Life expectancy
Average life expectancy at birth for English people in the late 16th and early 17th centuries was just under 40 – 39.7 years. However, this low figure was mostly due to the high rate of infant and child mortality; over 12% of all children born would die in their first year. With the hazards of infancy behind them, the death rate for children slowed but continued to occur. A cumulative total of 36% of children died before the age of six, and another 24% between the ages of seven and sixteen. In all, of 100 live births, 60 would die before the age of 16. A man or woman who reached the age of 30 could expect to live to 59. [Thomson Gale, 'Infant Mortality' (1998)]
Food shortages and insecurity were leading concerns in the 18th century, especially in Europe, and these were exacerbated by reduced harvests yields. Disease was another leading cause of death, with rats and fleas being the common carriers of disease, specifically plagues, during this era. (Wikipedia)
William T Wyatt:
!BIRTH-CHR: Graben Parish Register; 1645-1800; item 2; p 33; christening
record; FHL film 1238310; notes -- says Anna Margaretha, daughter of
Christoph Scholl and wife Barbara. Christening date not mentioned.
!DEATH-BURIAL: Graben Parish Register; 1645-1800; item 2; p 20; death
record; FHL film 1238310; notes -- says Maria Margaretha, daughter of
Christoph Scholl and wife Barbara, age 7 months 10 days.
Documents related to Anna Margaretha Scholl:
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| Anna Margaretha birth Scholl film 004137289 page 462 |
1746, on the 3rd of October a little daughter of Christo(p)h Scholl, local citizen, from his wife Barbara was born (in)to the world so thereafter was baptized and named Anna Margretha.
Baptismal sponsors are: Jo[hann] Simon Cammerer, for the time being a widower and citizen, and Ulrich Roth, citizen and tailor, with wife.
Translation Charlotte Champenois:
On 3 October, a little daughter of Christoph Scholl, local citizen, and of his wife Barbara, was born into the world, upon which the child was baptized and named Anna Margaretha.
Godparents were Jo[hann] Simon Cammerer, ? [it says "pr. tem." but I don't know what that's an abbreviation of], widower and citizen, and Ulrich Roth, citizen and tailor, along with his wife.
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| Anna (Maria) Margaretha Scholl death 13 May 1747 102078298 page 590 |
On the 13th of May 1747, Maria Margretha, the conceived little daughter of Christoph Scholl, citizen and farmer, and wife Barbara, died from the so-called smallpox, and thereupon the following day with the usual sound [of bells], singing and a sermon was buried. Age: 7 months, 10 days.
Kent Gardiner Question: Thanks Robert. Can you tell me the German for smallpox? I'm wondering if others on this page and adjacent pages died for the same reason. I have seen instances where whole pages are deaths from dysentery in Graben.
Robert Seal answer: This is an interesting question. The last word on the second line of your record is: variolis = smallpox, pox.. This is the Latin word for smallpox or pox in general. The German words for smallpox are: Pocken; Blattern. Bear in mind that your record calls this the so-called smallpox, thus it could be smallpox or another of the pox-like illnesses such as chicken pox. In addition to your record, the last three death records on this page are all for children 7 years and younger, two of whom died from variolis and one who died from Blattern.