Dear Members of Woodchurch Ancestry Group I was asked a number of questions about this epidemic. The expectation was that about 18 would have died naturally over the 18 month period concerned instead of the 68 so, it appears, about 50 or 10% of the population died unnaturally. All lists are in date order as recorded so January 1st to March 25th (Lady Day) are recorded in the previous calender year. Three families lost members who appear to have been closely related. Family 1 - The Cheesmans Anne the Wife of Avery Cheesman was buried January 25th 1678 Frances the Daughter of Robert Cheesman & Tamsin his Wife was buried April 3rd 1679 Joane Cheesman Widow was buried April 21th 1679 Avery Cheesman & his Son John were buried June 5th 1679 Avery Cheesman & his Son John were buried June 5th 1679 Thomas the Son of William Cheesman & Bridget his Wife was buried June 17th 1679 Family 2 - The Ramsdens Richard Ramsden was buried Oct 26th 1678 Anne the Wife of Richard Ramsden was buried Nov: 28th 1678 Richard Ramsden was buried March 14th1678 Family 3 - The Weeks John Weeks was buried June 25th 1679 Sarah the Daughter of Richard Weeks was buried Oct. 29th 1679 Richard Weeks was buried Janu. 13th 1679 This would suggest a contagious disease. However because no mention is made in the burial records of what killed these unfortunate people I suspect it was well known rather than a disease like bubonic plague which carried implications such as quarantine and was more prevalent in the crowded cities. Jessop in his History of Kent suggests that the 1666 bubonic plague outbreak had ended by 1679. The best candidate would appear to be Small Pox. There are only 6 references to deaths as a result of Small Pox in the Burials Register but these are between 1760 and 1787. The epidemic peaked in June 1679 when there were 9 burials, 5 in four days. William Hannakin was buried June 3rd 1679 Anne Carpenter Widow was buried June 4th 1679 Avery Cheesman & his Son John were buried June 5th 1679 Avery Cheesman & his Son John were buried June 5th 1679 Thomas the Son of John Wimsherst & Mary his Wife was buried June 7th 1679 Catherine the Daughter of Elizabeth Ditton Widow was buried June 12th 1679 Thomas the Son of William Cheesman & Bridget his Wife was buried June 17th 1679 Thomas Gibbirshson was buried June 25th 1679 John Weeks was buried June 25th 1679 13 'wives' were buried during the period concerned. Some may not have been of child bearing age, but many were. Anne Ramsden, my ancestor, was 39 and had had 7 children including one in the year she died. Mary Pell the Wife of Stephen Pell was buried Oct 31th 1678 Anne the Wife of Richard Ramsden was buried Nov: 28th 1678 Elizabeth the Wiffe of Matthew Waker was buried Dec. 27th 1678 Mary the Wife of Richard Brown was buried January 17th 1678 Anne the Wife of Avery Cheesman was buried January 25th 1678 Rebekah the Wife of Edward Butcher was buried March 24th 1678 Sarah the Wife of Uriah Parker was buried April 26th 1679 Catherine the Wife of John Piper was buried May 14th 1679 Mary the Wife of Edward Brisly was buried Decem 21th 1679 Sarah the Wife of John Cooke was buried Decem 30th 1679 Mary the Wife of John Glover was buried January 2nd 1679 Mary the Wife of Stephen Holeman was buried January 2nd 1679 Margaret the Wife of William Hilton was buried Jan. 11th 1679 I have been unable to find any references to any epidemics around this period on the internet or in my book collection other than a reference to an outbreak of Small Pox in 1678 in New England. I would welcome any comments or further questions. Best wishes - Bob Chown