CLARK

Parish Records and other sources

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ennael
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:50 pm

CLARK

Post by ennael » Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:29 pm

Could anyone help me find information for Barbara Fyfe CLARK, death or marriage if possible.
Born 1854 Towie.
Father John CLARK, Mother Mary ROY.

Thanks, Leanne.

WilmaM
Posts: 1870
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Falkirk area

Re: CLARK

Post by WilmaM » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:40 pm

Have you looked for her in the census records?

Looking on SP there's a Barbara Clark in 1861, aged around 7 in Towie.
There seems to be a Mary in the same household.

She seems to be still there in 1871 too.
I haven't looked at the records though , just checked the search facilities.

No obvious sign of her in 1881 in Aberdeenshire, so assume by mid twenties, she'd married.
Who though is a mystery...
Wilma

SarahND
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Re: CLARK

Post by SarahND » Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:32 pm

Hi Leanne,
As Wilma said, she was in Towie in 1861 (with her family) and in 1871 (a servant in another household, although the family was still there too).
By 1881 she is a servant in the Craighead household in Bervie, Kincardineshire.
In 1891 she sadly appears to be in the Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum in Montrose, Angus
In 1901 she is out again and is a servant for John Copland, a farm manager in Craig, Angus

It looks as though she probably didn't marry. There are a number of possible deaths that come up on a search at Scotland's People-- one of them is surely her. At least now you know that the death might possibly be in Angus, rather than in Aberdeenshire.

All the best,
Sarah

ennael
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:50 pm

Re: CLARK

Post by ennael » Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:02 am

thanks for help given so far,much appreciated.
Off to look for information on the Asylum in Montrose.
Leanne

Currie
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Location: Australia

Re: CLARK

Post by Currie » Fri Nov 27, 2009 8:17 am

Hello Leanne,

Here’s something.

Thirty-Fourth Annual Report of the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland. (1892)

Montrose Royal Asylum,
18th and 19th September, 1891.

There are 554 patients at present on the register of the asylum. Their position is shown in detail in the following statement:—

Certified Patients – Resident: Private 35M 42F, Pauper 213M 257F, Total 547.
Certified Patients – Absent on Probation: Private 2M 3F, Pauper 0M 1F, Total 6.
Voluntary Inmates: Private 0M 1F, Pauper 0M 0F, Total 1.

Since 17th June, the date of last visit, the following changes have taken place:—

Admitted: Private 2M 2F, Pauper 11M 17F, Total 32.
Discharged recovered: Private 1M 1F, Pauper 5M 2F, Total 9.
Discharged unrecovered: Private 1M 1F, Pauper 1M 2F, Total 5.
Dead: Private 1M 0F, Pauper 6M 3F, Total 10.

The deaths are registered as due in 6 cases to diseases of the brain, in 1 case to disease of the heart, and in 3 cases to diseases of the lungs. Post-mortem examinations were made in 7 cases.

The Register of Restraint and Seclusion contains 5 entries. They refer to the use of the strait-jacket in the treatment of 2 patients, at times when it was required to prevent interference with surgical dressings. There has been no case of escape. The Register of Accidents contains 3 entries. One refers to a severe scalp wound self-inflicted, 1 to fracture of the radius due to a fall, and 1 to bruising of the hand and back. The case of bruising of the hand and back refers to the case of a woman who was subjected to ill-usage believed to have been inflicted by one or more of the attendants. The patient, who was suffering from acute mania and had been very excited and noisy, was found to bear marks of bruises which, in the opinion of Dr Havelock, acting for Dr Howden then absent on holiday, could not have been self-inflicted. He arrived at the conclusion after careful inquiry, that the patient had been beaten by one or more of the attendants during the night, and in accordance with the regulations he immediately reported the circumstances to the General Board of Lunacy, and to the Procurator-Fiscal of the County. As the result of the Procurator-Fiscal's inquiry 3 of the female attendants were tried for assault before the Sheriff; but he found the charge not proven. An additional inquiry was then made by Dr Howden and Mr Lyell, Clerk to the Managers, with the result of confirming the opinion arrived at by Dr Havelock, and in consequence one of the attendants has been dismissed as guilty of rough usage, and other two have been discharged with a months' notice as having been more or less connected with the rough usage. Such ill-usage as appears to have been applied in this case cannot be dealt with too strictly and thoroughly. The asylum authorities seem, however, to have done everything that the occasion required both in regard to investigating and reporting the occurrence, and in regard to taking steps to obtain the punishment of those who were implicated.

The complete appropriation of the New Asylum Hospital to the purposes for which it was designed is the most important event in the recent history of the institution. It was partially used for some months prior to this complete appropriation, as temporary accommodation for the lady patients after they left Gayfield, and a portion of it was also used as a means of relieving the over-crowding of the main asylum buildings. It is now therefore that, the hospital being fully used according to the original intention, it becomes apparent how far it is adapted to its purpose, and it is gratifying to find that it fully answers the high expectations which had been formed regarding it. It is indeed recognised as a model of what an asylum hospital ought to be, and it has been much visited by those interested in asylum construction. It is worthy of note that all the doors of exit from the wards to the grounds stand unlocked all day, thus avoiding one of the more prison like features of an asylum, and adding appreciably to the contentment and happiness of the patients.

The circumstance is instructive as showing, among other things, how much the mode of administration is influenced by the structural arrangements of an asylum, all the wards in the main building, including of course the wards from which the patients now in the hospital were removed, having their doors of exit constantly under lock and key.

All parts of the institution were found, during the visit, in excellent order and the patients are well provided for.

It is understood, with cordial approval, that the loss which the institution sustained in regard to land connected with the asylum, when Gayfield passed out of its hands, is to be more than made up by the acquisition on lease of the farm of Sunnyside. One of the best features of this asylum has been the excellent use which has been made of the farm as an adjunct to the asylum, and no doubt is felt that the additional land which is being acquired will add to the usefulness of the institution as well as be a source of profit. The land within the bounds of the asylum will now be 235 acres.

The books and registers were examined, and were found correctly kept.

Transcribed from Parliamentary Papers

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

SarahND
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Re: CLARK

Post by SarahND » Fri Nov 27, 2009 8:48 am

Interesting, Alan! And from just the exact time when she was there. On the census she was listed as a dairy maid, so with the information about the farm I'm now wondering if she was actually an inmate who was working on the farm as part of her treatment, or if she was not an inmate as such, but just a servant helping out. I went back to the census-- a long, long, list of people at the asylum-- and now see that the first 45 or so are servants (Barbara is in this part) and then they start being called patients. So I may have mislead you, sorry! It looks like there is a good chance she was just working there. But there still may be information on their employees, if any records survive.

All the best,
Sarah

Currie
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: CLARK

Post by Currie » Fri Nov 27, 2009 10:53 am

Hello Sarah,

That’s OK. It’s still interesting to know the sort of place it was even if she was just an employee. And besides, I’m sure that there will be somebody else somewhere on the planet looking for info about the Asylum and Google will find it here.

All the best,
Alan

caljam371
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:06 pm
Location: Kincardineshire, Scotland

Re: CLARK

Post by caljam371 » Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:58 pm

Some interesting info there.

My ancestor Jonathan Towns was also listed at Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum in 1891 as an attendant. He died there in 1892 aged 77. If anyone does find any info on staff there at that time it would be great to hear about it.

joette
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Re: CLARK

Post by joette » Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:17 pm

Good to see that they took patient welfare so seriously too.Not just an internal inquiry but a criminal prosecution to boot.
Researching:SCOTT,Taylor,Young,VEITCH LINLEY,MIDLOTHIAN
WADDELL,ROSS,TORRANCE,GOVAN/DALMUIR/Clackmanannshire
CARR/LEITCH-Scotland,Ireland(County Donegal)
LINLEY/VEITCH-SASK.Canada
ALSO BROWN,MCKIMMIE,MCDOWALL,FRASER.
Greer/Grier,Jenkins/Jankins

bleckie
Posts: 212
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Location: Perth

Re: CLARK

Post by bleckie » Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:47 pm

Hi All

Montrose Royal Asylum is now Sunnyside Royal Hospital

The link below may be of some use.

http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/montrose.html

Yours Aye
BruceL

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