1812 — Feb – Apr “Spotted Fever” (Meningitis), esp. Acworth & Antrim NH; Pomfret & Reading VT-268-325

lornajarrettblanchard February 1, 1812

–268-325 Blanchard tally of State and local breakouts below.

Massachusetts ( 8)

–6 Granville, Hampden County. Vital Records of Granville, Massachusetts to 1850.

Henrietta Cooley 14 yrs April 6 Vital Records of Granville. p. 191.

Melissa Cooley 9 yrs March 31 Vital Records of Granville. p. 192.

Oliver Cooley 5 yrs April 2 Vital Records of Granville. p. 192.

Rebeckah Cooley 12 yrs 1812 Vital Records of Granville. p. 192.

Richard D. Cooley 11 yrs April 5 Vital Records of Granville. p. 192.

Elizur Curtiss ~15 yrs April 9 Vital Records of Granville. p. 193.

–2 Woburn. Baldwin, Charles Candee. The Baldwin Genealogy, From 1500 to 1881. 1881.

Nathum Henry, 11 yrs March 15 Baldwin Genealogy to 1881, p. 637.

Thomas Jefferson Henry, 5 yrs, March 16. Baldwin Genealogy to 1881, p. 637

New Hampshire (>133-147)

–133-147 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below (especially Feb 28-Apr 18).

Breakout of Spotted Fever deaths by locality, where noted.

–53 Acworth, Cheshire County, Feb 28-May 13. Farmer/Moore. NH Gazetteer. 1823, p. 65.[1]

— 3 Amherst, Hillsborough County. Secomb. History of the Town of Amherst, NH. 1880.

Nathum Baldwin ~12 yrs. Secomb 1883, p. 491.

Thomas J. Baldwin ~16 yrs. Secomb 1883, p. 492.

Sally Noyes, Jr. about 3 yrs. Secomb 1883, p. 709.

–40 Antrim, Hillsborough Co., Feb-March. Cochrane. History of…Antrim, [NH]. 1880, p. 92.[2]

Nahum Baldwin ~12 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 349.

Samuel Butler 19 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim…. 1880, p. 396.

Susan Butler. (Notes she was young; does not note date.) Cochrane. Antrim. 1880, 395.

Joanna Cochran 7 yrs., April. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 426.

Mary W. Cochran 10 yrs., Apr 2. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 428.

Peggy Duncan. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 471.

John Dunlap, within a few days of older brother Jonathan. Cochrane 1880, p. 479.

Jonathan Dunlap. Cochrane. History of…Antrim, [NH]. 1880, p. 479.

Curtis Fairbanks ~14 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 487.

James M. Flint ~ 5 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 497.

Caroline Hall ~ 3 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 524.

Mrs. Rebecca Hayward March. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 530.

3 children of Josiah & Rebecca Hayward. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p.530.

Betsey Hopkins 15 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 546.

Mrs. Mary McNiel Feb 22. (“lived but a few hours”). Cochrane. Antrim History, p.605.

Robert Nesmith ~9, Feb 9, (1^st death). Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 617.

Daniel Nichols, deacon and selectman. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 92.

Mrs. Daniel Paige, Feb (2^nd death). Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 92.

Mrs. David Paige March. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 632.

John Smith ~10 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 681.

Sarah W. Wallace, wife of James. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 520.[3]

Child of Sarah & James A. Wallace. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 520.

Mr. Jesse Wilson 42 yrs., Mar 21. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 770.

Jesse Wilson Jr. ~9 yrs. Cochrane. History of…Antrim. 1880, p. 771.

— ? Concord, Rockingham County. Farmer/Moore. A Gazetteer of…[NH]. 1823, p. 107.[4]

—>4 Hillsboro, Hillsborough County. 9 days in March. Wife and 3 children of Josiah Hayward.[5]

— 1 Lyman, Grafton County. Farmer/Moore. A Gazetteer of the State of [NH]. 1823, p. 180.[6]

–13 Lyndeborough, Hillsborough Co., 13 days in Feb. Farmer/Moore. NH Gazetteer. 1823, 181.[7]

Daughter of Edward Bullard, 10 yrs. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 633

Mr. David Butterfield, ~37 yrs. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 682

Deborah Clark, 18 yrs, Feb 19. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 700

Hannah Clark, 19 yrs, Feb 19. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 700

Son of Mr. Haggett. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 633

Mrs. Hannah Killam, Feb 19. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 633

Olive Manning, 6 yrs. Feb 12. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 804

Sarah Manning, 4 yrs, Feb 12. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 804

Mr. Jacob Manning. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 633

Proprietor of Parker Tavern. Donovan/Woodward. History of Lyndeborough, 423

— 2 New Boston. Cochrane and Wood. History of Francestown, New Hampshire. 1895, p. 804.

Betsey Loring, age not noted. Cochrane & Wood. History of Francestown, p. 804.

Thomas Loring, 10 yrs. Cochrane & Wood. History of Francestown, p. 804.

— 1 Wilmot, Merrimack Co. Maria Tenney, May 10, 6 yrs. Tenney The Tenney Family., 131.

–16->30 Windham, Rockingham County. Blanchard range from Cochrane and Farmer below.

–>30 Cochrane and Wood. History of Francestown, N.H. to 1891. 1895, p. 167.[8]

— 16 Windham, March 30-April 18. Farmer/Moore. NH Gazetteer. 1823, 265.[9]

Vermont (127-170)

–6,000 Winter of 1812-1813. Hayes. History of…Town of Rockingham, Vermont. 1907, 409.[10]

— 70 Bennington, Bennington Co. Hayes. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont. 409.

— 4 Plymouth, Windsor County. Gallup. Sketches of Epidemic Diseases in…VT. 1815, p. 69.

–44-52 Pomfret, Windsor County. Blanchard range using Gallup (~52) and Hayes (44).

–~52 Gallup. Sketches of Epidemic Diseases…VT. P. 69, citing Ware.[11]

— 44 Hayes. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont. 1907, 409.

— 9-44 Reading, Windsor County. Blanchard range using Gallup (9) and Hayes (44).

— 9 Gallup. Sketches of Epidemic Diseases in…VT. 1815, p. 69.

–44 Hayes. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont. 1907, 409.

— ? Rockingham, spring. Hayes. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont. 409.[12]

— ~30 Shrewsbury, Rutland County. Hayes. History of the Town of Rockingham, 409.

— ? Woodstock, Windsor County. Gallup. Sketches of Epidemic Diseases…VT. 1815, p.69.[13]

Narrative Information

New Hampshire

Cochrane and Wood: “This year (1812) was memorable in this vicinity on account of the ravages of the Spotted Fever, so called. In Windham, whence many Francestown settlers came, the deaths from this cause in the month of April were more than one each day. In Antrim this disease broke out Feb 7, 1812, and spread rapidly, there being two hundred cases and forty deaths in two months. The sufferer usually died in less than twelve hours from the time of being taken….

“But in Francestown it was reported that there was not a case of this fever ever known; and why this town, lying midway between Antrim [40 deaths, Feb-March 1812] and New Boston [40 deaths, 1814], should be except while their losses were so heavy, was a question agitated n many minds, and one to which no satisfactory answer was ever given. And this question was made conspicuous by the fact that there were fatal cases of this fever in New Boston very near to the line of this town!

Cochrane on Antrim, NH: “In the winter of 1811-12, the spotted fever broke out in Antrim, — the most fatal scourge that ever swept over the town….In the midst of this long and terrible winter [1811-12] came the spotted fever. The first case occurred Feb. 7, 1812, the first subject being a child of Samuel Weeks… This child recovered. On the following day, Robert Nesmith, child of Dea. Jonathan, was taken, and lived but a few hours. This first victim died Feb 9, 1812. Then cases followed rapidly in all parts of the town. Dea. Nesmith’s child died on Sunday, and was buried the following day. The next death was that of Mrs. Daniel Paige, sick only a little over half a day. Persons would be taken with a violent headache, or, as in the case of Mrs. Abraham McNiel, with a pain in the little finger, or in some other strange way, and, in severe cases, the victim usually died in less than twelve hours. There were two hundred cases and forty deaths, in two months. Everybody wore mourning till the deaths became so numerous it was impossible to provide mourning apparel. It was hard to find well persons enough to take care of the sick. At many times there were two or three funerals per day, and on one day there were four funerals and four processions up the hard, snowy road to the cemetery on the hill. Sometimes they threw a little snow and dirt over the coffin, and then left the grave unfilled till spring. All ages were taken, from sixty years down to the infant of days. Daniel Nichols, Esq., surveyor, deacon, and nine years selectman, fell a victim. None were attacked by it who were over sixty years of age. The ‘Cabinet’ at Amherst printed reports from Antrim mournful indeed, week after week….For ten weeks all work was suspended except what was absolutely necessary, and people gave their attention to the care of the sick and the burial of the dead. As this was a new disease, physicians did not know how to manage it, and most of them adopted the roasting process. Thes they carried to such an extreme that many were actually roasted to death. Families held themselves ready to apply the roasting or sweating process, at a moment’s warning, night or day. With hot bricks, hot stones, hot blocks of wood, hot rooms, hot drinks, and piles of clothes, the poor creature, burning with fever, was roasted out of the world. But, after many deaths, experience and the ‘sober second thought’ brought about a more merciful and successful treatment. Houses were kept lighted all night, and for more than a month there was one body, or more, awaiting burial all the time. But, as the spring advanced, the disease took a milder form, and entirely ceased about the middle of April. In other towns this scourge was felt. In Acworth there were fifty-three deaths, and many fatal cases occurred far and near. In some towns the disease returned in milder form when cold weather came again, but not here; and it is not known that there has been a case among us since that lamentable winter.” (Cochrane, Rev. W. R. History of the Town of Antrim, New Hampshire…to June 27, 1877. 1880, pp. 91-93.)

Donovan and Woodward or Lyndeborough: “The spotted fever, which had proved fatal in many of the New England towns, prevailed in Lyndeborough in 1812, with its accustomed virulence. It is stated that thirteen persons died as victims of it in as many days. A copy of the New Hampshire Patriot, on Concord, February 25, 1812, contains the following notice:

Died. In Lyndeborough, of the Spotted Fever, a daughter of Mr. Edward Bullard, aged 10 — two children of Mr. Asa Manning — a son of Mr.____ Haggett — Mr. David Butterfield — Mr. Jacob Manning — two daughters of Capt. Clark — a son of Mr. Jacob Wellman.

“Our town records state that ‘Mrs. Hannah Killam and Deborah Clark, both daughters of Capt. William and Sarah Clark, died February 19, 1812;’ thus harmonizing with the above notice.” (Donovan/Woodward. History of the Town of Lyndeborough, [NH], 1735-1905. 1906, p. 633.)

Vermont

Gallup on VT: “1812, The spotted fever[14] prevailed the winter of this year in Pomfret more than it did in 1811. It was very severe in many cases. By report of Dr. Ware, 52 persons died of it this, and the preceding year.[15] Some of these cases proved fatal before medical assistance could be procured.

“More severe cases occurred in the south parish in Woodstock in some neighborhoods, this winter, than the winter before; but the whole number of cases in the town, was not perhaps one to seven, that occurred the year before. In Reading, 60 cases, nine fatal; mostly in thirty hours after the attack. In Plymouth, 30 cases, and four deaths.” (Gallup. Sketches of Epidemic Diseases in the State of Vermont…to the year 1815…, 1815, pp. 68-69.)

Hayes on VT: “Spotted Fever. During the spring of the years 1812 and 1813 Rockingham, as well as other near-by sections of New England, witnessed the rise and spread of what was then considered a singular disease, called ‘spotted fever,’ but afterwards it took the name of ‘malignant fever.’ The disease is supposed to be the same as that now known as cerebro-spinal meningitis and was not thought to be contagious. The number of cases in the town of Rockingham cannot be ascertained.

“During the time the epidemic raged there were seventy deaths in Bennington; Pomfret and Reading each forty-four, and Shrewsbury about thirty.

“In Vermont the number of deaths during the winter of 1812-13 reached six thousand, or about one death in every forty inhabitants.[16]

“In the month of March, 1813, seven persons died of the disease in as many days in the town of Walpole.

“Among the papers of Capt. Charles Church, a prominent resident of this vicinity, was found the following receipt, which it is understood was one of the most efficacious used at that time. Certainly if the patients survived the medicine, they surely ought to have survived the disease.

Cure for the spotted fever. To 1 quart of Lime add 1 Gallon of Water. To 1 Quart of tar add two Quarts of Water. Let these stand in separate vessels until they froth, skim the froth, pour them together. To this mixture add 8 ox. Salt Peter, 4 ox. Opium, take a glass when going to bed and repeat the same in 4 or 5 hours.

“The following account of this epidemic in the neighboring town of Alstead, N. H., was published in an historical sermon delivered in Alstead in 1826 by Rev. Seth S. Arnold, A. M.:

In 1812 and 1814, the spotted fever made its appearance in the place, and spread terror and anxiety among the inhabitants. Its ravages were alarming and filled every heart with dismay. The disease was uncommon, and the subjects of it were suddenly attacked, greatly distressed and soon called from time to eternity. At first the physicians were unacquainted with it and generally had but little time to make any application. Some families were almost entirely cut off. Mr. Gary was bereft of his wife and all his children, four or five in number, in a very short time. Sylvester Partridge had four children carried from his house to the grave in one day. About ninety deaths were occasioned by this disease in the two years above mentioned. And the same epidemic extended into the neighboring towns.

In 1813, a malignant fever also prevailed, which swept off sixteen persons, besides those that died with other complaints.”

(Hayes. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont. 1907, pp. 409-410.)

Sources

Archaicmedicalterms.com. Accessed 2-16-2018 at: http://www.archaicmedicalterms.com/English/EnglishM.htm

Baldwin, Charles Candee. The Baldwin Genealogy, From 1500 to 1881. Cleveland, OH: The Leader Printing Company, 1881. Google preview accessed 2-17-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=LYoJAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Cochrane, Rev. Warren Robert, and George K. Wood. History of Francestown, N.H., from its earliest settlement, April, 1758, to January 1, 1891, with a brief Genealogical Record of all the Francestown. Nashua, NH: James H. Barker, Printer, 1895. Google preview accessed 2-17-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=llGDthBQqTMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Cochrane, Rev. W. R. History of the Town of Antrim, New Hampshire, from its earliest settlement, to June 27, 1877. Manchester, NH: Mirror Steam Printing Press, 1880. Google preview accessed 2-16-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=yAPPmgRzUj4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Cutter, William Richard (Ed.). Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts (Vol. 4). NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1908. Google digital preview accessed 2-16-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=nn1yyHiYJFYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Donovan, Rev. Dennis. and Jacob A Woodward. The History of the Town of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, 1735-1905. Tufts College Press, H. W. Whittemore & Co., 1906. Google preview accessed 2-17-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=7n9n5W-Uf2MC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Farmer, John, and Jacob B. Moore. A Gazetteer of the State of New-Hampshire. Concord: Jacob B. Moore, 1823. Google preview accessed 2-15-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=45Y-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Gallup, Joseph A., M.D. Sketches of Epidemic Diseases in the State of Vermont; From its First Settlement to the year 1815, with a Consideration of their Causes, Phenomena, and Treatment. Boston: T. B. Wait & Sons, 1815. Accessed 2-7-2018 at: https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/bookviewer?PID=nlm:nlmuid-2555005R-bk

Hayes, Lyman Simpson. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont…1753-1907. Bellows Falls, VT: Published by the Town, 1907. Google preview accessed 2-16-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=ULmlDG8KLjYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Secomb, Daniel F. History of the Town of Amherst, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire… 1728-1882. Concord, NH: Evans, Sleeper & Woodbury, 1883. Google preview accessed 2-17-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=RWY2u4sZDxcC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Tenney, M. J. The Tenney Family or the Descendants of Thomas Tenney of Rowley, Massachusetts, 1638-1904 (Revised). Concord, NH: The Rumford Press, 1904. Google preview accessed 2-17-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=0y9WAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Thompson, Zadock. History of Vermont, Natural, Civil and Statistical, in Three Parts. Burlington, VT: Chauncey Goodrich, 1842. Google preview accessed 2-3-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=8BUzAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Vital Records of Granville, Massachusetts to the year 1850. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1914. Google digital preview accessed 2-17-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=MyIlAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

[1] “The spotted fever appeared in this town Feb. 28, 1812, and from that time to May 13, there occurred 53 deaths, of which 53 were by the fever. Population in 1820, 1479.” Cochrane and Wood (History of Francetown, p. 167), also note 53 deaths.

[2] Cochrane, writing with George K. Wood, in the History of Francetown, N.H. notes, “forty deaths in two months.”

[3] “She did up her washing, finishing it at three p.m., and was perfectly well, but suddenly sickened and was laid out in death before the next morning.”

[4] Notes the spotted fever first made its appearance in Concord in 1812 and then again in 1813, 1816 and 1817 and “a number fell its victims.”

[5] William R. Cutter (Ed.). Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs (Vol. 4). P. 1859. Josiah Hayward was born in Braintree, MA, thus his mention in this book.

[6] “The spotted fever in 1812, attacked 70 persons, of whom only one died. Pop. 1270.”

[7] “In the winter of 1812, the spotted fever prevailed here, of which 13 persons died within about as many days. The number of deaths for the last 10 years has been 160. Pop. 1200.” We changed “winter” to February in that Donovan and Woodward’s boon on the History of Lyndeborough, also notes 13 deaths “in as many days,” but specifically notes two of the deaths were on Feb 19. Thus if all were within 13 days, all would have had to be in February.

[8] Our number based on “In Windham…deaths from this cause in the month of April were more than one each day.”

[9] “The spotted fever appeared at Windham in 1812. From March 30, to April 18, there died 16 — 3 adults, and 13 children. 13 died in 8 days. Pop. 889.”

[10] Highlighted in yellow to denote that we do not use this number in our tally. No sources cited; written almost 100 years later. Does not approach numbers we have collected for 1812 and 1813 in all of New England. We speculate this came from an 1842 book by Thompson on the History of Vermont, wherein he notes 9p. 221 of Section VIII) that about 6,000 died in Vermont during an 1812-13 epidemic of Peripneumony/lung fever (most likely influenza/pneumonia).

[11] Hayes (History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont. 1907, p. 409), notes forty-four.

[12] Writes that Rockingham “witnessed the rise and spread” of “spotted fever” but could not ascertain the effect.

[13] “…more severe cases occurred in the south parish…in some neighbourhoods this winter…” Does not note deaths.

[14] “Cerebro-spinal fever or epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis, popularly called spotted fever, is an infectious disease occurring sporadically or in epidemics…” (Archaicmedicalterms.com.)

[15] In his narrative for the year 1811, Gallup does not note any deaths in Pomfret. We are including all 52 here.

[16] It should be noted concerning 6,000 deaths in Vermont during the winter of 1812-13, that this was written almost 100 years later, without source attribution.