Eyam
Encyclopedia
Eyam is a small village in Derbyshire
, England
. The village is best known for being the "plague village" that chose to isolate itself when the plague was discovered there in August 1665, rather than let the infection spread. The village was founded and named by Anglo-Saxons
, although lead had been mined in the area by the Romans
.
-infested bundle of cloth that was delivered to tailor
George Viccars from London
.
Within a week he was dead and was buried on 7 September 1665. After the initial deaths, the townspeople turned to their rector, the Reverend William Mompesson
, and the Puritan
Minister Thomas Stanley. They introduced a number of precautions to slow the spread of the illness from May 1666. These included the arrangement that families were to bury their own dead and the relocation of church services from the parish church
of St. Lawrence to Cucklett Delph to allow villagers to separate themselves, reducing the risk of infection. Perhaps the best-known decision was to quarantine
the entire village to prevent further spread of the disease. The plague raged in the village for 14 months and it is stated that it killed at least 260 villagers with only 83 villagers surviving out of a population of 350. This figure has been challenged on a number of occasions with alternative figures of 430 survivors from a population of around 800 being given.
When the first outsiders visited Eyam a year later, they found that fewer than a quarter of the village had survived the plague. Survival appeared random, as many plague survivors had close contact with the bacterium but never caught the disease. For example, Elizabeth Hancock never became ill despite burying six children and her husband in eight days (the graves are known as the Riley graves). The unofficial village gravedigger
Marshall Howe also survived, despite handling many infected bodies, as he had earlier survived catching the disease.
house Eyam Hall
, built just after the plague. The green opposite has an ancient set of village stocks
reputedly used to punish the locals for minor crimes. There is a picturesque Youth Hostel in the village.
Eyam Museum
opened in 1994, including exhibits on local history in general and the 1665 Plague in particular.
cross dated to the 7th or 8th centuries. Initially, it was located at the side of a cart track near Eyam. It is Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
. It is believed that the cross originally lay on a moor outside the village and was later moved to the churchyard. It is covered in complex carvings and is almost complete, but is missing a section of the shaft. A replica of the Eyam Cross, but with the missing part intact, forms the War Memorial at Blundells School in Tiverton in Devon
.
. A CCR5
gene
mutation
designated as "Delta 32" was found in a statistically significant number, 14%, of direct descendants of the plague survivors. The Delta 32 mutation appears to be very rare. In fact, the levels of Delta 32 found in Eyam were only matched in regions of Europe that had been affected by the plague and in Americans of European origin. It has also been suggested that the Delta 32 mutation, if inherited from both parents, may provide immunity to HIV
/AIDS
.
More recent research at Scripps Research Institute disputes the hypothesis that the Delta 32 mutation provided protection against the plague, suggesting instead that it is more likely to have arisen as protection against some other disease common at the time, such as smallpox
. This new hypothesis was still being tested as of 2004.
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The village is best known for being the "plague village" that chose to isolate itself when the plague was discovered there in August 1665, rather than let the infection spread. The village was founded and named by Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
, although lead had been mined in the area by the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
Plague history
The plague had been brought to the village in a fleaFlea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
-infested bundle of cloth that was delivered to tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
George Viccars from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Reverend William Mompesson
William Mompesson was an historically important clergyman, whose decisive action when his Derbyshire parish, Eyam, became infected with the plague in the 17th century averted more widespread catastrophe....
, and the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
Minister Thomas Stanley. They introduced a number of precautions to slow the spread of the illness from May 1666. These included the arrangement that families were to bury their own dead and the relocation of church services from the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Lawrence to Cucklett Delph to allow villagers to separate themselves, reducing the risk of infection. Perhaps the best-known decision was to quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
the entire village to prevent further spread of the disease. The plague raged in the village for 14 months and it is stated that it killed at least 260 villagers with only 83 villagers surviving out of a population of 350. This figure has been challenged on a number of occasions with alternative figures of 430 survivors from a population of around 800 being given.
When the first outsiders visited Eyam a year later, they found that fewer than a quarter of the village had survived the plague. Survival appeared random, as many plague survivors had close contact with the bacterium but never caught the disease. For example, Elizabeth Hancock never became ill despite burying six children and her husband in eight days (the graves are known as the Riley graves). The unofficial village gravedigger
Gravedigger
A gravedigger is a cemetery worker responsible for digging graves used in the process of burial.-Fossors:Fossor or Fossarius , from the Latin verb fodere 'to dig', referred to grave diggers in the Roman catacombs in the first three centuries of the Christian Era...
Marshall Howe also survived, despite handling many infected bodies, as he had earlier survived catching the disease.
Places of interest
Today Eyam has various plague-related places of interest such as the Coolstone, a stone in which money, usually soaked in vinegar, which was believed to kill the infection, was placed in exchange for food and medicine, and the Riley graves as mentioned above. The only pub to be found in the village is the Miner's Arms. Opposite the church is the rather grand-looking Mechanics' Institute, used as the village hall meeting rooms. The Mechanics' Institute was established in Eyam in 1824, with a library paid for by subscription, which then contained 766 volumes. There were 30 members recorded in 1857, paying 3d. (the equivalent of 1p) per month. Up the main street is the JacobeanJacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
house Eyam Hall
Eyam Hall
Eyam Hall is a 17th century historic house in the village of Eyam, Derbyshire, England, UK, situated in the Hope Valley, off the A623 from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Chesterfield. It is a Grade II* listed building....
, built just after the plague. The green opposite has an ancient set of village stocks
Stocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
reputedly used to punish the locals for minor crimes. There is a picturesque Youth Hostel in the village.
Eyam Museum
Eyam Museum
Eyam Museum is a local museum in the village of Eyam, located in the Peak District, Derbyshire, England.- Overview :Eyam Museum opened on 23 April 1994 as a small museum on a single level. A model of a Derbyshire lead mine was added in 2002. The museum is staffed by volunteers...
opened in 1994, including exhibits on local history in general and the 1665 Plague in particular.
Anglo-Saxon cross
Eyam churchyard contains an Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
cross dated to the 7th or 8th centuries. Initially, it was located at the side of a cart track near Eyam. It is Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
. It is believed that the cross originally lay on a moor outside the village and was later moved to the churchyard. It is covered in complex carvings and is almost complete, but is missing a section of the shaft. A replica of the Eyam Cross, but with the missing part intact, forms the War Memorial at Blundells School in Tiverton in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Eyam's role in genetic research
Some research indicates that the villagers of Eyam may have had some genetic protection from the bubonic plagueBubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. A CCR5
CCR5
C-C chemokine receptor type 5, also known as CCR5, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CCR5 gene. CCR5 is a member of the beta chemokine receptors family of integral membrane proteins...
gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
designated as "Delta 32" was found in a statistically significant number, 14%, of direct descendants of the plague survivors. The Delta 32 mutation appears to be very rare. In fact, the levels of Delta 32 found in Eyam were only matched in regions of Europe that had been affected by the plague and in Americans of European origin. It has also been suggested that the Delta 32 mutation, if inherited from both parents, may provide immunity to HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
.
More recent research at Scripps Research Institute disputes the hypothesis that the Delta 32 mutation provided protection against the plague, suggesting instead that it is more likely to have arisen as protection against some other disease common at the time, such as smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. This new hypothesis was still being tested as of 2004.
Notable residents
- Anna SewardAnna SewardAnna Seward was an English Romantic poet, often called the Swan of Lichfield.-Life:Seward was the elder daughter of Thomas Seward , prebendary of Lichfield and Salisbury, and author...
, acclaimed poet (1747–1809) - Richard FurnessRichard FurnessRichard Furness was a British poet.-Biography:Richard Furness was known as the "The Poet of Eyam" after the village in Derbyshire, England where he was born on 2 August 1791. His parents, Samuel and Margaret sent him to school, although he could already read fluently by the age of four...
, the Poet of Eyam (1791–1857) - Hon. Robert John Eden, M.A. Rector of Eyam between 1823 and 1825. Afterwards 3rd Lord Auckland; Bishop of Sodor and ManBishop of Sodor and ManThe Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1...
1847 - 1854, then Bishop of Bath and WellsBishop of Bath and WellsThe Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
, 1854 - 1869. - Egbert Hacking, Rector of Eyam between 1884 and 1886, later Archdeacon of NewarkArchdeacon of NewarkThe Archdeaconry of Newark was created in 1913, and comprises the northern and eastern parts of the Diocese of Southwell. It is one of two archdeaconries in the Diocese, the other being the Archdeacon of Nottingham.-List of the Archdeacons of Newark:...
Poems
- The Village of Eyam: a poem in four parts by John HollandJohn Holland (poet)John Holland was an English poet and newspaper editor.-Life:Holland was born in a cottage in the grounds of the ancient Sheffield Manor in Yorkshire and initially trained by his father to follow him as a maker of optical instruments. He was however a bookish young man who taught himself Latin and...
, Macclesfield, 1821 - The Desolation of Eyam by William and Mary HowittMary HowittMary Howitt was an English poet, and author of the famous poem The Spider and the Fly. She was born Mary Botham at Coleford, in Gloucestershire, the temporary residence of her parents, while her father, Samuel Botham, a prosperous Quaker of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, was looking after some mining...
, London, 1827, reissued by Kessinger Publishing, 2008 - The Tale of Eyam, a story of the plague in Derbyshire, and other poems by an OLD BLUE, London, 1888. Because of its subject, the poem was reviewed in The British Medical Journal for Nov. 30, 1889, where its poetic diction is taken literally: 'The author speaks of the pestilence and its hellborn brood; and again of firebolts from heaven's reeking nostrils. Such phraseology aptly exemplifies the mental attitude of men who lived in the infancy of modern science, when in the plague they saw the angry stroke of offended Deity, and recognised the 'scourge' of God in what we know to be only the scourge of filth.'
Novels
- God and the Wedding Dress by Marjorie Bowen, Hutchinson, 1938
- A Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton WalshJill Paton WalshJill Paton Walsh, CBE, FRSL is an English novelist and children's writer.Born as Gillian Bliss and educated at St. Michael's Convent, North Finchley, London, she read English Literature at St Anne's College, Oxford...
, a novel for young adults, Puffin Books, 1983 - Children of Winter by Berlie DohertyBerlie DohertyBerlie Doherty is an English novelist, poet, playwright and screenwriter. She is best known for her children's books, for which she has twice won the Carnegie Medal...
, a fantasy novel for children, Methuen, 1985 and various editions thereafter; adapted for television 1994 - The Naming of William Rutherford by Linda Kempton, a fantasy novel for children, published by Heinemann, 1992 and various editions thereafter
- Year of WondersYear of WondersYear of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague is a 2001 international bestselling historical fiction novel by Geraldine Brooks. It was chosen as both a New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book.-Plot introduction:...
by Geraldine Brooks, published by Fourth Estate, 2001, and various editions thereafter - Black Death by M. I. McAllisterM. I. McAllisterMargaret I. McAllister is an English author of children's books, born in 1956. She grew up on the north-east coast of England. Her first book, A Friend for Rachel was published by the Oxford University Press in 1997...
, children’s fiction, Oxford University Press, 2003 - Kiss of Death by Malcolm RoseMalcolm RoseMalcolm Rose is a British young-adult author. Many of his books, including the Traces and Lawless and Tilley series, are mysteries or thrillers where the hero uses science to catch the criminal or terrorist.- Biography :...
, a thriller for young adults, published by Usborne Publishing, 2006 - TSI: The Gabon Virus by Paul McCuskerPaul McCuskerPaul McCusker is a writer and producer best known for his work on Adventures in Odyssey, a nationally-syndicated radio drama, and for his work with Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre. He has written over 50 books, 21 plays and 4 musicals. His best known works are the play "Catacombs", the novels...
and Walt Larimore, M.D., Christian suspense fiction published by Howard Books (USA), 2009
Plays
- Isolation At Eyam; a play in one act for women by Joyce Dennys, published by French, 1954
- The Roses of EyamThe Roses of EyamThe Roses of Eyam is a historical drama by Don Taylor about The Great Plague that swept Britain in 1665/66. It is largely based on the events that happened in the 'Plague Village' of Eyam in Derbyshire, between September 1665 and December 1666...
by Don TaylorDon Taylor (director)Donald Victor Taylor was an English writer, director and producer, active across theatre, radio and television for over forty years...
; first performed 1970, broadcast on TV in 1973; published by Heinemann, 1976 - Ring Around the Rosie by Anne Hanley; staged reading by Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre (Alaska), 2004
- Plague at Eyam, a script for young adults published by the Association of Science Education, 2010
Operas
- Plague upon Eyam an opera in three acts by John D. Drummond, librettist Patrick Little; University of Otago Press (New Zealand), 1984; Songs recorded on Mr Polly at the Potwell Inn, Sirius CD SP004, 2000
- Ring Of White Roses, a one-act light opera by Les Emmans, librettist Pat Mugridge, 1984; published Plays & Musicals, 2004
- The Plague of Eyam by Ivor Hodgson, 2010; overture performed on BBC radio, March 2010
Musicals
- Eyam: A Musical, music by Andrew Peggie, book and lyrics by Stephen Clark; pioneered as a group production in 1990, CD Joseph Weinberger, 1995; London production at the Bridewell Theatre, 1998
- A Ring of Roses, Darren Vallier, Dress Circle Records (STG1) 1996; first performed at the Savoy Theatre, 1997; Jasper Publishing 2004
- The Ring of Stones, Eddie Brierley, Peter Robinson, Arthur Connett; premiered at the Dancehouse Theatre, Manchester (1999), before moving to the Lyric Theatre at the Lowry Centre in December 2000. Revived in 2010 and currently touring the North West of England, culminating with a week's run at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Songs
- Roses of Eyam, originally composed by John Trevor (Beau) in 1975; added to Roy BaileyRoy Bailey (folk singer)Roy Bailey MBE , is a British socialist folk singer. Roy began his singing career in a skiffle group in 1958.Colin Irwin from the music magazine Mojo said Bailey represents "the very soul of folk's working class ideals.....
’s repertoire and recorded by him in 1985 on his Hard Times album and reissued on his album Past Masters, Fuse Records, 1998; Beau himself released the song officially for the first time as a bonus track on the 2007 UK reissue of the original Beau disc (Cherry Red), and on the 2008 Japanese release of the same album (Airmail Recordings). - We All Fall Down, written by LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
-based band iLiKETRAiNSILiKETRAiNSI Like Trains are an alternative/post-rock band from Leeds, England. The group play brooding songs featuring sparse piano and guitar, baritone vocals, uplifting choral passages and reverberant orchestral crescendos...
and featured on their album Elegies to Lessons LearntElegies to Lessons LearntElegies to Lessons Learnt is I Like Trains' first studio album, and was released on 1 October 2007.As with their earlier EP, Progress Reform, many of the songs cover historical events...
, 2007