An interesting and under-used resource, which is perhaps unexpectedly helpful for family historians, are the series of vaccination registers (1882-1948) from Norwich City Council’s Health Department (reference NRO, N/HE 12). 

Compulsory smallpox vaccination legislation was introduced in 1853 for England and Wales for every child, whose health permitted. However, its coverage was patchy during the first few years of the system until 1875 when the position was improved by the Births and Deaths Act 1874. The act made the process easier i.e. within seven days of the birth of a child being registered, the registrar was to deliver a notice of vaccination; if the child was not presented to be vaccinated within three months, or brought for inspection afterwards, the parents or guardians were liable to a summary conviction and fine of 20s.  In the first of his annual reports (for 1873) the Medical Officer of Health for Norwich noted: 

Norwich has not been visited by any epidemic during the past year.  Small-pox re-appeared in the City last April, but only in a slight degree, having been brought here from Lynn by some men belonging to the West Norfolk Militia…One case was discovered in a caravan at the Tombland Fair, and at once removed to the Iron Hospital.  In June a case was reported at the Lord Raglan public-house near the Barracks.  It occurred in a man who had lately come from the neighbourhood of London to work in this City.  He was at once removed to the Iron Hospital, where he died…Since then I have not heard of any other case, and I have no fear of its again becoming rife here so long as the vaccination of infants is carried out in an effectual manner.  This is certainly being done under the present arrangements, and the only thing that is wanted…is that the Legislature should make the registration of all births compulsory, for I have known parents omit to have their children registered in order that they might thereby avoid being compelled to have them vaccinated. 

The ‘Iron Hospital’ for infectious diseases was an iron building which having previously served as a small-pox hospital in a London suburb was, owing to the prevalence of the same disease in Norwich presented to the city by the Marchioness of Lothian.  It was ready for occupation early in 1872 and during that year received some 60 or 70 small-pox patients. 

The registers contain returns of all births in Norwich and returns of deaths of children under one year and consist of a monthly return made by the Registrar of all births in the relevant sub-district to which the Vaccination Officer added notes regarding the vaccination of each child and a separate monthly return of all deaths of children under the age of one year. 

The information contained in the registers themselves is of great genealogical use, including when and where the child was born, their name, the name of the father, or, if illegitimate, the name of the mother, and rank, occupation or profession of the parent. It also includes the date of vaccination.  

If you are interested in finding out more about the history of smallpox locally then there is a useful article; ‘Notes on the history, incidence and treatment of smallpox in Norfolk’ by W.R. Clayton Heslop (‘Norfolk Archaeology’, Volume 30). The Norfolk Heritage Centre also has a copy of the report to ‘Inquire into certain Deaths and Injuries alleged to have been caused by vaccination at Norwich’ (1882) as well as the annual reports by the Medical Officers of Health. 

You can also learn more by looking at the blog of local researcher Elizabeth Walne (https://elizabethwalne.co.uk/blog/anti-vaccination-norwich-1880s), who wrote her MSc dissertation on anti-vaccinationists in Norwich 1882-1885, a very topical subject. As part of the study, Elizabeth discusses how tradesmen were found to be parents of 43% of the children unaccounted for in the vaccination registers, including the case of Ralph Lee Bliss, who was well-known in the anti-vaccination cause of 1880s Norwich.  

You can access microfilm copies of Norwich birth, vaccination and death returns at the Norfolk Record Office and the Norfolk Heritage Centre. The indexes to the vaccination registers are available at the Norfolk Record Office only (NRO, N/HE 13)