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b. ~1866 – d.1910
Elizabeth TURNER is another common name to research. There are quite a few people in the workhouses and asylums with this name so we need to be careful with our research. What we do have is that Elizabeth died at Long Grove asylum hospital and was buried on 25th January 1910 aged ~44 at time of burial.
We find that there were two Elizabeth Turners known to be at the Epsom cluster at the time. Case notes were essential to ensure we had the right one.
Outside of the asylum life, there is an Elizabeth Turner in and out of the workhouse (1894 aged 18), (1897 aged 21) and (1905 aged 29). The age does not match by 10yrs, and our Elizabeth was in an asylum from 1896, so I have ignored this person in research.
Case Files
Elizabeth TURNER appears in the Manor Asylum case book No.1 Female case #19, admitted 7 June 1899 aged 33, which matches the asylum admission records. There is no accompanying photograph.
Her records show that her first ‘attack’ was at the age of 30 (~1896). She is described as a widow and a servant and that she had previously been at Fisherton asylum. There appears to be confusion about her true age.
Facts indicating insanity observed at time of examination viz:-
She has the delusion that when in the workhouse some weeks ago some men entered the ward & gave her some noxious drug & did her harm – that the resident medical officer knows all about it & ought to have the men punished.
Facts communicated by others viz:-
Caroline Tait (nurse) says this patient in continually talking about the injury that has been done her by some men.
Medical Certificate signed Meredith Townsend
MENTAL STATE:-
Incoherent, demented, garrulous, noisy, uses indecent language. States that she is 24 years of age and has only been married 4 years. Mental reaction is slow. She talks a great deal of incoherent nonsense without any ?thread? that one can make out running through, there is no association of sound or sense.
DIAGNOSIS – Dementia (2nd)
6282-14-3 Manor Female Case Book 1
Elizabeth’s relatives are ‘unknown’ on the Horton records and so there is no person listed to be informed of her death. The hospital are instead to inform The Guardians, St. Mary Abbots in Kensington.
Her case notes are brief with only 5 entries spanning almost 1 year, dated quarterly from Sep 9 1899, to Aug 22 1900 when she is ‘relieved’ from Horton. The asylum admittance records available to us online show a journey starting at Fisherton and back to Long Grove. I expect that much more could be found out about Elizabeth from the Fisherton archives held at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham.
After being passed around Banstead and Fisherton asylums, Elizabeth returns to the cluster, this time admitted to Long Grove Asylum, where she dies on 20 January 1910.
| Admitted | Asylum | Discharged or Died | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar 1896 | Fisherton | 07 Jun 1899 | Not imp. |
| 07 Jun 1899 | Horton | 22 Aug 1900 | Rel’d |
| 22 Aug 1900 | Banstead | 06 Sep 1905 | Not Imp. |
| 06 Sep 1905 | Fisherton | 11 July 1907 | Not Imp. |
| 11 July 1907 | Long Grove | 20 Jan 1910 | Died |
Elizabeth TURNER was buried 5 days later on 25th January 1910 and remains buried at Horton cemetery in grave #669b aged 44.
