Death and Disease

Image courtesy of the Identity Server. The Old West Brig, Greenock

FATHER CONDON
THE DIARY OF

FATHER CONDON was an Irish catholic priest who came to St

Lawrences in the Greenock parish after spending time in Glasgow, Campbeltown and Hamilton. He took a great interest in the poor and the sick and worked persistently to ensure that they had the education and help they deserved. Father Condon was known for his meticulous diary keeping, and extracts from his diaries provide us with an insight into what life was really like in Greenock during the 1800s. There are entries in Fr Condons diaries relating to the deaths & diseases that were rife in Inverclyde, as shown opposite.

Collar the Lot!!

July 11 1863 -

Extract from the Diary of Father Condon:

Hundreds of poor creatures from Ireland & from other parts of the country penniless &homeless, arrive in the town weekly in quest of work and an epidemic of typhus fever & small pox, of an malignant type, rages in the considering the majority of erecting large sheds for the accommodation of a misfortune may happen at any hour in the present circumstances, no one house, & the whole duties of so large a parish devoire upon his colleague, overtake even a portion of it

The Medical Martyrs

doctors in Inverclyde in the 1860s was certainly unusual... During 1864-5 the typhus epidemic was nation wide in Scotland, with a serious within just four months shocked the medical profession and was even noted in the British Medical Journal. 26th 1964 and was only 33 years old. Dr Macloskey was a much loved man who worked tirelessly to help the poor Irish communities within the area. Dr Macloskey worked hard to promote and support a Reading Room which was there to provide free education and support to the local Irish Catholic community.

Death of Dr Macloskey - We deeply regret for the decease in the prime of life of this amiable and accomplished gentleman, who died at an early hour yesterday morning from an attack of typhus fever which is at present so rife in this and other towns in the West of Scotland, He has honourably fallen in the performance of duty, while earnestly

The Greenock Advertiser - Obituary.

Directors as well as of a considerable circle of friends who will deeply regret his death. He took special interest in the Irish people resident in town, and actively promoted a reading room and other means to elevate and improve the character of those from among whom he sprang. He was a pleasant, intelligent and public spirited man, and the sad and heavy bereavement his family have sustained in his removal at what seemed the commencement of a prosperous career, will be lamented by the whole community. A Young Lawrence Toma.
g courtesy y of Roland Toma. Image

The fever, making progress through the town, claimed the lives of four Church and in the Greenock Cemetery.

William Joseph Macloskey - aged 33 James Frasser Paton - aged 32 Joseph Conway - aged 25 James Dowie - aged 22 James Lamont Lockhead - aged 33

Typhus
The name Typhus derives from the Greek word Typhos meaning smoky or hazy, begin with the sudden onset of a headache, chills, fever and general pain and eventually further symptoms include a rash at toxemia and terminate after two to three

Typhus Fever 1862 23 January

- The Health of The Town Among the proceedings of the water trust meeting on Tuesday, it will be observed special reference was made to the present state of health of the town and especially to the prevalence of Typhus Fever. The number of cases in the hospital as of late increased and others are scattered over the town especially in the lower districts. In any circle one run of the community. Commendable readiness has been shown in way of late to Society for the relief of the casual poor, whose committee and agents have already made considerable distribution of coals and food among the destitute, and whose
May 23 1865 - The provost is laying the mortality return for February on the table, said that he regretted that it was very high, there having been 206 deaths against 177 in February 1864. The deaths for Typhus had, however, been 10 less during the previous month and he had reason to believe that the returns in this respect for the present month would be under those of February.

Cholera
Cholera is an intestinal infection caused by bacteria and is often linked to drinking contaminated supplies of drinking water. Cholera was endemic in Britain in the 19th Century and all that was needed to trigger an epidemic was certain conditions usually appearing at times of economic distress.

In 1866 in Port Glasgow there was a high mortality rate attributed to a cholera outbreak and the Greenock Advertiser published guidelines for the towns inhabitants to ensure that the risk of contracting the disease was minimal. The article reads:

Prevention against Cholera

The Nuisance Removal Committee have taken vigorous steps for the purpose of, if possible, preventing the appearance or spread of cholera by various means among which is the circulation by district visitors of the following Plain Directions for the People, which we hope will be attended to: 1. W hoever would avoid cholera must above all things be clean; for cleanliness, besides being next to godliness, and a good thing in itself, is shown by a ll experience to be the best of all safeguards in time of cholera. 2. E at no tainted or unwholesome food. 3. B e equally careful what you drink. 4. F numbers. ind out where to apply if anything were to go wrong.

SANITARY CONDITIONS
- Greenock Telegraph 11 August 1871 In common with other towns, the sanitary authorities of Port Glasgow have adopted energetic measures for the prevention of cholera in our midst, and have instructed that the police should report any nuisance they may discover existing. Instructions have also been delivered to house-proprietors and factors, and it is hoped that the gentlemen thus asked to combine in furthering the object of the Sanitary Committee, will conduce by every means in their power towards the end desired. We are glad to say that the health of this town is at present in a satisfactory state, as will be seen on perusal of the following abridgements of the medical reports just submitted to the Committee. Dr Grieve, states that during the month of August last, 13 deaths from all causes took place in the Burgh. Six of these were of children under 5 years of age, and one person died at the age of 70. One death occurred from Typhus fever, one from small pox, and one from diarrhoea. From his district he sent down two cases of fever and one of small pox; the district otherwise was healthy. The doctor also reported that along with Superintendant Sloan he last week made a minute survey of his district in the east end of town, and found it in a very satisfactory state of cleanliness and order. The report then calls detail to a number of nuisances which he adds should be of scavengers engaged in his district seemed to him quite adequate to keep it in a satisfactory state of cleanliness; but in the event of cholera or any other malignant scavengers be increased; that the ashpits and bins be emptied and cleaned often & Dr Grieve advocates the necessity of personal and domestic cleanliness, persuaded as he children. The article continues for quite some time but it summarises the main problems that have been determined to cause cholera to spread which can be seen below: Open ashpits containing water Closes and courts badly paved or not at all Want of proper water closets

With such a high mortality rate there was obviously the issue of where they would bury all the bodies. In 1846, Henry Birkmyre donated part of his land at the Gourock Ropeworks for use as a mass grave. When the site was dug up recently for the purpose of redevelopment they discovered two perfectly intact skulls that they believe to have come from the cholera pit that existed there.
Thank you to the James Watt College class who researched the information for this booklet. Newspaper articles courtesy of The Greenock Advertiser & the Greenock Telegraph.. Images courtesy of SCRAN and the Identity Server.