All About - History - Hitler Versus Stain

All About
YOUR HISTORY
The death certificates of George and
Hannah Lawton, who died of typhoid
often mistaken for a simple fever. Stories of victims
continuing to work until overcome with illness
were common. I found out that George died at
home, which suggests he may have struggled on
until the more aggressive symptoms took hold.
With no NHS or social services, the family would
have had to rally round. My research shows that
the two eldest children (my grandfather and his
brother) were sent to stay with their maternal
uncle, and the younger children with a paternal
aunt. Hannah would have nursed George herself,
probably contracting the disease before she knew
what was wrong with him. She was taken to the
Liverpool Royal Infirmary, where she died three
weeks after George. The children never came home.
The impact of disease and lack of social support
on the lives of ordinary working people is often
viewed by historians through a dispassionate lens,
and recorded in a series of events and dates. Using
my family tree to research the social history of
Victorian Liverpool in this way revealed the heartbreaking
reality behind just two of the statistics.
Various public health acts report that much
had already been done, “…to improve sewerage,
water supplies and street cleaning.” But in 1902,
sporadic outbreaks of the disease were clearly still
devastating communities, and for the families of
the victims, like my grandfather, life would never
be the same.
I was worried about telling my parents the tragic
tale I had uncovered, but my father was sanguine.
The news was comforting. His dad survived
because he was loved, he said, and that makes all
the difference.
Do you have any family stories to share? /AllAboutHistory @AboutHistoryMag
A photo of Chrissie’s grandfather, aged 21
95