Stephen Coleman-ſtreet; by under Sexton, was underſtood at that Time Grave-digger and Bearer of the Dead. This Man carry’d or aſſiſted to carry all the Dead to their Graves, which were bury’d in that large Pariſh, and who were carried in Form; and after that Form of Burying was ſtopt, went with the Dead Cart and the Bell, to fetch the dead Bodies from the Houſes where they lay, and fetch’d many of them out of the Chambers and Houſes; for the Pariſh was, and is ſtill remarkable, particularly above all the Pariſhes in London, for a great Number of Alleys, and Thorough fares very long, into which no Carts cou'd come, and where they were oblig’d to go and fetch the Bodies a very long Way; which Alleys now remain to Witneſs it; ſuch as Whites-Alley, Croſs-Key-Court, Swan-Alley, Bell-Alley, White-Horſe-Alley, and many more: Here they went with a kind of Hand-Barrow, and lay’d the Dead Bodies on it, and carry’d them out to the Carts; which work he performed, and never had the Diſtemper at all, but liv’d above 20 Year after it, and was Sexton of the Pariſh to the Time of his Death. His Wife at the ſame, time was a Nurſe to infected People, and tended many that died in the Pariſh, being for her honeſty recommended by the Pariſh Officers, yet ſhe never was infected neither.
He never uſed any Preſervative againſt the Infection, other than holding Garlick and Rue in his Mouth, and ſmoaking Tobacco; this I alſo had from his own Mouth; and his Wife’s Remedy was waſhing her Head in Vinegar, and ſprinkling her Head-Cloths ſo with Vinegar, as to keep them always Moiſt; and if the ſmell of any of thoſe ſhe waitd on was more than ordinary Offenſive, ſhe ſnuft Vinegar up her Noſe, and ſprinkled Vinegar upon her Head-Cloths, and held a Handkerchief weted with Vinegar to her Mouth.
It muſt be confeſt, that tho’ the Plague was chiefly among the Poor; yet, were the Poor the moſt
