Genealogy Chat

I have some one who died in an asylum. She was pregnant and had Eclampsia.

I believe some women were admitted when suffering from post-natal depression too.

Thank God people are more understanding about mental illness these days but there is a long way to go yet - there is still stigma and sadly mental illness is at the bottom of the pile as far as the NHS coffers go - I worked in a psychiatric hospital for almost thirty years and speak from experience!!

My great grandmothers sister killed herself in an asylum at the age of 32. in 1888
She was suffering from what today would be called severe depression, and can be treated.

Just read an account of a nurse who worked in Storthers Hall assylum in Bradford from 1968. She was asked if there were long term patients sent there because the family didnt want them or couldnt cope.
She said there were young girls,sons with gambling debts or wouldnt toe the line.. Men who could get rid of their wives for whatever reason by getting them certified. To get them certified they needed an outside doctor and the hospital had to agree.
More recently 1980s young Asian girls being admitted because they hadnt done the dutiful dau in law bit and they couldnt speak a word of English. This was the BBC Bradford and West Yorkshire local history. I found it when looking for workhouses at www.workhouses.org.uk


You just cant imagine that happening in our time so imagine what flimsy excuse was made in earlier years. Especially if the family had money to pay them

My G.G.Grandmother was put in to an asylum in 1911 because she was senile at the age of eighty nine by her eldest daughter. She died five years later and was recorded as being a tough, hardworking ,old Scots woman who was in the best of health. Luckily we were able to get fifty six pages of her medical history whilst she was there which included letters from her son who wrote regularly enquiring about her welfare and requests for her family to supply clothes. as well as regular health check reports. Not many clothes just two of everything and one shawl. Poor old soul she must have frozen in winter with just a blouse and skirt and shawl over her
under clothes. When she died the family asked for the death notice not to be put in the paper because of the shame of dying in an asylum. There was nothing wrong with her except that no one could be bothered with her. Being from Glasgow she had a very rich vocabulary apparently. She was weighed and measured on entry and was four feet eleven inches tall.
This happened in New Zealand and it was the practice to put away "people who couldn't control themselves" as politicians described them and included epileptics, idiots, the senile, alcoholics, diabetics and other sufferers of diseases less well understood as well as the clinically insane.

"hysteria"

menopausal "madness"


sylvia

thanks Ann.

many were placed in asylums for things they certainly wouldn't today

females for having a child out of wedlock was one reason

also people were committed for theft, or for being deaf and dumb

some were committed to "get rid of them" if their family had money or influence and wanted shot!!

What were the sorts of reasons people were in lunatic asylums back in the day? Thank you in advance :)

Keeley.