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The fleas carrying the plague that laid in dormant
soon woke up again during the summer of 1666.
That particular summer, it was remarkably hotter in
Eyam that the previous year, It was the perfect
conditions for the fleas to continue spreading their
pestilence.
By August, the death toll in Eyam was rising.
reaching a peak of up to six deaths a day. Seven of
those deaths all came from the same family. In the
space of eight days in August, Elizabeth Hancock
had buried her seven children and her husband
close to her family farm.
In total, 260 villagers from 76 families would die in
Eyam. However, the actions of Mompesson and the
inhabitants of Eyam no doubt saved thousands of
lives in the surrounding areas by their actions.
William Mompesson would survive the plague and
would eventually move to a new parish in Eakring,
Nottinghamshire. He would remarry in 1670 to
Elizabeth Newby. The thoughts of Eyam would
always remain with him until his passing in 1709.
Today, the village is known as "The Plague Village."
The village itself has become a place of historical
importance with plaques around the houses
recalling the victims.
The church of St Lawrence still stands. The stainglassed
windows tell the story of the village's
courage during that time. It is a legacy that
continues to live on.
PLAGUE FACTS
It was known as the "Black Death"
during the 14th Century, causing
an estimated 50 million deaths
There are three forms of plague
infection: bubonic, septicaemic and
pneumonic. Bubonic, characterised
by painful swollen lymph nodes or
'buboes', is the most common form
The burying of the dead was an all too common
experience for the villagers. Marshall Howe, would
not only bury his own family but also many
villagers. Howe was inflected during the early
outbreak in 1665 yet he had survived. Believing
himself to be immune he took on the post of
burying the dead.
Catherine Mompasson was busy tending to the sick
to make their forthcoming deaths more tolerable. It
was inevitable that she would eventually succumb
to the disease herself. On the 23rd August,
Catherine died at the age of 27.
Plague still is endemic in many
countries. The three most endemic
countries are Madagascar, the
Democratic Republic of Congo and
Peru
From 2010 to 2015 there were
3248 cases reported worldwide,
including 584 deaths.