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b.1856-d.1915
Early Life and family
John Pick was born in Bayswater, London on 30th March 1856 to John & Amelia Rebecca Pick (née Allen). He was baptised on 13th February 1859 at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, Westminster together with sister Rebecca (born 24th September 1853). At the time the family were living at 6 Douglas Place, Paddington. John’s father was a ‘butcher’. John’s parents had married on 9 July 1848 at Mary, Bryanston Square, Westminster.
Sadly, when we next find John (aged 5) on the 1861 census we learn that his father has died and he’s living with his widowed mother and siblings, George (11), Amelia (10) and Rebecca (7) at 19 Douglas Place, Paddington. John’s mother is working as a ‘dress maker’.
In 1871 John, now aged 15, is living with his mother and brother George at 8 Sheldon Street, Paddington. John’s mother is still a ‘dress maker’ but his brother George is a ‘silversmith’s asst’ and John is working as a ‘servant’. John’s sisters Amelia and Rebecca are both working in Paddington as domestic servants. Amelia married William Joseph Warringham in May of the same year.
The Asylum
John was only 20 years old when he entered the asylum system; he was first admitted to Fisherton House Asylum, Salisbury, Wiltshire on 23 September 1876. Fisherton was primarily a private asylum but also accepted pauper patients from Middlesex in order to supplement its income.
John’s stay was fairly short, and he was transferred to Hanwell Asylum (Middlesex Lunatic Asylum) the following year on 29 May 1877; a note in the records says that John has been a ‘lunatic’ for 5 days. However, the Register of Inmates at Hanwell says he’s been a ‘lunatic’ for 8 months and that they consider him to be a danger to others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Manor_Hospital,_Salisbury
On the 1881 Census, we find John still living at Hanwell. He’s 25 years old and a ‘silversmith’s porter’ – he has probably been working for his brother George. At the same time, John’s widowed mother, Amelia Pick is living at 103 Clarendon Road, Kensington with daughter Rebecca.
The following census in 1891 finds John’s mother, Amelia and her daughter Rebecca living at 41 Norfolk Terrace, Kensington. On the next census, 1901, Amelia is 79 years old and an inmate at Kensington Workhouse. John’s sister Rebecca is living with another family at 49 St. Monks Road, Kensington. In June 1904, John’s mother died and was buried at Greenford Park Cemetery.
After almost 30 years at Hanwell Asylum, on 15 December 1906, John was transferred to Manor Asylum in Epsom. I wish I could find out why he was transferred; presumably it must have been quite a change for John. We have a 1-page record from Manor which lists John’s numerous relatives/friends including their addresses. These are his mother, Amelia; sisters Rebecca and Amelia (Mrs Worringham); brother George; nieces/nephew: Mrs Norman, Wm. James Worringham, Gertrude Pick and Walter & May Vince (née Pick) as well as a friend, Harry Osborn. The Picks must have been a close family for so many of them to be listed in the visitor’s book.
At the end of 1906 John’s sister Rebecca dies, followed three years later by brother George,
The final census that John appears on is the 1911 when he’s at Manor Asylum; the entry only shows his initials but he’s now 55 years old, single and described as a ‘silver polisher’. At this point, John has been in the asylum system since 1876, almost 40 years.
On 9 March 1915, John died at Manor Asylum and was buried in Plot 1574b. The death certificate says he died from “pericarditis” – this is inflammation of the lining of the heart. Fluid had built up in the sac around the heart in an “effusion” for a month before he died.
John entered the asylum system at such a young age and it’s unfortunate that there are no details to tell us why. What we do know though is that he came from a caring and close family as shown by the long list of his visitors.
