Author Topic: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?  (Read 7244 times)

Offline pinefamily

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #9 on: Saturday 21 April 18 23:21 BST (UK) »
As has been said already, only the census records would mention any disability, and perhaps more recent death certificates. I have not seen any myself, but perhaps there might be the odd reference in parish registers.
Perhaps some of our ancestors that did not marry were in fact "disabled" in some way. We will never know for certain.
I am Australian, from all the lands I come (my ancestors, at least!)

Pine/Pyne, Dowdeswell, Kempster, Sando/Sandoe/Sandow, Nancarrow, Hounslow, Youatt, Richardson, Jarmyn, Oxlade, Coad, Kelsey, Crampton, Lindner, Pittaway, and too many others to name.
Devon, Dorset, Gloucs, Cornwall, Warwickshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire, Wilts, Germany, Sweden, and of course London, to name a few.

Offline Jebber

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #10 on: Saturday 21 April 18 23:25 BST (UK) »
As far as I am aware, the only census that includes disability is in 1911. In my OH's line there is a relative who was listed as blind and this in noted in his family tree. Unless there is oral history of disability in the family or any paperwork then how can we know? Absence of proof doesn't mean absence of disability.
I can't see why anyone would knowingly leave out such an important piece of information.
Carol

Take a look at the heading of the last column in every census except the 1841.
CHOULES All ,  COKER Harwich Essex & Rochester Kent 
COLE Gt. Oakley, & Lt. Oakley, Essex.
DUNCAN Kent
EVERITT Colchester,  Dovercourt & Harwich Essex
GULLIVER/GULLOFER Fifehead Magdalen Dorset
HORSCROFT Kent.
KING Sturminster Newton, Dorset. MONK Odiham Ham.
SCOTT Wrabness, Essex
WILKINS Stour Provost, Dorset.
WICKHAM All in North Essex.
WICKHAM Medway Towns, Kent from 1880
WICKHAM, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Offline Erato

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #11 on: Saturday 21 April 18 23:35 BST (UK) »
Mostly, one doesn't know but I have a few who were institutionalized, one deaf and several crippled, including my gg-grandfather who was severely injured in a farming accident and got around on crutches for the last ~25 years of his life.  I certainly don't leave him out of my tree.
Wiltshire:  Banks, Taylor
Somerset:  Duddridge, Richards, Barnard, Pillinger
Gloucestershire:  Barnard, Marsh, Crossman
Bristol:  Banks, Duddridge, Barnard
Down:  Ennis, McGee
Wicklow:  Chapman, Pepper
Wigtownshire:  Logan, Conning
Wisconsin:  Ennis, Chapman, Logan, Ware
Maine:  Ware, Mitchell, Tarr, Davis

Offline Treetotal

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #12 on: Saturday 21 April 18 23:36 BST (UK) »
Love your avatar Erato....what a beautiful young lady.
Carol
CAPES Hull. KIRK  Leeds, Hull. JONES  Wales,  Lancashire. CARROLL Ireland, Lancashire, U.S.A. BROUGHTON Leicester, Goole, Hull BORRILL  Lincolnshire, Durham, Hull. GROOM  Wishbech, Hull. ANTHONY St. John's Nfld. BUCKNALL Lincolnshire, Hull. BUTT Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. PARSONS  Western Bay, Newfoundland. MONAGHAN  Ireland, U.S.A. PERRY Cheshire, Liverpool.
 
RESTORERS:PLEASE DO NOT USE MY RESTORES WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION - THANK YOU


Offline iluleah

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #13 on: Saturday 21 April 18 23:38 BST (UK) »
This was my great great great aunt and the 1881 census was the only way I knew she was disabled

Name:   Harriet Clements
Event Type:   Census
Event Date:   1881
Event Place:   Exton, Rutland, England
Registration District:   Oakham
Gender:   Female
Age:   49
Marital Status (Original):   Single
Occupation:   (Invalid 33 Years)
Relationship to Head of Household:   Daughter
Birth Year (Estimated):   1832
Birthplace:   Exton, Rutlandshire, England
Page Number:   8
Registration Number:   RG11
Piece/Folio:   3186/104
Leicestershire:Chamberlain, Dakin, Wilkinson, Moss, Cook, Welland, Dobson, Roper,Palfreman, Squires, Hames, Goddard, Topliss, Twells,Bacon.
Northamps:Sykes, Harris, Rice,Knowles.
Rutland:Clements, Dalby, Osbourne, Durance, Smith,Christian, Royce, Richardson,Oakham, Dewey,Newbold,Cox,Chamberlaine,Brow, Cooper, Bloodworth,Clarke
Durham/Yorks:Woodend, Watson,Parker, Dowser
Suffolk/Norfolk:Groom, Coleman, Kemp, Barnard, Alden,Blomfield,Smith,Howes,Knight,Kett,Fryston
Lincolnshire:Clements, Woodend

Offline iluleah

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #14 on: Saturday 21 April 18 23:49 BST (UK) »
The other my great grandmothers sister  who I  asked about on rootchat when she disappeared from records and eventually was found in St Andrews Hospital in 1911 https://www.davidbakerphotography.com/projects/care-institutions/the-history-of-st-andrews-asylum-norfolk-lunatic-asylum-annexe-uk she died in 1931 and I  received lots of help from many on here including several stories from 1900 from the Ipswich Journal  "suicide attempt at Great Yarmouth pier "

So forgotten or airbrushed out? Goodness no, she is in my tree

ADD: Just found my question http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=682301.0

Leicestershire:Chamberlain, Dakin, Wilkinson, Moss, Cook, Welland, Dobson, Roper,Palfreman, Squires, Hames, Goddard, Topliss, Twells,Bacon.
Northamps:Sykes, Harris, Rice,Knowles.
Rutland:Clements, Dalby, Osbourne, Durance, Smith,Christian, Royce, Richardson,Oakham, Dewey,Newbold,Cox,Chamberlaine,Brow, Cooper, Bloodworth,Clarke
Durham/Yorks:Woodend, Watson,Parker, Dowser
Suffolk/Norfolk:Groom, Coleman, Kemp, Barnard, Alden,Blomfield,Smith,Howes,Knight,Kett,Fryston
Lincolnshire:Clements, Woodend

Offline Ayashi

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #15 on: Sunday 22 April 18 00:48 BST (UK) »
What an odd thread.

I have an ancestor who was an imbecile, but judging from the fact he was in his 90s at the time I think he can be forgiven for that! I have an ancestor's daughter who died in an asylum from epilepsy. One of my grandmother's sisters was apparently in calipers for some kind of leg weakness/deformity. As everyone else says, most of the disabled people in our trees are going to have their disabilities hidden by simple lack of information telling us they were disabled. The people themselves are going to appear. How many babies weren't born alive because of disability? How many children who died young had issues that might be covered over by a vague death diagnosis, like "debility"? How many unmarried adult children of our ancestors had physical or mental health conditions that caused them to live at home their entire lives? Who knows.

Offline a chesters

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #16 on: Sunday 22 April 18 01:11 BST (UK) »
I have one, a coal miner, who was listed in one census as blind for 16 years.

Another one had the palsy shakes, in the census, as a young man. I have not followed him too far, as he is off on a minor branch.

Offline cati

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Re: Disabled people - Airbrushed out?
« Reply #17 on: Sunday 22 April 18 01:33 BST (UK) »
I certainly don't "airbrush" disabled people out of my tree!  What a horrible thought!

As has been said before, many records available to family historians simply don't record disabilities. I know about great great uncle Frank's gammy arm because it was caused by a war wound, and his service record gives details of his pension.  But  great great grannie didn't tell the census enumerator that her youngest daughter had learning difficulties (perhaps she thought it was none of his business) - there's just circumstantial evidence to support the family story.  And there's no record that great great Auntie Jessie had a club foot.  Or that my mother was blinded in one eye after contracting measles. 

We can only record what we know.

Cati
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