▁and ▁Hass op ▁stations . ▁Today , ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁dozen ▁coach ▁loads ▁of ▁visit ing ▁children ▁arrive ▁each ▁day ▁in ▁the ▁village ." ▁▁ 1 6 6 5 ▁pl ague ▁out break ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁pl ague ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 5 ▁when ▁a ▁fle a - inf ested ▁bundle ▁of ▁cloth ▁arrived ▁from ▁London ▁for ▁Alexander ▁Had field , ▁the ▁local ▁tail or . ▁Within ▁a ▁week ▁his ▁assistant ▁George ▁Vic c ars ▁who , ▁not icing ▁the ▁bundle ▁was ▁d amp , ▁had ▁opened ▁it ▁up , ▁was ▁dead ▁and ▁more ▁began ▁dying ▁in ▁the ▁household ▁soon ▁after . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁disease ▁spread , ▁the ▁vill agers ▁turned ▁for ▁leadership ▁to ▁their ▁re ctor , ▁the ▁Re ver end ▁William ▁M omp ess on , ▁and ▁the ▁e ject ed ▁Pur itan ▁minister ▁Thomas ▁Stanley . ▁They ▁introduced ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁pre ca utions ▁to ▁slow ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁the ▁ill ness ▁from ▁May ▁ 1 6 6 6 . ▁The ▁measures ▁included ▁the ▁arrangement ▁that ▁families ▁were ▁to ▁b ury ▁their ▁own ▁dead ▁and ▁re location ▁of ▁church ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁natural ▁am ph it he atre ▁of ▁C uck lett ▁Del ph , ▁allowing ▁vill agers ▁to ▁separate ▁themselves ▁and ▁so ▁reducing ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁in fection . ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁best - known ▁decision ▁was ▁to ▁quar antine ▁the ▁entire ▁village ▁to ▁prevent ▁further ▁spread ▁of ▁the ▁disease . ▁ ▁The ▁pl ague ▁ran ▁its ▁course ▁over ▁ 1 4