| The most
notable person connected with St. Andrew's was William Mompesson.
From Seamer, near Scarborough, Yorkshire, he was orphaned at ten and,
with his brother, taken in by his grandfather. He was sent to grammar
school in Sherburn-in-Elmet and then on to Cambridge University, where
he graduated in 1658. He was ordained in 1660 and became Domestic
Chaplain to Sir George Savile of Rufford. He was placed as Curate of
Wellow by Savile, and married in 1662 and had two children.
In 1663 he acquired the better living of Bilsthorpe and soon after was
offered the living of Eyam in Derbyshire which was also in the gift of
Savile. They arrived in 1664, but the following year the village
of Eyam was struck by bubonic plague. The plague accounted for about 260
deaths of the village, including Mompesson's wife. During the
plague, Mompesson organised the isolation of Eyam, this resulted in
more deaths within the village, but halted the spread of the plague to
other villages. In 1669, he married again to a widow who had been
a neighbour at Wellow, and in the same year the living of Eakring became
vacant and was offered to him by Savile. He was installed as
Rector of Eakring in January 1671.
It is said that the people of Eakring would not
go near to Mompesson for fear of the plague, so he conducted his
services in the field outside the village. This spot is now marked
with a cross.
William
Mompesson
Mompesson's Cross
|
