Joseph FORD

Joseph FORD

Joseph Ford

c1841 – 1904

According to Joseph’s death certificate he was aged 63 when he died, making his year of birth around 1841. Only two censuses have been found, and both say that he was born in Vauxhall, London. No GRO birth has been found for him, so his younger years remain a mystery.

On 7th October 1890, Joseph Ford was admitted to the Hanwell Asylum in Southwark, London. Online records are unclear as to when he might have been moved to the Norwood Asylum, but he was recorded there in the 1891 census as ‘J.F.’, a married 50-year-old pauper patient who had been born in Vauxhall, London in 1841, and who had previously been a general labourer before he had been admitted.

The UK Lunacy Patients Admission book records that Joseph was discharged on 3rd December 1896 as ‘Reld.’ (released), meaning that his symptoms had significantly lessened, or his condition had stabilised enough that he no longer required strict, high-level asylum care. Whether he went into one of St Saviour’s local union workhouses like the Mint Street workhouse or Constance Road infirmary, to live in their chronic wards is uncertain but ten months later his mental health had deteriorated again, requiring his recommittal to an asylum. By now, Hanwell Asylum was suffering from severe, and dangerous overcrowding so admittance there was not possible.

On the Isle of Wight, the Whitecroft County Asylum had opened in July 1896, but they were only two-thirds full and were “renting out” empty beds to the overcrowded London Unions. In October 1897, Joseph was one of those who were moved there. Now aged 56, Joseph was described as being married and a labourer who was “chargeable to the St Saviour’s Union”, meaning that as a destitute person his maintenance, medical care, and asylum housing costs of fourteen shillings a week were officially funded by the poor rates of the St Saviour’s Poor Law Union in Southwark, London.

A younger Joseph Ford

Joseph was returned to Hanwell Asylum on 3rd August 1898, where he stayed until he was transferred on 17th August 1899 to the Manor Asylum in Epsom, Surrey. Once he was there, he was physically described as having grey hair, brown eyes, a fresh complexion, and being in fairly good health with good hearing but with failing sight, bad teeth (but healthy gums), dull, weak minded, and confused with a poor memory.

Observations were made of him and reports written that said:

“Excitable expression of face. Conversation apt to ramble. Says he has committed felony which he says in one sense of the word is true & in another sense of the word is not true, but he did not commit a felony”.

“Walter Cleaver (attendant) says he uses vile obscene language, violent at times & has struck other patients without provocation”.

Their diagnosis at this point was that Joseph was suffering from dementia.

The 1901 census was taken on the night of 31st March and Joseph was once again just recorded by his initials, J.F., as being a pauper patient in the Manor Asylum. His place of birth was noted as being in Vauxhall, London, but that his previous occupation had been that of a bootmaker. Perhaps he had learnt a new trade while in the workhouse or asylum?

Joseph’s Manor admission papers also tell us that he was married to Eliza Ford and that she was living at 19 Chesterfield Road, Brighton. On 30th August 1901, a letter was sent to her but was returned with the sad note “Not to be found” written on it. This letter may have been to inform her that Joseph was about to be discharged as ‘not improved’ to the neighbouring Horton Asylum in Epsom.

On 24th November 1904, Joseph was aged 63 when he died in the Horton Asylum from epithelioma of the oesophagus, referred to today as oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which was possibly caused by heavy alcohol use, tobacco smoking, chronic irritation, or even very hot fluids.

His death certificate states that he was a Labourer of County Asylum Newport Isle of Wight.

Joseph’s body was buried in grave 581 in the Horton Estate Cemetery on 26th November 1904.

Author’s note

There was another Joseph Ford, born c1837 in St Pancras, Middlesex, who was married to an Eliza, but he was a painter in the 1871 and 1891 census, and in the workhouse records.