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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Warwickshire => Topic started by: Pelican on Tuesday 22 July 25 08:42 BST (UK)
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Hello Friends
My great grandfather Harvey Hodiern of Coventry died when he was only 24 in 1863. The cause of death on his death certificate says "Suddenly from Spinal Complaint. No medical attendant."
What did spinal complaint mean in 1863 please? Was it an inherited disease? If it helps he was a ribbon weaver. That trade was just going bust at that stage.
Best wishes
Pelican
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Really hard to say from that isn’t it.
Did he pass away at home or in the workplace? If the latter there could be a newspaper report but whether it would elaborate I don’t know.
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I wonder if it could have been Tuberculosis of the spine. Known as
Pott’s disease?
We think of tuberculosis of the lungs but it can affect bones and glands too.
The spinal cord is connected with the brain so any infection in the spine would possibly reach the brain via the spinal cord.
Inherited means it was a disease carried by one parent or other and passed down to their children, via their genes. Before they were born.
Inevitable really.
Given the very humble living conditions of our ancestors ,overcrowding ,lack of hot water ,poor diet etc any infections would thrive in those conditions and would spread through families.
Viktoria.
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For interest - Harvey HODIERN, Jordan-well Ward, ribbon weaver, was admitted as a Freeman of the City on 31 March 1863.
Saturday, Apr. 4, 1863
Publication: Coventry Herald
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Pott's Disease, thanks Viktoria. That makes a lot of sense. TB was rife in those conditions. So more or less TB of the spine. Not heard of it before. Spine problems come down the family, TB less so, thankfully not together.
Yes it would be the conditions of the time. Very hard. His workplace was his home. From the death entry it was suddenly but he must have been ill for a while.
Thanks Maddys52. Yes I have that newspaper article. I almost cried when I saw it. I inherited his apprentice paper many years ago, but have now passed it on to the next generation for safe keeping. He was apprenticed as a ribbon weaver to his parents and it is also signed by his maternal grandfather, Joseph Smith, in the most beautiful copperplate writing. Joseph Smith was a draper. Completing an apprenticeship in Coventry meant you could be a Freeman of the City and able to vote. So my great grandfather got his Freeman of the City very shortly before his death. I was so pleased to see it.