Lord Craven’s horse could smell a fire

William, Earl of Craven, soldier and devoted servant of the Queen of Bohemia, stayed in London through the great plague of 1665 to help the sick and keep order. In his old age he was one of the best known figures in the city, and whenever a fire broke out he was sure to be there to help and keep the crowd in hand. Londoners came to say that his horse could smell a fire before it happened. Chambers tells the story on 9 April, the day Craven died in 1697.