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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, and Ada Rebecca née Byford (1878 – 1983). The couple had married in 1898 in St George, Hanover Square. In the 1901 Census the family is living at 10, Southwark Bridge Road in Southwark. Grace and her younger brother, Frederick, (born 1st February 1904) were both baptised on 8th March 1904 at St Matthias’ Church, Earls Court.
1900s
Grace was admitted to Millbank School on 11th March 1904 but later moved to the Convent, according to the school records. At this time the family was living at 2, Rosetta Buildings in Southwark. Grace was still attending school in 1911 when her father – described in the census of that year as a wholesale newsagent and bookseller – was living with his wife and two children at 43, Jessel House, Page Street in Westminster.
Admission to the workhouse
Grace was admitted to the Fulham Road Workhouse on 8th September 1913 and then transferred to Tooting Bec Asylum on the 19th November 1913. No reason is given in the register for her admission.
Grace was there for only six months as she was transferred to The Manor asylum in Epsom. A further transfer to Long Grove took place on 2nd August 1916.
Her admission notes state that she was slow and backward, only reaching standard 5 at the age of 14. Her young sibling was very intelligent.
Education standards were revised in 1872. These did not always correspond to a year group. In Victorian times promotion to the next standard was on merit, not age and many children did not complete all grades.
Grace would have been able to read a short paragraph in a newspaper or similar narrative, Likewise she would have been able to write a short paragraph from slow dictation. In arithmetic she would have dealt with ‘bills and parcels.’
Her photo shows a pleasant young girl who according to the reviewer had a fatuous expression. I would like to think that Grace was fed up with yet more moving and questions! Physically she was 5’ 2” and weighed 9 stone 5lbs. She had light brown hair and blueish eyes.
More Details about Grace’s Childhood
At the age of 5, Grace had been badly scalded; she had scars on her back, right shoulder and breast. Then at the age of 7, she had a mild dose of Rheumatic Fever.
She was said to have been well behaved at school . The insanity was said to be congenital and it had worsened when she left home.
Her memory and intelligence were ‘very deficient’. Very noisy and restless, destructive and using filthy language. Unable to care for herself and needed to be washed and dressed due to ‘faulty habits’.
She was said to be mischievous – blocking key holes with rubbers, tearing wallpaper. She was swearing at both patients and nurses.
On one occasion whilst at Horton she killed the ward canary. Poor Grace was in a bad place. I note that one of the drugs that was given was Parald(ahyde), a sedative used in Epilepsy. It is now rarely used – it has a distinctive smell. It would probably been administered as an enema.
At Long Grove she was given the diagnosis of Dementia praecox what would now be considered schizophrenia
Deterioration
During 1918, Grace’s condition deteriorated and ,looking frail, a diagnosis of Pneumonia was made. Eventually she was put on the ‘Sick List’, so this would normally have meant that Grace’ parents would have been told of her deterioration. I do not see any comments about her family visiting.
She died on 22nd July 1918 from Lobar Pneumonia of 22 days duration. There was no Post Mortem. Her death was registered by David Ogilvy, the Medical Superintendent of Long Grove.
Grace was buried in Horton Cemetery in plot 490b.
