public‑health strategy blends legal authority with practical measures, reflecting the urgency and fear that gripped the capital.

The text spells out the duties of each role: examiners are sworn to identify sick households and seal them off, while watchmen guard those doors day and night, preventing any movement in or out. Women searchers are tasked with examining the bodies of the deceased to determine the cause of death, working alongside surgeons who are assigned exclusively to plague cases. Together these officials form a tightly coordinated network, offering a vivid glimpse into the administrative machinery that early modern London deployed against an invisible enemy.