Died of Typhoid in 1838

[carol8353]

A friend has an ancestor who died aged 32 of Typhoid in Dec 1838 in Somers Town( 7  Spann's (?) Buildings,  St Pancras Road) St Pancras.

His wife died aged 28 in July 1840(leaving 3 very young children  ) I have just found her burial at St Pancras Parish Chapel.

But cannot find his.It doesn't help that his name is John Brown/e 

Did they do something different when burying typhoid sufferers?

Carol

[weste]

If he's died of typhoid perhaps there was an outbreak in the area and may be buried in a mass grave?  Maybe there's one particular area they used to bury them?

[fifer1947]

I don't know if this will help or hinder but gives the background to Victorian Health issues in particular Typhoid.

http://www.victorianweb.org/science/health/health10.html

[carol8353]

Thanks for that Fifer it makes interesting(if a little gruesome/sad) reading.

My friend suggested that they just 'burnt' typhoid victims 
And that's why we haven't been able to find his grave.

Hopefully someone out there will have more knowledge on this matter.

Carol

[PrueM]

I don't think they cremated typhoid victims - cremation didn't come about in London until 1885.  Victims of plague, cholera, typhoid, flu were all buried.

If he was a victim of an epidemic, you could expect him to have been buried in a mass grave, but if his was a relatively isolated case, he should have been buried normally, but perhaps the record of his burial just doesn't survive 

Cheers
Prue

[EEK]

I researched a father of 40 and his son aged 7 who lived in Brewer St. Soho, who died of cholera and they were buried in Kensal Green cemetery.
Eileen

[Jeuel]

Typhoid was quite common in Victorian times - Prince Albert died of it in the 1860s, and my great x 2 grandmother Eliza died of it in 1875.  Her death cert said she'd had it for 3 weeks which is interesting as it meant she had it when she went to register her husband Emmets Matthews death!

As far as I'm aware typhoid victims were buried - just as cholera, TB and other infectious diseases victims were.  Understanding of the causes of these illnesses was poor - it was believed for a while that cholera was caused by bad smells.  Only after the link with water was found did they start worrying about drainage, sewerage and clean water supplies.