1795 — “Throat Distemper” (Diphtheria), Royalston (66) and Rutland (5) MA — 71

–71  Caulfield. “Some Common Diseases of Colonial Children.” Transactions. Apr 1942, p. 23.

 

Worcester County     (71)

–66  Royalston.          Caulfield. “Some Common Diseases…Colonial Children.” 23.[1]

–2  Bachelor family.   Vital Records of Royalston, p. 162; in Caulfield.

–2  Bliss family.         Vital Records of Royalston, p. 164-165; in Caulfield.

–2  Estey family.        Vital Records of Royalston, p. 172; in Caulfield.

–2  Faulkner family.   Vital Records of Royalston, p. 173; in Caulfield.

–5  Heywood family. Vital Records of Royalston, p. 177-178; in Caulfield.

–2  Metcalf family.     Vital Records of Royalston, p. 182-183; in Caulfield.

–2  Nichols family.     Vital Records of Royalston, p. 184; in Caulfield.

–5  Wheeler family.    Vital Records of Royalston, p. 193-194; in Caulfield.

–5  White family.       Vital Records of Royalston, p. 194; in Caulfield.

—  5  Rutland. Caulfield. “Some Common Diseases…Colonial Children.” 23.

 

Narrative Information

 

Caulfield: “The next severe one [diphtheria epidemic] had its center in Royalston, where fifty-seven children and nine adults succumbed in 1795. At least three families lost five apiece. That year five in one family died in Rutland also.”[2] (Caulfield. “Some Common Diseases of Colonial Children.” Transactions. Apr 1942, p. 23.)

 

 

Source

 

Caulfield, Ernest. “Some Common Diseases of Colonial Children.” Transactions of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Vol. 35, April 1942, pp. 4-65. Accessed 1-17-2018 at: https://www.colonialsociety.org/node/865

 

[1] Fifty-seven children and nine adults.

[2] Caulfield, in footnote 52, cites: Lilley B. Caswell. History of the Town of Royalston, Massachusetts (Athol, 1917); Diary and Journal (1755-1807) of Seth Metcalf (Boston, W.P.A. Historical Record Survey, 1939), 21; Vital Records of Royalston, 162, 164-165, 172-173, 177-178, 182-184, 193-194