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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Dorset => Topic started by: toby webb on Monday 29 September 14 17:45 BST (UK)
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In the 1881 & 1891 censuses, inmates are only shown by initials. Are readers aware of another source which might be used to confirm an individual? Thanks, Toby.
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Hi,
Dorset History Centre has some:
https://www.dorsetforyou.com/dorsethistorycentre/herrison
Nanny Jan
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Hi Toby, I had great success with the Dorset history centre with regards to tracing a death of an ancestor.
My case the person was in what was called 'Herrison hospital', and there is 'restricted access' (Meaning if the record being researches is less than 100 years since the event, then ID and application needs to be shown) if you are a descendant.
This can take a little time but if you have details to give them they are very good and will get back to you, for a fee.
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Interesting to read that there was an asylum in Charminster - I wasn't aware of this. I have several ancestors who lived in Charminster.
In the 1901 Census my great-grandfather was the landlord of the Royal George Inn in Charminster, yet in 1911 he was a teacher at an asylum at Starcross in Devon. Perhaps between the two Censuses he changed job, initially starting at Charminster before moving to Starcross ...
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Hi Toby
Just in case you aren't aware, Ancestry has 'Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1912' on its site, which is fully searchable by name, year of birth, county etc.
The registers give dates of admission and discharge so you can work out if your ancestor was in an asylum during the census.
In theory it should now be possible to decode all those initials listed in census returns (but it would be a big job, of course).
Mark
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Many thanks. All I have to do is wait a few years until 100 years have passed. T
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Hi Toby - have you found your ancestor in the asylum? If not, what's their name/DoB?
By the way, if you can prove their death the Dorset History Centre might let you look at their record even if 100 years hasn't expired.
(I was in the History Centre once when they did let someone look at one of the casebooks - they masked off all the other entries so the researcher could only see the entry relating to their relative - presumably they had proved that the relative was no longer living.)
M
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Thank you historydch. I am planning a trip to Dorchester this summer so will have a go, T.