The 1591 Plague

[Zenobia]

I had noticed some years ago in the Gwithian registers that there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of deaths in 1591 (although the years are so skewed in that register it is often hard to determine where one year ends and another begins).

Then while looking at Illogan burials, I saw an enormous amount in 1591, mostly in the months July - September, and a note in the margin said mentioned a "Visitation by God of the Plague".

I note in nearby Phillack there are no burials listed in 1590, and only one in 1591, perhaps indicating that that parish was so overwhelmed that no burial records were kept.

Does anyone have any additional info on this plague, or know how widespread it was in Penwith?

[Zenobia]

Looks like Camborne got it too - the Thomas Buswyn and George Rosewarn families were pretty much wiped out in Sept-Oct of that year.

[Cornish Terrier]

Don't know a lot about the plague myself but have done a bit of a search through GOOGLE using "plague cornwall" as search words.
Seems there was a plague that reached England about a thousand years before the one you mention.

But I suggest you use the search above and have a look for yourself.
One of interest is the following which deals with Phillack and is a most interesting read.

freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~phillack/john__higgans.htm

hosted.southglos.gov.uk/Puckleweb/page_3.htm

homepages.tesco.net/~k.wasley/St_Enodor.htm

west-penwith.org.uk/wpenbur.htm

genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/DCRS/Havener.html

www.shimbo.co.uk/towns/penzance.htm

www.n-a-g.freeserve.co.uk/DOCUMENTS/ISS20_AUG2001/Aug01_index.htm

www.ourwardfamily.com/history_of_diseases.htm

Suggest you take a read through some of these which I am sure you will find interesting.

I have only taken a quick look at the first 100 or so 'hits' with the last one being a search on 'plague 1591'.

Best I can do for now but I think you should find the Phillack one interesting.