Hi, I am new to this forum and was referred here from Rootschat.

I was wondering if I maybe able to have any help from people either on the internet, or, more preferably by people living near or going to Gloucestershire Archives.

The person who I am seeking is my 4th Great Grandfather named Benjamin Hawkins. I his partners name and his family line, but I am more intrigued about his death. After purchasing his death certificate (because I noticed he died very young "aged 39") I noticed that he actually died in the County Lunatic Asylum Wotton. He died of Exhaustion From General Paralysis.

Sub-district of Kingsholm in the county of Gloucester
When and Were died; 27th May 1890 Country Lunatic Asylum Wotton (wittin?) - U.S.D
Name and Surname; Benjamin Hawkins
Sex; Male
Age; 39 Years
Occupation; Nailmaker (Journeyman of Tewkesbury)
Cause of Death; Exhaustion from General Paralysis, P/M Certified by F. Hurst Craddock M.R.C.S
Informant; F. Hurst Craddock Superintendent County Lunatic Asylum Wotton (wittin?)
When Registered; 28th May 1890
Signature of register; Benjamin Thurston Register

I noticed that the same person who done the post mortem was the same person who was the superintendent at the Asylum. Any help in finding why he was placed or any photocopy's of records will be very helpful and will be appreciated highly. Any help given will also be appreciated!

He was living with his family (Wife Louise and children Clara and Emily in Hughes Alley, Tewkesbury in the 1881 Census). So he must have been admitted into the hospital between the date of 1881 and 1890 when he died.

I would really appreciate any help and I do already appreciate your time in reading this message.

Kindest Regards
Andrew Purcell

On Ancestry Benjamin HAWKINS married Louisa BAKER

Looking at Gloucestershirebdm

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/

There are 3 children born to HAWKINS/BAKER -

Clara - 1873 - Gloucester St Nicholas
Fanny - 1876 - Cheltenham, Tewkesbury
Pamela - 1877 - Cheltenham, Tewkesbury

You could contact the Gloucestershire Records Office (as advised on Rootschat)

Gloucestershire Archives - Genealogical Search

They do appear to have a record 17 April 1867

Where Benjamin HAWKINS age 16 of Tewkesbury, Nail Maker is Committed to Goal :Ref: Q/Gc6/5

and

Archives Homepages - Gloucestershire County Council - on line catalogue

13 hits on Lunatic Asylum including

Wotton Annual Report 1877-83

and

1879

Report of the visiting justices

report on the visitors of the lunatic asulum at Wotton etc etc.

On Ancestry Benjamin HAWKINS married Louisa BAKER

Looking at Gloucestershirebdm

ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/

There are 3 children born to HAWKINS/BAKER -

Clara - 1873 - Gloucester St Nicholas
Fanny - 1876 - Cheltenham, Tewkesbury
Pamela - 1877 - Cheltenham, Tewkesbury

You could contact the Gloucestershire Records Office (as advised on Rootschat)

Gloucestershire Archives - Genealogical Search

They do appear to have a record 17 April 1867

Where Benjamin HAWKINS age 16 of Tewkesbury, Nail Maker is Committed to Goal :Ref: Q/Gc6/5

and

Archives Homepages - Gloucestershire County Council - on line catalogue

13 hits on Lunatic Asylum including

Wotton Annual Report 1877-83

and

1879

Report of the visiting justices

report on the visitors of the lunatic asulum at Wotton etc etc.

Thank you for your reply, your reply has already gave me answers that I didn't know before. I never knew of a child called Pamela. Tank you again for providing me with information I didn't know as I didn't know that he had committed a gaol. Is their anyway to find out what gaol he had committed and if their is any mug shot photos of him?

I have tried contacting the office but they are asking for a fee which I don't think I can pay at the moment because after I pay my Rent, Bills and food shopping I have very little to have. I will more than likely have to pay in the future but was wondering if anyone would be willing to help me in the mean time.

(If they can, they don't have to as I understand it may take some time to get any information on why he was put in their, and what asylum he was actually put in as their seems to be a few asylums that opened around about that time).

Kind Regards and Thank you for replying :) It very useful.

I have corrected my link to the Gloucestershire BDM in my previous reply - as I should have added http://

The Gloucesterbdm is a free site - of births/marrages/deaths - the births are useful, as more often than not, they give the children's mother's maiden name.

The marriage of Benjamin HAWKINS to Louisa BAKER in 1872 at Cheltenham Tewkesbury St Mary (the Abbey) is also on there.

the link for the Gloucestershire Genealogical Database…

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/genealogy/Search.aspx

----

Looking for a Mr F Hurst Craddock (not sure if this is the correct man) - two items appear on Ancestry

UK Outward Passenger Lists

He appears to travel on the 7 January 1891 from Southampton to Jamica on the Ship called the Mulway - he is listed as a Surgeon

and

in March 1891 - arriving at Southampton from the West Indies - aged 48 - on the ship Atrato

Ancestry:-

Can’t see anything in 1867 but on 28/07/1871 a Benjamin HAWKINS was tried at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace at Tewkesbury,

“Stealing nine shillings and one handkerchief from the person of Dennis DRISCOLL”

He was acquitted.

By Googling: F Hurst Craddock - there is an article (The British Journal of Psychiatry) under the heading:

Edward Whishaw Henley

Medical Superintendent of the Gloucester County Asylums (Wotton and Barnwood) (held the post 22years)

- who on his death at the age of 54 on November 14 - after an operation from the removal of a gangrenous appendix was succeeded by Mr F Hurst Craddock - who was made Superintendent of both Asylums

1901 Census, Barnwood District Gloucester Second County Lunatic Asylum

Henley Edward Whishaw - Medical Officer, single - aged 46, born Derby

Ancestry: Probate

HENLEY Edward Whishaw of Horton-road Gloucester, superintendent of the Gloucester county lunatic asylum died 14 November 1908 at Belgrave-road Gloucester.

Probate Gloucester 9 March to Henry WILDING clerk to John HUBBARD and Company and Michael Henley WILDING Lieutenant commander Royal Navy

Effects: £6,308 11s. 5d

Thank you both for replying again, hmm I wonder what he was sent to Jail for then in 1867? I will take note of that information Mike and store it, is that through ancestry or a differ site that you use to find this information out mike?

Thank you for providing me with them sites, I have never came across them but have been very helpful now.

Any additional information is very helpful. I still want to try and find out why he was put into an asylum. I wonder if the two link together. Is their anyway to find court records online for that period of time in Tewkesbury?

Kindest Regards
Andrew

Any additional information is very helpful. I still want to try and find out why he was put into an asylum. I wonder if the two link together. Is their anyway to find court records online for that period of time in Tewkesbury?

Yes, the 1871 record was from Ancestry.

I imagine records from the Tewkesbury Quarter Sessions of the Peace will be at Gloucestershire Archives (but someone might like to confirm this). The catalogue is available to search but access would be by personal visit.

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/DServe/DServe.exe?dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&am...

Hi, thank you for that, I would like to ask if anyone who lives near or is planning a visit to Gloucestershire Archives, if they can have a look at the Tewkesbury Quarter sessions of the peace records please or to try and find out any additional information on this person, either by what offence he made to be put in jail, and, or the reason why he was put into an asylum.

I will be glad of any response on this. Thank you for taking time to read into my ancestry.

Kindest Regards
Andrew

Here is another possible sighting of him from the British Newspaper Archive:-

Worcester Journal, Saturday 12th September 1885,

Pershore Petty Sessions – Tuesday

James BOOTH, Benjamin HAWKINS, George GREEN, William UNDERWOOD and Rowland HILL, all of Tewkesbury, were charged with doing malicious injury to the bank of a brook in the occupation of Mr Penstone A. PIKE at Bredon on 31st August……………………………………

…………………………………..The Bench considered the charges fully proved; and there being several previous convictions against BOOTH, HAWKINS, UNDERWOOD and HILL they were fined 40s, damage 1s and cost 15s 6d each or two months hard labour. Defendants were committed in default of payment.

Bredon is about 3 miles from Tewkesbury.

If this is him it may narrow his admission to the asylum to between 1885 and 1890.

If you need further confirmation of the place of his death it was reported in the Gloucester Journal of Saturday 31st May 1890:-

HAWKINS May 27 at the Wotton Asylum, Gloucester, Benjamin HAWKINS aged 39 years.

Thank you for that, I never seen that, is their a full article or know how I may be able to get that please as it might hold other information that I can can be provided so I can be sure it is him. It is a strong possibility it is him as he seemed like he was committing a lot of crime. Do you go to an asylum if you commit to much crime do you think?

Its a bit strange that he died of general paralysis in an asylum though when he lived a life as a criminal.

Thank you for the information you provided mike, it is very important to me that I understand more about him.

Thank you for your hard work in helping me.

Kindest Regards

If anyone is willing to search at the Gloucestershire archives when they next visit (if they have time) would it be possible to see if their is an admission to Wotton Asylum for him please. Maybe narrowed down from 1885 to 1890 when he died.

Kindest Regards
Andrew

I would be very happy to edit my post above to include the full article (only available on subscription) but it would not provide anything to confirm his identity. The additional details just concern the nature of the offence (“stanking” or blocking the brook ( presumably to trap fish)) and the statements of some witnesses as to the identity of the defendants. I do not think that persistent criminal activity of itself would be grounds to commit someone to an asylum. However, very common grounds at the time were the threat or attempt at suicide. There is no evidence of this but it needs to be borne in mind.

Just picking up your last comment that a persistent threat of suicide would be good enough grounds to commit someone. Is this generally true of the times or just the Gloucester area "policy"?

It has made me wonder whether conditions like post-natal depression were understood at the time. Could that condition be the excuse for a husband to commit his wife.

It is not an idle wonder - the birth certificate of a great aunt states she was born in the work house when her father, grandfather and other siblings were living in a good area and listed as employers in 1901 census. I assumed the birth was at the work house hospital for medical reasons ( the premises later became the major hospital in the area). But I can find no trace of my great-grandmother on the 1901 census and no trace of her at all after the birth of her last child, my great aunt. I did wonder if my great-grandmother was committed.

Is this a plausible idea?

Janet

Dear Janet,

I think it highly unlikely that depression (post-natal or otherwise) would have been understood at the time.

My great-grandmother had a history of depression and was committed to Westbury-on-Severn workhouse in 1922 by the court, after being found wandering the streets of Cinderford at night. Obviously I don't know her medical details but by this point she had given birth to nine children in fourteen years. The next thirty years of her life are a mystery that I'm still researching, but I do have her death certificate. This shows that she died in a mental hospital near Exeter in 1952, from stomach cancer. My great-grandfather had remarried along the way and had further children. I've posted her story on this forum - I can't immediately insert a link but search for Lilian Maud Bowdler and you'll see it!

Janey

These admission files (concerning the Sheffield area) give a good idea of the causes assigned to a person’s insanity in the late 19C and early 20C. Most are cursory and many bear all the hallmarks of having been plucked out of the air as a convenient peg to hang the observed condition on. A high proportion is simply marked as “unknown” and, amongst the data, threatened suicide does not figure to any degree. I think the conclusion to be drawn from this and other data is that, at the time, any behaviour which deviated from the norm or the expected could be grounds for committal. I suppose, one hundred years or more later, we should not be too judgemental on a science in its infancy.

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/archives-and-local-studies/research-guides/menta...

On the specific point of the committal of women, in particular suicide and “puerperal insanity”, there are a couple of articles which throw some light on the attitudes of the 19C.

http://www.nursing.manchester.ac.uk/ukchnm/publications/seminarpapers/maternityandmadne...

http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/801/1/York10PhD.pdf page 77

The links make very disturbing but enlightening reading
I am more convinced that my great-grandmother may have been committed at some point

Many thanks for the links

Janet

Hi Andrew

There is a really nice guy called Victor Harvey on Rootschat. He will do look-ups for posters at Gloucester Archives. I asked him if he was able to find anything for your Benjamin in the Wotton Asylum files. He has spent a lot of time going through many records on your behalf. This does provide a bit more info (date of last admission and burial details) but nothing on his medical records. They may not even survive now.

Source: Glos Archives (GA) - Wotton Lunatic Asylum, Gloucester, HO22/62/4, Register of Removals, Discharges & Death
Benjamin HAWKINS
Date of death - 27th May 1890
Date of last admission - 4th April 1890
Number in register of patients - 9344
Cause of death - Exhaustion from General Paralysis
Age at death - 39
Source: Gloucestershire Family History Society (GFHS) - Tredworth, Gloucester, Burials
HAWKINS, Benjamin
Buried 31st May 1890
Aged 39, Male
Died County Lunatic Asylum, Wotton, (Gloucester)
Burial Number 387
Grave Number 186 NG
Consecrated Ground
E.BRADLEY, Curate of St Mary de Crypt, Gloucester
Vol/Page Number 11/39

I am unable to do any further lookups on this particular post as it has already taken a great deal of time. If any further data is required by IOLAUS, then I can only refer him/her to an experienced researcher who will make a charge.

Victor

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This is what Victor asked to view:

Hi Christine,
The initial file reference that I found on the internet is not correct. I have checked in Glos Archives (GA) this morning and have pre-ordered the following files:-
HO22/62/4, Register of Discharges, Removals & Deaths (pauper) 1884-1892
HO22/63/3, Register of Admissions 1880-1886
HO22/63/4, Register of Admissions 1886-1889
HO22/66/1, Alphabetical Register 1869-1930
I will check the above files for viewing next week and will get back to you. This may be a very long task!
Victor

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