BURNISTON (née Addison) Emma Jane - Friends of Horton Cemetery

Read Time:8 Minute, 35 Second

b.1838-d.1923

Emma’s parents

Emma Jane Addison was born in Stoke Damerel, Devonport circa 1838 to John & Elizabeth Addison. Emma was the couple’s youngest child. In fact, she was born quite late in her parents’ lives. On the 1851 census when the family are living in Mount Street, Devonport – Emma is 16 years old, her brother John is 17 years old, her mother is 53 years old and her father is a 75 year old pensioner. Her father died before the next census at the age of 89 in 1860 and her mother in 1869 aged 72.

Stoke Damerel was a parish adjoining the borough of Plymouth (and included Devonport, also known as The Dock). In 1914, Devonport, Plymouth and Stonehouse amalgamated and the new town took the name of Plymouth.

Census Records, Marriage and Children

In 1861 we find Emma ‘boarding’ in Cumberland Street, Stoke Damerel – just a few minutes walk from where she was brought up in 1841 and 1851. Emma is working for a ‘milliner’ and working as an ‘assistant milliner’. I suspect she’s living above the shop.

Three years later in 1864, Emma married Alexander Raven Burniston in Stoke Damerel. Alexander was born circa 1827 in Dublin, Ireland; in 1861 he’s living in Duke Street, Stoke Damerel, with his brother Hugh. Both men are serving in the Royal Navy with Alexander a ‘Master, Royal Navy Half Pay’. A ‘Master’ with less than 5 years service, would have earned approx. £91 per year in 1860; the average for a man at this time was £56.

The term ‘half pay’ was a term used in the Royal Navy to describe the pay of an officer who was retired or otherwise not required for active service (i.e. they received half the pay of the salary of their fully commissioned counterparts).

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~pbtyc/genealogy/RN/Pay_and_Condns/Half_Pay.htm

In the first quarter of 1870 Emma gave birth to a son, Hugh Henry Somerville Burniston, followed the following year by another son, Augustus John. Sadly, Augustus died in the third quarter of 1873.

On the 1871 census, Emma, Alexander and baby son Hugh are living on Keppel Road, Stoke Damerel. Alexander is a ‘Lieut, Royal Navy’. Three years later on 25 October 1874, Alexander died from TB.

A close-up of a document

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Following Alexander’s death, Emma and her son Hugh moved to London and on the 1881 census, Emma and Hugh, now aged 11, have moved to London and are listed as ‘visitors’ at 36 Archel Road, Fulham.

In 1891, Emma, now aged 49, is living with her son, Hugh (aged 22) at 17 Rundle Street, Kensington. Emma is living “on own means” – in fact she’s receiving a pension through her late husband’s naval service.

On 31^st July 1892 her son Hugh marries Kate Green at St. Jude’s Church in Kensal Green. Until this point I have not come across any evidence as to Emma’s mental health.

Admission and Asylum Story

The first record found showing the deterioration of Emma’s health is on 14 March 1893 when she’s admitted to Chelsea Workhouse in Britten Street.

A few days later, on 18^th March she’s admitted to the Buckinghamshire County Asylum in Stone near Aylesbury. She doesn’t stay there long before being discharged to the Claybury Asylum in Woodford Bridge (near Ilford, Essex) on 15 December 1893.

On 7 July 1897, Emma is admitted again to the Chelsea Workhouse and discharged to the Claybury Asylum a few days late on the 12^th. The record states that’s she’s a ‘lunatic’. It would appear from the admissions register that, although admitted as a pauper, Emma was treated privately from the 29th of October 1897.

Emma is moved for the final time on 10^th April 1900 to the Horton Asylum now aged 62, giving her address as 30 Beethoven Street, Queen’s Park. This address was the home of her son, Hugh.

Admission Record

When Emma was admitted to Horton an initial assessment was made which included a brief history of her illness. The record states that Emma had her first attack when she was 52 years old and had previously been treated at Claybury Asylum from December 1895 to 30 January 1896. The attack lasted one week. The ‘supposed cause’ was given as ‘excessive drinking of intoxicating liquor’.

Initially Emma was a private patient; but was transferred to the pauper class on 1^st October 1920.

There are extensive case notes for Sarah’s time at Horton and they make bleak reading. On arrival, they state “she is very depressed and insists she is going to be hanged tomorrow morning. She says she has been here for months. She can give no reason for her belief except that she has heard it ……… She is in a state of great depression, weeping and wringing her hands and begging on her knees, that she may not be injured, she will not answer questions put to her, but continued to pray she may not be hurt”.

Throughout her time at Horton (23 years) the case notes repeat the same thing: “She has no idea of time or place” and “memory and intelligence much impaired”. It’s such a shame that there are no notes to tell us how, or even if, she was treated.

Visitor Book

The Visitor Book tells us that she had several visitors: her son, Hugh; daughter-in-law Kate; grand-daughter Edith and surprisingly someone from HM Paymaster General’s office (late guarantor).

Admitted – 10^th April 1900

Case Notes

File 6a & 7a – Visitor Book

Son: Hugh H.S. Burniston of 116 Fifth Avenue, Queen’s Park

Late Guarantor: HM Paymaster General, Whitehall

Daughter-in-Law: Kate Burniston of 116 Fifth Avenue, Queen’s Park

Grand-daughter: Edith of 116 Fifth Avenue, Queen’s Park

Previous addresses for son: 228 Kilburn Lane? Queen’s Park AND 156 Latimer Street, Bath Row, Birmingham

Transf. to Pauper class (from Private) on 1.10.1920

File 1a

She is very depressed and insists she is going to be hanged tomorrow morning. She says she has been here for months. She can give no reason for her belief except that she has heard it ……… She is in a state of great depression, weeping and wringing her hands and begging on her knees, that she may not be injured, she will not answer questions put to her, but continued to pray she may not be hurt. She is sometimes very talkative and fancies the attendants are relations or jailors that she is ……………………….. that she is about to be hanged; she points to the ceiling or wall ……………….. attentively ….. she heard something ……………

I am B………………. Nurse, Chelsea Workhouse …………. The said Emma Jane Burniston hears voices, she is very ……………………….. and depressed and has …………………. been here 3 days.

File 2a

Form of Disorder: dementia

Physical condition on admission: fair

External appearance etc: A …………………. complexion ………… with dark hair and ……………………………… vacant expression; habits clean. Eyes brown, pupil equal with ………………… Knee joints absent.

Symptoms of Mental Disorder: ………………………………………….. with no memory. She has no idea of her age or the date of year or month. Does not know where she came from or how long she has been here. Though she …………………… she must have been here a considerable time.

File 3a

July 1900 – A quite soul ……. Does not show any ………… change since admission. Is in fair health.

Sept 1900 – She is much ………………. And has marked loss of memory, fails to remember how long she has been here …………

Dec 1900 – She is quiet and well behaved but not mentally improved. She is ……………… and has marked impairment of memory …………

Mar 1901 – Knows the day of the week nor how long she has been here. Laughs in a p….. way and is not mentally improved. Has fair health.

May 1901 – Much demented. She smiles ………………. When spoken to and has much loss of memory. Cannot …………. How long she has been here. Health fair.

Aug 1901 – She has no idea of time or place and cannot answer the ……………… question coherently. Is quiet …..

Nov 1901 – ……….. can’t read. Fair health.

Feb 1902 – Is weak-minded, incoherent and not reply sensible to questions. Smiles ………………… when addressed and her memory is much impaired. Fair health.

May 1902 – Memory intelligence much clouded. Is quite incoherent inn conversation and is apt to become noisy and ………. use of foul language.

May 1902 – Whilst coming from the bat at 10:20am she had a slight syncopal attack from which she soon ………… put to bed and ………… the hearts action was found to ber weak and rapid but no …….. detected.

Aug 1902 – Simple minded and demented. ………………….. abusive at times.

File 4a

Nov 1902 – Memory and intelligence much impaired. Has no idea of time. Says it is March …………

May 1903 – Simple minded …. Loss of memory. Liable to occasional ………… Moderate health.

Aug 1903 – There is no improvement to note…………………… Excited and troublesome at times. Moderate health.

Nov 1903 – Memory and intelligence much impaired; cannot converse rationally; takes no interest in her surroundings. Moderate health.

Feb 1904 – Dementia, noisy and abusive at times when she becomes spiteful. Moderate health.

May 1904 – ………………………………… and forgetful. Noisy at times. Moderate health.

Jun 1904 – ……………………………….. Memory very defective and has no idea of time. ………………… spiteful ……. Can’t read

Sep 1904 – Dull vacant minded and forgetful. Has not improved. Moderate health.

Dec 1904 –

March 1905 – Memory and intelligence much impaired. Cannot converse naturally. Moderate health.