High Royds/Aireborough/Menston/West Riding Mental Hospital on the 1921 census

[CJ]

Has anyone managed to find any inmates of the hospital on the 1921 census?

I have been searching for a relative who was living there in 1939.  She was married had 3 children (one died young).  Her son Edgar (b1901) was brought up by his Paternal Grandmother and Paternal Aunt and her Daughter Annie Butler (b1908) was brought up by my great Grandparents.  I cannot find Annie or her Mother Hannah (Murgatroyd) Butler (b1868) on the 1921 census.  Annie's Father Charles (b1873) looks to be living alone in Keighley, where his wife and children were born. Annie was brought up as a daughter by my great Grandparents, no differently to their own 5 children.  They also lived in Keighley, yet Charles was rarely if ever mentioned by my Grandma, her siblings or Annie.  We do not know when Hannah was placed in the hospital but Annie was taken in as a child/teenager so I would think that Hannah might be in the hospital in 1921, especially so as her husband appears to be alone on the census.  I have not seen the actual census but when you hover over the option to buy it lists others living in the household and no names come up on Charles's but I cannot find Annie, even searching under Butter (as the name is often misread).  I cannot find any records of anyone in the hospital and wondered if anyone else had found people living there.

Thank you in advance
CJ

[AlanBoyd]

I seem to recall looking at a similar institution recently, on the 1921 census, and finding that all of the inmates’ names were anonymised (on the original).  I think I had arrived at the entry via looking for someone who was a member of staff and who was named.

[softly softly]

Annie Butler in 1921 may have been transcribed as Annie Buckler. Born Keighley, aged 12y 4mths, in the household of a George and Mary Rawlins.

No Annie Bucklers born Keighley on gro between 1907-10

John

[candleflame]

In addition to John's helpful post, have you tried doing the address search for the hospital which might then take you to the records and you can scroll through them- if you have a subscription that allows you to do that. Hovering wouldn't work for that I'm afraid.

[Comberton]

www.findmypast.com.au/articles/1921-census---institutions-and-prisons

[AlanBoyd]

Ah yes! That’s what I saw – initials!

[AlanBoyd]

Just had a quick look and in fact there are full names recorded for patients. (I haven’t looked at every page yet.)

[softly softly]

With regard to Annie Butler/Buckler in 1921 . I notice that in 1939 she is living with a Gladys Foulds nee' Rawlings born 27.5.1905 mmn Butler. Having married George Pacey Mayes in 1955 she then marries again in 1969 to Edwin Foulds, who previously had married Gladys Rawlings in 1936.

Just wondering if there is a connection between Gladys and the Rawlings family who Annie is with in 1921

john

[AlanBoyd]

Via FindMyPast address search there are two hits for West Riding Asylum:

First one, has staff and patients (all have a number) up to number 795. Pretty sure these are all male patients up to here.

Second one, starts with 796, females start at 1039 and go to 1855, followed by a small number of staff at the end.

Places of birth for patients are 'Not Known'

Anyway I think the conclusion is that a patient could be found, subject to the usual transcription problems. I tried a search of the census with one male patient: name, dob and Yorkshire and he was the only hit.