"The Chestnuts"

[wksatsrk]

I found this picture in my nan's old collection, and have since been told it may be a rest home in Sussex.
In the 1911 census, Elizabeth Cason (nee Smith), (my great grandmother's sister), was listed as being in Sussex in some sort of convalescence home.
My mum insists there was nothing ever wrong with Lizzie, but her daughter Lilian was born retarded, and it may have been her that was in the home, and Lizzie was there helping.
Nonetheless, an interesting picture that I would love to know more about.

[Ruskie]

If you click on the picture on this link it will enlarge:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/08lj/

And yes, it is a convalescent home according to the sign. 

[wksatsrk]

TY. Well that sorts that out.
I was given a link to a West Sussex records site, but I couldn't find my way to archives for the home. It would be great to find a list of residents at the time of the photo.

[charlotteCH]

The Local Stdies Section of the libary closest to The Chestnuts may very well be able to direct you to info related to the place.

charlotte

[wksatsrk]

Now that I know more about Lizzie, I would love to see the faces better. Any chance someone could please sharpen the picture up?
A couple of things .. Lilian, her daughter,  couldn't be the young girl in the photo, she would have been 16/17 at the time.
Does anyone have any ideas what would keep someone in a home for 2 or more years? Lizzie Cason is recorded as an 'inmate' in the 1911 census at Princess Mary Memorial Home Surrey Home Bognor County. And one would have to presume she was 'resting' at The Chestnuts in 1909 earlier as well.
Sadly, all of the records for Princess Mary home were destroyed in fire.
Thanks.

[danuslave]

First guess would be that Lizzie was suffering from some sort of mental breakdown - what we would know as post-natal or clinical depresson.  This can come in 'episodes' with the sufferer being able to cope quite well in between times. 

It could have been as a result of her daughter's mental state.  In those days (and even now!) mental health issues tended to be hidden as somehow 'shameful'

Linda

[PrueM]

Now that I know more about Lizzie, I would love to see the faces better. Any chance someone could please sharpen the picture up?

Just post the picture on the Photo Restoration and Dating board, and see what the restorers there can come up with    You will need to change the title of the photo to get it to post again, but just adding some numbers or letters will be fine.

Prue

[wksatsrk]

Oops, thankyou Prue