Plague houses Eyam Derbyshire UK
The bubonic plague village Eyam Derbyshire UK It s hard to imagine that the quiet village of Eyam off the A623 in Derbyshire could have such a fascinating yet tragic story to tell But at the end of August 1665 bubonic plague arrived at the house of the village tailor George Vicars via a parcel of cloth from London The cloth was damp and was hung out in front of the fire to dry thus releasing the plague infested fleas On 7th September 1665 George Vicars the first plague victim died of a raging fever As the plague took hold and decimated the villagers it was decided to hold the church services outdoors at nearby Cucklett Delf and on the advice of rector William Mompesson and the previous incumbent Thomas Stanley villagers stayed within the confines of the village to minimize the spread of the disease Cucklett Delf was also the secret meeting place of sweethearts Emmott Sydall from Eyam and Rowland Torre who was from a neighbouring village They would call to each other across the rocks until Emmott Sydall herself became a victim of the plague Six of the eight Sydall family died and their neighbours lost nine family members To minimize cross infection food and other supplies were left outside the village at either the Boundary Stones or at Mompesson s Well high above the village The Earl of Devonshire who lived at Chatsworth House freely donated food and medical supplies For all other goods money as payment was either purified by the running water in the well or was left in vinegar soaked holes The Riley graves close to Riley House Farm and approximately 1 2 mile from the village house the bodies of the husband and six children of farmer Elizabeth Hancock All died within a week of each other Because of the high risk of infecting her neighbours she had the traumatic task of burying them all herself Even more tragic is that the infection probably came to her family when she helped bury another villager s body Twelve months
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Eyam Derbyshire uk
Photo credit: © CameronPhotography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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