1854 Possible epidemic? (General)
by lesleyr 
, London, Monday, March 05, 2012, 16:05 (4641 days ago)
Hello,
While researching the Hale side of my family I came across the burials in November 1854 of three of the four children of Charlotte Hale (1827 - 1907) and Charles Ward (1822 - 1886). The three who died were George 8, Eliza 6 and Charles 3. The only survivor was 5 month old Cornelius.
Does anyone know if there was an outbreak of typhoid or cholera or any other disease that would have such a devasating effect on the children of the family at that time? They lived in Joyford.
Many thanks
Lesley
1854 Possible epidemic?
by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Monday, March 05, 2012, 16:08 (4641 days ago) @ lesleyr
Hello,
While researching the Hale side of my family I came across the burials in November 1854 of three of the four children of Charlotte Hale (1827 - 1907) and Charles Ward (1822 - 1886). The three who died were George 8, Eliza 6 and Charles 3. The only survivor was 5 month old Cornelius.
Does anyone know if there was an outbreak of typhoid or cholera or any other disease that would have such a devasating effect on the children of the family at that time? They lived in Joyford.
Many thanks
Lesley
such outbreaks ( and influenza) were very common place :-(
--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>
1854 Possible epidemic?
by Roger Griffiths , Monday, March 05, 2012, 18:42 (4641 days ago) @ lesleyr
Death certificates should say. Most likely scarlet fever.
Sickness in the 1850s -- Garndiffaith
by mrsbruso , Tuesday, March 06, 2012, 12:36 (4641 days ago) @ Roger Griffiths
I am including a paragraph from one of my gggrandmother's letters, which talks about an illness that was devestating the area in the 1850s. We take so much -- sanitation and anti-biotics -- for granted. Things that wouldn't give us much concern today could have deadly consequences . . .
Pontypool bank is broke and Newport they say it cause great distress round the Country.
Garndiffaith October 9th 1851.
My Dear Child,
"With regard to state off things they are very gloomy at present = here = together with disease and death you will be surprised. When I tell you that we have awful fever - like black or putrid fever raging in the Garn = 2 at the Varteg shop, one 25 and the other 12, one was carried to Llandenny Charles Herbert sisters son = they had white silk scarves and you will be surprised to find that it has carried off 3 out of one house next door to us=Isaac Griffin, little George that was in school first then his mother the day his mother was buried his little sister died and was put in the coffin and buried with her mother all within one month."
A portion of a letter from Elizabeth Bush Vining to her son, Thomas, in America.
Sickness in the 1850s -- Garndiffaith
by Todd07064 , New Jersey, USA, Tuesday, March 06, 2012, 19:14 (4640 days ago) @ mrsbruso
Interesting because my g-g-grandfather James SMITH was born in Garndiffaith in 1851. Could be a reason why I'm finding it difficult to locate his family. This may not be the case though.
Thanks for the information.
Sickness in the 1850s -- Garndiffaith
by mrsbruso , Tuesday, March 06, 2012, 23:54 (4640 days ago) @ Todd07064
Todd,
Do you have his parents names by any chance? Or siblings? I may be able to find something, if they aren't non-confomists, but I can't promise that I can. I'm willing to give it a whirl, though.
Sickness in the 1850s -- Garndiffaith
by Todd07064 , New Jersey, USA, Wednesday, March 07, 2012, 13:25 (4640 days ago) @ mrsbruso
As far as I've been able to determine the father of James M. SMITH is Seth SMITH. I have this information from his 1872 Marriage Certificate, also stating that Seth is deceased, and his Death Certificate of which the informant was his wife, Mary Ann MORGAN. I have no knowledge of his mother's name or any other siblings. I have recently ordered a Birth Record from the GRO in the hope that it is the correct person, this is the closest match I've found, and I should have it next week.
Five of his Nine children were baptised at the Forest of Dean Bible Christian Chapel and one at Cinderford St. Johns. Not sure about the others. Once in settled in America he became a member of the Primitive Methodist Church in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.
Any help you can provide would be appreciated.
Thanks
Putrid Fever and Cholera ...
by rookancestrybest , United Kingdom, Tuesday, March 06, 2012, 21:35 (4640 days ago) @ mrsbruso
I have found that putrid fever is one of the many names given to typhus which definitely would have been a killer.
I have looked up the dates of the cholera epidemics in the UK and the 1850s don't coincide, the previous epidemic ended in the late 1840s around 1848 or 1849 according to the part of the UK.
Putrid Fever and Cholera ...
by mrsbruso , Tuesday, March 06, 2012, 23:52 (4640 days ago) @ rookancestrybest
I am certain of the date of the letter, but EBV does say "like putrid or black fever", so it may have just been something that was similarly serious.
In her letters, she discusses several outbreaks of illnesses -- probably influenza in a few instances. She also complained of fleas and bad coal in the "Club Rows" in Cwmtillery, where they lived briefly.
What info are you looking for in the Garn? I have excel copies of a few databases which might contain useful info and I would be happy to look for you.
I've had some difficulty with the Garn area myself. The works were closed periodically, and many of the miners went back and forth between there and other places for limited periods. Although my great grandparents supposedly lived in Garndiffaith for a number of years, Mum just said "Pontypool" (close enough when you're living 3,000 miles away), my ggrandmother was born when the works were closed and her parents were staying temporarily in Cwmtillery, so her birth was registered as Abergavenney. It was further complicated by the fact that she was baptised in the Tredegar primitive methodist circuit.
There are also lots of family references to Trevethin and Varteg so it all seems rather complicated. I was relieved when they returned to the same cottage from whence they came, in Blakeney.
(In an vaguely relevent aside, a friend is from Co. Laoise in Ireland. She became so tired of repeating it and trying to explain where it is, she now just tells everyone she's from Tipperary, since everyone has heard of that. Three generations from now no one will remember she grew up on Slieve Blum and be looking for her somewhere in Limerick.)
Putrid Fever and Cholera ...
by rookancestrybest , United Kingdom, Saturday, March 10, 2012, 19:05 (4636 days ago) @ mrsbruso
The putrid or black fever could have been the disease, in fact I thought it was. Cholera is a different disease (it is not typhus) it was the cholera epidemic dates that the date does not coincide with.
1854 Possible epidemic?
by lesleyr , London, Wednesday, March 07, 2012, 18:19 (4639 days ago) @ lesleyr
Hello
Thank you for your interesting and helpful suggestions. There must have been very many health risks for young children in those days.
After sending my original posting I discovered that Charlotte and Charles buried another two children 11 years later in January 1865 (a second child named George aged 4 and Lucy 18 months).
The good news is that their remaining five children lived very long lives, Elam Ward being the longest, aged 96.
Many thanks again,
Lesley