“A very extraordinary and singular case” at Wattisham, 1762

Wattisham St Nicholas’s parish register covering 1761 to 1795 includes three pages describing a tragic case in the parish. A necrotising disease spread through the Weatherset alias Downing family, which led to two deaths and other family members losing all or part of their feet and legs. It makes for sad reading, but it shows how the Enlightenment reached into even tiny Suffolk villages, where curious medical cases were analysed in detail. And there’s a happy ending, too.

The following is a circumstantial Narrative of a very extraordinary & singular Case that happened in this Parish AD 1762.

On Sunday Janry. 10^th 1762 Mary, daughter of John Weatherset alias Downing, aged 16 yrs, was taken with a pain in her left Leg, which in an Hour or two sunk into her Foot & Toes, the next Day her toes were much [page edge torn, one word lost] & black spots appeared upon them; by Degrees the whole Foot became swelled & black; the Pain which was now chiefly in her Toes, was she said as if Dogs were gnawing them: the blackness & swelling increased upwards by slow degrees ‘till it came near the Knee when the Flesh of her Leg putrified & came off at the ankle with the Foot leaving the Leg-bone bare. Her other Foot & Leg were affected in a few Days & Decayed nearly by the same Degrees & Manner: Her Thighs both swelled & under her Ham an abcess formed. The Surgeon seeing no perfect separation did on the 17^th April following attempt to take off one of the Limbs near the Knee just above the corrupted Flesh but such an Effusion of Blood insued as to stop his attempt; he afterwards took off both her Legs near her Knee; she lived many weeks & then died.

Mary the Mother was taken very soon after her Daughter with the same kind of Pain under her left foot (or she sometimes said her left Leg) her Toes Foot Leg were affected in the same manner as her Daughter [page torn, one word lost] a few days her other Foot & Leg also. Both her [page torn, one or two words lost] came off at the Ankles & the Flesh rotted from

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The Leg bones which continued bare about 3 months & then rotted off. Her Hands & Arms are benumb’d & her Fingers contracted but not black: she is now allmost well & likely to live many years.

Elizabeth her next Daughter aged 14 yrs was on the next Day viz Monday Jany: 11 1762 seized only in one Leg & Foot which she could not set on the Floor for 3 weeks, but stood all that time upon the other leaning against the Chimney: after which being taken in the same manner in her Foot, she laid down: one Foot mortified & came off at the ankle, the other Leg near the knee.

Sarah the next child aged 10 years was taken on the same Day as her sister Elizabeth in one Foot which mortified & came off about the ankle – The Toes of the other were affected & broke but healed again.

Robert aged 7 years was taken on the Tuesday or Wednesday following in both Legs which came off at the knees.

Edward aged 4 yrs was at the same time taken in both Feet which rotted off a little below the ankles.

An Infant aged 2 Months was taken from the Mother’s Breast as soon as she was seized with the Disorder: It was put out to Nurse & died within 2 months. When dead its Feet & Hands turn’d black.

John the Father of this unhappy Family was

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Seiz’d with the same Disorder about 3 weeks after the first was taken in both his Hands – His fingers became benumbed, contracted & black – The Nails of some came off & 2 of them broke but healed again – He complained much of darting Pains in his Hands Arms Legs & Back.

The singularity of the Calamity & the smallness of the Parish moved many worth Gentlemen to make Collecns. for the immediate Relief & future Maintenance of the Objects. The sum of about £500 was presently collected out of which a Life annuity of 3s pr week to each has been purchased for the two surviving Girls vis Elizabeth & Sarah to be paid by the Church warden or overseer of any Parish in which they or either of them shall hereafter happen to belong upon the Joint-Bond of John Ranson & John Jacob Gentn of Stow-market which Bond is laid up in the Church Chest of this Parish.

(note in different handwriting)

Direct to Mr Ranson No 20 Old Jewry behind the Exchange London – for the Interest of the money, due to 2 daughters of Mary Downing.

[You can read this account for yourself in the parish register. It’s images 20, 21, and 22 on Ancestry.]

The parish register shows the burial of Ann daughter of John and Mary Weatherset alias Downing on 5 March 1762, and Mary, another daughter, on 21 May that year. Ann must be the infant mentioned, as she was baptised in November 1761. Mary’s baptism isn’t in Wattisham’s register, but then there’s no baptisms recorded at all in 1755, where she may have been found.

First published 28th Feb 2026, by Helen Barrell.