'Put away?'

[Jebber]

When I was growing up my parents had a guesthouse. I remember my mother being asked if she would allow a couple to bring their son who was retarded (their description), very few places would accept him.  My mother said of course he was welcome, they came every summer for several years until my mother had to give up taking guests when my father became ill.

It was quite obvious by his appearance and the way he walked that the lad had severe problems, he was non verbal, could only grunt and drooled all the time. He had suffered severe brain damage when the midwife dropped him on his head when he was born and was classed as an imbecile. His only interest was picture postcards, he had lots of shoeboxes full of them, they always brought several boxes with them. I used to sit with him for ages while he worked his way through them, showing me each one. He got very excited when we gave him new ones we had saved for him. It was such a simple thing but it made him so happy.

I would often go with them to the beach, I found it very upsetting the way strangers treated him. They would stop and stare and point at him, often making nasty comments. On several occasions I remember people saying he should be ‘put away’.

Thank goodness most, if not all of society is more enlightened today.

[Treetotal]

The phrase "Put Away" was frequently bandied about when I was growing up. Mothers frequently told their badly behaved Children I'll "have you put away" if you don't behave!! That was meant for a different institution in those days, Approved School or home for Juvenile Delinquents.
Carol

[River Tyne Lass]

Yes, that is true it was bandied about.  I remember that Mothers would try to promote good behaviour using threats of the 'Naughty Children's Home' in the local area.
Sadly, I do not think they were naughty children in there.  I think they were just unfortunate children whose family situations had broken down for one reason or another.

[andrewalston]

It wasn't just children who were "put away".

I've come across a woman who was sent to a County Asylum in 1875. Her first child was four; her second died at four months old in 1874.

The poor woman died in the asylum in 1883.

However her husband abandoned her. He married again (bigamously) in London in 1876. He moved to Kent and had three children, with a fourth on the way, with this "other woman" by the time his actual wife died.