An Asylum Story
The asylum at Burntwood was opened as the second Staffordshire County Asylum in December 1864.
A new dining and recreation hall were added in 1889, plus an extension to the female wing in 1897.
Lillie was admitted to the asylum on 30th December 1910, aged 24. The process she would have gone through is well-documented here.
Her record contains some fascinating information.
Personal and Family History: “Was with Stammers Ltd., clothing manufactures – stopped work on account of anaemia. Early in the year was at Weston-super-Mare Convalescent Home, for phthisis [pulmonary tuberculosis] for 2 months – got better. Got up to 11/- or 12/- [11 or 12 shillings] a week. 3 brothers & 1 sister at home, 21 yrs to 7 yrs, father dead – a shunter on the railway. A brother an ironworker, married & out of work. Hard up at home – mother on out-relief, father & 5 of his brothers died of phthisis [tuberculosis]. No inebriety or insanity in family. No head injury to patient. Patient strikes out at anyone near her”.
This mostly corroborates what is currently known about Lillie and her family in 1910, except that there is no evidence elsewhere of ironworker brother (Tom) being married or out of work.
New information about Lillie is that she had been working at Stammers, but had had to give up due to anaemia and had spent time in a convalescent home; and about her family is that her mother Elizabeth was on out-relief.
Copy of Facts given in Medical Certificates: “By the doctor:- She is not rational in her conversations or actions. She sits by the fire with a gloomy, heavy face & suddenly bursts out into heavy fits of laughter. She constantly plays with fire & allows her tongue to hang out of her mouth. Her mother says that she lit a fire on the wood floor at 1-30 a.m., this morning, that she at times becomes violent & throws things off the walls at her relations”.
Mental State on Admission: “Mania. She is excited, at times violently resistive, & declaims to herself in a preaching way. She is incoherent in her talk when she gets fully started off. Says she lit a fire on a wooden floor to warm herself. Her memory is hazy as to time, days & dates”.
Bodily State on Admission: “Fair condition. Heart & lungs moderately healthy”.
The progress of her case is recorded in reports starting on 1st January 1911 and ending on 9th May with this:
The improvement having been fully maintained, she has today been, by order of the Committee, Discharged, ‘Recovered'”.