Upchurch and the Great Plague of 1665

Memories of Upchurch

The Great Plague which eventually killed over 7,000 people in South-East England had an impact on Kent with towns like Chatham and Rochester badly affected. In early August 1665 100 houses were infected in Chatham while from April to December 500 burials took place in Rochester. Rural parts of Kent were not so badly hit as the black rat which carried the disease thrived in urban areas. Although exact reasons are not recorded, the Upchurch parish registers show that while only six parishioners died in 1665 the figure increased to 14 in 1666. This rise paralleled the county trend as 1666 was the worst year in Kent for plague mortality rates. Elizabeth Foreman, John Lille, Richard Barnett, Thomas and Richard Emerton were some of the Upchurch residents to die.

Swale villages took action to combat the plague. Domestic and farm animals were kept off the streets to prevent the disease from spreading, meetings of more than 38 people except prayer meetings were prohibited and ‘Pest Houses’ were set up for the sick. Those infected in their own houses had to be quarantined for 40 days and a red cross was painted on front doors to warn others. After this infected houses were kept under observation for 20 days and the red cross was replaced with a white one to suggest caution. Headaches, sores, armpit swellings, skin blotches and sneezing were symptoms of the plague. A contemporary children’s nursery rhyme Ring a Ring o’ Roses, describes how people were affected. People carried posies in their pockets to ward off the disease, no medical cure existed and the dead had to be buried in a separate part of the churchyard and covered with lime.

Upchurch residents also suffered fatal diseases in other years with 24 deaths in 1634 and 27 in 1688. The worst figure took place in 1637/1638 when 59 died out of a total population of just over 200 people. The cause was described as a malignant fever that hit Kent and Sussex. Bouts of plague and ague, a form of malaria, caused Upchurch vicars to be non resident from the 1560s to the early 19th century.

According to hearth tax returns of 1664, at about the time of the Great Plague, Upchurch was a poor village with a church and vicarage in a state of disrepair. Four serving Upchurch vicars died during the period 1609 to 1641, the last being John Messenger who was buried in the churchyard.

The people of Upchurch were a varied bunch during the 1660s and according to existing hearth tax returns 40 occupied dwellings existed in the parish. These show that William Forby lived in the vicarage house but part of it had collapsed. Gentlemen included Joshua Coppin and Henry Frere while widows included Susannah Wood, Jane Bing, Alice Smythe and Widow Brewer from Otterham. Other residents included Edward Hadlow from Gore and Richard Hubbard from Otterham.
Although the plague lasted for 15 months during 1665/1666, diseases of various types continued to affect villages like Upchurch until the early 20th century.


David Wood, who was born and raised in Upchurch, is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village.

David Wood's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on:  david3702001@yahoo.co.uk  price £12 + p+p £2.

David Wood

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