Victorian Talgarth - dangerous diseases at school

Talgarth and district
Victorian school days

Death of their little school fellow

Schools were often closed for weeks
to avoid the spread of infectious diseases.

Schools could be dangerous places in Victorian times when there were infectious diseases in the district.
In country areas children would come to school from farms and cottages miles away in all directions. When they came together for lessons diseases such as scarlet fever, measles, and diptheria could quickly spread around the whole community.
Serious diseases were very common, often due to cold and damp houses and poor food. The entry below, from the Llanfilo Board School Log Book, was written in 1880...

30th June
1880

"Began to balance the books. I find that of the 37 children now on the Register, 26 have had severe illness during the past three months".

With diseases being so frequent it is not surprising that the deaths of young children were also often recorded in school Log Books.
The example below from the same school was written after the death of a little boy, Samuel Jones.

18th February
1881

"The Rector visited the School and talked to the children about the death of their little school fellow, all feel subdued and sad. Today he will be buried, several go to the funeral".

This "little school fellow" was just four years old, and was "one of the most promising children in the Infant Class".

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