I apologize, my computer sent the last message on its own, as it did last night before editing and word spell check... Hello again fellow researchers, Certainly pre-20th century and also pre-19th century genealogical researches seem to be impacted by such outbreaks and other diseases and low mortality rates in the local population as medical recordation and disease control measures progressed. And wars, conflicts, civil strafe, etc compound the difficulties of our research. Soldiers and their followers, sailors and marines seem to have been sent from part of the British Isles to another part, and, later, further afield in the British Empire and elsewhere. What happened to the military dead is not always clear. Military records seems to be fairly detailed. Civil records not so. And, I have learned that erected parish headstones and monuments in church yards are not so permanent, also. Such grave markers in the USA seem to survive in situ from the 17th century, depending on material, weather, protection provided, and location.. Family and community cemeteries rather common in the colonies until well into the 19th century in rural areas of country. For the most part amazingly complete, I think that the publicly available Cornish parish records are an irreplaceable body of social and medical history, as well as genealogical data. Due to the yellow fever discussions, I have been wondering if the absence of a goodly number of people from the parish records can be detected by analyzing available data for a notable void. And if so, perhaps the a possible reason be provided for their absence by further historical research. Several years ago in an English village, I believe, there was highly critical DNA research done on plague burials and identified direct descendants of plague survivors. Apparently, according to my recollection of the study's findings, when one parent had an identified particular DNA marker that person could contact the disease but possibly survive. If a person was child of parents who each carried and transmitted this marker, that person would very likely survive. If both parents did not carry the marker, the inflicted person would most likely die. This is an interesting genealogical and medical research DNA study. Apparently, some immunity existed in the villagers' DNA from much earlier plague outbreaks. I also have read that lime would also be spread on the dead, individual and group burials. Lead caskets were a very expensive means of prophylactically isolating plague dead. But lead was mined in Cornwall and Devon. (Lead exposure must have been hard on the Cornish children for many generations.) Last April, while vi sting the parish church and graveyard in Callington, Cornwall, I noted that the church history bulletin stated burials were not permitted until sometime later; parishioners burials were done in a neighboring parish. A local bishop had to be convinced by the good citizens of Callington to give permission for burials to begin in the parish. (Christenings and marriages did occur in the church Only burials were prohibited.). If this burial restriction was more the norm, than our genealogical research in parish records is further complicated. Enough for now, and my apologies for being so verbose at times. I do enjoy learning about Cornish history and its people. Regards, Steade Craigo In a message dated 10/4/2012 12:53:55 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: thanks Julie added to this particular disease in 1952 at theold Quaker church in FALMOUTH THERE WAS A CEMETERY THERE WAS A BURIAL GROUND WITH ABOUT 30 OR SO HEADSTONES DATED FROM THE 1600, TO BE REMOVED, WELL a trial dig turned up nothing so we placed the headstones on the outside walls , i then left England and didn't return for some 10 years .and there the town were, removing all the soil 15 feet high and 50 feet long (ok ok I'm getting to it ) by hand as it was hallowed ground, they found those coffins on bed rock just below the level of the road, here it is every coffin was encased in lead which was the way those who died of the plague all were named FOX there it is for what's its worth Tommy (wish i could be there next Oct and meet Rita ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julia Mosman" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2012 9:22 PM Subject: Re: [CORNISH-GEN] Yellow fever outbreak in 1856 > > Hello Tom - Yellow fever is normally a rather tropical disease, isn't it? > Panama canal, and all that. It's still prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa, I > believe. But it can, and does, appear elsewhere. In fact, we think one > of my relies was killed in such an outbreak - hundreds of persons buried > in a common grave, because the powers-that-be didn't want the news to get > out, and deter people from moving into the area!! (which was swamp-like, > but a center on the main highways.) So there's no record of who was > buried, unfortunately. Yellow fever is a virus spread by mosquitos, and in > the first stage one has a horrendous headache, muscular aches and pains > (as in really bad flu), loss of appetite - and jaundice is common, which > is where it got it's name. The first stage appears about 3 to 6 days > after being bitten. The second stage is remission - it seems all or some > of the symptoms have gone away. Unfortunately, this only lasts a short > time (24 hours). The third stage is that y! > our organs (hearts, kidneys) stop working; seizures, coma, and delirium > may be present. From what I've found out, there isn't a specific > medicine to combat it; doctors use a combination of things to correct > different symptoms. People still die from it! But imagine what it was like > in the 1850's, without all our sulfa drugs, etc. Several curates/vicars > kept record of causes of deaths in the parish records, especially when an > epidemic swept the area, in the early 1800's. Then they were ordered not > to do so! (I'm still unsure why that was done.) But it was reported in > the West Briton, so it has to be true. Right?? <g> Hope this helps, Julia> >> with the amount of deaths in Cornwall on that date i checked and >> apparently >> an outbreak of yellow fever? i recall the name of it but not the cause or >> symptoms tom veale >> > > > ------------------------------- > Listmom: [email protected] or [email protected] > > Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription information > http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ------------------------------- Listmom: [email protected] or [email protected] Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription information http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message