Special Sub-Topic: Restoration Era Click Here To Play: Restoration Era

What year did the Restoration Era begin?

1660. The Era began in May 1660 when the exiled Charles II returned to England and the Commonwealth Era ended.

What famous village went into voluntary isolation when the great plague arrived in London in 1665?

Eyam. Eyam is the famous village in the Derbyshire Hope Valley. The other villages are there too but Eyam is the one that is famous for this.

What is the estimated number of houses lost in the Great Fire of London in 1666?

13,200.

What was the name of the wife of the famous diarist of this period Samuel Pepys?

Elizabeth. Elizabeth was just 15 years old when she married Samuel Pepys. Rather fortunately for them both his diary was not published until long after their deaths.

What was the population of England in 1660?

5 million. Today the population is over 59,000,000. The figure was just over this in 1999 and still rising. A pretty big jump!

Pall Mall, Pell Mell or Pele Mele - many names for an older version of what modern game which is believed to have its origins in the Restoration Era?

Croquet. Pall Mall was a form of croquet using a wooden ring suspended above the ground. Sounds a lot harder than the present game.

Henry Purcell was a famous Restoration what?

Composer.

Aphra Behn was the first female to make a name for herself as a what?

Writer. Aphra Behn was the first professional female writer and the only female playwright for the first two decades of her career.

Halley's Comet put in an appearance towards the end of the reign of Charles II. What year did the comet light up the sky?

1682. Although it had yet to be named after Edmund Halley the comet was seen in 1682.

The building, or rather re-building of St Paul's Cathedral began in the Restoration Era. How long did it take to complete?

36 years. Not until 1711 was this famous cathedral completed.