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.