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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Northumberland => England => Northumberland Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Sprouted on Monday 21 November 16 11:09 GMT (UK)
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Hello,
I am posting on the off-chance that somebody may be visiting the Tyne and Wear Archives anytime in the coming months and willing to look up my ancestor, William Flinn, b.1840. I have him in the 1891 census as an inmate in the asylum. At that time the asylum was known as the Newcastle Upon Tyne City Lunatic Asylum, previously it was called the Newcastle Upon Tyne Borough Lunatic Asylum, and it is currently known as St.Nicholas, an NHS psychiatric ward. It was built in 1869 in Coxbridge, Gosforth, Northumberland.
William Flinn was married to Catherine Johnston in 1871, they had several children and he died in the lunatic asylum in 1895.
Catherine's family had never approved of her marriage to William Flinn and so she eloped from Workington, Cumberland to Newcastle when she was 17, him being 30 years old, to marry him. He came from an Irish family and was a hotel porter and then a coal mine hewer, whilst her family were doing fairly well and had family connections to Thomas Bewick the famous engraver. Catherine was the illegitimate daughter of Martin Bewick, stonemason, b.1824.
Although still married, Catherine had a child with another man named David Patterson in 1890. He is living with her in 1891 as a boarder but has gone by 1901 after a further two children were born, and they never married, the three children were given the surname Patterson Flinn.
I would like to know about William's admission and any notes on his stay. He is in the 1881 census with Catherine so he must have been admitted between 1881 and 1891. There is also a possibility that there may be a photograph of him in the records held for the asylum so it would be fantastic to see that one day.
If there is anyone that could help please get in touch, if not I will hopefully get the opportunity to spend a day there in the new year.
William and Catherine are my 3rd great grandparents by the way, my Great Grandma's only memory of Catherine was of a small old lady in black sitting in the corner of a room but she was apparently very nice and they all loved her.
Many thanks!