Right now, the world is worried. The current coronavirus outbreak has now been declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ by the World Health Organisation. People are rightly concerned. However, over the centuries there have been many epidemics – including the Black Death, the ‘Sweat’, cholera, smallpox and several influenza outbreaks. The population as a whole has always survived, though you will doubtless find evidence in your family trees of individuals (or sometimes whole families) who were lost to one of these diseases. One massive epidemic which is almost still within living memory, but is strangely not very well known considering the massive impact it had, is the so-called Spanish Flu.
The Spanish Flu
The Spanish Flu outbreak happened just over a century ago. Although the name may lead you to think it began in Spain, this is not true. The first cases were recorded in 1917 in an Army Camp in Kansas, USA. It is believed the virus spread to Europe, and from there to the rest of the world, on US troop ships going to join World War I. The reason it became known as Spanish Flu is because of wartime censorship. No mention of it was initially made in the newspapers of countries involved in the war. No admission of weakness was to be made publicly in case it gave the enemy confidence. Spain was neutral during this war, so when the outbreak reached that country it made the papers for the first time. Hence it became referred to as Spanish Flu forevermore.
During the Spanish Flu epidemic, it is estimated that 50 million (and perhaps up to 100 million people) died around the world. This is certainly greater than the number of casualties from World War I itself, and it could be argued that it was this epidemic that helped draw the war to a close.
Around 20% of the world’s population was infected by this flu. 5% of the world’s population died. To put this in perspective, this is the equivalent of around 390 million people dying of coronavirus in 2020. This is roughly the same as the current population of the US and the UK being wiped out completely. This is why I am reasonably confident that you will find traces of the Spanish Flu epidemic in your family tree.
Spanish Flu in your family tree
You may have a direct ancestor who was lost as a result of this epidemic. You may find some who were infected but recovered. Almost certainly there will have been losses or illness amongst the FAN Club (friends, associates, neighbours) of your ancestors. And most definitely it will have impacted their way of life in some way during late 1917, 1918 and 1919 while the virus raged through communities.
Check death certificates of ancestors and relatives for the time period. Do you have any old diaries detailing life at the time? Later newspapers talked about things such as population quarantine efforts similar to those in force in China currently. Are there any reports for your town?
Barney Reynolds
My son’s great-great-grandfather, Barney Reynolds, was one of the later victims of the Spanish Flu. He died in 1919 when the flu finally reached Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. His official cause of death was pneumonia. You will find this is often listed as the cause of death, as it was ultimately the pneumonia that the flu caused which killed the patient. His granddaughter is still very much aware it was the Spanish Flu. This is another example of why it is important to talk with the elders in your family to get the details around their memories.
The Spanish Flu finally fizzled out, as viruses often do. Already weaker by the time it eventually reached Australia and NZ the casualty rate was far lower than at the height of the epidemic in 1918. Barney was one of the unlucky ones.
Generally, people a century ago were less at risk of being affected by an epidemic than they are today. The Spanish Flu was so virulent that it made its way right around the world before disappearing despite travel being so slow. If we were to be faced with that virus today in the age of air travel, the impact would be far greater.
So far the coronavirus has not demonstrated the level of lethality that the Spanish Flu did, thank goodness. Still, this is a pertinent time to remind people that basic sensible precautions to prevent airborne and contact transmission of bugs are always appropriate. Please cough into your elbows and wash or sanitise your hands frequently as a matter of course. I want to see you all digging around your deceased ancestors’ records rather than joining them before your time!