Burials from Devon County Mental Hospital, Exminster

[JaneyH_104]

My great-grandmother, Lilian Maud Bowdler, was a long-term patient at the Devon County Mental Hospital. She is shown there on the 1939 Register and her death certificate shows that she died there in April 1952.

My question is, where is she likely to have been buried? She was never mentioned by the family when my Mum was growing up. In fact, it was only through my research over the last few years that we discovered how long she lived, because it was widely thought she died back in the 1920s.

I know that the former hospital buildings have been redeveloped for residential use and are now called Devington Park. I don’t hold out any hope of finding a headstone but I’d like to know her final resting place.

Many thanks, JaneyH

[Flemming]

Hi Janey, have you seen the info below?

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/AsylumBurials

Lilian Maude BOWDLER age 68 buried 25.4.1952 in the Asylum Cemetery.

EDIT: forgot to credit Jeff Ellis for the transcriptions.

Information on the cemetery is here.
http://rememberingdcmh.exeter.ac.uk/exhibits/show/a-walk-through/the-church

[JaneyH_104]

Thanks so much, Flemming! I thought a burial ground adjacent to the hospital was most likely, but I was unaware of the records on the Genuki site. I’m pleased I now know where she ended up.

I was in touch with Dr Nicole Baur a few years back but the website has clearly grown since I last looked at it. I’ll have a proper look when I get home this evening.

I’m toying with the idea of a family history trip to Devon in the summer, so I’ll have to see if I can visit the site.

[pinefamily]

Formerly known as Redways before it became the county asylum. My family owned it back in 16th and 17th centuries.