Prestwich Asylum and Manchester Workhouse

[LizzieW]

My g.g.uncle died in Prestwich Asylum in 1902 and I have the records of his admission there and death a short time later.  However, from Findmypast, I've now found out that he had another admission on 17 October 1878, discharged on 21 March 1879.  The admission was a year after his first wife's death, but he did have a daughter aged about 1 at the time of his admission.  I guess she must have gone to grandparents as she was with them on the 1881 census.
 
In 1887 he re-married and all seemed well, then his 2nd wife died in April 1891.  They had 2 children.  From FindMyPast, I have found that he admitted himself to Manchester workhouse on 19 August 1892 and left again on 3 September 1892. 

He then re-admitted himself on 22 September 1892 and left again on 7 October 1892. 

He re-admitted himself on 22 September 1892 and left again on 5 January 1894.

There is no record of his children being admitted.


The questions are:

1.  Does anyone have any records of Prestwich Asylum showing why he was admitted in 1882.

2.  Why would someone, who had his own business as a butcher and living accommodation admit himself to the workhouse 3 times.  He couldn't have lost his business and premises, because he was still living at them in 1901 with his children, plus another 2 that he had with a 3rd wife who he married in 1896 - in Yorkshire!

In fact his 3rd wife and his 6 children (he had another one before he died) were all together at the same address.

Any suggestions?

Lizzie

[stonechat]

I am wondering if he was perhaps ill

Incidentally my gt*3 uncle died in Preswich Asylum in 1906

[LizzieW]

He could have been ill when he was admitted to the Asylum in 1878.  He died of General Paralysis of the Insane in 1902 (amongst other things) which is caused by syphilis.  So he could have had some symptoms.

Does that explain why he admitted himself to the workhouse 3 times?  I assume he admitted himself as under the column headed Name of Informant, it states self.  Was the workhouse also a hospital? 

The last admission should read 22 September 1893 (not 1892) until 5 January 1894.

Lizzie

[Luzzu]

Hi Lizzie  ,

It seems to make sense that he admitted himself because he was ill.

My 2 gt grandfather admitted himself several times over a period of 5 years to Chorlton Union Workhouse.  He eventually died at home but I understand he had been ill with TB for a long time.  His wife and children continued living in the family home.

This link will give you some general information on Manchester Workhouse:-

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Manchester/

Luzzu

[Luzzu]

Just remembered, there is an interesting download on this link called "Safety in Numbers : Life Inside Prestwich Asylum"

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/4200/educational_resources

Luzzu

[LizzieW]

Thank you for your suggestions.  Interestingly, he lived in Chorlton on Medlock, but always went to Manchester Workhouse rather than the Chorlton Workhouse. 

His death was due to General Paralysis of the Insane for 1 year (which we now know was due to syphilis, but this wasn't found out until 1905, 3 years after his death).  The 2nd reason was pneumonia 18 days and cystitis 1 day.  So whatever he was suffering from when he went to the workhouse was not related to his death.

I had seen the Safety in Numbers download before, but forgotten about it.  He's not one of the names listed, unfortunately.  Some of the causes of the reason for admission seem bizarre by today's standards.

I suppose I'll never know the real reason for his workhouse admissions, although as the timings in each case were a year after the death of a wife, I suppose some sort of depression might account for the admissions.

Interestingly 2 of his daughters, one from his first marriage and one from his second both died as elderly spinsters.  They would have been my gran's cousins and I think I met both of them.  Certainly, I remember my mum talking about them and one died when I was 8 and the other when I was 11.

Lizzie

[mitmoor]

I pass the the chorlton workhouse quite a lot, most of it is still there and I hope that it remains there to remind the people of to-day what a tough life our ancesters had.

mitmoor

[Lal]

It was the days before the NHS and he may have had no option because medical treatment could be expensive. That might be why he chose to go to Manchester Workhouse rather than Chorlton, he might have felt some embarrassment about it. I don't think a butcher would necessarily be well off.

Going to have a look at that download now - thanks Luzzu.

[uk2003]

Hi Lizzie

Did you ever find his burial site -- I recall something from a few years back, then did a search on rootschat

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,159906.0.html

Must say I miss tonyH and Liverpool Annie's Banter on the forum R.I.P

Ken