Hi again Mary I am sure your assessment is correct, as I progressively found deaths and burials I realised that there would be a high infant mortality rate but thought I would see what other listers thought about a 25% death rate and all those who have replied have made conclusions similar to yours I do have one family who had seven children, the first six of whom died at an early age and were buried in the Balmain Catholic only the seventh child seems to have survived I know that the ladies who put together the cd on the Balmain general cemetery did some work on the infant mortality rate and I have sent them an email, it will be interesting to compare the infant mortality rate of the largely Protestant General cemetery and the Catholic cemetery many thanks for your interest Patrick -----Original Message----- From: aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Mary Cunningham Sent: Wednesday, 26 September 2012 2:14 PM To: aus-nsw-sydney@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ANS] Help Needed on infant death statistics My pleasure And yes there were many more complications in childbirth in those early years, which would account for the deaths of newborns. I think that perhaps even though they had work, many of them might not have been able to afford a doctor to attend each birth. I imagine the ratio between doctors and births would have been 1 doctor for every 20 births, particularly in areas like Balmain where there was a large catholic population. Remember in those days, most doctors were men. Most women preferred to have a women attend them during childbirth, but if anything went wrong they were in trouble without a doctor.. They had more midwives than we have today, but I think for the most part, they had no medical qualifications, just the experience of delivering babies. I lost my father in March, and amongst his possessions (which I have kept) is a birth control booklet, probably from St Augustines..... Mary On 26 September 2012 13:15, Patrick Callaghan <balcolyn@activ8.net.au>wrote: > Hi Mary > Many thanks for your reply, I guess it was just how things were, many > of those who died very young survived only a few hours > and twins seemed especially vulnerable. I have four children and four > grandchildren, all healthy and well, I wonder what the situation might > have been if I had lived in those times all the best Patrick > > -----Original Message----- > From: aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Mary > Cunningham > Sent: Wednesday, 26 September 2012 11:16 AM > To: aus-nsw-sydney@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ANS] Help Needed on infant death statistics > > Hi Patrick > > I think it was just "of those times" > I have had ancestors in Balmain since the early 1800's. Still have one > brother living there now. > My grandmother told me a story of how the nuns once came to their > house in Adolphus Street, and put ten pounds on the mantlepiece....to > feed the children, of which there were seven! > My grandfathers family were Roman Catholic Irish.. > It was during the great depression of the 1930's, but apart from the > depression years they always had work. > Childhood diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough, etc; took more > children in those days, even in the wealthier suburbs of Sydney. > > Mary > > On 26 September 2012 10:09, Patrick Callaghan <balcolyn@activ8.net.au > >wrote: > > > Greetings listers > > > > I am sending this email to several mailing lists as I know that that > > there is a great deal of knowledge 'out there' > > > > > > > > Having reached my target of finding 1000 burials to, at least > > partially, recreate the lost burial register of the long disappeared > > Balmain > > > > Catholic cemetery I am now getting ready to publish my work (in > > November) > > > > > > > > Here is where I need some wisdom from listers and I understand that > > the figures I am using may not represent the perfect statistical > > base > > > > BUT > > > > amongst the 1000 burials I have found there are 258 children under > > the age of 5, that's 25% of the known burials and that seems very > > high to me > > > > so my question is, dear reader, what do you think??? > > > > The Balmain area was largely working class in the years the cemetery > > was open (1868 - 1902) is this figure representative of other > > working class > > > > areas of that time > > > > > > > > The figure of 258 is made up of 174 unfants, under the age of one > > and > > 84 under the age of 5, so one conclusion seems to be that if you > > made it > > > > to your first birthday your chance of a long life increased markedly > ????? > > > > > > I look forward to your thoughts > > > > Patrick Callaghan > > > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post > > any reply...... Thank you! > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post > any reply...... Thank you! > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post > any reply...... Thank you! > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post any reply...... Thank you! ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi all I might have ancestors in both, as they often intermarried in my family. My Protestant grandmother used to have to hide the Masonic stuff from my Catholic grandfather when two of their sons joined the Masons. She used to keep grandpa occupied while the boys threw their masonic stuff over the balcony of their small terrace house, to whoever was waiting below to catch it. I have inherited it, without understanding any of it......to me it is just a nice reminder of my uncles.! Thank you, and kind regards Mary > I know that the ladies who put together the cd on the Balmain general > cemetery did some work on the infant mortality rate and I have sent them > an email, it will be interesting to compare the infant mortality rate of > the > largely Protestant General cemetery and the Catholic cemetery > many thanks for your interest > Patrick > > -----Original Message----- > From: aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Mary Cunningham > Sent: Wednesday, 26 September 2012 2:14 PM > To: aus-nsw-sydney@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ANS] Help Needed on infant death statistics > > My pleasure > > And yes there were many more complications in childbirth in those early > years, which would account for the deaths of newborns. > I think that perhaps even though they had work, many of them might not have > been able to afford a doctor to attend each birth. > I imagine the ratio between doctors and births would have been 1 doctor for > every 20 births, particularly in areas like Balmain where there was a large > catholic population. > Remember in those days, most doctors were men. Most women preferred to have > a women attend them during childbirth, but if anything went wrong they were > in trouble without a doctor.. > They had more midwives than we have today, but I think for the most part, > they had no medical qualifications, just the experience of delivering > babies. > I lost my father in March, and amongst his possessions (which I have kept) > is a birth control booklet, probably from St Augustines..... > > Mary > > > > On 26 September 2012 13:15, Patrick Callaghan <balcolyn@activ8.net.au > >wrote: > > > Hi Mary > > Many thanks for your reply, I guess it was just how things were, many > > of those who died very young survived only a few hours > > and twins seemed especially vulnerable. I have four children and four > > grandchildren, all healthy and well, I wonder what the situation might > > have been if I had lived in those times all the best Patrick > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com > > [mailto:aus-nsw-sydney-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Mary > > Cunningham > > Sent: Wednesday, 26 September 2012 11:16 AM > > To: aus-nsw-sydney@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: [ANS] Help Needed on infant death statistics > > > > Hi Patrick > > > > I think it was just "of those times" > > I have had ancestors in Balmain since the early 1800's. Still have one > > brother living there now. > > My grandmother told me a story of how the nuns once came to their > > house in Adolphus Street, and put ten pounds on the mantlepiece....to > > feed the children, of which there were seven! > > My grandfathers family were Roman Catholic Irish.. > > It was during the great depression of the 1930's, but apart from the > > depression years they always had work. > > Childhood diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough, etc; took more > > children in those days, even in the wealthier suburbs of Sydney. > > > > Mary > > > > On 26 September 2012 10:09, Patrick Callaghan <balcolyn@activ8.net.au > > >wrote: > > > > > Greetings listers > > > > > > I am sending this email to several mailing lists as I know that that > > > there is a great deal of knowledge 'out there' > > > > > > > > > > > > Having reached my target of finding 1000 burials to, at least > > > partially, recreate the lost burial register of the long disappeared > > > Balmain > > > > > > Catholic cemetery I am now getting ready to publish my work (in > > > November) > > > > > > > > > > > > Here is where I need some wisdom from listers and I understand that > > > the figures I am using may not represent the perfect statistical > > > base > > > > > > BUT > > > > > > amongst the 1000 burials I have found there are 258 children under > > > the age of 5, that's 25% of the known burials and that seems very > > > high to me > > > > > > so my question is, dear reader, what do you think??? > > > > > > The Balmain area was largely working class in the years the cemetery > > > was open (1868 - 1902) is this figure representative of other > > > working class > > > > > > areas of that time > > > > > > > > > > > > The figure of 258 is made up of 174 unfants, under the age of one > > > and > > > 84 under the age of 5, so one conclusion seems to be that if you > > > made it > > > > > > to your first birthday your chance of a long life increased markedly > > ????? > > > > > > > > > I look forward to your thoughts > > > > > > Patrick Callaghan > > > > > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post > > > any reply...... Thank you! > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > > > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post > > any reply...... Thank you! > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post > > any reply...... Thank you! > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post any > reply...... Thank you! > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post any > reply...... Thank you! > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >