The Great Fire of London and a story of injustice
The Great Fire of London in September 1666 was one of the most devastating events in the city’s history. The fire raged for four days, consuming thousands of homes and iconic buildings. In the aftermath, the authorities were desperate to find someone responsible. That man was Robert Hubert, a French watchmaker who confessed to starting the fire. Despite glaring inconsistencies in his story, he was tried, convicted, and executed.
Hubert claimed he was part of a group of conspirators who set the fire, stating that he threw a firebomb into the bakery of Thomas Farriner on Pudding Lane. This bakery was widely accepted as the fire’s point of origin. Yet, there were major problems with his confession. He was not in London when the fire started, only arriving two days later. Furthermore, Farriner’s bakery had no windows, making his story about throwing a firebomb impossible. Witnesses also noted that Hubert had a disability that made it unlikely he could have committed such an act.
Despite this, the authorities pushed forward with his trial. Anti-French and anti-Catholic sentiments were high in England, and Hubert’s foreign background likely contributed to his conviction. He was sentenced to death and hanged at Tyburn on October 27, 1666. Only after his execution did many realize the impossibility of his guilt. Historians now view his case as a grave miscarriage of justice, highlighting how fear and desperation can lead to wrongful punishment.
AP News, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, British Library Archives
