A tailor travelled to London
In 1665,
Little did he know that
In four days he would lose his life,
He travelled back to Eyam,
In the Derbyshire countryside,
Delivered his cloth for cutting
Then went to bed and died,
The disease was in the cloth,
The plague was here to kill,
Rat infested London sent
Death to the village on the hill,
Soon the vicar and his sexton
Closed the village off to all,
A year in isolation
Saw most of the villagers fall,
By October 1666
Just 43 had survived,
In August '66 alone
78 people died,
Food left at the village border
Vinegar soaked coins to pay,
Bodies buried all over,
No service or prayers to say,
350 lived there
257 died,
Entire families all wiped out
All future hopes denied,
The tale of Eyam village,
Well known countrywide
Of courage, thought and suffering
And memories of those who died.
Silver trophy winner
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