The Riley Graves East of the village of Eyam, Elizabeth Hancock buried her husband and six children here during 8 days in August 1666. They had died of the plague which had come to Eyam the year previous, bourne in a roll of wet cloth from London. The Rev William Monpesson had persuaded the villagers to quarrantine themselves within the parish and thereby prevent the disease from spreading any further. The plague claimed 260 lives in a 14 month period in Eyam.