1832 cholera outbreak in Merthyr had how many deaths?

• A. 120 deaths
• B. 80 deaths
• C. 160 deaths
• D. 200 deaths

Answer: (C)

This question tests recall of the human cost of the 1832 cholera outbreak in Merthyr Tydfil. Merthyr, an overcrowded industrial town with poor sanitation, was hit hard as cholera swept through its population in the early 1830s.

The figure commonly cited for Merthyr in 1832 is 160 deaths. This number comes from historical records and local histories that track how severely the outbreak affected this particular town. It sits in between smaller and larger outbreaks seen elsewhere in Britain, and matches the severe impact cholera could have in crowded urban areas with limited clean water and waste removal at the time.

Other tallies you might have seen refer to different places or different outbreaks, so they don’t fit Merthyr’s 1832 death toll as precisely. Thinking about the environment Merthyr faced helps explain why the death toll was substantial: rapid spread, limited medical knowledge, and poor living conditions amplified mortality in such communities.