Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Extraordinary Mortality?

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

jeannie

jeannie Report 20 Apr 2014 06:41

From The Leeds Mercury (Leeds, England), Saturday, January 26, 1839; Issue 5481.
Extraordinary Mortality-
On the 17th dec, Mr William Bentley, of Crumpsall, farmer, aged 46.-
on the 8th Jan Mr Robert Bentley, of the Coach and Horses, Prestwich, aged 38.-
on the 14th Jan Mr Joseph Bentley, farmer of Sandfield, Pilkington, aged 49 years.

The deceased, who were three brothers, all died in the prime of life, after very short illnesses, leaving three widows and seventeen children to regret their loss.

Tenerife Sun

Tenerife Sun Report 20 Apr 2014 08:12

A bit worrying for any other siblings of the three brothers!

SylviaInCanada

SylviaInCanada Report 21 Apr 2014 04:44

I wonder if there was some sort of epidemic at the time??

Do the entries say anything about how they died ........



........ or it might be interesting to get their death certificates.

+++DetEcTive+++

+++DetEcTive+++ Report 21 Apr 2014 11:14

Unfortunately this extract doesn't doesn't mention the areas where the brothers died
Epdemics Timeline - Keighley & District Family History Society

1838
Smallpox epidemic (south west England & Wales extremely high mortality rate); typhus epidemic (London, Manchester, Liverpool) deaths in north 15,666; in London 18,775

1839
Smallpox epidemic (south west England & Wales extremely high mortality rate); scarlatina epidemic; typhus epidemic (Manchester, Liverpool) deaths in north 17,177; in London 15,666

jeannie

jeannie Report 22 Apr 2014 07:07

I have occasionally found families where several children die, one after the other, which would indicated an epidemic.
These brothers did not appear to live together, and there is no mention of their wives or children going at the same time.
perhaps it was more a way of announcing a sensational set of deaths.

jeannie

jeannie Report 22 Apr 2014 07:07

In the Bolton st, Cemetery in Wellington NZ there is a sad grave with this
Inscription on the Tombstone

Sacred to the memory of the beloved children of John Howard & Sarah Ann WALLACE, carried off by scarlet fever 1865.

Sacred to the memory of William Stanton WALLACE, d. 5 May 1865, aged 3 years & 7 months. Marian Stanton WALLACE, d. 18 May 1865, aged 11 years & 9 months. John Howard WALLACE, d. 19 May 1865, aged 10 years & 2 months. George Frederick WALLACE, d. 20 May 1865, aged 7 years & 7 months. Alice Pennington WALLACE, d. 24 May 1865, aged 4 years & 11 months. All died of scarlet fever. "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for such is the kingdom of God ".

Tenerife Sun

Tenerife Sun Report 22 Apr 2014 11:32

How did the poor parents of the Wallace children ever come to terms with so much loss in so short a time