Pandemic around 1650?

[Jennifer Eccles]

Does anyone know if there was a major pandemic/ plague or suchlike around the mid 1600's?
I have just come across 3 families of mine in Cornwall, who lost most of their children of various ages all around 1650. One poor family lost 6 children the same year and the mother too. very very sad indeed.
Just thought, it wasnt the Black death was it?

[fiona c]

This might have been it, apparently didn't kill as many as the Black Death which it says was in the 1340's


Great Plague of London - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Grampa Jim]

There was a great plague in London in 1665, and it was only the great Fire the following year that stopped it.

[Jennifer Eccles]

It seems the Plague was much later in time.. but thanks anyway

[Olde Crone Holden]

Jennifer

The plague was around for centuries! The Black Death was a variant of it.

There were also many other diseases which killed - cholera and smallpox being just two. In a small isolated place, if one person got something, they would all get it, not having any natural immunity.

Sometimes Parish Records state what diseases were killing people - not in the cause of death bit, but as part of the Vicar's notes, if he made any.

OC

[Grampa Jim]

Bubonic plague was also recored in 1560 too 1565 so don't discount that completely as a suspect.

These are some things happening at the time for what it's worth.
1632/4 Small pox
1642 – 1649 British Civil War
1652/54 First Anglo-Dutch War
1654 – 1660 Anglo-Spanish War

[Jennifer Eccles]

Thanks OC and Grampa,
The wars were out as it was mainly children, but yes i see what you mean about outbreaks of smallpox etc,

[Jennifer Eccles]

I have just found this which is a great help
Epidemic Timeline

[Durham Lady]

Jennifer, thanks for adding that link, it's great.

[Richard]

As OC has pointed out it's myth the Plague ever really went away, there were regularly outbreaks. In London most years people died from it, the difference being the scale, some years barely a dozen, others tens of thousands. I cannot now find the link but I do remember a particularly bad outbreak around 12-15 years before the 1665 one had killed 45,000 , which would be the right sort of time your looking at. When you put it into context the 1665 'great plague' killed around 75,000, so it wasn't too far off in terms of devestation.

Whether the situation in places like Cornwall refelected that in London, I can't be sure, but they certainly did have regular outbreaks too, not only spread by those fleeing outbreaks in the cities, but also from the ships coming in from the continent where plague regularly was also a problem, even after it had dissapeared in England.

If there are sudden large numbers of deaths in a small village at that time, effecting more than one family, I certainly don't think plague can be ruled out.

[Jennifer Eccles]

Thanks Richard, yes i did think perhaps being cornwall, and on the coast, with high shipping and of course smuggling.. there must have been a high risk of diseases, illness's carried on board the ships from foreign parts.

[Little Nell]

Bear in mind that children were particularly susceptible to diarrhoea, which killed through dehydration and there could certainly be many local outbreaks of things which wouldn't necessarily affect the rest of the country - or even county.

[Jennifer Eccles]

Hi Nell,
It just that it is three seperate families in two different villages.. i just wondered whether it was more than a case of the normal era related health probs.

[Little Nell]

Well, they might be 3 separate families with 3 different sets of infections or genetic weaknesses, I suppose.

I have a family (not mine) where 3 sets of siblings died, all cousins, living in a village and a hamlet nearby. Tempted to get death certs to see what they died of. Not an option in your case though.

[Jennifer Eccles]

No thats the prob Nell.. far too early.. i am scanning all sites related to those villages to see if i can spot something but i doubt i will..
I must say though, cornwall has some great family history sites..