Louisa Emily BENNETT Yarra Bend and Mont Park Asylum Victoria

[Tabster]

I have located the record for Louisa on PROV/Ancestry for her time in Yarra Bend Asylum. At the end of these records it is written "transferred to the hospital for the insane Mont Park". The entry previous to this was 30 Dec 1912
I cannot seem to find these Mont Park records. Is anyone able to help?
She died in 1943, the registration says at Mont Park, but I cannot find an actual death notice or burial place or actual date but I am unfamiliar with Victorian records.
Hope someone can advise.

[wivenhoe]

Is this her death on the Vic. BDM Index?

11452/1943 BENNETT Louisa Emily   parents unknown WORRALL / unknown LAMBERT
 died Mont Park  age 73

11450/1943 COLLIS Frederick Charles parents  Fanny Selina JEFFRIES /  COLLIS Charles Thomas
born Abbotsford  died Brighton  age 82

Trove finds death notice for Frederick Charles COLLIS died 26 Oct 1943. 

Deaths registered, 1943   nos. 11451 - 11457 (I have stopped after that)  are all deaths Mont Park.

I suspect they are in paupers grave.  I am sure Mont Park records exist, and because they are recent, in privacy terms, they would likely have restricted access.

What are you wanting to find?

[Tabster]

Thanks,yes, I have the death record mentioned, was hoping to get a day/month. I know of her parents, husband and child.
I was after the other Asylum records for her. Looks like she went there in 1913 and perhaps died there in 1943 given death place as Mont Park. Hoping that they are digitized somewhere.

[Neale1961]

Information here
https://www.findingrecords.dhhs.vic.gov.au/collectionresultspage/Mont-Park-Hospital-Macleod

[judb]

Divorce paper makes very sad reading 

If their son was still in touch he may have arranged a burial, as many inmates had family/friends to do this, and the informant on her death registration knew enough to know her parents' names which is not always the case with those who die in an institution.

Ancestry has an asylum record in 1909, signed by Sergeant Sullivan/O'Sullivan? who is listed as  Medical Superintendent, Yarra Bend Asylum.
Yarra Bend Asylum
Case Books of Female Patients, 1862-1912 Vol P
He says:
"I have to report that it is not desirable that this patient should again be let out on probation to either her husband or her son.  They have left the unfortunate creature live in a shanty all by herself, without any person with her to speak to, or look after her, or keep her in company.  They live at Northcote and only pay her an occasional visit.  This woman has been shamefully treated by them in leaving her lonely, by herself and neglected."
Unfortunately the paper that this is written on obscures much of the admittance record but some notes about her saying that she 'has electricity in her body' can be seen. Also noted as being delusional and of recurrent mania, making all sorts of accusations about her husband. 

Such a sad situation!
This is no help in finding information about her death; obviously her death certificate would give more info. 

Judith
 

[fletcherandhook]

Hello Tabster,

Louisa died on 16 September 1943
Cause of death: fatty degeneration of heart; pulmonary oedema

She was buried within Preston Cemetery on 20 September 1943 as Louisa Ellen BENNETT

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211122411/louisa-ellen-bennett

Many of my female relatives died within Mont Park and I have special interest in the place, as I grew up down the road from the institutions of Mont Park, Plenty and Larundel (known as "Psychopolis")  It was a very beautiful location and there is a website and facebook page that may interest you.

https://www.montparktospringthorpe.com/

[jorose]

A sad story indeed.

There was an inquest, which is open but not digitised
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/C77AF768-F1B5-11E9-AE98-615467F7C33E
You could request a copy of this to be emailed to you (You will need an account to select the item, and there will be a copy charge - https://prov.vic.gov.au/copying-services-public-users )

I think it was not uncommon for there to be an inquest on patients who died in the asylum, even if the death appeared to be of entirely natural causes.

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VA2846/record_series
 - it also looks like the PROV do have some records of interest, and some are open but none digitised.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/A80FE450-F934-11E9-AE98-19515763F31F
 - she will probably be somewhere here, for example.
For these records you would probably need somebody to visit, because the copy service doesn't include searching through the records for whichever page(s) reference your person.

[fletcherandhook]

 I recommend obtaining the PROV inquest digitised record.  It's around AUD22-23 and will give details and dates of when the person was first admitted, when they were transferred to other wards and the reasons for doing so.  There will be information of who visited and how often including official visitors. 

Perhaps that record will paint a different picture than that 1909 report made by the police chap.

[Tabster]

Thank you so much everyone for your assistance.