http://tinyurl.com/2c7oh8

Just read a book (fiction but with some ideas based on fact) that talked about an village in England that escaped the worst of the plague due to the immunity of its residents. Apparently they shared a specific DNA anomolie which made them immune - something to do with inbreeding!

Interesting link - thanks

Probably Eyam in Derbyshire. The place was hit by a merchant selling cloth from London and they started dropping like flies because of fleas on the cloth. The surrounding villagers used a stone with a basin-sized hole in it filled with vinegar, where the villagers would drop money and the surrounding folk would sell their wares. The vicar held services in the open to cut the risk. Because it's farming stock, there's plenty of people there who's ancestors lived there; land rights, etc, ie lots of immune survivors didn't move on. It's a nice place to visit, but there are these freaky signs telling you how many died and stuff. The plague was contained and so the rest of the county weren't affected on the same scale, thus the Eyam-folk have a definite plague-resistant marker. Your queries answered. Unless I've got it wrong.

I don't think Eyam is famous for its immunity, just for the fact that they did try to contain the spread of the plague in the way that they did.

I found it a very moving place to visit! Good on ya Eyamites!

I'm sure I read a newspaper article a few years ago in a broadsheet covering the subject, and it is drummed into us in school here in Derbyshire. Maybe both approaches are correct.

This was the best site I could find about it.
http://www.survivors-mad-dog.org.uk/MDEyam01.html

There is some mention of those who did not get ill, or else recovered. I guess they would have developed or had a natural immunity, but like any antibodies, they do get diluted through generations I expect.

260 out of 350 villagers died though!

Inbreeding!

Hey, gimme six

Interesting stuff on Mad Dog. I take it we all know the story behind the children's song Ring-a-ring-a-roses?