Emmott & Rowland

Rowland and Emmott were sweethearts and their story is a sad and romantic tragedy which has captured the imaginations of people who read about it. Rowland was the son of a flour miller and lived in Stoney Middleton and Emmott was a young girl who lived in a house called Bagshaw House, opposite the church at Eyam. The Sydall family were struck down early by the plague because they lived so close to the plague cottages where the disease killed the first victims. Emmott's father, brother and four sisters all died within a few days of each other in September and October 1665. Rowland comforted his beloved Emmott at this time of sorrow - but Emmott was worried that he would catch the plague as well. She begged him to stay away and not to come visiting. Eventually, he agreed and they used to meet at Cucklet Delph from time to time. They planned to get married. Unfortunately, Emmott caught the plague and died at the end of April 1666. Emmott's mother was the only one left out of her entire fa