Church Of St Lawrence - Eyam
Beautiful church at Eyam, Church of St Lawrence holds such a sad past, you may remember the plague village in your history books at school….today it’s a major tourist attraction and well worth a visit to teh church and area.
A potted history from the church website
In 1665 the Plague was raging in London. A tailor from Eyam by the name of George Viccars ordered some cloth from the capital and it arrived damp and had to be laid out to dry. This released the plague carrying fleas and within days, Viccars fell ill and died. Several of his neighbors also died and some families began to panic and fled the area. William Mompesson, the rector, supported by Thomas Stanley, a former incumbent, feared that this would spread the disease over a wider area and asked villagers to quarantine themselves.
Food and medical supplies were left at various points on the village boundary. Eyam church was closed and services were held in Cucklett Delf, a valley nearby where a Plague Commemorative Service is still held annually. There were no funerals and families buried their own dead near their homes. At nearby Riley a Mrs. Hancock buried her husband and 6 children in a space of 8 days. The Riley graves, as they are known, are still there.The Plague ended in October 1666 and had claimed 260 lives in an 18 month period. Some of the cottages now carry a commemorative plaque. An authentic history of those fearful months is vividly told in the two floors of Eyam Museum which can be found near the coach park. The museum also looks at other aspects of village life in Eyam.
More later, enjoy your wednesday
Adrian
2 Comments
This village is where quite a few of my ancestors are from: the Mortons and the Furness families and the Hancocks and Blackwell families. Luckily they survived the plague – so I feel I’m pretty invincible!!!
Thats great Davena. bet you feel super fit with that blood in you, the stories are quite sad aren’t they? although it seems so long ago it really is only a blink of an eye.
Bet your very proud, I would be and what a beautiful village too with lovely welcoming locals.
Adrian