Author Topic: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881  (Read 2238 times)

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #9 on: Friday 03 August 18 10:16 BST (UK) »
Thanks for that info, certainly seems to throw Gladys' father parentage into doubt unless he was allowed home visits or days out with his wife.

His death certificate may throw some light on this.

I'll post again when I get the certificate.

Offline Milliepede

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #10 on: Friday 03 August 18 10:19 BST (UK) »
Yes please do, would be interested to know  :)
Hinchliffe - Huddersfield Wiltshire
Burroughs - Arlingham Glos
Pick - Frocester Glos

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #11 on: Friday 10 August 18 10:05 BST (UK) »
Charles Edward Sparkes death at Berkshire Asylum, Cholsey is recorded as Phthiuis - tubercular. P.M.  Indefinite.

I don't know what P.M. means so I've asked a cousin who's a retired consultant anesthetist and also a family ancestry researcher if he can find out; the underline under the 'M' is as on the certificate though it may have been meant to be under both letters..  I wonder if it means postmortem.

Indefinite must mean he'd suffered from TB for a long time, presumably from prior to his admission to the hospital.

From modern research I understand that up to 70% of patients with tuberculosis also have mental health issues of varying degrees and types so it is likely that Charles' 'lunacy' was the result of his TB.

Interestingly although TB is highly contagious neither his wife of children died from it.

His 'daughter Gladys' birth certificate giving a birth date of 28 Dec 1902 gives Charles' name as her father with his occupation as house decorator.  That means she was conceived in March, approx 18 months after Charles was admitted to the hospital so either he was allowed out at some time or family visits of a 'personal nature' were allowed.   ???

Could you tell me where you found his admission record please Milliepede, I can't find anything in Google searches.   :-\

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #12 on: Friday 10 August 18 11:00 BST (UK) »
P M for Post Mortem would be my first thought.

I'll try to find the record again and let you know.
Hinchliffe - Huddersfield Wiltshire
Burroughs - Arlingham Glos
Pick - Frocester Glos


Offline Milliepede

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #13 on: Friday 10 August 18 11:53 BST (UK) »
Right that took some finding  :D

It's under "UK Lunacy Patients Admission Registers 1846-1912"

Have sent PM  :)
Hinchliffe - Huddersfield Wiltshire
Burroughs - Arlingham Glos
Pick - Frocester Glos

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #14 on: Sunday 12 August 18 14:40 BST (UK) »
I've just heard back from my cousin and he confirms that P.M. does mean a post-mortem was conducted and 'Indefinite' means they had no idea of how long he'd had it, there would have been no way of knowing.

My cousin did add that no inquest had been held - that would have been noted - whereas nowadays if someone dies who has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act then a coroner must be informed although probably he/she wouldn't hold an inquest.

My cousin added that, although TB isn't as contagious as I thought, it is surprising that his wife didn't develop it.  Not everyone exposed to it will develop it or it could have been that she had had it in very mild form and was therefore 'immunised' naturally against it.  My wife and my cousin are both in that category, I wasn't and had to have the vaccination which, in my case, turned out to be very painful a few days later.  :'(

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #15 on: Sunday 12 August 18 15:39 BST (UK) »
If he had had no contact with his wife for some years then she wouldn't have "caught" it from him.

I mean he may have developed it after he was admitted.
Hinchliffe - Huddersfield Wiltshire
Burroughs - Arlingham Glos
Pick - Frocester Glos

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Re: Albert Ernest Sparkes in 1881
« Reply #16 on: Monday 13 August 18 12:02 BST (UK) »
Good point.  At the time we're talking about, institutionalised patients with poor health, poor conditions, poor food etc. would have been more susceptible to it.

Prior to his admission to the hospital Charles had been working as a painter and decorator and unless he was highly disturbed he would have been encouraged to continue with that in hospital as part of his treatment - a 'normalisation' of his situation; that certainly occurred at what was at the time called Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. From that he would likely have earned some money with which to supplement his diet though the nature of TB would mean he'd gradually become more and more emaciated.

It is likely that his increasing emaciation would have affected his blood chemistry balance and that would have been likely to have manifest itself in dementia like symptoms.  My father was hospitalised for treatment when he'd developed a massive fluid build up and they failed to keep proper records of his fluid intake against the fluid he passed with powerful diuretics, the result was he developed dementia like symptoms.  The hospital said he'd developed rapid onset dementia but luckily the Assistant Director of Nursing at Broadmoor Hospital from my time working there was able to tell me that such condition did not occur in the time frame it had with my father and pointed to the record keeping - I took this up with the ward sister who checked and immediately set up the proper recording regime with the result my father quite quickly returned to what was normal for him.  That sort of treatment would have been beyond the capabilities of the medical staff at the time.