Disease and Death in Nottingham

[Valtaya]

Just out of curiosity

I was just filling in some details on a tree and I noticed a couple had 2 children die 2 days apart from each other 

Gertrude died 24th November 1898 aged 4yrs
Florence died 26th November 1898 aged 2yrs

Seems so sad for that to have happened.. Was there any epidemic or anything in Notts at that time does anyone know?? They had another child that survived (and another 2 born afterwards)..
I know getting the certifs would confirm but this is a side branch of the tree - so im more curious if anyone knows of anything... 

I know there was the spanish flu but I am not sure when that hit..

xx

[Alexander.]

Hi Valtaya,

It's a difficult question because there are lots of infectious diseases that children were (are) particularly susceptible to. Especially in families living in close quarters it was very common for several children to die of the same disease in a short space of time.

It would not have been Spanish flu, that wasn't for another 20 years.

You could try searching the local papers to see if there was an epidemic of some kind. This site would be a good place to start: http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

Though I think you will only ever know for sure if you get one of the certs.

Alexander

[GrahamSimons]

Might be interesting stuff if you can source the Medical Officer of Health's reports for that period - try the local library or record office. I've found loads of stuff for another town (two successive MoHs were family!)

[copperbeech5]

Hi Chaps,

Interestingly, I had noticed a similar thing in my tree, the death of 2 parents, and one child all in one family, all died within 2 weeks in 1902, I agree,  probably some horrible disease.  All buried in the General Cemetery under one gravestone.

I haven't sent for a death cert, as they are not close enough for me to investigate at this time - cost etc!

So sad though.

Best wishes,
Copperbeech5

PS, thanks for the tip Graham!

[LH35]

Measles was   on the death cert for a 17month old  in 1884 plus Bronchitis in my family tree.

[Billyblue]

Scarlatina (Scarlet Fever) was a common cause of multiple child deaths in families in that period, too.

Dawn M

[Bangladore]

Father (age 24) and son (age 14 months) died within five days of each other;  the son of diarrhoea and convulsions and the father, five days later of pneumonia and hyperpyrexia.But what was the cause and was it the same for both of them?

Slightly more informative than the certificate for a man of 75 who died at the railway station in 1875 - cause of death unknown!

[Bangladore]

Re above - the date was 1901.