| Administrative History | The parish of Eyam includes Eyam Woodlands, Foolow and Grindleford Bridge. Nether Padley and Stoke were transferred from Hope parish to Eyam parish by Order of Council in 1911 and part of Eyam parish was transferred to the parish of Stony Middleton in 1936 (see D2602/A/PI/15/1-2)
The church at Eyam was consecrated to St Lawrence in 1911. There had been a dispute in the later nineteenth century concerning the traditional ascription of the church to St Helen but it was evidently discovered that the dedication had been to St Lawrence and that the church contained a chapel dedicated to St Helen.
The living, a rectory, used to be in the gift of the lords of the mineral field in succession, and during the period to the mid-nineteenth century, when the extensive lead mines in the area were enjoying considerable propserty, the Rector's income was greatly increased.
The history of Eyam is chiefly notable for the visitation of the plague in 1665-1666, in which perhaps a third of the population died. The village was sealed off and leadership shared in some way between the Rector William Mompesson who had come to the parish in 1664 and Rev Thomas Stanley, Rector between 1644 and 1662, when he was ejected for nonconformity. Burials during the plague period or recorded in the earliest Eyam parish register.
A chapel of ease, dedicated to St Helen, was erected in 1910 at Grindleford and in 1951 was licensed for the performance of marriages. In 1962, the district served by the chapel was extended (see D2602/A/PI/17/1-4) and included part of Hathersage parish.
A small mission church was built at Foolow in 1889. |
| Custodial History | The Eyam parish records were deposited in January 1983, April 1987, May 1989 and June 1995. Added to the catalogue as part of the FindersKeepers project by volunteer Vicky Kerrigan. |