28 Mar 01 - 12:04 PM (#427617) Subject: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Ian HP I've just been listening to some old Roy Bailey material and the song 'Roses of Eyam' by John Trevor has just struck me like a thunderbolt. It is from his 1982 'Hard Times' album, reproduced on the collection 'Past Masters'. The song is obviously based on real events, which I would love to find out more about (I plan to sing it), sources, info about the author, etc., if anyone knows. The story in the song is that in 1665 George Vickers, a tailor in the English village of Eyam, received some material from London which carried the plague. It killed him. The two ministers of religion in the village were Thomas Stanley, a Puritan, and [can't tell name, sounds like "Mompasson"?? - anyone know?], an Anglican, who were theological enemies. In this crisis they worked together, telling the villagers they must build a wall around the village so that all stay and die to contain the plague. They did, leaving 33 out of 360 alive. It's a very moving song, including a litany of the family names of those who died. More info? Help, please. |
28 Mar 01 - 12:36 PM (#427649) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: MMario There was a play of that name and telling the story that dates back to at least 1970 - since it opened at several theatres that year. John Trevor evidently recorded the ballad on a demo record in 1975. Quite a lot of info on it out on the web. |
28 Mar 01 - 12:41 PM (#427653) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Mrs.Duck The village is in Derbyshore and there is a museum there which tells of the sacrifice the villagers made by shutting themselves off from the surrounding areas to avoid the plague spreading. Food was delivered to the boundaries by neighbouring villages but at the end most of the people of Eyam died. |
28 Mar 01 - 12:54 PM (#427679) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Noreen Eyam has more info about the place and its history. Song sounds very interesting, I don't know it. Let us know how you get on, Ian. Noreen |
28 Mar 01 - 05:23 PM (#427896) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Snuffy Mompesson |
28 Mar 01 - 05:42 PM (#427910) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: BanjoRay Eyam is a lovely village, which also has a superb maker of banjos and fixer of fiddles called Helmut Rheingans. His website is here if you want to check him out. He's a German who settled here and plays lovely old time clawhammer, and has a workshop where you can go to talk fiddles, banjos, music etc. In fact its time I went again....its about the only reason for going to the Peak District that hasn't been wrecked by the foot and mouth! Cheers |
28 Mar 01 - 07:11 PM (#427978) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Peter K (Fionn) Mompesson was one of the survivors at Eyam and went from there to become Rector of Bilsthorpe (on which village's parish council yours truly is proud to serve) and Eakring. He achieved even greater notoriety (within his lifetime, anyway) at the later living than he achieved at Eyam - by becoming the focus of a long-running ecclesiatical court that sat in judgment on some affair he got embroiled in. Just outside Eakring (which, incidentally was at the centre of Britain's only onshore oil wells for 30 years from WW2 onwards) there is a stone cross marking a spot once known as Pulpit Ash. It was from this vantage point that Mompesson had to deliver his sermons to the parishioners of Eakring. They would not let him into the village because of the plague connection. Bilsthorpe and Eakring are worth an hour or two if you're anywhere near (between Mansfield, Newark and Ollerton) - which case PM me when you're on your way, and the beer's on me. (In the Stanton Arms if you're NUM, or the miners' welfare if you're a UDM scab. There's no half-way house!)
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29 Mar 01 - 05:11 AM (#428207) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Grab Ray, you forgot to mention the Three Stags - not far from Eyam, and a VERY good excuse for hitting the Peaks! Didn't realise there was a music shop in Eyam though, I'll have to check that out next time I'm up there. Graham. |
29 Mar 01 - 04:31 PM (#428699) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Hawker Ian, I went to visit the village of Eyam in January, it is a beautiful village nestling in the hills of Derbyshire. The story is that of the song. The Eyam link provided by Noreen is good, but you cannot beat goning there and seeing it for yourself. These peoples self sacrifice, locking themselves into the village, letting no-one in and no-one out to prevent the plague spreading has extra significance to me at the moment, during this Foot & Mouth outbreak Eyam had a wonderful effect on me, it has a peace about it, I left there feeling at peace with the world, and humbled by these peoples actions. I bought a book there called Eyam Plague 1665 - 1666 by John Clifford, it is a little paperback pamphlet, You can contact him at the following addres: John Clifford, Eyam, Derbyshire Hope this helps! Lucy |
29 Mar 01 - 05:52 PM (#428763) Subject: RE: ROSES OF EYAM INFO PLEASE From: Peter K (Fionn) I've forgotten the the details of the story, but Mompesson certainly got a bad press for his part in it, somewhere along the line (maybe in a television play?). Does anyone know any more about the suggestion at Noreen's link that he sent his own kids out of the village while the plague was still spreading? |
13 Aug 02 - 03:06 PM (#764569) Subject: help needed please From: GUEST,Jennifer, Cambridge Here's another request for a friend: Has anyone got the chords and lyrics to Roy Bailey's rendition of The Roses of Eyam, please? Or any knowledge of where the sheet music might be found? J. |
13 Aug 02 - 03:43 PM (#764605) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam From: Willa Found this ref. on his official website. Past Masters. New compilation. 18tracks originally recorded between 1975 & 1988. Price £12.00 inc p&p. PASTMASTERS CFCD403 (1998) Streets of London (John Hasted) Punch and Judy Man (John Conolly) The Malvinas (Dave Rogers) Curtains of Old Joe's House (Si Kahn) Rain Forest Falls (Geoff Pearson) Gracias a la Vida ( Violetta Parra) Two Good Arms (Charlie King) In These Hard Times (Weston & Barnes) Song of the Leaders (Brian Pearson) Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) War without Bangs (Geoff Pearson) Green Peace, Really Green (Geoff Pearson) All Used Up (Utah Phillips) Ghost Story (Jim Woodland) Sleep Well/Gravity (Gray & Rosselson/G.Pearson) Maria Diaz (Lenny Galant) The Years Grow Tall (Leon Rosselson) Daughters of the Revolution (Berni Armstrong)
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13 Aug 02 - 03:56 PM (#764616) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam From: Willa Sorry for the thread creep, but this info was interesting. From the Trevor Midgley website "John Peel and Clive Selwood, my joint-benefactors at Dandelion, put it to me that maybe a name change might help to define the new, harder edge. It seemed like a good idea at the time. So, we took my full name - Christopher John Trevor Midgley - selected the middle two, and agreed that for all future releases I would be 'John Trevor'. ON FEBRUARY 16th & 17th 1975, I demo'd a new set of fifteen songs at Tractor's studio in Heywood, Lancashire. Amongst these was a ballad called 'The Roses Of Eyam'. Eyam (rhymes with 'dream') is the plague village of North Derbyshire. Its story dates from the mid-17th century when the bubonic plague took a hold there. In an heroic act of self-sacrifice, the villagers sealed-off the hamlet to make sure the disease couldn't spread to the surrounding areas. Ninety-per-cent of them died (over three hundred), and many of the graves are still there for all to see on a hillside above the town.
Shortly after I wrote this song, San and I went to live in Dronfield, North Derbyshire, and I started doing the rounds of some local folk clubs as John Trevor. Amongst the songs I sang was 'Roses Of Eyam', and amongst the people who heard it was one of the UK's finest folk music interpreters, Roy Bailey. Roy asked if he could use the song, and of course I said yes.
Now, twenty-five years on, Roy has sung 'Roses Of Eyam' on every continent. He included it on his 1985 album 'Hard Times', and re-released it in 1998 on the 'Past Masters' CD (Fuse CFCD 403). It's a recording that I'm particularly proud of (even though most people who know it will tell you that 'Roses Of Eyam' is a Roy Bailey song!)". |
13 Aug 02 - 11:44 PM (#764926) Subject: ADD: The Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) From: Stewie I had a trawl around the net for the lyrics for you, but was surprised not to find them. Here is my transription from Bailey's recording - can't help with the chords.
THE ROSES OF EYAM I got the name spellings from here:
--Stewie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6f734MDffs |
14 Aug 02 - 05:37 PM (#765439) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam From: GUEST,Jennifer, Cambridge Wonderful rounded response from you fantastic people! Thanks so much. Willa, it's wonderful to have that quote from the writer to pass on to my friend (sadly computerless & thus unable to share in this 'catter chat'), which he'll be able to add to his intro for his rendition. J. |
15 Aug 02 - 03:53 PM (#766073) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam From: Willa Jennifer. Our local libraries all offer public access to the internet. Perhaps there is something similar in your area that your friend could use to share in mudcat. |
16 Aug 02 - 03:14 PM (#766596) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam From: GUEST,Jennifer, Cambridge Thanks to you as well, Stewie - didn't mean to ignore you! It's a great song, isn't it? My friend was pleased to hear he could have the words in print now, and now I can see the words he's talking about - haven't heard the musical version yet. J. |
17 Aug 17 - 04:27 AM (#3872105) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) From: GUEST,h I have been singing this song for many years, here are the chords I use. THE ROSES OF EYAM John Trevor / sung by Roy Bailey 1982 Dm G Dm G A D / Dm G Dm G A Dm / G A Dm G A Dm/ G A Dm G D / |: G A Dm:| |
18 Mar 20 - 01:26 PM (#4040515) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) From: Joe Offer Interesting song. It really gives me something to think about today. We're trying to isolate ourselves, but my wife went to two grocery stores and still didn't find bread and eggs. Here's the Roy Bailey recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6f734MDffs And a video about the plague: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkQTlUKwwgM |
18 Mar 20 - 03:58 PM (#4040544) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) From: GUEST,Starship Eyam plague: The village of the damned By David McKenna BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-35064071 |
21 Mar 20 - 06:52 AM (#4041097) Subject: RE: Origin: The Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) From: Dave the Gnome Eyam is now a lovely place and the thought of the villagers selflessness still resounds whenever I visit. The graveyard and museum are obvious reminders but what always gets me is the coolstones where villagers left money soaked in vinegar in exchange for supplies. Very atmospheric village. |
21 Mar 20 - 10:46 PM (#4041227) Subject: RE: Origin: The Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) From: Joe Offer This is a song for our times. We need a spirit of generosity and concern for others right now. I can't believe the power of this song, and how it struck me. |
23 Jul 21 - 02:24 PM (#4114182) Subject: RE: Origin: The Roses of Eyam (John Trevor) From: GUEST New song about the Plague in Eyam (lyrics by Carol Evans, melody by Mike Lydiat): The Eyam Ballad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8p2B3H0lqI |
23 Sep 22 - 02:09 AM (#4153367) Subject: ADD: Eyam Ballad (Carol Evans) From: Joe Offer EYAM BALLAD [Carol Evans (1986)] The great plague came to Derbyshire dressed in the finest cloth. He who stitched and sweated was first man marked for death. Marked with a ring of roses; marked for the greedy earth. CHORUS No chants or incantations, no herbs to charm the sores, no tincture, balm or ointment; for plague there is no cure. The Bradshaw family from the hall fled in the early light. Linen, silver, servant, dog, abandoned in the flight. Then Mompesson assembled all to tell them of their plight. No chants or incantations… On that first week in September in sixteen sixty-five three hundred honest Christians prayed to stay alive. Of those who prayed in fear of plague less than eighty would survive. No chants or incantations… From pulpit in every parish the word was quickly spread: “Stay away from Eyam! They are already counting dead. Ten miners and the carpenter have caught the infected seed.” No chants or incantations… Giant stones were placed at boundaries, at Cliffe and Cucklet Delp, at Gebe mine and at Humphries barn, and there the coins were left. Coins steeped in bitter vinegar to pay the price of bread. No charms or incantations… By Christmas time no children Played in the yard at school. Ten pupils and the teacher gone; how could He be so cruel, to steal the heart out of the village, to watch infection rule? No charms or incantations… When mother Hancock saw the mark on the neck of her small son, she told Johas (Jonas?) to dig seven graves. She knew no help would come to bless them with a remedy, before they died alone. No chants or incantations… No marriage vows in spring that year, no loved ones left to cherish. No seed was sown, no crop was grown, just one pride left to nourish: “No matter what, we must not spread this curse outside the village.” No chants or incantations… And so the Eyam legend grew. Read on the parish page the names of all those people who kept their vow and stayed. The village died, but Derbyshire was never touched by plague. No chants or incantations… Be still and quiet in Cucklet Delp and watch the drifting skies. Perhaps you will catch the singing, an echo still survives. In our imagination we can live their unfinished lives. No chants or incantations…
(lyrics by Carol Evans, melody by Mike Lydiat): http://www.barlow-church.org.uk/acrobat/202103ParishMagazine.pdf |