January 26, 2021 - Friends of Horton Cemetery

MINCHER, Samuel

Isabel KnightJanuary 26, 2021September 17, 2021

b.1840 – d.1908 Between Sep-Oct 1840 Samuel John MINCHER was born in Northamptonshire to Thomas MINCHER (1816-1864) and Mary (1817-1887). His father Thomas was born in Shoreditch, Middlesex, and his...

Asylum Female Burials Manor Asylum Photo

BOWDERY, Agnes Bessie

Brian CullenJanuary 26, 2021January 9, 2023

b.1844-d.1914 Agnes Bessie Corke was born in the 4th Quarter of 1844 in the Registration District of Camberwell, London, although her actual birth place was probably Peckham. The parents of...

KILMINSTER, George Thomas

The Kensington Plumber

KILMINSTER, George Thomas
HODGES, Annie Harriet

b.1831 - d.1911 Annie Harriet Conway was born on the 16th August 1831 in Holborn, Camden, England to parents Charles Conway and Ann Thiselton, she…

HODGES, Annie Harriet
CASSAN, John Sheffield

The Hollywood film star's brother.

CASSAN, John Sheffield
STACE, Louisa

The glove maker

STACE, Louisa
BAILEY, Kate

b.1882-d.1914 Kate Bailey née Cheer was born in 1882 in Abingdon, Berkshire to a farming family. Unfortunately, there is little cheer in this family’s story,…

BAILEY, Kate
FRANCIS, Amelia

The mysterious case of the Widow and the Decorator - The mystery of a lady who left home and was never seen again. Only years…

FRANCIS, Amelia
WARD, Caroline

Without the invaluable case notes for Caroline Ward, we would not be able to tell any of her sad story.

WARD, Caroline
CARR, Arthur

b. 1874 - d. 1915 Arthur Henry Carr, a twin, was born on the 14th of July 1874 at 10.30 am in Mile End Old…

CARR, Arthur
FRESTON, Catherine Louisa

b. 1829 - d. 1914 Intro Catherine Louisa Edward’s precise date of birth is not known but she was baptised on the 24th August 1829…

FRESTON, Catherine Louisa
KING, Harriet

b.1836 - d.1913 Introduction: I took on this story and at first thought it might be a nice easy one to complete, but how wrong…

KING, Harriet
GLENISTER, Arthur

b.1873-d.1917 Long Grove records have Arthur dying in 1917 at the age of 44, so he was born about 1873. I found his birth registered…

GLENISTER, Arthur
THOMPSON, Samuel Thomas

The Solicitor's Clerk

THOMPSON, Samuel Thomas
SULLIVAN, Agnes

b.1877 – d.1927 Intro Had it not been for the Manor address book, we would never have unravelled this story. The addresses gave us the…

SULLIVAN, Agnes
JONES, Grace Ethel Primrose

b.1899-d.1918 Grace Ethel Primrose Jones was born on 19th April 1899. She was the eldest child of Frederick Albert Jones (1874 - 1927), a stationer's packer,…

JONES, Grace Ethel Primrose
APPLETON, Caroline Sophia

b.1831-d.1911 Caroline’s parents Caroline Sophia Appleton was born Caroline Sophia Barnaschina in the 1st quarter of 1831 in Gravesend, Kent. Her parents were upholsterer Anthony…

APPLETON, Caroline Sophia
STREET, John

It is not clear why John entered Manor hospital. His family were interesting. John's brother George, a builder, left £6m in his will. His son…

STREET, John
TRIGGS, George

The Railway Porter

TRIGGS, George
EFFEMEY, John

b.1851-d.1909 John’s family The Effemey name has been quite a challenge to research due to its change of spellings when transcribed. Effamy, Effemy, Efeny, Evamy,…

EFFEMEY, John
COLSON, Mary Ann

The Lambeth Needlewoman

COLSON, Mary Ann
ALDRIDGE, Frederick William

The Mechanical Engineer

ALDRIDGE, Frederick William
RIDLEY, Valentine George

b.1892-d.1916 Valentine's family Valentine’s birth was registered in the 1st Q of 1892 in Greenwich, Kent. No baptism certificate has been found to confirm his…

RIDLEY, Valentine George
HIRONS, Matilda Lucy

b.1861-d.1909 Matilda's parents In 1858, Henry Franklin Hiron, an engineer, married Matilda Fell in Stepney. Matilda was the daughter of another engineer and plumber, Richard…

HIRONS, Matilda Lucy
CARTWRIGHT, Walter

A story revisited by the author when invaluable case notes came to light at the London Metropolitan Archives. What followed resulted in a thorough family…

CARTWRIGHT, Walter
WILSON, Frederick Leon

The common story of someone with epilepsy whose life was marred by a lack of understanding of the condition.

WILSON, Frederick Leon
WEEKES, Esther

A mother of 10

WEEKES, Esther
MASSEY, Harriet

b.1832-d.1907 Death I have had to start at the end of Harriet Massey's life and try to work backwards in order to tell her story. …

MASSEY, Harriet
KOEKKOEK, Hendrick B.

A famous Dutch artist from a famous artistic family; yet missing from the historical records. Why did this son end up at the Asylum?

KOEKKOEK, Hendrick B.
FLETCHER, George

Was an unfortunate accident responsible for this man's epilepsy?

FLETCHER, George
GORSUCH, Joseph

b.1846 - d.1916 Joseph Francis Gorsuch was born on the 7th of May 1846 at City Road, St Luke, Shoreditch, London, England to parents William…

GORSUCH, Joseph
MAPLE, Louisa

b.1854 - d.1923 What do we know? The address book contains details of a son, Frederick Maple, son Henry & Edith Maple, daughter, E. Redsull…

MAPLE, Louisa
CORBETT, John Francis

b.1858-d.1908 This story is probably typical of the majority of unfortunate people who passed through the asylum system during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. John…

CORBETT, John Francis
DE JONG, John

b.1873-d.1912 Let us start this story at the point in time when John de Jong, a ship’s steward who had travelled extensively, exhibited signs that…

DE JONG, John
PEDLEY, Byron

The boisterous, Victorian star of the stage

PEDLEY, Byron
PFAFFENBACH, Augustus

The German Tailor who came to London

PFAFFENBACH, Augustus
ENDERSON, Gertrude

b.1863-d.1918 Uncertain origins This lady’s birth is uncertain. Searching the registrations of birth I was unable to find a Gertrude Enderson born within two years…

ENDERSON, Gertrude
GILCHRIST, Jane

b.1893-d.1918 Jane’s parents and siblings Jane Gilchrist was born in the Holborn registration district to Charles Edward Gilchrist 1854 1895 and his wife Mary née…

GILCHRIST, Jane
HAMILTON, Sarah Lloyd

b.1846-d.1930 Sarah’s story was brought to us by her family and they are happy for it to go on our website. They kindly provided the…

HAMILTON, Sarah Lloyd
COPPING, Ada

An epileptic since birth

COPPING, Ada
ABBOTT, Mary Winchester

The Yale graduate and published author

ABBOTT, Mary Winchester
BARNET, Enid

Daughter of famous colonial architect who built Sydney.

BARNET, Enid
SIMCOCK, Ellen (Nellie)

We are not sure why Ellen (Nellie) Simcock entered Manor Asylum but she was visited often by family members

SIMCOCK, Ellen (Nellie)
SABEY, George David

What happened to this Bootmaker?

SABEY, George David
FAIRBRASS, Amy (Amey)

b.1837-d.1910 Amy’s parents Amy was born in 1837 in Bermondsey, as Amey Presley. There is an entry in the GRO for Amey Presley, March quarter,…

FAIRBRASS, Amy (Amey)
EARING, Mary Ann

There is no hint of any mental health problems until Mary Ann enters the Asylum in 1899. He family remain attentive and visit her many…

EARING, Mary Ann
BOWDERY, Agnes Bessie

b.1844-d.1914 Agnes Bessie Corke was born in the 4th Quarter of 1844 in the Registration District of Camberwell, London, although her actual birth place was…

BOWDERY, Agnes Bessie
WOOD, Mary Ann

b.1837 - d.1911 Mary Ann Wood neé Pearce was born abt.1836 in Hackney, Middlesex, England. Her birth is too early to locate on the GRO…

WOOD, Mary Ann
BENTLEY or MACHON, Minnie

The young bookkeeper and the Silk Merchant

BENTLEY or MACHON, Minnie
TIDYMAN, Samuel

Escaped childhood murder!

TIDYMAN, Samuel
ROBERTS, Benjamin

Benjamin said he had made a harp with 1,000 strings and could play any tune and instrument! He worked as a musician.

ROBERTS, Benjamin
GARCÍA, Félix

Famous Flamenco dancer and Picasso's muse

GARCÍA, Félix