Epidemic in the Black Country?

[BC Wench]

I've just started transcribing some burial records for FreeREG for St Luke's Church, Cradley Heath and just cannot believe how many really young children died in 1895.

Does anybody know if there was some type of epidemic going around at that time? I am really intrigued.

[Northern Lass]

Do you think it was Cholera ?
Something rings a bell re some leaflets I saw at archives Dudley
and something about the churchyards not taking more burials.

[BC Wench]

You are right NL, Dudley Archives do have a leaflet about Cholera which was in the 1830s.

Found this Black Country Living Museum web site

https://bclm.com/2021/07/08/epidemic-di ... k-country/

It gives a Smallpox outbreak c1894 in Quarry Bank which is only a stones throw away from Cradley Heath. I transcribed the Christ Church, Quarry Bank burials as well, there was a lot, but I would say that it was worse in Cradley Heath.

Will have to check the numbers in both Churches.

I had two Pargeter brothers who were aged 3 and 5 years old who both died of smallpox on the same day back in 1841 and they hadn't been vaccinated.

I know that Edward Jenner was involved in a vaccine for smallpox, so need to find out more.

[rockyfowler]

I think TB was the biggest killer at the time it decimated families a lot of my rels succumbed a terrible death https://www.familyhistory.co.uk/the-tub ... -epidemic/

[Northern Lass]

moving to black country history let us know how you get on Barb.