Height of the epidemic thumb|upright|left|A Bill of Mortality for the plague in 1665 In the last week of July, the London Bill of Mortality showed 3,014 deaths, of which 2,020 had died from the plague. The number of deaths as a result of plague may have been underestimated, as deaths in other years in the same period were much lower, at around 300. As the number of victims affected mounted up, burial grounds became overfull, and pits were dug to accommodate the dead. Drivers of dead-carts travelled the streets calling "Bring out your dead" and carted away piles of bodies. The authorities became concerned that the number of deaths might cause public alarm and ordered that body removal and interment should take place only at night.Leasor (1962), pp. 141–145. As time went on, there were too many victims, and too few drivers, to remove the bodies which began to be stacked up against the walls of houses. Daytime collection was resumed and the plague pits became mounds of decomposing corpses. In the parish of Aldgate, a great hole was dug near the churchyard, fifty feet long and twenty feet wide. Digging was continued by labourers at one end while the dead-carts tipped in corpses at the other. When there was no room for further extension it was dug deeper until ground water was reached at twenty feet. When finally covered with earth it housed 1,114 corpses.Leasor (1962), pp. 174–175.
Height of the epidemic thumb|upright|left|A Bill of Mortality for the plague in 1665 In the last week of July the London Bill of Mortality showed 3014 deaths of which 2020 had died from the plague The number of deaths as a result of plague may have been underestimated as deaths in other years in the same period were much lower at around 300 As the number of victims affected mounted up burial grounds became overfull and pits were dug to accommodate the dead Drivers of dead-carts travelled the streets calling "Bring out your dead" and carted away piles of bodies The authorities became concerned that the number of deaths might cause public alarm and ordered that body removal and interment should take place only at nightLeasor (1962) pp 141–145 As time went on there were too many victims and too few drivers to remove the bodies which began to be stacked up against the walls of houses Daytime collection was resumed and the plague pits became mounds of decomposing corpses In the parish of Aldgate a great hole was dug near the churchyard fifty feet long and twenty feet wide Digging was continued by labourers at one end while the dead-carts tipped in corpses at the other When there was no room for further extension it was dug deeper until ground water was reached at twenty feet When finally covered with earth it housed 1114 corpsesLeasor (1962) pp 174–175