**COMPLETED** Hospital for Insane, Meaford, Ontario

[SonofSussex]

I'm researching an individual who died in 1910 in the Hospital for Insane in Meaford.  My problem is that I can't find anything on-line about such an institution.  I've found references to other such hospitals in Ontario but not this one.

Can anyone help me on this?  I'm wondering if the hospital was in fact located near, but not in, Meaford.

[Jacquie in Canada]

Can you provide us with the name of the individual so we can look up the death registration? Seeing the actual registration may help to figure this out.

Jacquie

[SonofSussex]

Yes, the person in question was Robert Weller Cleland who died in 1910.  He may have been a student at the time.

[Jacquie in Canada]

I think the registrar made an error when he filled out the registration for Robert's death. The death was registered in Toronto, York County while Meaford is in Grey County. Also the doctor who was the informant was Dr. John H. Stead and he gave his address as 999 Queen Street, Toronto which I believe was part of the Hospital for the Insane Toronto (now called Queen Street Mental Health Centre with their address listed as 1001 Queen Street).

As a side note, when I was looking at information regarding this institution I found a list of administrators and from 1949-1955 the administrator was Dr. Charles A. Cleland.

Jacquie

[SonofSussex]

Jacquie, I think you are correct.  This is not the first time I've seen a Meaford death signed by a Toronto doctor BUT the fact that Robert's death was registered in Toronto certainly means that he died there (or at least in York County).  I had missed that key piece of information, looking only at the (supposed) place of death.

Many thanks for catching this! 

[Gord_Parker]

I have a similar find but from even further away.

The Place of Death says "Hospital for Insane (Battleford, SK)", but the Medical Cause of Death  says  Doctor John H. Stead of 999 Queen Street W, Toronto attended him and signed the certificate.

Henry John Parker d. 21 Apr 1910.  Cause Dementia praecox Catatonic Form, Immediate: exhaustion with nephritis

Did they ship him to Toronto at the last minute? (very doubtful) Could this Doctor have traveled? (but why register in ON), Does a telephone consultation count?
Deaths in SK Vital Stats aren't on-line fully yet and nothing shows up there.

Thanks for any suggestions!
Gord Parker

[polarbear]

Hello and welcome to RootsChat  .

I don't know why they would put Battleford Sask on the record but I don't believe his death would have been registered in Ontario if it did not occur there.

The asylum in Toronto may have been a place giving specialized care for the particular condition and he was sent there even from Sask.

Polarbear