Life and the lack of it the seventeenth century

The register of burials in the village of Lamplugh, Cumbria from 1656-1663 is available online. Don’t ask how I know, I just do. In this period 57 people died of old age and 76 died of more, um, creative causes. One broke his neck robbing a nest. Seven were hanged for “clipping and coyning”, which I’m guessing is forgery (the register was written before the discovery of spelling). Four choked on their food.

Then it starts getting, frankly, quite funny. Other causes of death include: duels (weapons in one case being a 3-footed stool and a brown jug); freezing to death in church (11! Not known if all at once or separately); drinking the squire’s wife’s cordial water; being set upon by the squire’s dog; and attacked by the parson’s bull. And my personal favourites: “Frighted to Death by faries: 4” and “Died of a fright in an Excersise of ye traind bands: 1”.

And not at all funny, of course: “Old women drowned upon trial for witchcraft: 3”.