Page 11 - Smallwood Hospital

Smallwood Hospital Redditch Heritage

Leamington Spa At Redditch yesterday there were only 2 new cases and one death; total 28 cases, 8 deaths.
Courier Sat 22 Sept

Worcester Herald Order been received at Redditch from the Privy Council constituting a Board of Health for
Sat 29 Sept the parish of Tardebigg, and commanding the members thereof to proceed in the
execution of the duties required of them forthwith. The cholera has nearly ceased at
Redditch, only one case remaining yesterday – total number from the commencement, 37;
deaths 15; recoveries 21. 9

Worcester Herald Since our last report five new cases and one death have occurred at Redditch, making a
Sat 27 Oct total of 69 cases, 30 deaths, and 31 recovered. From this statement it will appear the
disease is on the decrease, and has likewise assumed a milder character. The Dispensary
has been of essential service; in the first six days after it was opened, the applications for
relief for bowel complaints amounted to 237.

Worcester Herald The cholera has not entirely subsided at Redditch. There have been four new cases, and
Sat 3 Nov three deaths since our last report, making a total 73 cases from the commencement of
the disease.

Worcester Herald No fresh cases of cholera at Redditch since our last report; parish free from the malady.
Sat 17 Nov

Worcester Herald One case of cholera has occurred at Redditch since our last publication, making total of
Sat 24 Nov 80 cases, 37 deaths . . .

Birmingham Gazette Friday last was observed at Redditch, and throughout the parish of Tardebigg, as a day of
Mon 24 Dec General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for having delivered that parish from the Cholera.

There are two items in the Redditch Library archives that describe the arrival of cholera in
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Redditch. These are an extract from ‘Old Redditch’ by William Avery, 1887, and the
Minutes of the Local Board of Health in 1832. The latter document has been transcribed and
can be found in Appendix 1. The Minutes included not only the minutes of the Board of
Health’s meetings but also a recipe for a cholera draught, cholera statistics for the parish of
Tardebigge and details of individual patients.

Extract from ‘Old Redditch’ by William Avery, 1887

The year 1832 will be long remembered with dread as the year when the cholera raged with
such frightful virulence throughout the country, and in few places in the kingdom was it more
deadly than in Redditch. The first which fell a victim here was John Lead, and the second the
wife of George Parsons, who lived opposite “The Woodland Cottage” at the end of The Flat.
Then followed such a terrible succession of deaths, that some left the neighbourhood in terror.
Cases occurred in which the men were well at night and buried next morning, and well can I
remember the deep anxiety with which in the morning we enquired who had been the victims
during the night. Owing to the dread of contagion, so quickly were the bodies buried that it

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The parish is now spelt ‘Tardebigge’. Redditch was in the parish of Tardebigge at that time.
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This was republished in 2002 with illustrations by Norman Neasom: Avery, W. (Ed. A. Bradford) (1999)
OLD REDDITCH being an early history of the town (1800-1850). Redditch, Hunt End Books.

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