Elgin Asylum

Genetrix · Post by **Genetrix** » Mon May 25, 2009 12:39 pm

Does anyone have any information on the Elgin Asylum. I've just obtained the death certificate for a John Smith who died on April 2, 1919 at Elgin Asylum (age 60). It says he was a former labourer. What a shock this was since his father, twin brother and younger brother were all Ship Captains. His twin (Alexander Smith) died at sea in 1911 and I've been able to get hold of a very interesting newspaper article detailing the shipping accident. His younger brother (Henry James Smith) was awarded the DSC by King George V at Buckingham Palace for services in WW1. I just wonder why John was in the asylum. Apparently he died of stomach cancer. Would I be able to find any records for Elgin Asylum anywhere? I tried googling but only find architectural stuff and an Elgin Asylum in the USA. I'm talking about Elgin in Scotland.

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Mon May 25, 2009 1:39 pm

A look at an old map of Elgin shows "Elgin District Lunatic Asylum" to the west of the town in 1906. Just beside Dr Gray's Hospital [started in 1807 and recently redeveloped].
Comparing old and new maps sugests that the new Dr Gray's is built on the site of the asylum.

The hospital is run by NHS Grampian so they might be the best to help you.

Moray_Lass · Post by **Moray_Lass** » Mon May 25, 2009 3:56 pm

Hi Genetrix

I take it that you have found him on Moray Libindx, if not I think this is him - died on 2 April 1919 in Elgin.

Reference No.: NM190353
Surname: SMITH
Forename(s): JOHN
Maiden Name:
Occupation:
Date of Birth: c. 1859

there's a Headstone reference (KL - Kinloss) and a Newspaper Obit (FG - Forres Gazette), which might give a little more info.

Genetrix · Post by **Genetrix** » Mon May 25, 2009 11:04 pm

Thanks WilmaM for the info about the Grampian NHS. I'll see if I can get anything on John from their records, if they still exist. Poor wee John. Maybe the rest were over-achievers and he couldn't take it!!

Hi Maggie: Yes, I got all that information from the Moray Libindex. I've been quite lucky in tracing a whole branch of Smiths and Frasers there. I just wish there were more websites like it, especially since they often give the names of siblings. I've already bought some newspaper items from there but I don't think John's obituary would shed any light on why he was admitted to the Asylum but thanks for the suggestion.

Tricia

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Mon May 25, 2009 11:24 pm

Have you considered the time period?
He died just after WWI so might he have been in the army and been shellshocked?

morgano · Post by **morgano** » Tue May 26, 2009 2:39 am

A man who was sixty years of age in 1919 was generally too old to have suffered shell-shock in the trenches, 1914-18. We should consider that the state of mental health care in Britain in this period was extremely primitive (we lagged well behind Tsarist Russia in this science, according to some specialists). All sorts of people could be consigned to British mental hospitals, for reasons that we should find staggering now.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Tue May 26, 2009 4:31 am

I can recall a case here where an old lady had died in a mental institution and she had been there so long, apparently since she was in her 20’s, that they had forgotten exactly why she was there. Suspected it may have been something like Post Natal Depression that set the ball rolling. She had become so totally institutionalised that she probably couldn’t imagine there could be any other life for her.

Genetrix, there were inspections done of Institutions like Elgin and these were published in Parliamentary Papers. Not a lot of detail and nothing about individuals but if you are interested send me an email address via a PM and I’ll send you anything I can find around the WW1 period. If you prefer I could transcribe one or two and post them on the forum.

All the best,
Alan

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Tue May 26, 2009 12:08 pm

Hi Tricia

I know Fraser is a very common name in Moray. My Frasers are from Faebuie, Cromdale.

It's a long shot..............but is it the same Fraser Family?

Best wishes
Jean

Genetrix · Post by **Genetrix** » Tue May 26, 2009 12:17 pm

Thanks to you all for your suggestions. I've emailed the Grampian NHS to see if I can find anything there. Hadn't considered shell shock but John appears to have outlived his immediate family. He was single - so no kids. Even his twin brother's son died in 1918 in a POW Camp in Germany. Who wouldn't be depressed in that situation? Alan, thanks for your offer, I've sent you a PM.

Imagine calling the place "Elgin District Lunatic Asylum". Talk about calling a spade a spade. No political correctness in those days!

Genetrix · Post by **Genetrix** » Tue May 26, 2009 12:58 pm

Sorry, Jean, my Frasers are all from Kinloss and Forres, Morayshire. They seem to have been a family of bakers and confectioners.

Tricia