Other churches

THE PLAGUE which broke out in England in the middle of the 14th century was catastrophic and had a permanent effect on the life of the country. This disease spread by black rats was the notorious bubonic plague which killed thousands, the worst outbreak being in 1348 and later became known as the Black Death.

In agricultural areas such as Bourne, there were insufficient hands to cultivate the soil, crops were left ungathered, cattle roamed at will and it is believed that the building of the second tower of the Abbey Church may have been curtailed because of the absence of skilled masons who had died from the illness. There were several further outbreaks and although the number who died in earlier times is not known, we do have an indication from the 17th century.

The parish records for Bourne show that the greatest number of burials took place between 1633 and 1642 when there was a high rate of mortality in the town believed to have been caused by the plague which was still breaking out in England. A total of 662 burials are recorded for that nine year period, the highest annual figures being 100 in 1634 and 126 in 1638.

Other epidemics took their toll, such as influenza and cholera, when the churchyard could not cope with so many burials and mass pits were dug well away from inhabited areas for fear of infection which accounts for many discoveries of mass graves made when farming, building and other modernisation projects are undertaken.