The plague at Eyam played by Norton Junior School passed the Town Hall in 1976 as part of the Sheffield Historical PageantThe plague at Eyam played by Norton Junior School passed the Town Hall in 1976 as part of the Sheffield Historical Pageant
The plague at Eyam played by Norton Junior School passed the Town Hall in 1976 as part of the Sheffield Historical Pageant

As the country is entering various lockdowns again we look back at how Eyam's residents never forget the village's plague history

After the plague was brought to the rural village of Eyam, which lies between Buxton, Chesterfield and Sheffield, in 1665 the villagers made the decision to go into quarantine, shut the borders and prevent the spread of the killer disease.

Percentage wise Eyam suffered a higher death toll than of London. 260 Eyam villagers died over the 14 months of the plague out of a total population of 800 and 76 families were affected by the plague.

However, their quick thinking to bury the dead as close to where they died as possible, stop people entering or leaving the village and leaving money for foods and medicines in a well of vinegar to kill off the disease turned out to be a selfless act which stopped the plague travelling to the nearby towns and cities.

These actions have never been forgotten by the village and we have dug out pictures from the archive showing the how people allow the memories of those who died to live on.

Take a look and see who you can spot dressing up, or walking the carnival.

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