Jane FISHER
Early days
Jane was the eleventh child born to Edward Peter and Mary Ann Bass (nee Thacker), who had married on 2nd September 1844 in St John the Evangelist Church in Lambeth.
Their thirteen known children were:
- Edward Robert 1846 – 1892. Married Phillis Ruth Cooper Felstead 1868.
- Mary Caroline 1848 – 1853.
- Eliza 1850 – 1941. Married John Baker 1874.
- Thomas Joseph 1852 – 1920. Married Frances Lucretia Bush 1883.
- Rosina 1854 – 1899.
- Henry 1856 – 1856.
- Mary Ann 1857 – 1945. Married Alfred Vinson 1891.
- Emma 1859 – 1941. Married Charles H. Stevens 1879.
- Jane 1862 – 1863.
- Ellen 1862 – 1945. Married John Mcintosh 1887.
- Jane 1864 – 1899. Married David Fisher 1882.
- Amelia 1865 – 1957. Married Henry Johnston 1889.
- Louisa 1867 – 1940. Married Edwin Henry Matthews 1910.
Jane’s father Edward Peter was a Master Tailor and in 1861, before Jane was born, lived with his wife Mary Ann and their surviving children Edward Robert aged 15, Eliza aged 11, Thomas aged 9, Rosina aged 6, Mary Ann aged 3, and Emma aged 1 at 9 Durham Street in Lambeth. On 3rd February 1862, Mary Ann gave birth to twin girls, Ellen and Jane. Sadly, this Jane did not thrive and died the following year.
‘Our’ Jane was born on 18th January 1864 and was named in memory of her deceased sister. Her mother Mary Ann gave birth to two more girls, Amelia in 1865 and Louisa in 1867.
Jane was aged 7 when the next census was taken on the night of 2nd April 1871. Her father’s occupation was this time not recorded as being a tailor but recorded as “House Property”. Her mother Mary Ann and 16-year-old sister Rosina were both working as dressmakers, while her 19-year-old brother Thomas Joseph was a school master. Jane and her sisters Emma, aged 11, Ellen aged 9, Amelia, aged 6, and Louisa aged 4 were all recorded as being scholars. Jane’s widowed maternal grandmother Mary Thacker was also living with the family at 2 Chandos Villa, Stockwell.
When the 1881 census was taken on the night of 3rd April, Jane and her sister Louisa were staying with their sister and brother-in-law, Eliza and John Baker, and their children Florence aged 5, Mabel aged 5, and John aged 2, in their home at 111 Ingrave Street, Battersea. Aged 17, Jane was recorded as still being a scholar as was her 14-year-old sister Louisa. Their parents were living with sisters Rosina and Ellen at 1 Reynolds Road, Camberwell, and on this census their father was recorded as being a tailor again. Only three months later Jane’s 58-year-old father died and was buried on 29th July 1881 in Southwark.
On the 5th of March 1882, in St Giles Church in Camberwell, Jane was aged 18 when she was baptised. The baptismal ledger states that she was the daughter of Edward Peter, a tailor, and Mary Ann Bass and living at 28 Rignold Road at the time but makes no mention that her father was deceased.
Jane Bass’ baptism entry 5th March 1882
Marriage
Later that same year, on 18th December in the same church, Jane married 21-year-old bachelor David Fisher. David was the son of Edward James Fisher and both men were bootmakers. Their witnesses were Jane’s brother-in-law John Baker, and David’s sister Alice Fisher.
Jane Bass and David Fisher’s marriage entry
Children
The first of their six children was born just before their first wedding anniversary.
- David James 1883 – 1902.
- Arthur Edward 1886 – ?
- Ethel Maud 1888 – ?
- Amelia Violet 1890 – 1890.
- Robert Charles 1893 – 1893.
- Walter William 1894 – 1894.
Their son David James was born on 1st December 1883 in Battersea, but they were living in Deal, Kent when their second son Arthur Edward was born on 10th April 1886. Two year later they were back in Camberwell where their daughter Ethel Maud was born on 19th June 1888. Everything seemed so happy for the couple, but their lives were about to downward spiral into despair.
Jane gave birth to Amelia Violet around the end of 1889, beginning of 1890. After suffering from Convulsions Fits, Amelia, the daughter of David Fisher, shoemaker, was 3 months old when she died at home,12 Wyndham Road, Camberwell, on 11th March. Her death certificate was received from A. W. Wyatts, Deputy Coroner for Surrey, following an inquest that had been held on 14th March 1890. Her small body was laid to rest on 17th March.
Maybe Amelia’s death was the reason that David and Jane made the decision to have all three of their elder children baptised on 26th June 1890 in St Michaels and All Angels Church, Lambeth. Their address was recorded in the baptismal book as still being 12 Wyndham Road.
The family had moved to 34 Clarendon Street in Camberwell when the 1891 census was taken on the night of 5th April. David’s occupation was recorded as being a “Hand sewn boot maker” while Jane, now aged 27, was taking care of her three remaining children David aged 7, Arthur aged 5, and Ethel aged 2.
The following year Jane became pregnant again and in January 1893 she gave birth to Robert Charles. On 4th April Robert was 3 months old when he died in Hanworth Road, Hounslow, Isleworth, Middlesex from ‘Non assimilation of food, vomiting, and convulsions’.
One can only imagine the pain that Jane and David were going through with the loss of two babies, but Jane quickly became pregnant again and on 9th February 1894 in 173 May Soule Road, Battersea, she gave birth to Walter William.
Insanity
Jane’s mental state was understandably in turmoil when 6-month-old Walter became unwell, and on 6th August 1894 she was admitted first to the Wandsworth and Clapham Infirmary and then transferred on 11th August 1894 to the Bethnal Asylum in Bethnal Green. Just three days later, on 14th August, Walter William died in the Union Infirmary in Battersea from Dentition Convulsions. This outdated historical medical term was used when infants had seizures or fits during teething. Modern medicine proves that teething does not cause convulsions, but they are more likely to be caused by high fevers, meningitis, or genetic disorders.
Jane never recovered from the loss of her three babies and was not well enough to return home to live with her husband and remaining children. On 16th June 1899, having been incarcerated for five years with no improvement, Jane was transferred to the Manor Asylum in Epsom, Surrey, and assigned the case number 76.
It was here that the Manor case books revealed that Jane, aged 32 (sic), had previously been admitted in 1893 for treatment into the Banstead Asylum for an ‘attack’ that was labelled “Lactation”. Lactation was classified as an “exciting cause” of puerperal insanity—a form of mental breakdown linked to the physical and nutritional drains of breastfeeding and childbirth, which could trigger severe melancholia, mania, or psychosis in new mothers. This had first happened presumably around the time of the birth and death of her son Robert.
It also mentions that Jane had previously been in the Wandsworth and Clapham Infirmary.
Two damning observations indicting Jane’s insanity had been made by William Edwin Passmore and Dr. L. S. McManus, who was a physician, Battersea vestryman, and local municipal councillor in London:
“Her manner & appearance are indicative of mental derangement. She is incapable of rational conversation & her answers to questions are mostly inconsequent nonsense – informs me that she has blue blood in her veins, & that she is the daughter of the Prince of Wales – has an idea that she is ‘French’ & is under the impression that our conversation is carried on in that language – William Edwin Passmore”
“This is to certify that Mrs Fisher of 14 Ingrave St. Battersea is suffering from acute mania & is a source of danger to her friends. She ought to be removed at once. -L. S. McManus”
From the same case book, we are for the first time given a description of what Jane looked like and her physical condition – fine textured red hair, green eyes with good sight, good hearing, a fresh complexion, good healthy teeth and gums, but perhaps there were concerns about her lungs.
Her mental state was reported as “Has aural hallucinations of voices which she describes as “business voices”. She has a delusion that the window frames fall out and break on her head.”
“Talks to herself, is irrational and incoherent and says that she has some dreadful enemies”
Her husband David had been named as her relative to be informed of her death when it happened. His address though was recorded as being ‘Wandsworth & Clapham Inf;- St John’s Hill, New Wandsworth’, so had he too been admitted? Without his home address, the letter informing him of Jane’s declining health was returned on 26th June 1899 as ‘Unknown’.
On 15th July 1899 it was confirmed that Jane was suffering from high temperatures at night ranging from 101F – 102F, and phthisis, an archaic term for tuberculosis or any wasting lung disease.
Death
Almost a month later, on 18th August, it was noted that she was unimproved, and on 23rd August 1899 a final sad note was added that said
“Since the last note she became gradually worse & died today. Cause of death as certified – Phthisis”
Jane was actually aged 35 when she died with Nurse Pacey in attendance, and with no known address, just how were the asylum going to be able to notify David Fisher of his wife’s death?
On 25th August, Jane’s death certificate was issued by F. Bryan MB, the Medical Superintendent of the Manor Asylum in Horton, Epsom, Surrey.
The following day, Jane’s body was one of the first to be buried in an unmarked grave in the newly opened Horton Estate Cemetery. With no family informed, her funeral may have only been attended by some of those who had cared for her in the asylum, the Horton Chapel Chaplain, and the gravedigger.
What happened to Jane’s family?
Although that was the end of Jane’s tragic life, the story of what happened to her family must be told:
Son David James Fisher 1883 – 1902.
On 24th February 1900, just 6 months after his mother’s death, David was aged 16 when he was admitted into the Brookwood Asylum in Woking, Surrey. On 9th November 1900, he was transferred to the Banstead Asylum in Surrey, where he was recorded as still being a patient when the 1901 census was taken on the night of 31st March.
David was aged 19 when he died in the asylum on 18th December 1902. His death certificate below states that he was a Boot Closer of Croydon Infirmary and that he had died from Phthisis pulmonalis, a severe bacterial infection that caused the progressive wasting, coughing, and destruction of lung tissue commonly referred to as “consumption”.
No burial record has been found for David, but he was probably buried in a communal, unmarked grave in the asylum’s own consecrated burial ground on Banstead Downs behind the asylum’s old farm buildings. This area is now part of HM Downview Prison and HM High Down Prison.
Son Arthur Edward 1886 – ?
Arthur became a boot repairer and in 1911 was aged 23 when he was boarding with fellow boot repairer Frank Wilson Goldes, his wife and their son in their home at 88 Woodbine Grove, Penge.
This was the last UK record found for Arthur.
Daughter Ethel Maud 1888 – ?
When the 1901 census was taken on the night of 31st March 12-year-old Ethel was living with her paternal grandfather Edward James Fisher and his second wife Emily, along with aunts, uncles and cousins in 114 Mallison Road, Battersea. After her grandfather died in July that year, Ethel continued to live with her aunt Alice, who was married to Arthur Edward Cartlidge, and her cousin Alfred Edward Cartlidge. In 1911, they were all living at 10 Darley Road in Wandsworth; her aunt and uncle were caretakers of a Church of England church where her uncle Arthur was also a verger.
This was the last UK record found for Ethel.
Husband David Fisher 1861 – ?
When the 1901 census was taken on the night of 31st March, David, who was still working from home as a shoe and boot maker, and his 15-year-old son Arthur, now an errand boy, were living at 1 Hamilton Place, Penge, Surrey. They were not living there alone though.
Recorded as David’s ‘wife and children’ were Alice R. Fisher, aged 35 from Reading in Berkshire, son Frederick George Fisher, aged 16 and working as a dyers’ carman, son Richard Albert Fisher, aged 14, also working as an errand boy, and daughter Ellen Alice Fisher, aged 11. All these children had been born in Croydon, but they were not David’s children as I had first thought or feared.
Going back to the 1891 census showed that Alice Rebecca Parch had been living with Richard Albert Rosier in Upper Norwood until his death at the beginning of 1900.
Richard’s son, Richard Albert [Rosier], whose mother’s maiden name was Church, was not the son of Alice Rebecca Parch.
Frederick George [Parch] was the illegitimate son of Alice Rebecca Parch.
Ellen Alice [Parch/Rosier] was the illegitimate daughter of Richard Rosier and Alice Rebecca Parch.
I also found that Alice Rebecca Parch had had another illegitimate daughter named Maud Parch who had died soon after birth in 1885.
David Fisher later married Alice Rebecca Parch in 1904 in Croydon. Did he wait that long before enquiring if his wife Jane was at last dead and to find out if he was now free to remarry, or was he finally tracked down by the authorities? We may never know.
Neither David nor Alice were found in the UK 1911 census but in 1921 they were living at 25 Church Road, Penge. Also living there was Ellen Alice, but she was recorded as Helen, the wife of Thomas Louis Lloyd and the mother of their two children, Violet Alice and Cyril Thomas Lloyd.
This census gives us information on what a skilled and talented man David was. He was aged ‘50 years 10 months’ and still worked from home as a Hand Sewn Boot Maker for the O’Connor Extension Company at 2 Bloomsbury Street, London, who were British surgical instrument makers and surgical boot specialists active from the1890s through to the 1930s.
This was the last UK record found for David.