Scarlet Fever in Kilbirnie c.1861

For those researching family in the three towns area.
McGrain and Duffy
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Scarlet Fever in Kilbirnie c.1861

Post by McGrain and Duffy »

Hi,

Does anyone know the extent to which Kilbirnie was hit by the Scarlet Fever epidemic? My great great grandparents (McGrain and Duffy) lost a child in 1861 to Scarlatina. The next death on the register is a Catherine Duffy also Scarlatina and just a few days later. I think these children may have been cousins.

Also does anyone have information on the living conditions for Irish immigrants to Kilbirnie at this time? Those mentioned above lived at Stonebridge then Maybole Street. Sweet Caroline posted something a few years ago about Stonebridge. Could it have been an area of Kilbirnie? Maybe the houses didn't even have numbers?

I'd be very interested in anything that gives me more of an idea of the lives of these immigrants, especially in their early years in Scotland.

Many thanks
wmh
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Re: Scarlet Fever in Kilbirnie c.1861

Post by wmh »

My grandfather was born and brought up on Maybole Street Kilbirnie (Hughes) the family lived there from the late 1800s till the 1920s
My late aunt Margaret used to visit My great grandmther at Maybole street as a child and she recalled that there were several Irish families living on the street at that time, mainly working in the steelworks.

WMH
McGrain and Duffy
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Re: Scarlet Fever in Kilbirnie c.1861

Post by McGrain and Duffy »

Thanks for responding. Do you think the Scots and Irish got on ok or did the size of the influx create tension in Kilbirnie? My great grandmother was born in Maybole Street. They were McGrains but called themselves Gronan and the men worked in the iron mine.
wmh
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Re: Scarlet Fever in Kilbirnie c.1861

Post by wmh »

We must suppose that Irish and Scottish people got along fine, Irish immigrants were inclined to settle in or around their point of disembarkation, usually the west coast of Scotland, because of their poverty and poor health.
The Irish are well known as hard working people, and work at that time in crop growing, textiles and especially mining seemed to be available.
Our family on both sides arrived from Ireland and worked hard and established themselves well in the west coast community.
Kilbirnie to my knowledge was favoured for mining and ironworks, cant see why there would be tention, there is usually a bond betwen hard working men in those kind of jobs.
Think people had a bit more respect for one another back then.

wmh
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