| Description | Two Vaccination Acts passed in 1840 and 1841 afforded increased facilities for smallpox vaccination, its administration being the responsibility of the Guardians, under the direction of the Poor Law Board. However, in King's Norton arrangements had been made to provide vaccinations since 1837 - a note in the Board of Guardians minutes refers to two men being employed 'to attend upon the sick poor' within Harborne and Edgbaston parishes, and gives details of their payments for each case (see GP KN/2/1/1). 'In cases of midwifery including the subsequent vaccination of the Child and the necessary attendance in consequence thereof,' they were to be paid 10s 6d. 'In all other cases of vaccination and the necessary attendance' the rate was to be 1s (see GP KN/2/1/1). At this point, the Union was divided into four medical districts: the parishes of Harborne and Edgbaston, the parish of Northfield and the Rednall yield of King's Norton parish [the yield was an ancient division of a parish, used for assessing rates], the remainder of King's Norton parish, and the parish of Beoley.
The original King's Norton Union collection contained some vaccination records that dated from after 1911, and the amalgamation of the Union with Aston and Birmingham. These have been included in the Birmingham Union list (ref. GP B), and are highlighted accordingly. |