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Public Medicine in 19th Century Clifton

The Clifton Vestry Book [P7/8/1] in 1825 includes the following memorandum, of interest to both medical and family historians: "In consequence of the smallpox breaking out in the parish, the following named 85 persons were vaccinated by Mr Gay at Shefford at the expense of the parish at 2/6 each".

  • Green family – residing at Shefford
  • Armour, Amos
  • Adams, Elizabeth, aged 5 years
  • Adams, Sarah, aged 1 year
  • Burnage, Jane, aged 70 years
  • Burnage, Mary, aged 3 years
  • Burnage, Ann, aged 1 year
  • Burnage, Ann, aged 6 years
  • Chapman, Sarah, aged 21 years
  • Cook, William , aged 30 years
  • Cook, John, aged 6 years
  • Copperwheat, Manning, aged 3 years
  • Copperwheat, Elizabeth, aged 5 years
  • Copperwheat, John, aged 3 years
  • Dilley, Frances, aged 35 years
  • Dilley, Sophia, aged 14 years
  • Dilley, Samuel, aged 12 years
  • Dilley, Elizabeth, aged 10 years
  • Dilley, Thomas, aged 8 years
  • Dilley, mary, aged 6 years
  • Dilley, John, aged 4 years
  • Dilley, rebecca, aged 1 year
  • Endersby, James, aged 60 years
  • Endersby, James, aged 7 years
  • Endersby, William, aged 4 years
  • Endersby, Thomas, aged 2 years
  • Endersby, John, aged 10 weeks
  • Endersby, Robert, aged 3 years
  • Endersby, William, aged 1 years
  • Earl, Jesse, aged 16 years
  • Earl, Mary, aged 6 years
  • Earl, John, aged 4 years
  • Earl, George, aged 1 years
  • Furr, Charles, aged 3 years
  • Furr, Ann, aged 1 years
  • Foster, George, aged 22 years
  • Foster, Sarah, aged 21 years
  • Godfrey, William, aged 5 years
  • Godfrey, George, aged 2 years
  • Godfrey, Elizabeth, aged 1 years
  • Harwood
  • Lockey, Elizabeth, aged 8 years
  • Lockey, Mary, aged 6 years
  • Lockey, Hannah, aged 3 years
  • Lockey, George, aged 4 years
  • Lockey, Henry, aged 2 years
  • Lockey, Charles, aged 3 years
  • Musick, Sarah, aged 70 years
  • Massey, William, aged 6 years
  • Norton, Sarah, aged 60 years
  • Pratt, Mary, aged 8 years
  • Pratt, John, aged 6 years
  • Pratt, William, aged 2 years
  • Roberts, William, aged 3 years
  • Stocks, Ann, aged 6 years
  • Stocks, James, aged 3 years
  • Stocks, William, aged 1 year
  • Stevens, Elizabeth, aged 70 years
  • Stevens, William, aged 7 years
  • Strap, William, aged 3 years
  • Strap, infant, dead
  • Tompkins, Nelly, aged 6 years
  • Tompkins, Ann, aged 3 years
  • Taylor, Ann, aged 7 years
  • Taylor, Thomas, aged 4 years
  • Taylor, William, aged 2 years
  • West, Ann, aged 8 years
  • West, Edward, aged 6 years
  • West, William, aged 8 years
  • West, John, aged 5 years
  • West, Henry, aged 3 years
  • West, Louisa, aged 6 months
  • Wright, James, aged 25 years
  • Wright, John aged 3 years
  • Wright, Martha aged 2 years
  • Wright, Ann, aged 8 years
  • Wright, James, aged 5 years
  • Wright, Emily, aged 6 months
  • Webb, William, aged 60 years
  • Webb, Jane, aged 60 years

Mr. Gay had been practising in the locality for some years. This is a letter, with rather eccentric grammar, from the Clifton Overseer of the Poor, George Field, to Samuel Whitbread in July 1811 [W1/781]. "This is to inform you that Mr. Hick and Mr. Gay have attended this Parish these fifteen years his salary was 2 Guineas for the first ten years and from the last 5 years has been three Guineas and a half includes all accidents, small Pox [sic] etc. but not Midwifery has been no extra allowance made to my Knowledge". Gaye & Hilliard are listed as surgeons in Shefford in a directory of 1841. A directory of 1785 lists surgeon George Hicks in Shefford.