Find out if and when your ancestors were vaccinated in the historic London borough of Southwark. These remarkable registers cover years from the 1860s through to the 1910s.
Find out if and when your ancestors were vaccinated in the historic London borough of Southwark. These remarkable registers cover years from the 1860s through to the 1910s.
In these records you will find information including -
Further details can be found in the original record.
The history of vaccinations in England is a story of innovation and public health transformation, beginning in the late 18th century. The first major milestone was Edward Jenner's development of the smallpox vaccine in 1796. Observing that milkmaids who had contracted the mild cowpox virus seemed immune to smallpox, Jenner conducted an experiment by inoculating a young boy, James Phipps, with material from cowpox sores. The boy developed immunity to smallpox, marking the birth of vaccination—a term derived from vacca, the Latin word for cow. Jenner’s work revolutionized medicine and laid the foundation for modern immunology.
In the 19th century, the success of smallpox vaccination led to the first Vaccination Act in 1840, which provided free smallpox vaccines and banned variolation, a riskier practice of exposing individuals to smallpox material. By 1853, vaccination against smallpox became mandatory for infants in England and Wales, sparking public debates over personal liberty and state intervention. Despite resistance and the rise of anti-vaccination movements, vaccination programs proved effective in reducing disease outbreaks. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, advancements in bacteriology enabled the development of vaccines for other diseases, such as diphtheria and typhoid.