Lunacy Patients Admission Registers on Ancestry

[ALewis]

A couple of years ago I proved who the father of my illegitimate great grandmother Eliza Hales was. Eliza's siblings and my great great grandmother Harriet were lodging with a James Harrison in the 1891 census. My family has been told since the late 19th century it was Harriet's husband George Hales. DNA cousin matches have helped me to prove James was Eliza's biological father!!

I noticed James was in Burntwood Lunatic asylum in a couple of the censuses. I saw the patient indexes on Ancestry. The patient record information on Ancestry only gives the dates of admission and discharge and the outcome of their stay when discharged. In my case it stated my ancestor was "not cured".

I contacted Stafford Record Office and they were great. I was able to get a copy of James' patient records and there were two photographs of him!  I was able to learn more about his life and it was very sad reading!

[Finley 1]

Wow  --- I know sometimes these Lunacy records are heartbreaking...

My GG William Hellyar died in a Lunatic Asylum   and I managed to get his records.. very sad reading..

terrible bless him xxx


xin

[ALewis]

Hi Xinia,

I thought he was admitted for depression before I got his records. His girlfriend (my great great grandmother Harriet) was buried in 1892 and her illegitimate son John (who I believe was James' son too) was buried in 1891. His daughter Eliza (my great grandmother) went to live with her maternal aunt.

When I got his patient records I was extremely sad to find out why he was admitted. He was a carter on a farm and in the 1890s he got kicked in the head by a horse and became brain damaged. He was sent to the asylum as he had attempted to murder the workhouse master! He became deaf because of the accident and struggled to communicate. He had no hobbies or interests. The only positive comments throughout his records was that he was a useful carter on the asylum farm.

Kindest regards,

ALewis

[Finley 1]

Yes  logical - no comprehension of where was the right place for him.. Sad

my gg   seemingly these days would be classed as having Alzheimers... and at the time it was his daughter that had him put away...   

it makes me angry -   but that still happens today ----



this is from an online record of the actual place he was kept. 
On visiting the workhouse at Bodmin, in Cornwall, which I found in a very dirty state, I was shown down stairs into a room where a poor lunatic was confined. He lay stretched on a little short and dirty straw, with a few rags on him. His fixed, intent eyes, his shaggy hair, long beard, dirty and livid face gave him the appearance of a monster rather than a man. He took no notice, either on opening the door, or during the time I was in his room, till I came close up to him; he then took his eyes off his book, and looked at me with a more forcible appeal to humanity than I had ever felt. The floor of this room was earth, and literally a puddle of water and dirt more than one inch deep. It was with difficulty I could step into it without treading in his excrement, which laid every where about on the floor; and, from the appearance of what was in the fire-place, must have been there a fortnight or more. The keeper had most unmercifully beat the poor fellow, and given him two black eyes. I endeavoured to investigate the matter, but the mistress kept such an incessant clack that I could not put in a word edgewise.




xin

[ALewis]

Xin that is extremely sad reading indeed! They just didn't understand mental health back then. Anything that couldn't be explained. You could be put away for all sorts of reasons in those days!

[Finley 1]

Yes

I agree with you  -  locked away and forgotten.  Even the best of families locked away someone that wasnt 100% accepted as normal...

 

the worst thing is they were sometimes not mentioned again in the family  -

I grew up in a warm loving family well most of the time.. (ha ha )   but discovered that one of my G. Aunts had two children that were never mentioned --  One I later discovered to be handicapped and living in a nearby 'home'  thank goodness I found her and now she is included in my TREE where she belongs.

Her sibling... i am still looking for..?  the discoveries were made by 1911 census comments.....
I have made a few discoveries.. with that particular census.

xin

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Hello,

I don't have a current subscription, only to find my past. I am wondering if the above records on ancestry give much information or not?

I'm researching a Harriet Bostock born 1841 in Tean, Staffs.
In 1881, she is with her father Joseph and sister Catherine Warren. I've possibly found her in 1891, in Stafford County Lunatic asylum. It's a long shot though as it only gives her initials, HB. Her occupation is listed as tape weaver though which fits.

I can see on Ancestry that there are 2 possible entries in the asylum, for a Harriet Bostock, one which gives date of death of 1895, which again fits with an age of 54yrs. I can't find a burial record though.

I was just wondering if the info these records show is worth another subscription or not, especially if she turns out to be the wrong lady?

Many Thanks
Helen x

Records don;t say much

1st admission Aug - Nov 1970. Recovered
2nd admission  July 1889 - Nov 1895. Died

[ALewis]

xin - it's wonderful you were able to discover your relatives and include them on your tree! That's exactly how I feel about my great great grandfather James Harrison! I agree with you - names are forgotten.

When I was a young child I met my great grandmother Eliza Hales' cousin. He had grown up with her. He was told that Eliza's father was George Hales. George mysteriously disappeared after the 1881 census. He is listed as the father on Eliza's marriage certificate. It was only when I got her birth certificate, I realised she was illegitimate as there is no father listed. It was only a couple of years ago and thanks to DNA we were able to prove her real father.

Her mother Harriet died in 1892 and she was sent to live with her maternal aunt. Her aunt must have told her George was the father. She might have lied to protect Eliza from the fact that she was illegitimate and her real father was locked away in a lunatic asylum. She may have thought that George was the father or she simply didn't know.

James is now listed proudly on my tree and he is where he belongs in the family! 

[Finley 1]

Excellent

 

xin