MERCIFULLY, it's only in a talk that the typhoid epidemics of 1861 and 1874 in Darwen come alive again.

For on May 3 at Ewood Working Men's Club, Blackburn, local historian Tony Foster reveals his researches into them to members of the Blackburn and Darwen branch of the Family History and Heraldry Society.

But Tony wonders whether readers can tell him more about Kate Bretherick.

She was a teacher at Darwen's Bolton Road School, and Tony came across a reference to her showing that she had to take several days off work to look after members of her family who were ill with typhoid

The daughter of John and Elizabeth Bretherick, at the time of the 1874 epidemic she was living at 6 Cleveland Terrace, Darwen.

She never married and went on to become headmistress of the school. She also attended Belgrave Chapel.

She died on March 16, 1934, aged 77, at Turncroft Villas. During Easter, 1915, she suffered a stroke and had to leave teaching.

Tony would be interested to hear from readers who knew her or whose parents did or from any members of the Bretherick family.

According to her obituary notice in the old Darwen News, her brother, Walter, was Secretary for Education and she had another brother, William, who died on November 4, 1928.

If you can help, contact Tony at 142 Cotswold Crescent, Bury BL8 1QP.