Page 18 - Smallwood Hospital

Redditch Heritage Smallwood Hospital

spent before the Board of Health was legally established and the Committee directed the
remainder to be spent on extra comfort for the poor afflicted with cholera.

Cholera appeared again in England

Cholera appeared again from 1848 to 1849 in Britain, but not in Redditch. The draining of the
Big Pool had some
27
effect as Redditch was spared, but nearby Bromsgrove had several cases of cholera. Not
surprisingly, the unfounded rumour that cholera had appeared in Hunt End on the outskirts of
Redditch caused great alarm.

Some worthless character at Redditch has been circulating a report that a female residing at
Hunt-end had been seized with cholera, and died in a few hours. The rumour occasioned great
alarm, but we are glad to hear that it is entirely without foundation. “Lynch-law” would be an
almost excusable proceeding towards an individual who would circulate suchdangerous and
untrue reports. 28

The Registrar-General’s Quarterly Return published in November 1849 was summarised in
the Worcester Journal. There had been 34 cases of cholera, including 6 deaths, in Worcester,
and 5 deaths from cholera in Upton-on-Severn. It was also noted:

Sanitary measures have been very generally and strictly enforced in Redditch, the most
populous place of the district. In 1832 the cholera was very bad and the cases numerous, and
great proportion fatal, but during the present visitation no case has occurred. 29

In November 1849 there was a Thanksgiving Day in Redditch to mark the town’s absence of
cholera. All the shops and factories were closed and churches and chapels were ‘thronged
with attentive congregations’. The Rev. Fessey selected the following text for the service in
St. Stephen’s Church: ‘Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who ‘crowneth thee with
loving kindness and tender mercies’. 30

Cholera appeared in England again in 1853 and in 1866. Redditch appeared to avoid cholera
on both occasions, although Redditch was prepared in 1866.

A special meeting of the Commissioners was held at the Clerk's office on Monday evening,
when it was determined to make a house-to-house visitation on Friday as a precautionary
measure against the outbreak of cholera. In reply to Mr. Boulton it was stated that in case of an
outbreak of cholera in the town a general dispensary would be opened. 31

Although the Big Pool had been drained, both the water supply and the sewerage provision
were inadequate, despite changes in legislation, and even in 1891 one newspaper was able to
32
refer to ‘insanitary Redditch’.

27
Worcestershire Chronicle 10 October 1849.
28
Worcestershire Chronicle Wednesday 24 October 1849.
29
Worcester Journal 22 November 1849.
30
Worcestershire Chronicle 21 November 1849.
31
Worcestershire Chronicle 15 August 1866.

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