Infant Mortality and Life Expectancy
The image of Queen Victoria dressed in mourning for Prince Albert is an essential icon of the Victorian era, but it's not an inappropriate one. According to an 1851 survey, average male life expectancy in England was only 40 years.
Infant mortality in 1851 was appallingly high, with certain sections of the society, losing two in every three children before their fifth birthday. In the middle of the nineteenth century the annual death rate of London exceeded the birth rate.
By 1875, the death-rate of infants (defined as under 1 year of age), had significantly improved and was officially recognised as 158 per 1,000 or one in six. This figure was drastically distorted by a rural - urban divide, in which overcrowded cities and large towns were increasingly unsafe places to live.
Even those who survived the critical period of early childhood, would invariably end up watching helplessly as parents, siblings, and their own offspring were snatched from them by a myriad of unpleasant diseases.
Tuberculosis was a major problem and was known as the 'family attendant' because it could hold sway over the entire family.
The rates of infant mortality reflected in the early Randell families look grim but overall appear to be lower than the national average. On a more positive note, the Randell's that survived to old age lived to be very old, Edwin Mullenger Randell who was born at the worst point of infant mortality, lived to celebrate his ninetieth birthday.
Obviously, a result of fresh Norfolk air and hard work.
Mary Anne RANDELL 1819
Mary Anne Randell was the second child born to Thomas Randell and Mary Gray. She was born on the 7 June 1819, she died four days later and was buried in Cromer.
James RANDELL 1822
James Randell was the third boy and fourth child born to Thomas Randell and Mary Gray. Born 16 January 1822, he died the same year. The records suggest that he lived 16 weeks and died 7 May 1822.
Sarah RANDELL 1824
Sarah Randell was born 10 July 1824. She was the fifth child and second girl born in the marriage of Thomas Randell and Mary Ann Gray. The family home of the period was Jetty Street, Cromer. 'Pigotts' records the Randells at this address in 1822.
Despite being born in Cromer Sarah was baptised at the Church Gate, Wesleyan Mission, in North Walsham the following year, 3 April 1825. The first national census of 1841 recorded Sarah Randell aged 17, living in Jetty Street with her family. She has no reference to an occupation.
Ten years later Sarah was no longer with her family in Cromer but a Sarah 'Randall' born Cromer, 1824, single and employed as a servant was recorded in the 1851 Marylebone census. Unfortunately, Sarah Randall of 1851 was recorded as a 'visitor' at 32 Queen Street, Marylebone, London.
Her Queen Street house was divided into several dwellings and occupied by five families. Sarah, aged 27, appears to be a guest of either John & Mary Ann Baines or Sarah Reid (82) & Elizabeth George (80), but this is not entirely clear. The Baines are slightly older than Sarah and from Hampshire whilst two elderly ladies, Sarah Reid & Elizabeth George hail from Sarah's native Norfolk.
Following her appearance in 1841 & 1851 Sarah seemingly disappears. I could find no marriages in Norfolk with a Sarah Randell or any phonetic variation of her name. Unfortunately there are a multitude of brides called Sarah Randell on a national scale but none meet the criteria of being the correct age and place of birth.
Truly a lost Randell.
Martha RANDELL 1828
Martha Randell was the seventh child born to Thomas Randell and Mary Gray. Her birth was recorded 29 December 1828 but she lived only two weeks and died 14 January 1829.
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Thomas Charles RANDELL 1862
Thomas Charles Randell was the second child of Nathaniel Randell and Catherine Parr. He was born around April 1862, close to the time of Catherine's death, he survived at most a few months. However his grave stone exists to this day.
He was buried in churchyard of St Mary The Virgin, Ixworth.
Blanch Mary RANDELL 1864
Blanch Mary Randell was the second child of John Randell and Sarah Kirby. She was born in the late summer 1864 and died age two, 26 September 1866. She was buried in Cromer Cemetery.
Emma RANDELL 1870
Emma Randell was the eldest child of three, born in the marriage of Ephraim Randell and Mary Parker. She was born January 1870 in Holt and lived at her parents home until, aged 25 she died of Tuberculosis.
Her death certificate records that Emma Randell, a dressmaker, died 9 December 1895. She passed away at home and was recorded in the company of her father Ephraim who later registered the death.
Tuberculosis, or "consumption" as it was commonly known, was the cause of one in four deaths in England in 1815. One hundred years later, it was still responsible for one in six deaths. In 1913 there were 117,000 cases of Tuberculosis reported in Britain.
It was not until 1946 with the development of the modern antibiotics that an effective treatment and cure became possible.
Charles RANDELL 1837
The christening of Charles Randell was recorded 2 July 1837 as the child of Thomas and Mary Randell. No other record of him appears to exist despite the christening falling within the period of official birth certificates. He was never recorded with the family. No record of a death or marriage is apparent and an obituary relating to John Randell records John as the youngest member of the Randell family. As Mary would have been over forty at his birth, I have included him not so much as a lost Randell but more an unexplained.
ANCESTRY ~ Thomas / Charles
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