1736 — July-Nov, Epidemic (scarlet fever or diphtheria?), esp. children, Marblehead MA~25

— ~25  Blanchard guesstimate based on deaths of children noted in Marblehead Vital Records.[1]

 

Narrative Information

 

Duffy: “….Three years later [1769] William Douglas made…[an] observation in a letter to Cadwallader Colden and cited examples of the different forms the disease[2] had assumed in various localities. In Boston and Marblehead in 1736 the infection was characterized by a ‘military’ or ‘eruptive’ fever, and in both towns the disease was mild.”[3]

 

Vital Records of Marblehead:[4]

 

  1. Hannah Andrews, daughter of Joseph and Mary        Oct 30             p. 476.
  2. Joseph Bishop, son of Samuel and Elenor                  Nov 4              p. 489.
  3. Sarah Calley, daughter of Moses and Sarah               July 24            p. 509.
  4. Richard Chaple, son of William and Sarah                Oct 13             p. 513.
  5. John Clark, son of Osmond Clark                              Aug 20            p. 516.
  6. Mary Cross, daughter of Peter and Margaret             July 7              p. 526.
  7. Thomas Davis, son of John and Lydia                       Aug 5              p. 529.
  8. Son of George and Elizabeth Finch                            July 1              p. 545.
  9. Mary Furness, daughter of David and Elisabeth        Aug 27            p. 551.
  10. Alice Gale, wife of Thomas, age 19                           Oct 24             p. 551.
  11. John Gallison, age 34                                                 Aug 30            p. 552.
  12. Robert Gilbert, son of Thomas and Elisabeth             Oct 30             p. 555.
  13. Mary Girdler, daughter of Nicholas and Sarah           Aug 5              p. 556.
  14. Elizabeth Paramore, daughter of Robert and Jane      June 30            p. 628.
  15. Jane Paramore             “                      “                      July 5              p. 628.
  16. Steven Robinson, age not noted                                 Aug 30            p. 653.
  17. Michael Sinecross, son of Joseph and Sarah.             Sep 22             p. 667.
  18. Richard Squire, no age or relationship noted.            Sep 14             p. 670.
  19. John Tawley, son of John and Isabella, age 8.           Sep 22             p. 682.
  20. Talbot Tawley, age 2 years and 6 months.                 Oct 9               p. 682.
  21. Samuel White, son of Joseph and Mary                     Nov 27            p. 699.
  22. Elisabeth Williams, daughter of John and Elisabeth  Aug 11            p. 701.
  23. Edward Wills, son of George and Elisabeth               Oct 12             p. 702.
  24. Elisabeth Wills[5]                                                          Oct 7               p. 702.
  25. Mary Wills, daughter of George and Elizabeth          Oct 9               p. 702.
  26. Sarah Wills      “                      “          “                      Oct 7               p. 702.
  27. Joseph Woodier, son of Charles and Sarah                Nov 15            p. 704.

 

Sources

 

Duffy, John. Epidemics in Colonial America. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1953, reprinted 1979.

 

United States Bureau of the Census. Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1790 — Massachusetts. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1908. Accessed 4-1-2018 at: https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html

 

Vital Records of Marblehead Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume II — Marriages and Deaths. Salem, MA: The Essex Institute, 1904. Accessed 4-1-2018 at: https://ia800205.us.archive.org/0/items/vitalrecordsofma02marb/vitalrecordsofma02marb.pdf

 

 

 

 

[1] We have highlighted in yellow three of 27 deaths included in this listing, in that one was an adult and two might have been. Both scarlet fever and diphtheria were diseases primarily effecting children, particularly those ten or younger. The Vital Records do not list a cause of death, but it is very noteworthy that all those who are listed as a son or daughter death in 1736 died (or were buried) between June 30 and Nov 27. Diphtheria was epidemic in New England 1735-1741. Scarlet fever was epidemic in Boston 1735-1736. Marblehead is 16.4 driving miles up the coast from Boston, on the ocean. In the 1790 US Census (the first) the population was 5,661 (p. 9, Heads of Families — Massachusetts).

[2] Throat or “mortal distemper.” This reference is in the scarlet fever section or the diphtheria and scarlet fever chapter (p. 132).

[3] Upon reading this Duffy statement, we went to the Vital Records of Marblehead where we have noted the deaths of at least twenty-four deaths of children (those described as a son or daughter of a couple) who died during the months of July to November in this relatively small community. While the cause of death is not noted in any of the entries, it appears to us that an epidemic of some sort was at hand, particularly sine we do not find listings of child deaths in Marblehead outside the July-November time-frame, which strikes us as remarkable.

[4] We have left out the names of approximately six adults who died outside of the July-Nov time-frame, or for whom no date of death or burial was noted. In some cases the date is the date of burial, not the date of death.

[5] Neither age nor family relationship is noted. I speculate this was probably the wife or daughter of George Wills.