William Wood of Eyam was born on December 6th 1804, at Lydgate House, in Eyam, and died June 28th 1865.

The History and Antiquities of Eyam was his second book, first published by subscription in 1842; enlarged in 1845, and reprinted in 1860.

The following portions have been transcribed by Andrew McCann during April and May 1999 from the eighth edition (illustrated), which was printed and published by L. and A. Wilkinson in Sheffield in 1903 - a copy of which has been handed down in his family. The family connection is through William's wife Sarah PURSGLOVE. She was the sister of Andrew's great-great-grandmother Jane PURSGLOVE.

• Descriptive Characteristics
• Geology
• Scenery of the Locality
  “Before the present century, the villagers of Eyam exhibited all the characteristics so observable in the inhabitants of mountainous districts. Even now a notion prevails of keeping themselves distinct by inter-marriages. They are exceedingly tenacious of the preservation of their genealogies...”
• Archaeological Remains
• Customs and Observances
  Fascinating! Applies not just to Eyam, but elsewhere - do check this one out!
• Manor of Eyam
• The Plague including...
  • Its Nature and Origin
  • Its Communication to Eyam
  • Death of the First Victim
  • Mompesson's Children Sent Away
  • The Cordon Sanitaire
  • Cucklett Church
  • Death of Mrs. Mompesson
  • Mompesson's Letter To His Children/ Sir George Saville/ J. Beilby
• Traditions of the Plague including...
  • Rowland and Emmot (SYDALL), Margaret BLACKWELL
  • UNWIN, of the Townhead
  • MERRIL, of Hollins-House, MORTINS, of Shepherds' Flat,
  • The woman from Orchard Bank, and The Bubnell Carter.
  • The TALBOTS and HANCOCKS of Riley; and Riley Graves
• Memorials of the Plague: Past and Present
  • DARBY, HADFIELD, HALL, HAWKSWORTH, HEALD, KEMPE, MERRIL, MOMPESSON, MORTIN, RAGG(E), TALBOT, TEYLOR, TOWNSEND, WHITELEY.
    Also includes mention of BLACKWELL, FURNESS, RIPPON and SLINN.
  • BAXTER, BENSON, BRADLEY, BRADSHAW, BRITTLEBANK, CHAPMAN, DOOLEY, MORTIN, ROWBOTHAM, SHELDON, TIMPERLEY, UNWIN, VICARS and WYATT burials during the 18th Century.
• The Church
• The Churchyard
  Includes transcriptions of several Memorial Inscriptions in the Churchyard, some of which may now be lost.
  Surnames:- BROOMHEAD, BRUSHFIELD, FENTEM, FROGGATT, FURNESS, GREGORY, LAUGHER, MERRILL, MOMPESSON, SELLARS, SHELDON, TALBOT, WHITE, WOOD.
• The Rectors
  Lists Rectors of Eyam from 1481-1891, plus commentary on Sherland ADAMS, STANLEY and HUNT.
• The Lead Mines
  “...there is every reason to believe that the High Peak of Derbyshire was a penal settlement during the Heptarchy; that is, persons convicted of certain crimes in any of the seven kingdoms were doomed to be sent to the High Peak of Derbyshire and there work in the lead mines...”
• Minstrels and Poets
  Anna SEWARD, Richard and John FURNESS, Marmaduke MIDDLETON and William NEWTON.
• Families of Distinction
  Mainly the STAFFORDs, but also includes mention of:- BRADSHAW, CHAPMAN, DEANE, EYRE, FURNESS, HALL, HAWKSWORTH, JEFFRIES, MIDDLETON, MOREWOOD, MORTEYNE, NEALOR, NEEDHAM, PILLINGE, ROWLAND, SAVAGE and WILSON
• Bradshaw Hall

In addition, and for the interests of comparison, the first (1842) edition of History and Antiquieies of Eyam (which includes a list of Subscribers) was transcribed by Rosemary Lockie in 2012.

The Illustrations (engravings), which did not appear in the original edition, may be viewed separately.