An Unexpected Resource !!

[DavidWW]

Hi All

As some of you may be aware I've been trying to track down the location of the smallpox vaccination registers in Scotland that Registrars of BMDs were required to maintain following the 1863 Vaccination (Scotland) Act. (I'm working from memory, so that that date might need revision by a year or three!).

To date, no-one, including GROS, is aware of what happened to these registers, which, if the contents are similar to the similar registers in Ireland, may well be very helpful from a genealogical perspective.

As yet, I've been unsuccessful in this search, but, along the way, I've come across a totally unexpected source that may well provide equivalent information.

For the moment I'm going to have to run the risk of frustrating you by not naming the source, as the archive concerned are totally unprepared for, and not presently capable of handling large numbers of queries from researchers, and I've agreed with them that I will not, for the moment at least, identify the archive concerned. The local FHS are aware of the resource, and intend to index it some time soon.

Suffice to say that it's a medical source in one of the cities of Scotland.

From the mid-1860's onwards, - I'm presently looking at a copy kindly provided to me by the archive concerned, - there is the information on the date, name of the child, street address, and age, as well as whether the vaccination was successful or not. Obviously, these children will virtually always appear in the statutory birth registers, so no great advantage in genealogical terms, apart, possibly, from the address(es) involved.

There are, as well, however, similar records back to the early 1800s, - again I'm looking at a copy, - these show the name of the child, age at vaccination, but only the district, and only sometimes the street or close address, and occupation of the father.

Given the high percentage of births in the early 1800s, especially in the cities, which are known not to have been recorded and ended up in the OPR, for whatever reason, including the Disruption in 1843, these records could be of great potential interest.

For the moment all that I can say is that the local FHS are very aware of these records, and have agreed access with the archive concerned with the purpose of indexing these vaccination records in the near future.

Davie

[CatrionaL]

Hullo David

Was browsing, came across this post and wondered "Any more news of this source?

All the best
Catriona

[DavidWW]

Hullo David

Was browsing, came across this post and wondered "Any more news of this source?

All the best
Catriona

'Fraid not, at least in terms of shouting it from the roof tops, but anyone who is interested and has the need is welcome to email me.

David

[Andy]

Hi David,

The Smallpox vaccination in Scotland would be under the Health Boards from the year dot. Doubt even YOU will break into ALL of these.

Most Northern Irish Vaccination records did come under the REGISTRY OFFICE. However, as you know, I've only come across a few of these on a Hit or Miss basis. (mostly miss)

I imagine if you've found some they must be from an individual Health Board source - Kudos, hats off and jolly well done (YET AGAIN)

[DavidWW]

Hi David,

The Smallpox vaccination in Scotland would be under the Health Boards from the year dot. Doubt even YOU will break into ALL of these.

Most Northern Irish Vaccination records did come under the REGISTRY OFFICE. However, as you know, I've only come across a few of these on a Hit or Miss basis. (mostly miss)

I imagine if you've found some they must be from an individual Health Board source - Kudos, hats off and jolly well done (YET AGAIN)

Nope, the Health Boards don't come into it

BTW, in Scotland, the registers of vaccinations were maintained by the registrars of BMDs ........ but have since gone "walkies" in the sense that GROS have no idea of their present day location.

David

[Andy]

I may have had a bit more sucess if I'd been looking in the right place

[fmackay]

Have just joined this forum - great by the way!
When i accessed my grandmother's birth certificate from SP recently I expected it to be exactly like the certified copy I had in my possession, however it was a bit different.Underneath her name(and the fact that she was illegitimite) was the following -: Vaccinated as per certificate dated 13th June 1893 -
Now my grandmother was born on 30th January 1893 - this certificate was dated 29th May 1895.
Wondered if anyone could shed any light on the difference in dates and reason for paragraph on vaccination?

[DavidWW]

Have just joined this forum - great by the way!
When i accessed my grandmother's birth certificate from SP recently I expected it to be exactly like the certified copy I had in my possession, however it was a bit different.Underneath her name(and the fact that she was illegitimite) was the following -: Vaccinated as per certificate dated 13th June 1893 -
Now my grandmother was born on 30th January 1893 - this certificate was dated 29th May 1895.
Wondered if anyone could shed any light on the difference in dates and reason for paragraph on vaccination?

The relevant Act relating to smallpox vaccination placed the additional duty on registrars of maintaining registers of vaccinations, but some registrars, in the beginning at least, just made an annotation on the entry in the register of birth - see above.

My memory is that the vaccination had to be within 6 months, but that memory could be wrong, - in this case you'll note that it's within that period assuming that you mistyped the year at one point in your post ...........

Is "Vaccinated as per certificate dated 13th June 1893" scored out at all ?
If not, details, please, as other such mis-recordings of vaccinations I've seen have subsequently been scored through ...........

And welcome to TS !!

David

[momat]

I can remember being vaccinated for Smallpox in the 1940s .Not sure what year .
The reason I recall it is that my arm became infected and swollen and I had to wear a cage on it to prevent it being hit.

They seem to have thought the needle was dirty or infected.
Someone said they used the needles several times in those days ,unlike today's disposables.

Anyone else have that problem ?

Cheers.

[StewL]

Maureen

Only from being feert oh the needles