Sunday, January 31, 2010

1865 Deaths in Scipio

Continuing to review the record of deaths in 1865, I found two ladies with the same surname, presumably from the same family. Sarah F. Shaw, age 9, died January 19, 1865 of diphtheria and 17 year-old Jane E. Shaw died of the same disease on March 3rd of that year. Diphtheria is mostly eradicated from the US thanks to the development of a vaccine, but historically this bacterial disease has claimed many lives.
Little Carrie Waldron was only 17 months old when she died due to croup on February 28,1865. Usually but not always, croup is due to a virus. Anyone who has had a child with croup can tell you what a scary sound that barking cough is in the middle of the night!
An Irena Hoskins died on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1865. A 77-year-old native of Connecticut, her death was caused by congestion of the lungs. The Hoskins name is well known in Scipio, as is the name of Fordyce. On July 22, 1865, Alpha Fordyce died due to an inflammation of the bowels. Today we know that as Crohn’s Disease; also we have ulcerative colitis. Both are very limiting and serious diseases even today.

4 comments:

Roger A. Post said...

Sandie, is the Alpha Fordyce that you discussed Alpha Clark Fordyce, wife of Benjamin Fordyce? If so, the Fordyce Cemetery #171 transcription for her date of death (approximately 1 year earlier than the death record date you listed) may be in error.

Sandie Stoker Gilliland said...

Roger, I have no way to be sure, but the name Alpha can't be all that common, coupled with Fordyce in the town of Scipio.
I have probably made aqn error in the year of her death. The exact wording of the heading is "DEATHS occuring during the year ending June 1, 1865..." so if Alpha died on July 22, it was likely in the year 1864.
The record I have clearly shows her age as 61 and her status as married. I checked the Fordyce Cemetery 171 record, and there the age is given as 67, and the day of death as June 14th.
I would be hesitant to say these are two records of the same person, but it could be so. The record I have is likely takne from the death certificate information, and that was often faulty. I wonder if a search of fultonhistory.com would yield some newspaper death notices, to further corroborate one of these records?

Roger A. Post said...

Sandie, I couldn't find anything on Alpha Fordyce's death on the Fulton site, at least in a quick search on several name combinations. I think your explanation about deaths occurring during the year preceding June 1, 1865 squares everything up with the cemetery listing, though. Thanks!

Roger A. Post said...

I should add that "Irena" Hoskins, discussed in your original post, is Irene Perry Hoskins, wife of Samuel Hoskins, Jr. She is buried in the Cornwell Cemetery in Scipio, not far from the original Hoskins homestead on Black Street.