What killed Mary Hogarth?

[Greymarch]

Charles Dicken’s had a sister-in-law, Mary Hogarth, whom he was very close with. She suddenly died, at the age of 17,in 1836. What killed her?

I have searched all over the internet, and cant find the answer. If you know the answer, please post it. If you can provide a link to the answer, that would be even better.

Here is an article about Dickens at wikipedia (to refresh your memory)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens

[Walloon]

Jane Smiley’s biography of Dickens says only that Jane Hogarth died “after an illness of only a few days.”

Diane Stanley’s biography of Dickens differs: “One evening, shortly after she came to live with them [the Dickens], Mary suffered a sudden heart attack. The following afternoon, she died in Charles’s arms.”

Peter Ackroyd’s biography expands on that:

On returning from the theatre with Charles and Catherine Dickens, Mary Hogarth went upstairs to her bed ‘in her usual delightful spirits’, according to Dickens, when suddenly she uttered a cry; she had collapsed and Dickens, after calling for a doctor, placed her body upon the narrow bed. She lingered there throughout that night and the following morning before succumbing to the effects of heart disease.

[Greymarch]

@Walloon

Jane Smiley’s biography of Dickens says only that Jane Hogarth died “after an illness of only a few days.”

Diane Stanley’s biography of Dickens differs: “One evening, shortly after she came to live with them [the Dickens], Mary suffered a sudden heart attack. The following afternoon, she died in Charles’s arms.”

Peter Ackroyd’s biography expands on that:

I figured it was a stroke. Its unusual for someone to scream out, if they have a heart-attack.

Then again, both a stroke and a heart-attack are extremely unusual for 17 year old woman.

[Walloon]

You’re welcome.

[WishfulSpirit]

If Mary had contracted Scarlet Fever (an advanced form of strep throat) earlier in her life, it might well have damaged her heart enough for her to suffer a heart attack at 17. Louisa May Alcott’s sister Elizabeth died of heart disease at a young age due to this.