Author Topic: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum  (Read 19304 times)

Offline aghadowey

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #9 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 15:46 BST (UK) »
Is it possible that wife's details are incorrect- i.e. there should be 7 living children?

Do you have the details of all their children? are there 7 and had 2 died by 1911?

If could just be that Patrick didn't want to account for a 'missing' wife on the form and said he was a widower- having a wife in an asylum (for whatever reason) would have been difficult in those days.
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline John_K

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #10 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 15:53 BST (UK) »
Is it possible that wife's details are incorrect- i.e. there should be 7 living children?

Do you have the details of all their children? are there 7 and had 2 died by 1911?

If could just be that Patrick didn't want to account for a 'missing' wife on the form and said he was a widower- having a wife in an asylum (for whatever reason) would have been difficult in those days.

The wife's details could be incorrect, as this picture builds it's quite possible she was in a distressed state of mind.

Looking at the names of the 7 children on the 1911 census, I've met 5 of them over the years.  They're all dead now.  However I don't believe I've ever met Catherine or Patrick, and don't know much detail about them.
Antrim: McKay
Dublin: Bennett, Byrne, Keogh, Lynch, Montgomery
Kildare: Mullally, Nugent
Galway: Kilcar, Power

Offline John_K

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #11 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 16:21 BST (UK) »
If you post the link for him I'll have a look.

Getting caught up in the moment earlier, I forgot to say thanks for your help aghadowey  :)
Antrim: McKay
Dublin: Bennett, Byrne, Keogh, Lynch, Montgomery
Kildare: Mullally, Nugent
Galway: Kilcar, Power

Offline John_K

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 16:32 BST (UK) »
I just sent for a death certificate for a Catherine Kilcar, if it's the correct lady, it may answer some more questions...
Antrim: McKay
Dublin: Bennett, Byrne, Keogh, Lynch, Montgomery
Kildare: Mullally, Nugent
Galway: Kilcar, Power


Offline Sonas

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #13 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 20:50 BST (UK) »
If your great-grandmother did become a patient of the asylum, it would be worth contacting the hospital to see if the records are available.

Offline John_K

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #14 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 20:53 BST (UK) »
If your great-grandmother did become a patient of the asylum, it would be worth contacting the hospital to see if the records are available.

I hadn't thought of that, although it was on my mind.  I remember reading somewhere that in the RDL in Dublin, they photographed the patients as they were admitted.

Thanks!
Antrim: McKay
Dublin: Bennett, Byrne, Keogh, Lynch, Montgomery
Kildare: Mullally, Nugent
Galway: Kilcar, Power

Offline Sonas

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #15 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 20:55 BST (UK) »
I don't think photos were always taken in Irish asylums. I've seen some though and they don't always make nice viewing. The hospital may get you to apply using the Freedom of Information Act. If you're contacting them, I would mention that you're a direct descendant. It might make a difference.

Offline John_K

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #16 on: Wednesday 18 September 13 20:59 BST (UK) »
I don't think photos were always taken in Irish asylums. I've seen some though and they don't always make nice viewing. The hospital may get you to apply using the Freedom of Information Act. If you're contacting them, I would mention that you're a direct descendant. It might make a difference.

Thanks again, I will try that route, she would have been my paternal great-grandmother.
Antrim: McKay
Dublin: Bennett, Byrne, Keogh, Lynch, Montgomery
Kildare: Mullally, Nugent
Galway: Kilcar, Power

Offline myluck!

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Re: Ballinasloe Lunatic Asylum
« Reply #17 on: Thursday 19 September 13 09:29 BST (UK) »
My OH's great grandmother described herself as a widow from about 1914 onwards to claim a pension; this is documented e.g. when her son died during WW1 his records show her as a widow and his next-of-kin;  her husband actually died in 1920 and his death cert shows he was living at that time at the same address as she and the family always lived at! What was happening between them for a about 6 years I do not know!

There is a possibility that Patrick had Catherine committed knowing she would not be released from hospital (based on the reason of commital) and from that time on described himself as a widower.
This was not an unusual occurance unfortunately and something to bear in mind.
Some families would not want to have any associations with a "mental hospital" or "mental illness" and not admit to neighbours and extended family what happened to certain members of their family.

This is something to bear in mind - stating you are a widower does not make it gospel!
Kearney & Bourke/ Johns & Fox/ Mannion & Finan/ Donohoe & Curley
Byrne [Carthy], Keeffe/ Germaine, Butler/ McDermott, Giblin/ Lally, Dolan
Toole, Doran; Dowling, Grogan/ Reilly, Burke; Warren, Kidd [Lawless]/ Smith, Scally; Mangan, Rodgers/ Fahy, Calday; Staunton, Miller
Further generations:
Brophy Coleman Eathorn(e) Fahy Fitzpatrick Geraghty Haverty Keane Keogh Nowlan Rowe Walder