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Records of the Bay of Quinte Why I am Interested In This Topic Robynne Healey, in her book "From Quaker to Upper Canadian" mentioned a severe epidemic in 1809 and again in 1812/13 in the Quaker community of Yonge Street Meeting. I have noticed other references of "fever" around the Bay of Quinte region at this time and have wondered if they are all part of the same epidemic. Apparently little is known of the causes. Please contact me if you know more about this sad story so that this page can be kept current. From Quaker to Upper Canadian, Faith and Community Among Yonge Street Friends, 1801-1850, Robynne Rogers Healey, McGill-Queens Press, 2006 "Spotted fever" is suggested as another possibility breaking out in Quebec and Vermont in the years preceeding 1813. The authors state that it may be typhus or bacterial meningitis. The authors provide this on line source. Source: Col William Marsh, Vermont Patriot & Loyalist, Jennifer and Wilson Brown, Tiger Rock Press, 2013 |
Yonge St Quaker Community Healey writes that "no one knows exactly what disease swept through Yonge St and Pickering in 1809." The journal of Timothy Rogers records that 30 Quakers known to him died. "Timothy lost 5 daughters, 2 sons, a son in law and 3 grandchildren" sending his wife into understandable depression. The losses were so numerous that the Quaker community at Yonge St decided to make their new meeting house smaller than planned. Source: Healey, 43 - 44. The Journal of Timothy Rogers, The Journal of Wing Rogers and the Jacob Winn file can be seen at the Quaker Archives of Canada. West Lake Quaker Community When Thomas Bowerman was returning from Early in the season of 1810, Thomas and his brother Gideon went to |
Gideon Bowerman – son of Ichabod and Jane – born 22 nd Jan. 1776; died at the
house of Cornelius Blount on the 29 th May 1811. 1810? of “ship-fever” contracted during a rafting voyage to ...... his property was divided among Gideon’s relatives and as a lasting memorial to his generosity, in nearly every family occurs the name of a son or grand-son to his memory. Among the heir-looms left by him is an old double-cased Note – Those who died from “ship-fever” at this time were – as stated, Thos. Bowerman, 28 th Aug. 1810;- Phebe (V Thos IV Ich & Jane) Bowerman – born at the “old log house”, Source: The Bowerman Family of Canada, Albert C Bowerman,1904, Marion Cronk Fonds, Canadian Quaker Archives, Folder 5-4-6. Transcribed from the digital images that are in folder 1.0, Images 64b, 68, 81, 82, 89 Thomas Bowerman, son of Ichabod Bowerman and Jane Richmond, died 1810. Having gone to Source: Unpublished notes of Albert C Bowerman, Marion Cronk Fonds, Canadian Quaker Archives, Folder 5-5. Transcribed from the digital images that are in folder 1.0, Image 69 |
1819 Medical Account An interesting book about medical practice in early Upper Canada. Medical Topography of Upper Canada, by John Douglas, 1819 |
1832 Cholera Epidemic This well documented epidemic is not to be confused with the above records. (III) Moses O'Neil mar. Nancy Wilkins, of “Carrying Place”. She died in the cholera epidemic of 1834, and was buried in the Meth. burial ground in Picton. (no issue)- Source: The Bowerman Family of Canada, Albert C Bowerman,1904, Marion Cronk Fonds, Canadian Quaker Archives, Folder 5-4-6. Transcribed from the digital images that are in folder 1.0, Image 162 |
1854 - another account June 11, 1854 We have had a mild winter, tho a wet but mild spring Many have been disappointed in getting in their crop, for the past 2 weeks the weather has been favorable times are considered good flour worth $8 Rye 4/--peas 4/6 oats 2/6 – the prospect of wheat is poor & of Rye Medling a pretty general time of health a kind of typhoid fever has prevailed thr?? The last fall & winter, in & about Bellville & this ??? Many deaths have occurred Gilbert Noxan in Novre, Gilbert Mathew in March, Eliza Ann Foster in December18, Milton? William in January 31 & others in Demorestville ___ I have been sick of Dyspepsia & Ague for the last 3 or 4 weeks ___the rest of family in usual health politicks Nothing __ the war in Source: James Noxon Account Book, Image 148 |
THREE BOOKS (all at the Toronto Reference Library) 1. The Cholera Epidemics in Upper Canada, 1832 - 1866, Charles Godfrey, 1968. "The epidemics of smallpox and typhus which occured throughout the 18th C caused great morbidity but never reached the severity of the cholera invasion" p. 5 Thanks to Cindy Freitag for sending this link with the text of the above book. 2. Early Days on the Lakes, with an account of the cholera visitaion of 1832, Augustus Walker, Buffalo Hist Soc, 1902, V 5. 3. The Cholera in Buffalo in 1832, Lewis F Allen, Buffalo Hist Soc, V4 |