**Look-up request please** - GEORGE GILLESPIE PATTERSON

[lucycraske]

Please could someone help me out?

GEORGE GILLESPIE PATTERSON was born in Italy 1845

Married Margaret Mary Jane McCambridge and was involved in the Music Halls (It looked a very interesting life and he travelled around Europe)

I can trace him up until 1881 - when he is a patient in Norwood Lunatic Asylum London and then transferred to St Thomas Asylum Devon in 1883 - where he died.

Are there any records available for his stay at either of these places? I'm so curious how a hard-working man - who was very successful in this industry suddenly ended up in an asylum.

[rosie99]

Welcome to rootschat 

Do you have his death certificate as that could indicate what 'illness' put him in an asylum.  He may just have had a breakdown, mental illness was treated differently in those days

[panda40]

Hi
Do you have his death certificate ? As this may give you a clue to why he was placed in the asylum. You will need to contact the local record office for these areas to see if they have the relevant documents. I was able to view my ancestors records but only because they were about him and no one else. If the records include other information about patients they are sometimes restricted.
Good luck in your research.
Regards
Panda

[lucycraske]

Death Cert has been ordered - I was really wondering if there were online records from the Asylums?

[panda40]

Due to the nature of the information and the fact that some of these records are still with the NHS archives they are not available. I was able to view my ancestors when the records were held at the local archives. They have now been moved to another archive and this has different restrictions on the information.
Regards panda

[CarolA3]

Welcome to RootsChat

My ancestor died in the Oxfordshire County Asylum in 1903.  The county archives were happy to scan all of his records and email them to me because (a) his death was over 100 years ago, and (b) no other patients were mentioned.  They were charging £1 per page a few years ago and it was well worth it.

From what I've read of other people's experiences, I would say that's fairly typical around the country.  It won't do any harm to ask

Carol

[lucycraske]

Thank you  - I shall contact them this morning and let you know how I get on:)

[CarolA3]

The county archives were happy to scan all of his records and email them to me ............

I've just checked and it was in 2010 - longer ago than I thought! - and it was the Oxfordshire NHS Health Archives who released the records.  They were absorbed into the county archives later.  I don't know about other counties.

Carol