Proclamation

In this proclamation, issued on 19 September 1666, Charles II acknowledges that huge amounts of household goods were stolen during the Great Fire of London and afterwards. In the rush and confusion, people were forced to leave items behind, which tempted looters to break into abandoned houses and pilfer as much as they could. The proclamation also states that some 'thieves' may have taken things by accident, intended to return them to their owners or acted in ignorance of the law.

In order that people be reunited with their belongings, the document declares an amnesty on stolen goods on 27 September. All goods were to be brought to the armoury at Finsbury Fields, where a register was to be kept of each item and the person who deposited it. Once items were returned to their owners, a reward would be given to depositor. If people were still found with stolen goods after the amnesty they would be punished in the usual way. The promise of a reward and a 'no questions asked' policy was probably one of the only realistic ways to recover people's belongings.