Eyam Museum facts for kids
Eyam Museum, sometimes called the Eyam Plague Museum, is a special local museum. It's found in the historic village of Eyam, which is in the beautiful Peak District area of Derbyshire, England. This museum helps visitors learn all about the village's past, especially its brave story during a terrible sickness.
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What is Eyam Museum?
Eyam Museum first opened its doors on 23 April 1994. It started as a small museum on one floor. Later, in 2002, a cool model of a lead mine from Derbyshire was added. People who work at the museum are all volunteers, meaning they give their time to help because they care about the museum and its history. You can find the museum on Hawkhill Road.
The museum has different areas, called galleries, that show the history of Eyam. It covers everything from very old times, long before written history, right up to more recent events. But the museum's main focus is on a very important and sad event: the Eyam Plague. This was a terrible sickness that hit Eyam in 1665.
The Eyam Plague of 1665
The Eyam Museum is mostly dedicated to the village's famous and sad story as a "plague village." This happened during the Bubonic Plague in 1665. The plague was a very serious illness that spread quickly and caused many people to become very sick.
How the Plague Came to Eyam
The plague arrived in Eyam in September 1665. It is believed to have come from London. A tailor in Eyam received a package of cloth from London. Inside the package, there were fleas that carried the plague. Sadly, the tailor's assistant was the first person in Eyam to die from the illness.
The Village's Brave Decision
As more people started to get sick, the villagers of Eyam faced a difficult choice. They could leave the village and try to escape the plague. However, if they did that, they might spread the illness to other towns and villages.
The village rector, Reverend William Mompesson, and the Puritan minister, Thomas Stanley, convinced the villagers to make a brave decision. They agreed to quarantine themselves. This meant they would stay inside Eyam and not leave, even if it meant they might get sick themselves. This was to stop the plague from spreading to other communities.
Life During the Quarantine
The quarantine lasted for 14 months. During this time, no one went in or out of Eyam. Food and supplies were left for the villagers at a boundary stone, which was a safe distance away. Money was disinfected in vinegar before it was exchanged.
Families had to bury their own dead, often in their gardens, to avoid spreading the illness further. It was a very difficult and sad time for everyone in the village.
The End of the Plague
The plague finally ended in November 1666. By then, about 260 people in Eyam had died from the illness. This was a huge number, as it was more than half of the village's population at the time.
The brave decision of the Eyam villagers saved many lives in other parts of England. Their sacrifice is remembered and honored at the Eyam Museum.
Gallery
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Eyam Museum.
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Eyam in bloom: The museum sat nestled in amongst the daffodils of spring
See also
- List of museums in Derbyshire
- Derby plague of 1665
- Eyam Plague Village Website
