London Population Passes 200,000

1599

The population of London surpassed two hundred thousand inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in Europe. It had more than doubled during Elizabeth's reign, straining its timber houses, its grain markets, and its sewers. Playhouses, printing shops, and merchant adventurers all profited from the crowd. The growth strained medieval infrastructure, producing overcrowding, plague, and the vibrant cultural ferment that powered Elizabethan England.