Nature of Source
The records primarily relate to smallpox vaccinations which became widespread in the 1830s. Smallpox was a devastating and deadly disease during the 19th century which led to significant public health efforts to vaccinate children. These records provide a useful addition to 19th century research.
Vaccination Acts
Widespread smallpox vaccination began in the 1830s with the introduction of the first Vaccination Act. The program was funded through the Poor Rate and administered by the Poor Law Unions. This Act marked the start of a nationwide public health effort to vaccinate children against smallpox. Although this early legislation encouraged vaccination, it was voluntary, resulting in limited uptake. Because of the low uptake, the authorities made vaccination compulsory for infants within three months of birth with a new Act in 1853. Vaccination registers were kept by local registrars and a vaccination certificate was issued to the parents of each vaccinated child. These certificates contain information similar to birth certificates and can act as a substitute to civil registration birth indexes. Unfortunately the survival rate of these registers can be patchy.
A further Act in 1867 strengthened the legislation and handed responsibility to the Poor Law Guardians.
Vaccination Officers
By 1871, vaccination officers, often medical officers associated with workhouses, were officially appointed by the Guardians to oversee the vaccination process and maintain detailed records. Half-yearly registers were submitted by the registrar to the vaccination officer of the newly born that had not been vaccinated. The vaccination officer also held the ‘Return of Deaths of Infants under Twelve Months of Age’ which contains the child’s full name, the date and place of death and the father’s name and occupation or the mother’s name if the child was illegitimate.
Opposition to Vaccination
Parents could now be prosecuted for non-compliance with those that refused or were exempted noted in the vaccination registers. However, compulsory vaccination faced public opposition particularly from the National Anti-Vaccination League which eventually led to the repeal of the law in 1909. Compulsory vaccination was entirely abolished in 1949.
See also
Workhouse Records (Poor Law Unions)
Where Found
County Record Offices
Poor Law Union, Workhouse, Poor Law Guardians and local health authority records; Private collections including the registers kept by medical practices.
The National Archives
Series MH 12, Correspondence with Poor Law Unions and Other Local Authorities including some copies of registers submitted by local guardians.
Period Covered
1840 – 1948
Genealogical Value
- Name of child.
- Date and place of birth of child.
- Address of child.
- Name of father and occupation.
- Name and maiden name of mother.
- Date of vaccination.
- Name of the physician.
Further References
- Brunton, Deborah. The Politics of Vaccination: Practice and Policy in England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, 1800–1874: Rochester Studies in Medical History, 2008
- Gibson, Jeremy & Rogers, Colin. Poor Law Union Records [England & Wales]: Federation of Family History Societies, 1997/2000 (Contains lists of surviving vaccination records and their whereabouts)
- Halliday, Stephen. The Great Filth: Disease, Death, & the Victorian City: The History Press, 2011
- Wilkes, Sue. Tracing Your Ancestors’ Childhood: Pen and Sword Books, 2013
- Williamson, Stanley. The Vaccination Controversy: The Rise, Reign and Fall of Compulsory Vaccination for Smallpox: Liverpool University Press, 2007
- Wills, Simon. How Our Ancestors Died: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword, 2013
Websites
The National Archives
Victorian Health Reform. How did the Victorians view compulsory vaccination?
Lost Cousins Newsletter
Vaccination registers – hidden gems
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
The History of Vaccines. All Timelines Overview.
Public Health England
Historical vaccine development and introduction of vaccines in the UK.
GENUKI
Vaccination Certificate from 1867.
Mary Evans Picture Library
Historic images from Britain and the rest of the world from collections such as The History Of Vaccination which includes a Vaccination Order of 1861 issued to the father of Albert Ames, of Bethnal Green, London, in accordance with the Compulsory Vaccination Act
Wellcome Library: London’s Pulse
Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972. The website allows you to search more than 5500 Medical Officer of Health reports from the Greater London area. The site also has a Health of London timeline.
Victorian Web
Nineteenth-Century British Medicine and Public Health.
Brewminate
Health and hygiene in the 19th century, by Liza Picard.
Online Databases
Findmypast
Datasets include:
- Devon Social & Institutional Records: Vaccination Registers against smallpox, 1870 and 1905.
- Manchester Cholera Victims, 1832
- Scotland, Glasgow Smallpox Vaccination Registers, 1801-1854.
- Southwark Vaccination Registers. Find out if and when your ancestors were vaccinated in the historic London borough of Southwark. These registers cover years from the 1860s through to the 1910s.
Ancestry
Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, Vaccination Register, 1909-1927. Browse registers which recorded the vaccinations of children in the town of Newport Pagnell
Bath Ancestors
Vaccination Registers, 1871-1888. These registers contain extracts from the Registrar’s Registers of Births, recording for each child registered their name, parents’ names, address and father’s occupation. Additional columns record the date and success of the vaccination
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Vaccination Register 1801-1831; Register of inoculations, Glasgow, 1832-1854.
CD Roms
Powys Family History Society
Vaccination Registers, Breconshire. Register of Successful Vaccinations.
GenFair
Browse tens of thousands of family history products including from hundreds of suppliers. The largest range of products covering the British Isles. Products include Newport Pagnell Vaccination Register, 1909-1927; Tregynon Montgomeryshire Vaccination Registers)
North West Kent Family History Society
Bromley Area Vaccinations Register. Vaccinator’s Registers 1899-1930 with over 5000 names. 1899-1914 Farnborough, 1904-1909 Beckenham, 1922-1927 No.3, 1922-1929 No.1A, 1929-1930 Southern.
