Deaths c1837-1838 Fordoun

[baltibluebird]

Hi

I have a family where the father died in July 1837 and 3 of his children died in infancy within the same year and I wondered if anyone knew what might have been the reason for these deaths being so close to each other?  Was there an epidemic doing the round during that era does anyone know please?

I wondered whether there could have been a flu epidemic then?

Thanks in anticipation ...

ADDED I am really fortunate that these children's death dates are on the MI headstone

[alisonchristie]

Hello,
I have relatives, one who died aged 51 of dysentary, in the 1800's, also my GGGrandfather died of Asiatic Cholera in Brechin in 1866.  Most deaths seem to be related to poor nutrition or poor sanitation, the same applies to the poor in the third world, children often die from diarrhoea, we forget that our relatives did not have clean fresh water or flushing loos.  Add the fact that a lot lived on farms where rats abounded, it's amazing anyone survived.  I have a book called Bothy Nichts and Days, the average diet seems to consist of oats, porridge, oatcakes and very little else.  Fruit appears to be unheard of in the NE.
Looking at the medical reports too, many Doctors seem to give the same cause of death to a lot of people, I don't think they were very knowledgeable in their judgement as to the cause of death.  I have too many relatives who appear to all have had 'fatty deposits around the heart'; they can't all have died due to that one cause.

[bleckie]

Hi all

I could be wrong but was there not a Cholera epidemic in Scotland around this time.

Yours Aye
BruceL

[baltibluebird]

Hi

THanks for that; I had wondered if there had been a cholera outbreak.

[alisonchristie]

One suggestion is to look up the deaths in the Parish records of other people in general, I know they might just give the names and ages of people but you might be able to see if there were more younger and elderly people, than normal.  Take a look at neighbouring parishes too.
I was quite surprised to see my 51 year old Great Grandmother dying of dysentary as we associate the disease now with the third world.

I knew people who lost a daughter to diptheria, once quite a common disease, try looking up 'outbreaks of contagious diseases in the Mearns district c1837-38', you might find records.