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From: Lou Mills
Lincoln Union Workhouse 
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Outbreak of Fever at Scotherne village Lincolnshire
At a recent meeting of the Lincoln Board of Guardians, the sanitary state
of Scotherne was alluded to, and a terrible state of things was revealed.
The subject was introduced by Mr. MANTLE, who said that he had requested
Mr. MARTIN to accompany him to the village, and they, with Mr. GRIMES and
the Rev E.M. BARRY, made an inspection of the place. What they saw he
should never forget. The village was full of fever cases, and no wonder.
The beck was dried up, and the wells were filled with sewage matter. They
went to one pump and found the water emitted an unbearable stench. He (Mr.
MANTLE) asked a woman if she drank the water from the well, and she
replied that she did, but that it stank a bit, and there could be no doubt
about that, for the well was full of pure sewage matter. They went to
another house, occupied by a widow and 5 children, the head of the family
having died of fever last year. This family was now on the books of the
Union. The house was built on a declivity; the pigsty, privy vault, and
cesspool were quite full, and after a shower of rain, the contents were
washed up to and past the door. The family were in an emaciated state, and
one of the children was suffering from fever. After inspecting that part
of the village, they proceeded to the house of a man named HARRISON, who,
with his wife, were laid up with fever, and who, were both buried in one
grave on Sunday last, leaving 5 children to be supported by the union. On
the Wednesday the unfortunate couple were in the last stage of fever, and
the villagers had such a dread of the disease, that none of them would
enter the house, and the clergyman and relieving officer had to administer the medicine themselves. HARRISON was the best workman in the parish. The cost to the union had already been £12, and at the lowest computation a cost of £600 would fall upon the union in maintaining the children, and probably they might remain paupers for life. This amount would have been sufficient to thoroughly drain the parish. Mr. MARSHALL's foreman had since been stricken down with fever, and there were many other cases in the village. Mr. MANTLE concluded by moving that the guardians put in full force the power vested in them by the Nuisances Removal Act, and that a committee be appointed to take action in all sanitary matters outside the city. They ought to thoroughly cleanse and drain every village in which fever existed. Fever had existed at Scotherne for two years, and he had noticed that his horse would never drink water at the place unless the beck was running. Mr. MANTLE then read a special report drawn up by Dr. G.M. LOWE, of Lincoln and after some discussion, several guardians were appointed as a local authority to visit Scotherne and Ingham, and do what was necessary.
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*** Last revised: 23-November-2003 ***