On the evening of 5 September 1893 the first case of cholera was found in the town. The victim was a thirty-five year old collier, named William Burnand who lived on Tummon Street, Holmes, Masborough. He was found to be infected and soon afterwards sadly died. It seems that William had awoken that morning in normal health and had gone to Greasborough to do some fishing. Despite seeming to be in good spirits at the time, he returned home around 3 pm seriously ill. So ill in fact that he died about 7 pm. In an attempt to prevent panic spreading, the local health authority immediately took possession of his house and disinfected everything inside.

The house walls were whitewashed and the occupants were quickly isolated in the hospital. Within two hours of his death, Williams body was encased in a strong coffin and removed to the local Mortuary before he was swiftly interred in a grave. Portions of his stomach were sent to Dr Klein, a bacteriologist of Sheffield who confirmed the diagnosis that he had indeed died of cholera. Needless to say there were many suggestions as to how the disease had arrived in the town. At the time it was thought that such infections were caught from smell or ‘miasma’ coming from sewers. In a parish council meeting therefore, Alderman Marsh blamed the infection on the stench arising from the River Don.

He stated that for the past six weeks the smell had been ‘almost unbearable.’ He complained that nine tenths of the drainage from both towns of Rotherham and Sheffield were poured into the river Don as well as its sewage. Needless to say as the towns people panicked, and there was an upsurge in remedies against such diseases. It was reported that the sales of ‘KEEP-AWAY CHOLERA POWDERS’ selling at local chemists shops had gone through the roof. These powders were cheap enough to use as a precaution to even the poorest of families, selling at just a shilling a packet. Although how effective they were has not been recorded. Thankfully as the month of September progressed, it would seem that cholera was finally going away from the town as increased cases were now being reported from Doncaster and Derbyshire.

But then, just as local people were beginning to relax, on the 13 September a second case of cholera was established in Rotherham. In the early hours of Tuesday 12 September 1893, a fifty year old man called John Wall died at his home in Arthur Street, Thornhill, Masborough. He was diagnosed by his doctor Mr. A. Statter, which was soon confirmed by the Medical Officer of Health for Rotherham, Dr Alfred Robinson. Wall had been employed by Rotherham Corporation as a foreman stonemason with a team of men who pitched (tarred) the streets of the town. It was said that for some time he had shown signs of failing health, but just thirteen hours before his death, he went into a decline.

Once again when cholera was diagnosed, the house was carefully disinfected by the sanitary authorities. Walls internment took place at the Masborough Cemetery later that same day, before an enquiry as to how the man had contracted the disease was started. However, despite many of his friends and family being closely questioned, there was no conclusion as to how he had contracted the disease could be established. He lived quite a distance from William Burnand and the two men were not acquainted with either him or his family. Then another victim was found. On October 18, a man simply referred to as George M who lived in Sales Yard, Rotherham had been diagnosed.

In order not to spread panic, his full name was not given, however, thankfully he did survive. Nevertheless the outbreak of cholera continued. Between September 15 to October 18 there were another eighteen cases reported in the town which were certified as choleric diarrhoea. From January 1 to November 15 there were fifty nine cases of enteric fever which Dr Robinson attributed not to cholera, but to the poor sanitary conditions of the district. The surgeon believed that was due to the fact that the medical authorities had acted with commendable promptitude and energy when it appeared in their district.

Thankfully, this final epidemic to hit Rotherham was of short duration, although the surgeon was unable to give any evidence on how it had been introduced to the town in the first place. Nevertheless, the people of Rotherham have long memories, hence the cholera burial ground in East Dene which was restored recently to commemorate local victims of this most dreadful and infectious disease.