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Epidemics in the 1870's and 1880's?

Epidemics in the 1870's and 1880's?

Posted: 24 Jul 2014 9:00AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 27 Jul 2014 10:49PM GMT
Surnames: Shaw
I am descended from a farming family that lived in Carleton County during this period, particularly in the parish of Simonds. My great-great-grandparents had 11 children in total, only 4 of them lived to adulthood. Between 1875 and 1885, six of their children were struck down by some disease, and the mother was eventually taken by it as well, in October 1885. The children ranged from small infants to age 10 at the time of death.

Were there any epidemics or even just common diseases spreading in the area at this time? I've asked family members about their knowledge of this devastating wipeout of children from several generations back, and I've received contradictory answers. I hypothesized that it might have been diphtheria, which is known to strike children most aggressively, but I haven't found any literature to indicate that it was spreading in the area at the time.

The family in question is Allen Whitfield Shaw and Eunice Victoria Shaw + their kids.

Re: Epidemics in the 1870's and 1880's?

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 6:53PM GMT
Classification: Query
Diphtheria is always a suspect. For example, Albert W. and Mary A. Shaw lost Claribel Shaw (26APR1881 age 3-years, 3-months and 18-days) and Maudie Clementine Shaw (18APR1881 age 6 years, 9 months and 9-days) to measles and diphtheria. Allen W.'s son, Myron A. and Wilmot W. died within two days of each other, so something communicable was involved. Mattie died 1895 of 'convulsions' which were not explained. There does not appear to have been any single, catastrophic event although Abijah W. (4NOV1875), Irena M. (28FEB1876) and Edith V. (22JUN1879) all died very young. Perhaps hereditary, perhaps something in the water where they lived and perhaps a number of illness children are subject to.

Thomas.

Re: Epidemics in the 1870's and 1880's?

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 10:31PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 25 Jul 2014 10:32PM GMT
The parents were first cousins of each other, and of course that has been known to lead to birth defects in children including compromised immune systems. It's too bad New Brunswick hasn't released their archive of death certificates yet (as Ontario has) or I could have solved this mystery long ago.

Re: Epidemics in the 1870's and 1880's?

Posted: 26 Jul 2014 3:34AM GMT
Classification: Query
NB death records at the Provincial Archives are accessible at:
http://archives.gnb.ca/Search/VISSE/?culture=en-CA
Most death records are after 1890 and are not detailed until 1920. I doubt if any records, as such, existed before then. They are also dependent on people actually reporting deaths, which they often didn't even when required to.

Thomas.
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