An Urban History of the Plague ─ Socio-economic, Political & Medical Impacts in a Scottish Community 1500-1650

As a medical, economic, spiritual and demographic crisis, plague affected practically every aspect of an early modern community whether on a local, regional or national scale. Its study therefore affords opportunities for the reassessment of many aspects of the pre-modern world.

This book examines the incidence and effects of plague in an early modern Scottish community by analysing bureaucratic, medical and social responses to epidemics in the north-east port of Aberdeen, focusing on the period 1500 to 1650. While Aberdeen’s experience of plague was in many ways similar to that of other towns throughout Europe, certain idiosyncrasies in the responses articulated within the city make it a particularly interesting case study, which challenges several assumptions about early modern mentalities.

Karen Jillings is Senior Lecturer in History at Massey University, New Zealand, where she has taught since 2004.