10/01/2022
Smallpox in Yateley
Whilst researching “Ann Percy” in Cove, I thought she might be the Ann Pussey born 2 August and baptised on 10 August 1793, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Pussey, who were married as Joseph P***y and Sarah Wilson 28 December 1781 in Yateley. Their first two childen (out of a total of nine) tragically died of smallpox in 1786.Joseph P***y and Sarah Wilson’s first two children were: (1) Jane P***y (1783-86) baptised 4 August 1783 Yateley daughter of Joseph and Sarah P***y of Cove, Jane P***y was buried 9 September 1786 age 3 “of the small pox, pauper”, (2) James P***y (1786-86) born August 1786 son of Joseph and Sarah P***y of Cove, buried 11 September 1786 age 5 weeks “of the small pox, pauper”
That got me thinking about smallpox deaths in the parish. Especially as we are going through an countrywide epidemic. How common was smallpox in this neck of the woods at the time of the 1841 census?
There are 29 recorded deaths from “small pox” in the Yateley Parish registers, the first a Sarah Hatt in 1784, John Lock in 1785 and the P***y children in 1786.This was ten years before Edward Jenner developed the first modern smallpox vaccine from cowpox in 1796. The disease was first diagnosed by the Egyptians in the 3rd century BCE. Innocuation against the disease started in China about 1500 and was adopted in Europe by 1750. There were two variants of the disease, the mild form killed 1% of the infected, the other killed 30%, survivors were often left heavilly scarred or blind. It is estimated that 300 million people died of smallpox in the 20th century. Due to a worldwide innoculation scheme by the WHO, the last recorded natural occcurence of smallpox was in 1977 and the disease was declared irradiccated in 1980.
Henry Taylor died of smallpox three months after the P***y children. Henry Taylor (1746-86) baptised 11 January 1746 Yateley son of Thomas & Elizabeth Taylor, married Hannah Swain 2 November 1765 Yateley, 7 children, buried 12 December 1786 Yateley, died of the small pox age 39.
Robert Williams (1731-87) was buried 19 August 1787 Yateley age given as 54 [56], son of John Williams (c1700-38) & Mary Williams nee Garraway (c1700-34) of Fleet, which was then in the Parish of Yateley.
Samuel Styles (1780-90) was only 10 when buried on 26 January 1790 Yateley. His parents were Samuel and Sarah Styles of Hawley.
James Chitty (1730-90) was buried 21 February 1790 Yateley age 59.
Mary Nash (1782-90) was buried 1 March 1790 Yateley age 7. She was baptised 23 December 1782 daughter of John Nash (1746-1819) & Elizabeth Portsmouth (1748-1813) of Hawley.
William Ridgers (1789-90) was buried 1 March 1790 Yateley age 7 months. William’s parents were probably Thomas Ridgers (c1760-1808) and Hannah Hartall (c1760-1848) who married 16 May 1780 St Marylebone by banns, he marked X while she signed as “Hannah Hartal”, witnesses: Thomas Brooker and Thos Bird. Thomas Ridger was probably born in Frimley (22 June 1760 son of Robert & May Ridgers) and was a mastet wheelwright of Yateley Parish, probably based in Hawley or Cove who was a master in Farnborough in 1788 when he took on George Draper as an apprentice. Thomas Ridgers’ children: (1) Harriot Ridgers (1781-1844), baptised in Yateley on 22 June 1781, and was married as Harriott Ridgers to John Goddard in Yateley on 30 January 1802, their children born in Yateley were (1) John Goddard (1805-1890), (2) Catherine Goddard (1808-53), (3) Hannah Goddard (1810-??), (4) Eleanor Goddard (1813-??), and (5) Jane Goddard 1817-??). Harriett Goddard died 1844; (2) Hannah Ridgers (1783-1801) baptised 17 May 1783 Farnborough St Peter, buried 11 November 1801 Yateley (of Hawley), age 18; (3) Mary Ridgers (1785-after 1851?) born 21 October 1785 and baptised 19 November 1785 Farnborough St Peter,married William Gregory 19 October 1802 Yateley; (4) William Ridgers born c1789 Farnborough, buried 1 March 1790 Yateley age 7 months; (5) James Ridgers (1793-94), baptized in Yateley on 21 April 1793, having been born 11 days earlier in Cove, he was only 18 months old when buried at St Peter’s on 17 October 1794. Thomas Ridgers died Hawley 1808 buried 4 December age 48
Two of the Green family, both paupers from Hawley, died in Decembr 1791, John Green (1735-91) 55 on 3 December and Mary Green (1730-91) 60 on 23 December. A John & Mary Green had two children in Yateley, William Green in 1769 and Frances in 1773.
William Watson (1753-92) 39 died in Blackwater buried 27 June 1792 Yateley, of smallpox. A William Watson married Jane Pool (c1750-1827) 11 December 1788 in Yateley. Possibly Jane Watson nee Pool married George Girdler (c1751-1836) 25 October 1792 Yateley. Jane Girdler (c1750-1827) of Hawley was buried 10 June 1827 age 78. George Girdler 23 December 1836 Yateley age 75.
James Hilton (1789-93) born 2 February baptised 15 February 1789 Yateley, buried 20 May 1793 Yateley age 4, died of the small pox, son (and 5th child of 11 children of) of George Hilton (1759-1836) & Hannah Martin (1760-1837), who married on 6 January 1780 Yateley. George Hilton was buried 31 July 1836 Yateley age 77. Hannah Hilton was buried 10 September 1837 Yateley age 77.
Ann Lee (1738-93) (1789-93) died of smallpox buried 27 December 1793 Yateley age 55.
George Holmes (1730-94) was baptised 2 February 1730 Yateley son of William and Jane Holmes. He married Elizabeth Mitchel (1733-93) 9 October 1757 Yateley. His wife Elizabeth was baptised 31 July 1733 daughter of Philip Mitchel (c1700-67) & Elizabeth Geale (c1700-75), who were married 14 December 1728 Yateley. George died of smallpox and buried 18 January 1794 Yateley age 63,
William Bartlett (c1748-96) died of smallpox and buried 29 January 1796 Yateley age 48. William Bartlett married Mary Bunch 8 June 1771 Yateley. Mary Bunch (1752-1808) was baptised 17 August 1852 daughter of John & Mary Bunch. They had eight children. Mary Bartlett buried 1 August 1808 Yateley age 56.
Richard Edmeads who died of smallpox and buried 19 February 1796 Yateley. Richard Edmead and Sarah Cole were married 14 May 1788 Farnborough. Sarah Edmeads, widow of Richard Edmeads, Richard Edmeads, married William Moth (1775-1852)11 June 1798 Yateley.
A Master West (1789-93) age 14 from Chipstead Surrey died of smallpox whilst passing through Blackwater in 1799. His first name unknown.
The biggest death toll came in 1806, when six deaths by smalllpox were declared.
First, Sarah Reynell (Reynolds) nee Ham (1754-1806) 52 of Hawley succumbed to smallpox on 1 February 1806. John Reynolds (1745-1812) and Sarah Ham (1754-1806) were married 21 July 1771 Yateley.
The Thomas Reynel (1780-1806) 22 of Hawley Tithing buried 4 weeks later, no cause given, may also have died of smallpox, may have been John and Sarah Reynolds’ third son, Thomas Reynolds baptised 5 August 1780, which would have made him 25 and not 22. He was unmarried and probably living at home.
Hannah Clark (1762-1806) 44 of Hawley buried 26 March 1806, having died from smallpox, her daughter Eleanor Clark (1803-06) 2, just eight days later on 3 April. Ellen Clarke of Hawley born 13 July baptised 14 August 1803 daughter of William and Hannah Clarke, who were having children in Yateley from 1784. Hannah Moth (1748-1806) baptised 20 December 1748 Yateley daughter of Richard and Sarah Moth, married William Clarke 17 October 1781 Yateley.
Mary Ruffell (1741-1806) 64 and Thomas Ruffell (1740-1806) 66 both of Hawley died of smallpox within 10 days of each other in April and May. Thomas Ruffield (1740-1806) was baptised 27 April 1740 Yateley eldest son of Joseph Ruffield (alias Ruffell and Raphael) (c1715-72) and Elizabeth Ruffield (alias Ruffell and Raphael) (c1715-71). Mary Soane baptised 5 March 1741 daughter of Thomas Soane (c1712-95) and Elizabeth Stiles (c1705-86) who married 26 January 1732 Yateley, and had 7 children. Thomas Ruffell married Mary Soan 13 July 1765 Yateley and had 7 children.
James Milam (c1787-1821) of Hawley was buried 6 August 1821 Hawley age 34, died from small pox. He is probably related to the Milam family of weavers in Yateley and Eversley.
Mary Kingston (1753-1821) 70 of Hawley died of smallpox buried in Yateleyt 25 August 1821. Mary Knapper was baptised 12 May 1753 Yateley daughter of James & Mary Knapper. Samuel Kingston (1750-1825) and Mary Napper (1753-1821) were married 5 July 1777. They had eight children in Yateley. Samuel Kingston (1750-1825) of Cove was buried 19 August 1825 Yateley age 75.
Joseph Aberry 29 of Yateley died of smallpox in 1832. His connection with the area unknown.
On 30 November 1835, Ellen Bennett 23 of Reading was buried in Yateley having died from smallpox.
Hannah Wickens an infant from Cove was buried within six days of Ellen Bennett, both having died from smallpox, Hannah was the last recorded burial due to the disease in Yateley. Hannah Wickens (c1833-35) was born around 1833 in Cove daughter of John Wickens [1841/6/12] [1851/8/88] (1800-70) & Sarah Wickens nee Ellis of Cove labourer, who married 27 December 1824 Yateley; John Wickens [1841/6/12] [1851/8/88] (1800-70) was baptised 19 November 1800 in Yateley son of John and Hannah Wickens of Cove. Hannah Wickens of Cove died of “Small Pox” was buried in Yateley 5 December 1835 as an infant.
