Genealogy Forum UK

I have read a bit about this area of Dudley, England. My great grandmother (family name was Speake) was born at Gospel End, not too far away from Paradise Street according to Google Maps. It seems like she was the only child out of 6 that survived infancy. As far as my research I have found there was a Cholera epidemic in around the 1840's - 1850's in that part of England. My question or inquiry was Cholera a killer to newly born children or could there be another reason why they didn't survive infancy? If anyone can help me out it would be much appreciated. My mother says she died here in Saskatchewan, Canada in the 1920's so she was too young to remember her but my aunt once said she was not a very nice person. What my research shows is that she must have had a hard life as being the only surviving sibling and her mother died when she was only 6 years old. Then she married at a fairly young age and she went on to having 11 children of her own. She had a tough life and maybe had a reason for his disposition later in life. Any information would be helpful.

First cholera out break was around 1832 to 1834 but I don't think it reached the Black Country. Mainly Liverpool I think....

There was another outbreak in the late 1840's (started in 1848 if my memory serves me...) but I hadn't heard it affected Dudley!

Did some research and came across this..



Most of the death certificates I have got from the 1840's and 1850's list influenza, typhus, polio, TB and, mid 1840's onwards, typhoid.

I have never seen one from England that mentions cholera.

I think that quite often just a cursory inspection was done before writing down "Cause of Death" so some cholera cases might have been attributed to something else.

I was in hospital with my brother for six weeks with cholera in the mid 1970's.

Got it from water I purchased at New Delhi airport.

Thanks for the information. Again it is a mystery as to what could have decimated a whole family like that. Unfortunately the micro films of the Bishops transcripts I seen do not list cause of death. It looked like that my ancestors were not the only family in that area to suffer that fate. Looking at other deaths it was not uncommon for other young infants to suffer the same fate at such a young age. If I apply for a death certificate, it will list the cause of death?

WSPenwell wrote:I have read a bit about this area of Dudley, England. My great grandmother (family name was Speake) was born at Gospel End, not too far away from Paradise Street according to Google Maps. It seems like she was the only child out of 6 that survived infancy. As far as my research I have found there was a Cholera epidemic in around the 1840's - 1850's in that part of England. My question or inquiry was Cholera a killer to newly born children or could there be another reason why they didn't survive infancy? If anyone can help me out it would be much appreciated. My mother says she died here in Saskatchewan, Canada in the 1920's so she was too young to remember her but my aunt once said she was not a very nice person. What my research shows is that she must have had a hard life as being the only surviving sibling and her mother died when she was only 6 years old. Then she married at a fairly young age and she went on to having 11 children of her own. She had a tough life and maybe had a reason for his disposition later in life. Any information would be helpful.

Have replied to this in the Local History Section...........

I have a death certificate for Benjamin Garbett who died 19th Sept 1849 at Wood Street, Tipton and the cause of death on it is Cholera.

Annie

i have seen a article in the county express on someone dying of cholera in cradley heath during world war one

Hi,

I have a copy from the Black Country Bugle regarding Cholera and Typhus outbreaks in Dudley and Netherton in1831-1832, it states that hundreds of bodies were collected at night by carts with straw muffled wheels. The bodies were buried in common graves on the North East side of Netherton Church Hill. The bodies were laid out in the out buildings of Netherton Hall before burial.

Nessa

The history of the Dudley Cholera outbreak and the mass burials with no records! Can be found in the Book, 'Netherton Edward 1 to Edward VIII.' Linell.

Hi Linell,

Is the book you mentioned still in print, if so where can I buy a copy from.

Nessa

Hi Nessa, no it isn't unfortunately, it was printed in the 1960's. Dudley Library may have a copy. Try emailing them and see if they have one or can get one sent to your Local Library. Linell.

Hi Linell,

Your post rang bells with me-not on the Cholera side , although we have an instance of that in the family from the 1840's but the mention of causes of death for youngsters.
There was a program in the series Who do you think you are that investigated infant mortality . I forget which disease they were talking about -was it Sypholis? but whatever it was , once it got hold there was a large increase in infant mortality. I hope this is enough to ring bells with someone who remembers it better than my rather woolly memory. I remember thay said that at the time it was not recognised , and so deaths were often given some vague cause, but there were definite patterns that suggested the disease. I think it may have been large gaps between births, followed by infant deaths, followed by death in the under 5s until it worked it's way out of the system.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I can't even remember who the program was about.

carol,
it was who do you think you are, the one with martin freeman.(the office). it also caused blindness in his family

beardie

Yes it was Syphillis and it was Martin Freeman
I remember watching it

http://www.bbcwhodoyouthinkyouaremagazi ... in-freeman

I have a death cert for Job Adams who died of Cholera 19th December 1854 in Rowley Regis.
Margaret

Yes - well done that's the one.