Lymm 1803 St Mary's Churchyard

[smallholderitm]

I have 2 children buried in St Mary's Lymm on the same  day, namely 20 January 1803.  One was aged 5 years and one aged 1 year.  They were the infant children of John Atkins and his wife Sarah who died 1834 and 1808 respectively.  I am wondering if anyone knows of an outbreak of (?) cholera or something  equally as deadly to little ones?
In the same grave are also John Cowsill and his wife Bridget who died 1862 and 1867.  AS YET I can find no trace of a link between the two families but am still lookig.  Does this ring any bells with anyone.
Any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks

smallholderitm

[Milliepede]

Lots of diseases were deadly to little ones in those days sadly especially if they were siblings and in close contact with one another. 

How old were the other 2 people buried in the grave?  It could simply be a matter of space and they were unrelated. 

Were mum and dad buried with the children also? 

[Deirdre784]

Sadly in 1800 around a quarter of babies born died before their 5th birthday (228 per 1000 live births). https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041714/united-kingdom-all-time-child-mortality-rate/
Many were from fairly normal illnesses such as tonsilitis, whooping cough, scarlatina, infant convulsions etc as well as illnesses caused by the conditions / contaminated drinking water etc. I have several large families in my tree where the numbers were even worse. My paternal grandmother was one of 13 children, six died before they were 2, and 2 others only reached young adulthood. Five were buried together but the last was on her own, joined in later years by strangers. People couldn't afford to buy the plot so had to accept that others would be buried with their children.

[BumbleB]

I am currently transcribing, for FreeBMD, death registrations in December quarter 1869.  I am amazed at the number of under-5 deaths being registered, not to mention the number of babies aged 0 on the same page as a female of child-bearing age. 

[Deirdre784]

I am currently transcribing, for FreeBMD, death registrations in December quarter 1869.  I am amazed at the number of under-5 deaths being registered, not to mention the number of babies aged 0 on the same page as a female of child-bearing age. 

Hi BumbleB - i agree, browsing burial registers from those times is very sad, sometimes full pages of young children.

[BumbleB]

Yes, our "hobby" of tracing relatives does have its ups and downs.  Looking at the records does, at least I think so, show us that life was not very easy for so many of our ancestors. 

[Deirdre784]

Yes, our "hobby" of tracing relatives does have its ups and downs.  Looking at the records does, at least I think so, show us that life was not very easy for so many of our ancestors. 

And very different too

[smallholderitm]

To the
MEMORY of
John Atkins late of this
parish who departed this
life the 4th day of August
1834 aged 63 years Also of
Sarah his Wife who died
March 7th 1808 Aged 28 years
Also Ann their Daughter
who died Jan 20th 1803 Aged
5 years Also Mary their
Daughter who died Jan 20th
1803 Aged 1 year
Also of John Cowsill who died
May 26th 1862 Aged 66 Years
Also Bridget Cowsill Wife
of the above died 17 July 1867 aged 71 years.

This is a transcription of the gravestone in Lymm, St Mary's Churchyard giving details of the children

Thank you to everyone who has replied.  I am aware of the various illnesses, but I was just interested that they died on the same day and was wondering if anyone had read of a particular outbreak of , as I said, a cholera etc  in Lymm at the time.
Thanks again

smallholderitm

[BumbleB]

Whatever, it is still very, very sad that children died on the same date!