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| Part of an entry in a Goodna Asylum case book |
Reasons for the onset of mental illness (as stated in case books) include childbirth, epilepsy, head injury, alcohol, syphilis, congenital defect, jealousy, 'domestic troubles', bereavement, and 'deserted by the father of her child'.
Goodna Asylum case books often give the patient's admission date, discharge or death date, age, marital status, number of children (and age of the youngest), occupation, country of birth, residence, religion, mental disorder and its onset, changes in behaviour and general health, and a physical description. Some entries include names of 'insane relatives' (here or overseas), references to time spent in other asylums, or comments such as 'good bowler at cricket'. For some patients there are letters or photographs.
For patients transferred on 10 Jan 1865 from the Lunatic Asylum, Brisbane, to Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, case books also give the date of first admission. Until Woogaroo Asylum opened in 1865, psychiatric patients were treated at the old convict hospital, and in some cases there are references in prison records.
Information from case books has traditionally been available only to close relatives in special circumstances via Right to Information - but I have details from case books for some patients admitted more than one hundred years ago. To help family historians, I have indexed those names (and many others). I have also created a mini-guide, Researching Mental Asylum Patients.
Note that case books are completely different from Public Curator insanity files, which are much easier to obtain and potentially even more useful for family history.
If you need help to get copies of historical records for Queensland mental asylum patients, follow this link. Each page with a list of names has details of my research and copying services.
It's good to remember that our ancestors may have been admitted for what we would now regard as ordinary illnesses. The information available almost makes you want to find someone in the list ;-)
ReplyDeleteYes, Pauleen - I encourage everyone to check the lists of names on my Web site. It is especially important to look for names of women, because many spent a short time in the asylum while suffering from 'baby blues'.
DeleteHello Judy I was wondering if you could help me in finding out about a family member who was buried at Dunwich cemetery. His name is John Michael Hemmling. Buried on the 16th Septemebr, 1924.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sonya
Hello Sonya. Please see Why was my ancestor in Dunwich Benevolent Asylum? on www.judywebster.com.au/faq.html.
DeleteI was wondering if you could help me find out about a family member of mine his name is Fritz Ferdinand Hohenhaus who was taken there in the early 1900s ... my email is tmarkgraf77@gmail.com Friedrich Ferdinand Hohenhaus
ReplyDelete1825–1902
BIRTH 23 AUG 1825 • Deutschkrone, Prussia
DEATH 25 FEB 1902 • Hospital for the Insane, Goodna, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Spouse & Children
Wilhelmine Jacob
1840–1865
Albert August Hohenhaus 1853–1940
Paul Hugo Hohenhaus 1855–1935
Mary Auguste Hohenhaus 1857–1949
Friedrich Wilhelm Hohenhaus 1858–1860
Ada Clara Hohenhaus 1865–1953
Albert HOHENHAUS
Spouse & Children
Caroline Arndt
1830–1886
Wilhelmine Caroline Friederike Hohenhaus 1856–
Ada Clara Hedwig Hohenhaus 1865–1953
Maximillian Friedrich Hohenhaus 1869–1948
Emma Amelia Hohenhaus 1872–1971
Agnes Bertha Hohenhaus 1876–1944
Yes Tanja, I do have access to information about this man. As you requested, I've emailed you with details of my research and copying services.
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