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b.1865-d.1913
When and where was Peter born?
The asylum case notes for Peter Belcher indicated that he was born circa 1875 and gave us his occupation as ‘groom’ but sadly they didn’t provide his place of birth. I soon discovered he was actually born 10 years earlier than shown in the asylum records.
My first step therefore was to order Peter’s death certificate in the hope of learning more. Luckily, the certificate provided the informant’s name, his sister, C. Hatton of 84 Chevening Road, Kilburn. Checking for a marriage of a Belcher/Hatton, I discovered her first name was Clara and that she married Harry Hatton in 1902.
With this additional information, I looked for a Peter Belcher with a sister named Clara and found a match on the 1871 census: Peter aged 6 (b.1865), born Goosey, Berkshire and living The Chequers Inn, Charney Bassett, Berkshire with parents Aaron & Mary and siblings Lawrence, Isaac, Kate, Sarah, Clara and Albert. Peter’s father is a ‘farm labourer’. Although Peter’s age here is very different from the Horton records (i.e. there’s a 10 year difference), I think this is the correct Peter.
[photo below of The Chequers Inn where Peter was living in 1871]
On the 1881 census, Peter is 15 years old (b.1866) and living at Wickenham Farm Cottages, Faringdon, Berks. with his widowed father Aaron Belcher and siblings Sarah and Albert. Peter and his father are both ‘agricultural labourers’.
First time in the Asylum
Peter was admitted to the Hoxton Asylum in London on 17 June 1889. The Hoxton Asylum is probably Hoxton House, a semi-private asylum that took in both, private and poor law patients. Peter was discharged ‘recovered’ on 7 March 1890. This meant that he was free to return home. I’m not sure how or why he was admitted to a London asylum when he came from a Berkshire parish. Perhaps he was working in London at this time or perhaps he was a private patient (see note for 1901)? (source: UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1921)
A year later on the 1891 census, we find Peter Belcher aged 21 (b.1870), living in Pusey Stables, Pusey, Berkshire and working as a ‘groom’ along with 3 other grooms. So, he must have recovered sufficiently to be back at work.
Back to the Asylum
Unfortunately, 8 years later, on 26 April 1899, Peter was again admitted to an asylum; this time the City of London Asylum in Stone, near Dartford, Kent.
There is a note on this record stating that Peter was a ‘private’ patient from 1 October 1901 but became a ‘pauper’ patient on 8 May 1902. His family were farm labourers so it must have been very difficult for them to afford private treatment. I wonder if his family had the resources or money to visit him as well.
Peter was discharged ‘relieved’, meaning he was sent somewhere else – and the Horton records show him being admitted on 13 May 1902. The Reception Order says he’s chargeable to Wandsworth Parish. Wandsworth is a long way from his family home in Berkshire and I wish I knew what led him to be living there – presumably due to work or perhaps, because his father had died in 1901 and he wanted to be nearer his sister Clara who was now living in London?
Peter’s case notes
Peter’s case notes are incomplete and only cover the period from April 1911 until his death. The first entry, dated 3 April 1911, gives a diagnosis of Dementia Praecox.
NB. Dementia Praecox is a “disused psychiatric diagnosis that originally designated a chronic, deteriorating psychotic disorder characterized by rapid cognitive disintegration, usually beginning in the late teens or early adulthood. Over the years, the term dementia praecox was gradually replaced by the term schizophrenia, which initially had a meaning that included what is today considered the autism spectrum” Source: Wikipedia
The records also state “He is apathetic …. and subject to severe asthmatic attacks; his leg was amputated prior to admission; he shows some stigmata of degeneration”. There are no details as to why his leg was amputated – had he been in some sort of farm accident or was it due to disease?
One of the final entries is dated 8 January 1913 and states that the “patient became very restless yesterday and started picking the bed clothes saying there were fleas in them. He also declared the clock was stopped and that it was upside down and talking about having been to another ward …”
Peter died at 1:30pm on 13th January 1913 and is buried at Horton in Grave # 228a. His death certificate gives his previous address as Roehampton – which is in the Parish of Wandsworth. Presumably that is where he was working as a ‘groom’.
