mystery

[swampinstein]

Hi all
I was doing some research on my tree and came across an ancestor Katherine Hill who in 1881 was in the Warneford Private Lunatic Asylum Oxfordshire. I thought how sad. I then moved on to research one of her sisters Dora Hill and found she was also in the Warneford Private Lunatic Asylum in 1881.
  I thought one is sad, two a tragedy...I sat here wondering how two sisters could be classed as lunatics, especially when they had both grown up in the family home and both had been admitted when they were in their late 30's early 40's....I then moved on to researching a brother of theirs Arthur Hill and to my astonishment he too had been admitted to the  Warneford Private Lunatic Asylum.
  Not one, not two but three siblings all been certified and all died in the Asylum.
This was not a poor family and each died leaving money.....Each one of them left their money to another sister Bertha Hill. Which had me thinking....did she have them certified to get control of their money?
A question I have is can a solicitor certify people insane or did it have to be a doctor? Reason I ask this is because when Bertha died her solicitor got all the money.  Maybe my imagination is running wild here .
Is there anywhere I could look to see why three of the same family were certified?

[Jomot]

when Bertha died her solicitor got all the money. 

Is this from the will or just the probate record?  If just the probate then he was possibly just the executor.

I would try Oxfordshire Archives to see if they hold any records for the asylum.

[swampinstein]

Probate so you could be right

[Sc00p]

Admission registers and case books for that period appear to be held by http://www.oxfordshirehealtharchives.nhs.uk/hospitals/warneford.htm

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Quite possible it was genetic disorder that affected the siblings. It seems to be something that came on in adulthood - none are identified in the final column of censuses as imbecile, lunatic etc until Dora in 1881

[bucksboy]

Burials @ Headington Quarry, Holy Trinity.(OxFHS - Transcripts CD).

4 Mar 1904 - Dora Georgiana Hill, aged 60, of Warneford Asylum.
14 Jan 1911 - Arthur Percival Hill, aged 63, of Warneford Asylum.
4 July 1914 - Katherine Hill, aged 74. of Warneford Asylum.

Just thought I'd add these burials.........nice to know where they were laid to rest.

Steve.

[CarolA3]

Hi swampinstein,

The hospital is still going, but their historic records are now housed at the Oxfordshire History Centre at St Luke’s, Cowley, Oxford – email archives@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk or call 01865 398243.  I was sent some records by email six years ago for a small admin fee plus a few pence per page and the archivist was really helpful.  Your relatives, like mine, died over 100 years ago so there shouldn’t be a problem.

In the meantime here’s a bit more information from a transcript of Warneford admissions published on CD by Oxfordshire Family History Society.


HILL  Katherine           Admitted 29 December 1879, age 38, single, Warwick.
                     Transferred from Barnwood House, Gloucester.

HILL  Dora Georgiana       Admitted 14 October 1881, age 37, single, Warwick.


Records after 1895 are not included, and there’s no mention of their brother up to that date.

Hope this helps a bit.

Carol

[swampinstein]

Thanks everyone xx
Barnwood house....didn't know about that.

[swampinstein]

Just googled Barnwood and it says

The hospital catered for well-to-do patients.    It was popular with the military and clergy.

That fits because their father I believe was a vicar