The Insanity John Henry Owen
John Henry Owen, by trade a
gilder, appears to have had a history of insanity, with periods of
incarceration at various asylums around London at various times from 1882 – the
year after he was married – until his death in 1916. It is entirely possible
that his illness was brought on by his trade: gilding involved the use of
mercury which could result in “gilders’ palsy”. The effects of mercury use in another
trade, hat making, has led to the common expression “as mad as a hatter”.
First, a brief biography. John
Henry Owen was born in Bermondsey in 1843[1],
the illegitimate son of Sarah Owen. After Sarah’s marriage to Henry Southgate,
on Christmas Day 1849[2],
John lived with his mother, her new husband – an engine driver and stoker – and
her widowed mother Elizabeth Owen. In 1851 and 1861, they were at 7 Cottage
Place, Bermondsey – by 1861, John had already taken up the trade of carver and
gilder[3].
Both his step-father and grandmother died in the 1860s, so there was only John
and his mother at 7 Cottage Place in 1871[4].
In 1881 his mother was still at 7 Cottage Place, and had a Customs Officer as a
lodger[5],
but John was by then lodging with a carpenter and his family at 9 Deacon
Street, Newington[6].
When, on 11 June 1881, John
married Mary Ann Maria Stroud at Holy Trinity, Newington, he gave his father’s
name as Samson Owen, deceased[7].
Between 1882 and 1896, John and
Mary Ann had at least six children[8]
and the family lived at 6 D’Eynsford Road[9]
and then 1 Picton Street, Camberwell[10].
Insanity
His first “attack” of insanity
occurred in 1882 and he was admitted to Wandsworth Asylum on 14 April and
discharged on 8 July when he had “recovered”[11].
The next bout was 12 years later
and he was admitted to Havil Street Workhouse, Camberwell, on 4 May 1894[12].
Described as allegedly insane, he was transferred the next day[13]
to Barming Heath Asylum where he spent 2½ years, being discharged on 3
September 1896[14].
Several months later, on 15 April
1897, he was again admitted, allegedly insane, to a Camberwell Workhouse, this
time the one in Constance Road[15].
He remained there until 26 April when he was transferred to Cane Hill Asylum[16].
He was discharged from there on 19 October 1897[17].
Another attack of his alleged
insanity took him back to Constance Road Workhouse on 19 February 1898[18] but
he was discharged from there a month later at his own request[19].
There then appears to have been
some remission in his condition and it was not until 5 June 1902 that he was
readmitted to Constance Road Workhouse[20]
and then transferred to Cane Hill Asylum on 12 June[21]. He
was discharged on 6 November 1902[22].
His final admittance to Constance
Road Workhouse was on 26 November 1906[23]
and on 4 December he was transferred once again to Cane Hill Asylum[24]
where he was to remain for nearly ten years until his death on 27 September
1916[25].
There is some confusion as to
precise dates for his being committed for these earlier attacks of insanity, as
the Camberwell Register of Lunatics for 1893-1897[26]
states that John Henry Owen, 52, a gilder of 6 D’Eynsford Road, was 38 when he
had his “first attack” and that it was in 1881 when he was sent for treatment
to Wandsworth. The “last attack” – that is the one reported in 1894 – had
lasted a week before an order was made on 5 May for him to be sent to the
asylum at Barming Heath and that he was discharged from there on 26 August (other
records state he was sent there on 5 April and discharged on 3 September 1896).
This register also states that he
was readmitted to Cane Hill on 2 November 1898 and discharged on 26 December,
but no other record of this committal can be found.
The 1894 register does state that
the cause of the insanity was not known; no other relatives were affected; John
was not epileptic nor suicidal but was dangerous to others.
However, when John was 60 and
entered Cane Hill in 1902, it was said his first attack was when he was 55 and the
current one had last a month. Again the cause of his insanity was not known but
now it was stated that he was both epileptic and suicidal and that he
threatened others, but he was discharged because he had recovered.[27]
Daughter’s problem
The Owen’s youngest daughter,
Sybil, also spent time in an asylum in 1910 when she was 15. She was admitted
to Constance Road Workhouse on 28 February[28],
was transferred to Banstead Asylum on 9 May[29]
and discharged from there “recovered” on 15 August[30].
There appears to have been no further problem.
Footnote
As a footnote, there was another
John Henry Owen who had mental problems. He was born in Sheffield in 1866 and
he was committed to Wandsworth Asylum on 13 September 1905[31].
He left there on 15 April 1907 and, because he had “not improved”, was sent to
an asylum nearer his home at Wadsley, Yorkshire, when he stay until his death
on 26 September 1908[32].
[2] London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
Saint George The Martyr, Register of marriages, P92/GEO, Item 195
Southwark>St George the Martyr>1849 image 82
[3] 1851 England Census Class: HO107; Piece: 1561; Folio: 109; Page: 8; GSU roll: 174794 Surrey>Bermondsey>St Mary
Magdalen>District 04 image 9; 1861 England Census Class:
RG 9; Piece: 322; Folio: 101; Page: 6; GSU roll: 542614 Surrey>Bermondsey>St Mary
Magdalen>District 05 image 7
[4] 1871 England Census Class: RG10; Piece: 630; Folio: 127; Page: 38; GSU roll: 818927 London>St Mary Magdalen
Bermondsey>St Mary Magdalen>District 5 image 39
[5] 1881 England Census Class: RG11; Piece: 561; Folio: 115; Page: 4; GSU roll: 1341127 London>Bermondsey>St Mary
Magdalen>District 5 image 5
[6] 1881 England Census Class: RG11; Piece: 554; Folio: 5; Page: 3; GSU roll: 1341126 London>Newington>St Mary
Newington>District 41 image 5
[7] London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
Holy Trinity, Newington, Register of marriages, P92/TRI, Item 037
[8] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index,
1837-1915 St Saviour Southwark Q1 1882 Vol 1d p180; Q3 1884 Vol 1d p173;
Camberwell Q3 1887 Vol 1d p844; Q1 1891 Vol 1d p837; Q1 1893 Vol 1d p882; Q2
1895 Vol 1d p862
[9] 1891 England Census Class: RG12; Piece: 464; Folio: 45; Page: 6; GSU roll: 6095574 London>Camberwell>Camberwell>District
10a image 7
[10] 1901 England Census Class: RG13; Piece: 494; Folio: 108; Page: 89 London>Camberwell>Camberwell>District
08 image 90; 1911 England Census Class:
RG14; Piece: 2492 89 London>Camberwell>Camberwell
North>District 08 image 440
[11] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 26 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 26: 1881 Jan-1882 Dec, image 598
[12] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CaBG/173/10 Southwark>Camberwell>Havil
Street, Old and New Workhouses 1894 image 194
[13] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CaBG/173/10 Southwark>Camberwell>Havil
Street, Old and New Workhouses 1894 image 197
[14] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 32 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 32: 1894, image 459
[15] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/5 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1897 image 56
[16] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/5 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1897 image 79
[17] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 33 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 33: 1897, image 549
[18] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/6 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1897-98 image 297
[19] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/6 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1897-98 image 354
[20] London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge
Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/14 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance Road Workhouse 1902 image 70
[21] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/14 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1902 image 83
[22] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 38 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 38: 1902, image 661
[23] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/22 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1906 image 757
[24] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/22 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1906 image 776
[25] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 41 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 41: 1906, image 673
[26]
Southwark>Camberwell>Register of Lunatics 1893-1897 image 94
[27]
Southwark>Camberwell>Register of Lunatics> Settlement & Relief:
Lunatics 1890-1906 images 184-185
[28] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/29 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1909-1910 image 163
[29] London, England, Workhouse Admission and
Discharge Records, 1659-1930 CABG/185/29 Southwark>Camberwell>Constance
Road Workhouse 1909-1910 image 184
[30] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 45 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 45: 1910, image 634
[31] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 40 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 40: 1905, image 603
[32] Lunacy Patients Admissions Registers Class:
MH 94; Piece: 42 County asylums and
hospitals>Piece 42: 1907, image 652
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