Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1900 & 09

Samuel Bateman Wilkinson (1865 - 1902)


Samuel Bateman Wilkinson was Chief Ambulance man for Ladywell Sanatorium and died of Typhus during the 1902 mini-outbreak.

 

The Salford Reporter of 14th June 1902 records: "Serious outbreak of Typhus Fever closes schools". The first case of the "Black fever" was notified about six weeks previous to this announcement involving a man from Liverpool. He was put in isolation at the Ladywell Sanatorium. Then a pupil at the Roman Catholic school in Pendleton became ill and then a Teacher in the same school. When a second Teacher took the disease it became necessary, on Wednesday 5th June, to close all the Roman Catholic Schools in Salford, as all the Teachers lived together in the Adelphi Convent. The schools involved were St.Sebastian's, St. Boniface's, St. James's, St. John's, St.Anne's and Mt. Carmel. During the outbreak, 30 cases were treated at the Sanitorium and 11 people died. Typhus is known as "black fever" as the skin becomes rather dark.

 

One of the fatalities was Mr Samuel Wilkinson, chief ambulance man for the Sanatorium. He was the son of William Wilkinson, of Salford Health Department. Samuel unfortunately contracted the disease whilst in the execution of his duty and died at the Sanatorium on Monday 9th June. His funeral was held on Friday 13th June at Weaste Cemetery, where he was re-united with his wife Martha, who died in 1890, his daughter Ada who died in 1894, his daughter Annie who died in 1896, his mother Mary Ann who died in 1895 and his sister Elizabeth who died in 1901.

 

The Salford Reporter the following week displayed a prominent advert: "TYPHUS FEVER. Avoid all risk of infection by the daily use of THOM's carbolic soap (extra strong)".