List of causes of Death from 1632

[Peteryougit]

I find this sort of thing really interesting. I’m sorry, I don’t have a direct link so I don’t know which region it’s from - l hope the photo attached okay.

”Rising of the lights” - any ideas?

tissick sounds like a nice refined illness to die from, a slightly tickly cough that took a turn for the worse I imagine. Probably not.

It definitely belongs in the Uxbridge English Dictionary!

'Lunatique'

That was probably Ian Dury's GGGGGGGGGGGGGF.

I wonder if 'surfet' meant basically gluttony? Also, did those with 'Tympany' meet their tragic end in the orchestra pit at a very windy outdoor concert?!

Sorry, NeedToKnow101 - I missed your earlier comment!

Mine was going the same way! If you could choose your own death, wouldn't this be high on your list?

Very interesting!
Is 'made away with themselves ' suicide ?

Look on the bright side, at least there were no deaths caused by people falling into open manholes as they were too engrossed with their phone!!

I didn't know you could die from sciatica

Overlaid was still used as a term when I was a child.

Yes.

A more gentle term, I think.

There were times in pregnancy with sciatica it felt like I could! Pure agony 😖

My niece had quinsy! Terrible illness, a really severe complication of tonsillitis.

I remember seeing this list (or something very much like it) in a TV programme several years ago. Ever since, any time DH or I are being a bit too lazy, the other will comment that it's possible to die of lethargy...

What is / was Jawfain, Surfet, Planet ( planets and stars aligning??) & ague?

My 3x great grandparents died in the Broad Street Soho Cholera epidemic of 1854. Dr John Snow discovered that the epicentre of the outbreak was a water pump in Broad Street ( now Broadwick Street) and had the pump handle removed which stopped the epidemic. Previously cholera was thought to be airbourne.
Its now been restored and put back into place I am planning to see it this week and give it a stroke for my ancestors.

Could jawfain possibly be something like severe loss of appetite? Presumably a symptom of another unknown illness?

Was “surfet” an overindulgence of food, or alcohol perhaps? I remember a king dying of “a surfeit of lamphreys” in 1066 and All That. (Yes, I realise that isn’t the most reliable source ever).

But by the standards of the list, it’s not a bad way to go.

Jawfain is Tetanus, which is still known as “lockjaw” in some places.

Tetanus, I think.

Ah, yes, thanks - lockjaw/tetanus makes sense.

I saw the twitter thread about this. Somewhere in the replies there was a link to another post about deaths recorded in some rural Cumbria village over about ten years. They included multiple people taking cold after sleeping church, people being frightened to death by fairies, someone being led into a pond by a will o the wisp, and a death due to a duel with a frying pan and a pitchfork... And a surprisingly high proportion of the deaths were due to hanging for coinage related crimes (ie clipping metal from the edge of coins)

The stupid deaths section of Horrible Histories is morbidly fascinating.

Henry I! I watched the Horrible History stupid deaths skit about his death the other day. His doctor told him not to eat too many but he did anyway...

1632 was before gin was popularised in the 18th century and when Hogarth rose to fame, but most people consumed a lot of alcohol on a daily basis, poorer people consumed ale and those more affluent wine. Most water was not safe to drink, hence why places like Highgate became popular to "take the waters" as it was a sanitary water supply.

I actually studied murder trials for my degree, you'd be amazed how many people died with a pipe to the eye in a brawl. Ow!

”Affrighted” amuses me, I imagine someone lept out from behind a bush and yelled “Boo!”

That's the one I had a smirk at but I'd love to know what affrighted that person so much that they died.

To be fair regarding "affrighted" it was a pretty terrifying world to live in. Imagine how dark it would be at night.. Strong belief in supernatural and the idea the devil could take hold of you. So much unexplained that we know understand. It was a hugely violent society both physical and sexual violence.

I would be scared to death!

Thank you for all your responses

So Surfet is a bit like gout and other over indulgencies

Jawfarin now makes sense. Thanks again

What degree did you do? I’d love to have a legitimate reason to do that

Jeez, some of those are a terrible way to go.