1749-50 — “Throat Distemper” (Diphtheria), MA, esp. Tewksbury (>38) –>106-112

—>106-112  Blanchard tally of numbers in Caulfield footnote 44 below.[1]

 

Bedford          (    13)

–3  Bacon family.                   Vital Records of Bedford, 113-115; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–3  Fitch family.                     Vital Records of Bedford, 119-121; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–3  Hutchinson family.           Vital Records of Bedford, 125; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–4  Whitmore family.             Vital Records of Bedford, 140; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

 

Billerica          (    11)

–2  Daves family.                   Vital Records of Billerica, 355; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–2  Dutton family.                  Vital Records of Billerica, 357; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–2  Lewis family.                   Vital Records of Billerica, 376; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–3  William Stickney family. Vital Records of Billerica, 398; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–2  Daniel Stickney family.   Vital Records of Billerica, 398; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

 

Byfield            (     17)            Essex Antiquarian, Vol. VII, 145-146; in Caulfield, p. 20, fn. 44.

 

Chelmsford    (>7-12)

—      3  Blodget family.          Vital Records of Chelmsford, 366-367; in Caulfield, p. 20, fn. 44.

—      2  Harris family.             Vital Records of Chelmsford, 399; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

—>2-7  Spaulding family.       Vital Records of Chelmsford, 443-447; in Caulfield, p. 20, fn. 44.[2]

 

Rutland          (      3)

–1  Daniel Goodenow, Oct 7, 1749. WikiTree. “David Goodenow (1735-1814).”[3]

–1  Abija Goodenow, Oct 15, 1749. WikiTree. “David Goodenow (1735-1814).”

–1  David Goodenow, Oct 25, 1749. WikiTree. “David Goodenow (1735-1814).”

 

Tewksbury     (   >38)            Vital Records of Tewksbury, 201; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.[4]

–2  Coggin family.                 Vital Records of Tewksbury, 201; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.[5]

–3  Frost family.                     Vital Records of Tewksbury, 209-211; in Caulfield, p. 20, fn. 44.

–2  Haseltine family.              Vital Records of Tewksbury, 214-215; in Caulfield, p. 20, fn. 44.

–3  Kidder family.                  Vital Records of Tewksbury, 219; in Caulfield, p. 20, footnote 44.

–4  Isaac Kittredge family.     Vital Records of Tewksbury, 220-223; in Caulfield, p. 20, fn. 44.

–2  Joseph Kittredge family.  Vital Records of Tewksbury, 220-223; in Caulfield, p. 20, fn. 44.

–2  William Kittredge family. Vital Records of Tewksbury, 220-223; in Caulfield, p. 20

[1] We have included three Goodenow children from Rutland, because we know there was a diphtheria outbreak there, and because, as Caulfield notes, multiple deaths of children in a family in a short period of time is one of the hallmarks of diphtheria, and usually is an indicator that this form of “throat distemper” is not scarlet fever.

[2] Caulfield writes that “At least two of the seven Spaulding children who died in Chelmsford between August 18 and November 20 had throat distemper.

[3] WikiTree notation: “This means that the family lost all three of their children within a month. Although the causes of their deaths are not listed, there is a mention of a significant outbreak of ‘throat distemper’ (diphtheria or scarlet fever) in Rutland in 1749.”

[4] Caulfield notes that these deaths were between April and December 1749.

[5] Caulfield presents these and the following Tewksbury deaths as examples, not the entire mortality list.