The Village of Eyam

August 1665: The Plague Arrives

• The population of Eyam were mostly farmers who spent their days on the land and caring for animals, or lead miners in the nearby mines. In 1665, the population was roughly 800 people.
• It is thought the plague reached Eyam in late August when a parcel of cloth arrived to the village tailor, Alexander Hadfield, from London. The cloth was damp upon opening the parcel and was set out to dry. The tailor's assistant, George Viccars, was unaware the cloth was infested with rat fleas which carried the bubonic plague.
• Viccars became ill and died a number of days later.
• 

September - October: Disease Takes Hold

• Infection spread rapidly after the death of Viccars, in three weeks there were five more recorded deaths:
• 22 September - the youth Edward Cooper was buried
• 23 September - Peter Hawksworth buried
• 26 September - Thomas Thorpe buried
• 30 September - burial of the 12 year old daughter of Thomas Thorpe
• 30 September - Sarah Syddall buried
• In October, 23 people died; there were 29 deaths since the outbreak. Panic began to set in and those who could afford to leave their homes fled the village.

Plague Continues

• Winter:
• The cold weather led to a slow down in the spread of the disease
• With a decline in the rat population there was less contact with humans
• Once the warmer weather settled in during spring the rat population increased and so did the spread of the disease
• April 1666 - the total death number was 73
• Spring:
• June - the number of deaths rose above 20, this was the first time since the previous October
• July - 56 people died
• August - another 78 died
• Plague deaths began to decrease from September into November
• 
• Caption: The cottage where George Viccars died