View
The Plague Village of Eyam
Gary Thomson on an Enduring Story of Sacrifice to Save Others
In these times of quarantine and "social distancing," a timeless story from a Derbyshire village in England reminds us of the abiding power of faith and self-sacrifice.
The village, Eyam, twelve miles west of Sheffield, is one of a cluster of Saxon-Age settlements lying in the Hope Valley along a wooded meander of the River Derwent. This is the epicenter of Peak National Park, a region of extraordinary beauty. Walkers, painters, artists, and amateur historians all come to explore the open moors, sheltered dales, and villages that bring a nostalgic peace away from workaday routine.
THIS ARTICLE ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
FOR QUICK ACCESS:
Gary Thomson is a retired teacher residing in Ontario, Canada. During his teaching career he wrote inspirational and history-themed articles for readers of diverse faiths. These have appeared in Mature Years, Anglican Review, Military Chaplain, and Doctors' Review, among others. He was raised and nurtured in the Anglican faith.
• Not a subscriber or wish to renew your subscription? Subscribe to Touchstone today for full online access. Over 30 years of publishing!
personal subscriptions
Purchase Print &
Online Subscription

Get six issues (one year) of Touchstone PLUS full online access including pdf downloads for only $39.95. That's only $3.34 per month!
gift subscriptions
GIVE Print &
Online Subscription

Give six issues (one year) of Touchstone PLUS full online access including pdf downloads for the reduced rate of $29.95. That's only $2.50 per month!
Transactions will be processed on a secure server.
bulk subscriptions
Order Touchstone subscriptions in bulk and save $10 per sub! Each subscription includes 6 issues of Touchstone plus full online access to touchstonemag.com—including archives, videos, and pdf downloads of recent issues for only $29.95 each! Great for churches or study groups.
kindle subscription
OR get a subscription to Touchstone to read on your Kindle for only $1.99 per month! (This option is KINDLE ONLY and does not include either print or online.)
Your subscription goes a long way to ensure that Touchstone is able to continue its mission of publishing quality Christian articles and commentary.
more on history from the online archives

14.6—July/August 2001
The Transformed Relics of the Fall
on the Fulfillment of History in Christ by Patrick Henry Reardon
more from the online archives
calling all readers
Please Donate
"There are magazines worth reading but few worth saving . . . Touchstone is just such a magazine."
—Alice von Hildebrand
"Here we do not concede one square millimeter of territory to falsehood, folly, contemporary sentimentality, or fashion. We speak the truth, and let God be our judge. . . . Touchstone is the one committedly Christian conservative journal."
—Anthony Esolen, Touchstone senior editor