Portrait of Bampton, Devon, in the Eighteenth Century
By Tom McManamon
Epidemics
The eighteenth century saw a number of deadly diseases blighting the country. The south-west was hit a number of times with a severe outbreak of typhus in 1741-42 and recurrent smallpox outbreaks in local areas. All parish records show rocketing death rates. The years which seem to have affected Bampton were 1731 (69 recorded deaths, over double the 1730 rate); 1741 and 1742 (57 and 61 recorded deaths [31 in 1740 and 26 in 1743]) and 1754 (54 recorded deaths [24 in 1753]).
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