BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 7 Episode #6: Martin Freeman

[Aniseed]

Perhaps the 1911 census hadn't come on line when the researchers were doing their stuff, but there is an Emily Freeman bn 1857 Petworth in East Preston district (the district Tarring comes under I think)

Does she have any children living with her? I dont have acess to the 1911 census at the moment. Maybe the third marriage was not legal.

No children, she is a cook for William Henry Mason (aged 73) and his wife Amy Harriet Mason (aged 49) at Malvern Lodge, Westbrook, Worthing.  Emily is noted as being a widow.

When did Richard die?

He was listed with his family in the 1911 census living in Hull, so he was still alive then. Perhaps this was the scandal? Either that he got divorced, or that he abandoned his wife.

I was fascinated with this syphilis information because my great great grandfather's first wife died in November 1869 with phthisis given as the cause of death. Their 13 month old daughter then died in April 1870 with hereditary syphilis given as the cause of death. They had two older children, who lived apparently healthy, long lives, and my great great grandfather went on to remarry a couple of years later and have 6 children, 5 of whom were healthy, but the middle one died aged one year of a convulsion fit.

I've been puzzling about this for a while now, whether my gggrandfather had syphilis and infected his first wife, or whether she contracted it from someone else. Are there any medical-type people on here who could shed any light?

Nick 29 I was interested to see that you linked TB and syphilis because the first wife's cause of death was phthisis...do you have any more information on that?

[silvery]

.
When did Richard die?

According to the programme he died in 1915.   

[margaret103]

Phthisis means tuberculosis of the lungs, also it means wasting away or enaciation and atrophy of the body or part of the body. Straight from the dictionary!
Margaret

[pjbuk007]

The whole syphilis/congenital syphilis and going on to remission, not all kids dying etc thing is interesting and complicated.

I am a medical-type person and thought I knew quite a lot about it, but what the chap on the programme said conflicts with what several pathologists/ GUM consultants have recently told me.  I asked them because of my GG grandmother having a child who was certified as dying from congenital syphilis, in between other children who lived, and herself living until 77.

It has piqued my interest and I will do further research, but as have many family crises currently on-going, this will not be for a few weeks.  But I will post here what I find, if anything.

Just remember, syphilis was by no means the only reason for many infant deaths - rhesus incompatibility would be another, but there are many many other causes for this.  So we will not all have this explanation!

[imstillstanding]

The whole syphilis/congenital syphilis and going on to remission, not all kids dying etc thing is interesting and complicated.

I am a medical-type person and thought I knew quite a lot about it, but what the chap on the programme said conflicts with what several pathologists/ GUM consultants have recently told me.  I asked them because of my GG grandmother having a child who was certified as dying from congenital syphilis, in between other children who lived, and herself living until 77.

It has piqued my interest and I will do further research, but as have many family crises currently on-going, this will not be for a few weeks.  But I will post here what I find, if anything.

Just remember, syphilis was by no means the only reason for many infant deaths - rhesus incompatibility would be another, but there are many many other causes for this.  So we will not all have this explanation!

Hi,what does this mean please ( rhesus incompatibility would be another,)would it be children born fron incest,
thank you

[CatOne]

I presume by rhesus incompatibility you mean the mother being rhesus negative? I am rhesus negative and needed an anti D injection after the delivery of my 2nd child 6 years ago. I am now pregnant with my third (and final!) baby and they have started giving anti D jabs during pregnancy now (twice!!) as well as after labour. As I understand it, it is in case the baby is rhesus positive which would react (fatally) with my "negative" blood?

[derby girl]

I note that it was Ada who was born with syphilis - not Richard who gave it to her.  And did you note that she was having to make her living busking - for a blind girl that must have been so dangerous! 

Funnily enough I remember when I was attending a pre-natal clinic, one of the other mums-to-be was being told very severely what she was to do after the birth of her child as she was rhesus negative - the nurse taking no notice of her "buts" - this lecture came to an end and the mum heaved a sigh and said "but my husband's negative too" - and we all , including the nurse, laughed.  But no laughing matter, of course. 
Regards
Derby Girl

[Spidermonkey]

I note that it was Ada who was born with syphilis - not Richard who gave it to her. 

I didn't quite understand this bit - how was the medical chap so certain that she had got rid of the syphilis in her childhood but then contracted it again after her marriage.  Surely if she was as healthy and strong as she seemed, she could have lived with it being undetected for the intervening years?

[stonechat]

I thought Syphilis could lie dormant

It was an interesting episode though I fell asleep in the middle!