Eyam and the Bubonic Plague: The "Plague Village" That Quarantined Itself

The Eyam Plague Story (1665–1666)

**Eyam**, a village in Derbyshire, England, earned the name "Plague Village" for its extraordinary **self-imposed quarantine** during the 1665–66 bubonic plague outbreak.

How It Started

• **August 1665:** Tailor **George Viccars** received a bale of damp cloth from London.
• Cloth harbored **fleas carrying *Yersinia pestis***.
• Viccars died within days; infection spread rapidly.

The Remarkable Decision

• **Rector William Mompesson** and **Thomas Stanley** (ejected Puritan minister) persuaded villagers to **isolate completely**.
• **Boundary stones** marked perimeter; no one entered or left.
• Food/supplies left at stones by outsiders; coins soaked in vinegar for payment.
• Church services held outdoors (Cucklett Delph) to avoid crowding.

Toll & Legacy

• Population: ~350
• Deaths: 260 (74%) over 14 months
• Survivors: ~90 (including Mompesson; his wife Catherine died)
• Outcome: Plague **did not spread** to surrounding towns (Sheffield, Bakewell).

Historical Significance

• Early example of **effective quarantine / cordon sanitaire**.
• Celebrated as **collective sacrifice & moral courage**.
• Annual **Plague Sunday** commemoration (last Sunday in August).
• Museum, plaques, boundary stones preserved.