Death Among its basic research objectives, the Colonial Albany Social History Project seeks to establish an age and cause of death for each of the 16,000 people who lived in the city of Albany before the Industrial Revolution. However, for an age of imperfect vital statistics both tasks have proved to be quite daunting! We know that Americans today live much longer than they did two or three hundred years ago. Generally, we believe that is due to better diet, personal hygiene, and the eradication or control of sicknesses and disease that often proved fatal in times past. Pre and post-natal care of newborns also influences longevity. We now begin a chronological list of specific causes of death of early Albany people. "Begin" is the key word here! This expositon will develop itself as new biographical studies are added. We have not yet worked at this feature!April 1707 - Dr. Hendrick Van Dyck drowned. June 9, 1797 - 23-year-old Elizabeth Tillman James died a few days after giving birth to twins. January 10, 1835 - Sarah Greene Jenkins died "liver complaint." May 18, 1848 - Elisha Jenkins died in NYC of paralysis.
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