The Cholera Pit The Epidermics of 1832 and 1833 “That destructive calamity” When looking at this large open space how many people realise what this piece of land really is? Look more closely and you will see this grassy plot is marked by a small plane cross bearing the words cholera 1832 – 1833 there are no names marked anywhere but the space is, in fact, the resting place of many of the victims of the outbreak of this dreadful disease which killed over 200 people. Some were buried in other parts of the island but most will living in Douglas. It is thought that they were approximately 120 victims in total buried in st. George’s. 10 burials were recorded in St. George’s burial register on the 30th of August 1833 alone. This disease was almost certainly the result of poor quality of the water supply and was highly contagious. The Isle of Man Weekly Times reported that the cholera “baffled all medical skill; many in good health in the morning were interred in the same evening” The beds and clothes of those who died were burned. The dead were wrapped in tarred sheets – no coffins – and buried immediately. At night in St. George’s churchyard the burials took place by dim lanterns, hand-held or suspended from the trees, the body’s heaped in one after the other. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Leave a comment” above or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.
Tag: cholera
Kirk Braddan Old Church and 3 Gravestones
Kirk Braddan Old Church and 3 interesting Gravestones 🇮🇲 Set in a beautiful wooded valley by the River Dhoo. The churchyard is full of Georgian headstones and is a wonderful place for photographers and anyone with an interest in Manx history and architecture to visit. There are many interesting gravestones but here are 3 of my favourites and a snippet of info about each. The grave of Captain Edward Quayle Captain Quayle was born in 1802, and became one of the first Masters of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company when he assumed command of the Mona on October 5th 1833, having previously been in command of several of the clipper packets which plied between Douglas and Liverpool. Captain Quayle passed away at his home on Prospect Hill on Saturday June 14th, 1862. The grave has a beautiful intricate carving of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s paddle steamer ‘Douglas’ just look at that 3 intricate Legs of Man above the paddles. The Cholera Stones Some 83 victims were buried in Old Kirk Braddan yard between July and September 1832, these small stone adjacent to the Church are apparently individual graves. Samual Ally “The Slave’s Grave” One of the best known graves in old Kirk Braddan Church is that of Samuel Ally who was an African slave that was brought to the Isle of Man from the West Indies by the owner of Kirby Mansion house (directly next door to this graveyard) following the abolition of slavery in 1834. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Leave a comment” above or by logging onto my Facebook Page enjoy – Click on the image for a larger view.