11 deaths in 16 years

[limeyrr]

I'm looking at a William Pescod (Peskett) married to an Ann, who in the Midhurst PR's lost 11 of their children in the time frame of 1743-1759.
They were:William 1743, William 1744, Mary 1748, William 1749, Mary 1750, Elizabeth 1751, Ann 1751, Philip 1754, Philip 1755, James 1758 and William 1759.

What I find interesting is there no mention of baptisms for any of the children in the Midhurst PR's, and I've yet to find them anywhere else. I'm also unable to find a marriage for William to Ann.

What I was wondering is what was the plague or disease of the that time period that may have killed all these children.

Thoughts?

[Waitabit]

Have you tried the beaut http://www.sussex-opc.org/ ?

For darker reading

http://genealogical-gleanings.com/Plagues.htm

[Sue Mackay]

They were:William 1743, William 1744, Mary 1748, William 1749, Mary 1750, Elizabeth 1751, Ann 1751, Philip 1754, Philip 1755, James 1758 and William 1759.

In my husband's family we have a similar scenario, with eight children dying under the age of 3, and the Christian names being re-used. We sometimes joke that my husband is descended from William IV Nearly 30 years ago, when certificates were cheaper, I actually bought all the death certificates to see what it was that had carried them off (and to double check that they were all children of the same parents!). It was actually a variety of childhood ailments, many linked to the unsanitary conditions in which they lived in the 1850s. Interestingly enough, the eldest surviving son grew up to become the town's sanitory inspector, obviously influenced by the deaths of so many siblings.