Description: The plague was brought unintentionally to Eyam from London in a parcel of cloths sent to George Vicars. He was a travelling tailor who at the time was lodging with Mrs Copper and her two sons in a cottage now known as Plague Cottage, 200 metres from Eyam Hall. The parcel arrived from plague infested London in September 1665. George contracted the deadly disease, died four days later and was buried on September 7th 1665. 15 days latter Mrs Cooper's son Edward died and by the end of September another four villagers were dead. October saw the death of a further twenty-three and some families started to leave the village. William Mompesson, the rector of Eyam, recognising the dangers of the infection spreading led the villages in a self-imposed quarantine of their village, allowing none to enter or leave. This heroic feat achieved their objective of stopping the virus spreading. There are many signs on cottages in the village relating to the events of the plague, the bulk of which are close to the church. From the church there is a footpath to Mompesson's Well. This is a spring covered by a gritstone slab, and is where food and medical supplies were left and the villagers left money. The money was disinfected here by either running water or vinegar. (information from www.derbyshireguide.co.uk)