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MISCELLANEOUS The Gild of Our Lady at Eyam was founded about the year 1369 for the purpose of increasing the number of services and to maintain a chaplain at the altar of our Lady. It was endowed with oxen, which were let out for ploughing and other purposes.
In the year 1428 the Church of Eyam was taxed at 20 marks. Subsidy 26s 8d.
The Parish Registers were first ordered to be kept in every parish in 1538. This order was renewed in 1547 and again in 1559. In 1603 it was ordered that the registers, which until that time had been written on paper, should for the future be written over again in a parchment book. To be complete, the registers of a parish should go back to the year 1538.
The Eyam registers begin with 1630, when the first entry is a record of the burial of "Mr. Robert Talbot, Rector of Eyam", on August 20th.
The earlier registers have been lost. Indeed, the earliest registers in the first volume from August 20th. 1630 to May 29th. 1705 are transcripts. They are written on paper and have been copied in the same hand. This was possibly done by Joseph Hunt during the time that he sought sanctuary in the Vestry.
The Rectors appear as a rule to have been appointed when quite young men and the Rectory was the home to which many of them brought their brides. Several of them had large families. Thus, we find the baptism of nine children of Mr. Shorland Adams recorded in a little over ten years (Sept 1631-Nov. 1641).
The following extracts from the Registers are interesting:-
1653. Buried Mary ye wife of Thomas Morton, clergyman, December 30.
(No marriages are recorded between September 1, 1653 and September 5, 1657. During this period, according to Commonwealth usage, the marriages could be performed by a magistrate and not in Church. The Puritan Rector, Thomas Stanley, first signed the Registers after Aug. 10th. 1644, as did John Wilson, Michael Morton and Francis Firth, churchwardens.)
1663. Dec. 30 Buried Anne a traveller who was at her death according to her own computation 136 years of age.
1664. June 14th. Buried Mrs Anne Stanley. (The wife of the Puritan Rector. In De Spiritualibus Pecci we read of the great sorrow into which he was plunged at the death of his wife.)
1665. April 20. Married Mr. Michael Adams, a clergyman, and Mrs. Anne Bradshawe.
The title "Mrs." did not, as now, imply previous marriage; but it was frequently affixed to the names of people of the professional classes, or of independent means, whether married or not. Anne was the daughter of George Bradshaw of the Old Hall at Eyam. She died on the 9th. of the following January.
And we now come to the sad record of The Plague, when no fewer than 260 people out of the small population of the village perished. The plague victims have a number prefixed to their names. The record commences as follows:-
Sept. 1665 Here followeth ye names with ye numbers of ye Persons who died of ye plague,- imprimis
(1) Sept. 7. Buried George Viccars.
(185) 1666 Aug. 15. Buried Brigitt Ye relict of Mr. Robert Talbott.
(208) 1666 Aug. 25. Bur: Katharin ye wife of Mr. William Mompesson.
(260) 1666. Nov. 1 Bur. Abraham, ye son of John Mortin defunct.
Those numbered 1 and 260 are the first and last "plague entries". The other two are the widow and wife of the two Rectors of Eyam. In reference to the former, Wood says, "A stone once in the possession of Mr. John Slinn, Eyam, and now in a cabinet of curiosities at or near Derby, has the following inscription:- "Bridget Talbot, Ano. Dom. 1666." The stone was found in a small piece of ground now forming part of the Miners' Arms croft."
Katharine Mompesson was, it will be remembered, one of the heroines; as her husband, the Rector, was one of the heroes of Eyam.
1670. Aug 26. Bur: Thomas Stanley, formerly Rector of Eyam.
1675. Nov. Henry Adam, Rector of Eyam, died at Laughton, in the morning 20 of this instant. He was buried there 22. He was Vicar of the same place.
1675-6. Feb 20. Mr William Ferne, Bachelor of Arts, was inducted into the Rectory of Eyam by Mr. John Walker, Vicar of Hathersage, upon the 10th. February 1675.
1679-80. Feb. 24. Bur. William Ferne, Rector of Eyam.
1680. May 14. Mr. Charles Carver, Mr.of Arts, was inducted into the possession of the Rectory of Eyam by Mr. Samuel Cryer of Castleton.
1683-4. March 21. Joseph Hunt B.A. was inducted Rector of Eyam by John Walker, Vicar of Hathersage.
1684. Sept. 4. Marr : Joseph Hunt, Rector and Anne Ferne.
1703. Dec 18. Bur : Anne, ye wife of Joseph Hunt, Rector.
1709. Dec 16. Bur : Mr. Joseph Hunt, Rector of Eyam.
1712. July 13. Alexander Hambleton, Rector of Eyam, did immediately after Divine Service and Sermon receive the Sacrement of ye Lord's Supper, according to the usage of the Church of England. (He was appointed Rector in 1712.)
1717. Oct 24. Bur: Mr. Alexander Hambleton, Rector of Eyam.
1720-1. Feb. 23. Bur : Mrs. Anne Hambleton, ye widdow of ye Rev. Mr. Alexander Hambleton, Rector.
(From the Great Longstone Registers we find that Mr. Hamilton (whose name according to the custom of the district was pronounced "Hambleton" and thus written in the Eyam Registers) was married in that Church.
1714. April 15. Alex. Hamilton, Rector of Eyam, and Anne Balguy de Hope, generosa, married.")
1727. Feb. 1. Bur : George Newton de Eyam, Dog Whipper.
1749. Feb. 5. Bur : Stephen Broomhead, Dog Whipper de Eyam, who had been overlaid in ye snow upon Eyam Moor.
The dog whipper was an ancient parish official to whom was committed the duty of driving dogs out of the Church. At Baslow, not far from Eyam, is still preserved in the vestry of the Church, a whip which was formerly used by this functionary.
Deaths from accident were not infrequent:
1686. Nov. 3. Bur : Mary Bagworth of Buxton. She died upon Foolow Moor.
1694-5. Feb. 18. Bur. John White, who was found dead in ye dale coming from Midleton.
1721. May 12. Bur : George Knowles,- killed by a plaigg (possibly a blow) in ye hay Cliff Grove.
1736-7 Jan. 26. Bur : Wm. Ainsworth, who was killed by a fall from a Tor into Litton Dale.
1741. Feb. 13. Bur : Richard Winterbotham, John Barber, Henry Merrill, de Eyam, all killed in Haycliffe Mine.
1748. May 16. Bur : Hannah, dau : of Thomas and Hannah Milward de Eyam, killed by falling down a rock in Eyam Dale.
1785. May 24. Buried Mary Hall. Killed by lightning while sitting in her corner chair.
1796. Dec. 1. Buried Edmund Cocker. Died a sudden death when at Church, 27. Nov, aged 61.
1802. Aug 30. Buried Edward Dooley, Musician, who died as he was going to play some young people the Morris Dance.
Nonconformity appears to have established itself early in the Parish, as the following records show:
In the Religious Census of Derbyshire, 1676, the number of Conformists at Eyam is given as 526, of Papists as 3, and of Nonconformists as 3. In the same list, Stoney Middleton appears with 236 Conformists, 3 Papists and no Nonconformists.
1722. Dec. 8. Bap. Benjamin, the son of Samuel and Sarah Eyar, at a Conventicle Meeting.
1723. Aug. 4. Bap. Richard, son of George Young, at a Conventicle Meeting.
1730. Mar. 30. Baptised Matthew, son of Edward and Sarah Furniss, at a Conventicle Meeting.
1734. June 4. Bap. Hannah, daughter of Joseph and Martha Drabble, at a Conventicle Meeting.
1737. Nov. 6. Bap. Luke, son of Edward and Sarah Furniss, at a Conventicle Meeting.
1741-2 Feb. 1. Bapt. Matthew, son of John and Anne Furniss de Foolow, at a Conventicle Meeting.
1793. March 13. Buried Joseph Benningson, the first that introduced Methodism into Eyam.
In connection with this subject the following references to the journal of Rev. John Wesley, may be of interest:-
1768. On March 18, he was at Evesham; on the following day at Birmingham. On Thursday 20th he passed through Burton on the way to Nottingham where he remained allday Sunday.
At Birmingham he complained, "It was as much as we could do to bear the cold before sunrise."
At Nottingham on Sunday 23rd, he declared, "I had thoughts of preaching in the Market Place; but the snow which fell in the night made it impracticable."
On Monday he rode on to Derby and on the following day, "after preaching at 'Creitch', we rode on through several heavy showers of snow to Sheffield."
Thurs. 27 (Maunday Thursday) "I preached in the morning at a little village near Eyam in the High Peak. The eagerness with which the poor people devoured the word, made amends for the cold ride over the snowy mountains." And so through Macclesfield and Stockport, he passed on to Manchester, where Easter was spent.
A fortnight later, after visiting Chapel-en-le-Frith, Wesley speaks of the storms encountered "in riding over the dreary mountains of the High Peak."
1740. April 28. Rev. Thomas Seward, M.A. inducted, presented by Lord and Lady Burlington.
A few days before the induction of Mr. Seward, Mr. Rigby, who had been Curate for 22 years, during the time of two non-resident Rectors, died.
1740. April 22. Buried the Rev. Mr. Rigby, Curate de Eyam.
The following refers to the poetess:-
1742. Dec. 28. Bapt. Anne, dau. of Rev. Thos. Seward, Rector of Eyam, and Mrs. Elizabeth Seward, his wife.
1770. Sept. 24. Baptised Thos. Longfellow of ye Parish of Sheffield, Quaker, who ye same day was married. He was about 35 years of age.
1779. July 9. Buried William Baxter, Schoolmaster.
The following name is, to say the least, unusual:-
1781. April 17. Baptised Penelamalaah, dau. of Joshua and Elizabeth Gregory.
N.B. The new Tax on Burials, Births and Marriages took place ye 1st of October 1783. The Tax ceased 1st. Oct. 1794. (During these 11 years the sum of 3d is written after each name.)
1790. March. N.B. The Revd Mr. Thomas Seward died March ye 4. 1790. He had been Rector of Eyam 49 years. Died and buried at Lichfield.
The Revd. Charles Hargrave inducted 25th. March 1790 Rector of Eyam. His family was a large one. One daughter is mentioned as having been born and registered in July 1788 at Wrawby in Lincolnshire and Mary Hargrave at Eyam Rectory.
1796. Dec. 20. Buried Ann Bagshaw, aged 102.
1802. Buried Sarah, the wife of James Hibbert, Parish Clerk, aged 82.
1804. March 30. Thomas Hadfield, a Volunteer, buried with Military Honours, aged 23.
1805. Oct 31. Buried Mr. James Farewell Wright, aged 67.
1806 March 7. Buried James Hibbert, Parish Clerk (for 20 years ) aged 80.
1806 March 13. James Wood, a Volunteer, buried with Military Honours, aged 23.
1806. May 7. Peter Furniss, a Volunteer, buried with Military Honours, aged 20.
1807. June 11. Buried Mr. Jonathan Fulwood, a Traveller, who dropped down dead in the Dale by the Watling Trough, aged 62.
1811. Aug.9. Buried Dorothy White a midwife, aged 58.
In Nov. and Dec. 1819 there was an epidemic of fever; and in Jan, Feb and March 1821 an epidemic of smallpox when 8 out of the 16 deaths registered were from that disease (all being young children.)
During the last five months of 1863, out of 34 deaths, 15 were from smallpox, the following note being added: "Vaccination was found to have been usual[ly] neglected when the smallpox occurred. J.G."
1822. Nov. 23. The Rev. Charles Hargrave, Rector of Eyam, aged 58, buried by Rev. J. Barker, Minister of Baslow.
1824. May 15. Buried Mrs. Dorothea Wright, Eyam, aged 94.
1865. Oct. 5. New Church Yard consecrated by the Bishop of Lichfield.
1866. August 26, Bicentenary of Plague. Three sermons preached:
M. by Rev. J. Green, M.A. Numbers xvi. 48.
A. by Rev. R.M. Jones, M.A. Incumbent of Cromford. Proverbs x.7.
E. by Rev. H. Fisher, Minister of St. Luke's Episcopal Chapel, Leamington. Prov. 1.24 (part) "I have called."
During the Restoration of the Church 1868-70, the Congregation met in the Mechanics' Institution. The Church was re-opened by the Bishop of Lichfield on Thursday April 26th. 1870. Collection £70 : 3sh : 2d.
Of one of Eyam's natives, Cornelius Brushfield, it is said that he was so little troubled with a roving disposition, that he died in the same house in which he had been born 66 years before. He resided at Hanging Flat, 600 yards to the south-west of the village. During half a century he only once went as far as Eyam.
1914. July 22. Visit of Royal Archaeological Institute.
1915. August 29. Bishop of Southwell preached at the Plague Commemoration Service in the Delph.
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[Created 9 Feb 2001. Last updated 26 Oct 2008 - 09:59 by Rosemary Lockie]