Historical cause of death 1500s-1800s
What did ague mean on a death certificate?
On a death record, ague meant a fever that came in repeating fits of chills, shaking, and sweats. In modern terms it usually pointed to malaria, in most cases, or another relapsing fever. Malaria was endemic in the English marshes and the American frontier, so ague deaths cluster near wetlands and river bottoms. Expect it on records mostly 1500s-1800s.
Also written on records as: intermittent fever, fever and ague, the shakes.
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Related terms
Browse the full genealogy records glossary for more occupations, causes of death, and legal terms.
FAQs
What is ague called today?+
Malaria, in most cases, or another relapsing fever, broadly speaking. Doctors of the period diagnosed without laboratory tests, so one label often covered several conditions we would now separate. This page explains historical record language and is not medical advice.
How was ague written on death records?+
Clerks and doctors also wrote intermittent fever, fever and ague, and the shakes. Spelling wandered from register to register, so check every variant before you decide a record is missing or wrong.
Where do these definitions come from?+
They are drawn from period dictionaries, government archive glossaries, and standard genealogy references, cross-checked against each other; provenance is documented with the dataset. Inside AncestorIQ, Deep Research reads the record itself and explains terms like this in context, against your ancestor's own document.
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