Exmouth and the Plague 1628
There appears to be no record of Exmouth suffering from the effects of the plague in the mid fourteenth century when the Black Death swept the whole country. However In 1628 it arrived with a vengeance. Exeter and other towns had already suffered repeatedly in the 17th century and particularly in the years 1624,1626,1628,1639 and 1646.
It seems that English plagues focused on cities and market towns and not the countryside and even then seemed strangely selective. Some years places were free of it and in others it would sweep the district or strike one village and not another. In Woodbury for instance 1563 was evidently a bad year in which the church wardens paid 2s to James Oake and Joane Roo for keeping “syck folks in the sickness tyme”.
Between 1565 and 1666, 43% of the parishes in Devon did not suffer from an epidemic of plague (as measured by a doubling of burials or more); while in Exeter the same measure rises to 45%.
The disease was bought to the country from time to time by ships trading abroad. For instance the plague of 1646 which ravaged several towns in Devon first broke out in Bideford where the historian Polwele says-
“In June a vessel from Spain laden with wool having landed
her cargo at the quay it diffused itself to so shocking degree
that in a few weeks the houses were filled with horror and the
streets covered with grass. Some children who had been
playing on the wool sacks were the first to catch the infection”
The Rev William John Webb in his book Memorials of Exmouth 1876 made some notes from the parish registers of burials and extracts the names of people recorded as having died of the plague in Littleham parish 1628-9
The registers record the progress of the plague, often showing that the dead could not be carried to the parish church for burial but were interred on Chapel Hill or even at the road side. Not until July 1629 was the town free of the pestilence.
Additional rates were collected from the five neighbouring hundreds for the relief of Exmouth and by April 1628 there were some 300 sick (nearly half the population) with the dreaded disease.
November 1628: Nicholas Whitchcombe
December: Jane Pitford, Buried in front of the chape
January 1629 Edward Pitford George Pitford Benedict Blatchford Abram Pitford John Pitfo Thos Day
April: George Pearne John Temple Benedict son of Jane Temple Jane Temple Mary dau of George Pearne
Joan wife of George Pearne Simon son of Nicholas Pearne Robert Bralyne of Onmer Pearnes housThomas son of William Temple Ellen Mappin out of Onmer Pearnes house William Pearne Thos Rider of Onmer Pearnes house
Richard Pearne Gilbert Abram Catherine dau of Thomas Jolly John Adger Richard ?? Buried by the Kings highway
May: Mary HambridgeWilliam Temple George Cheny Gabriel Peeke Abigail Drew wife of John John son of Henry Warren
Dorothy dau of Thomas Jolly Emline wife of Christopher Adger Nicholas son of William Blatchford Margaret dau of Margery Peeke, widow
Alice wife of Robert Turpin
June: Richard Palfrey Elizabeth Weekes Elizabeth dau of John Turpin Christopher sonne of Roger Hellier
July: John Weekes
The Pearne families seem to have suffered dreadfully. The family of poor Richard Pearse who died in April must have been in a state of high confusion for another entry for that date tells us that Hester the daughter of Richard Pearse was born April ye 20th but not baptized till June 2nd by reason that the plague was in the house. Hester the daughter of Richard Pearse was born April ye 20th but not baptized till June 2nd by reason that the plague was in the house.
Sources :
* Richard Polwhele, History of Devonshire, 1793-1806
* Rev William Webb, Memoirs of Exmouth published by T Freeman 1872
* The Book of Exmouth Robin Bush, Barracuda Books
* PLAGUE IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY EUROPE AND THE DECLINE OF ITALY: AN * * EPIDEMIOLOGICAL HYPOTHESIS Guido Alfani IGIER – Università Bocconi, Milano –Italy http://www.igier.unibocconi.it
* Woodbury View from the Beacon, Ursula Brighouse
* Exmouth Milestones Eric R Delderfield ERD Publications Ltd
The earliest mention of population of Littleham is in 1650 when 650 souls were reckoned to live there
It seems that English plagues focused on cities and market towns and not the countryside and even then seemed strangely selective. Some years places were free of it and in others it would sweep the district or strike one village and not another. In Woodbury for instance 1563 was evidently a bad year in which the church wardens paid 2s to James Oake and Joane Roo for keeping “syck folks in the sickness tyme”.
Between 1565 and 1666, 43% of the parishes in Devon did not suffer from an epidemic of plague (as measured by a doubling of burials or more); while in Exeter the same measure rises to 45%.
The disease was bought to the country from time to time by ships trading abroad. For instance the plague of 1646 which ravaged several towns in Devon first broke out in Bideford where the historian Polwele says-
“In June a vessel from Spain laden with wool having landed
her cargo at the quay it diffused itself to so shocking degree
that in a few weeks the houses were filled with horror and the
streets covered with grass. Some children who had been
playing on the wool sacks were the first to catch the infection”
The Rev William John Webb in his book Memorials of Exmouth 1876 made some notes from the parish registers of burials and extracts the names of people recorded as having died of the plague in Littleham parish 1628-9
The registers record the progress of the plague, often showing that the dead could not be carried to the parish church for burial but were interred on Chapel Hill or even at the road side. Not until July 1629 was the town free of the pestilence.
Additional rates were collected from the five neighbouring hundreds for the relief of Exmouth and by April 1628 there were some 300 sick (nearly half the population) with the dreaded disease.
November 1628: Nicholas Whitchcombe
December: Jane Pitford, Buried in front of the chape
January 1629 Edward Pitford George Pitford Benedict Blatchford Abram Pitford John Pitfo Thos Day
April: George Pearne John Temple Benedict son of Jane Temple Jane Temple Mary dau of George Pearne
Joan wife of George Pearne Simon son of Nicholas Pearne Robert Bralyne of Onmer Pearnes housThomas son of William Temple Ellen Mappin out of Onmer Pearnes house William Pearne Thos Rider of Onmer Pearnes house
Richard Pearne Gilbert Abram Catherine dau of Thomas Jolly John Adger Richard ?? Buried by the Kings highway
May: Mary HambridgeWilliam Temple George Cheny Gabriel Peeke Abigail Drew wife of John John son of Henry Warren
Dorothy dau of Thomas Jolly Emline wife of Christopher Adger Nicholas son of William Blatchford Margaret dau of Margery Peeke, widow
Alice wife of Robert Turpin
June: Richard Palfrey Elizabeth Weekes Elizabeth dau of John Turpin Christopher sonne of Roger Hellier
July: John Weekes
The Pearne families seem to have suffered dreadfully. The family of poor Richard Pearse who died in April must have been in a state of high confusion for another entry for that date tells us that Hester the daughter of Richard Pearse was born April ye 20th but not baptized till June 2nd by reason that the plague was in the house. Hester the daughter of Richard Pearse was born April ye 20th but not baptized till June 2nd by reason that the plague was in the house.
Sources :
* Richard Polwhele, History of Devonshire, 1793-1806
* Rev William Webb, Memoirs of Exmouth published by T Freeman 1872
* The Book of Exmouth Robin Bush, Barracuda Books
* PLAGUE IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY EUROPE AND THE DECLINE OF ITALY: AN * * EPIDEMIOLOGICAL HYPOTHESIS Guido Alfani IGIER – Università Bocconi, Milano –Italy http://www.igier.unibocconi.it
* Woodbury View from the Beacon, Ursula Brighouse
* Exmouth Milestones Eric R Delderfield ERD Publications Ltd
The earliest mention of population of Littleham is in 1650 when 650 souls were reckoned to live there
