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Highcroft Hall Highcroft Hospital Aston Union Workhouse Erdington House

  • Thread starter Thread starter elizabeth
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Well that gives no indication of mental illness, that is two heart problems there. There is the possibily that she may have been cremated - perhaps as she was at Highcroft they would have preferred it? Birmingham Crematorium will be able to provide the answer, and then you can look elsewhere if she was not cremated. Highcroft patients usually went to Witton, unless there was a family grave elsewhere, but it would appear not in your case. I did have an address to write to when the hospital was open, but asking at the library is the best course of action. The records may not be available because of the move to new premises, but you may be able to view via an appointment. Please let us know if you find an address as I would like to do the same, and I am sure there will be others on this Forum who will appreciate knowing.
 
ah cremation thankyou! :) will get onto that one. i think the reason why that didnt pop into my mind was because the rest of my family are buried no cremations. interesting will look into that one.

Is there a reason why highcroft would suggest that?

my nan and grandad have kept this close to their chest as my father (their son) grew up without his nan (emily jane steeles) being mentioned at all what so ever he didnt even know her name. very sad :(
it wasnt until my nan and grandad passed away whilst clearing their house i cam accross a telegram to my grandad stating his mom was very ill in highcroft hall hospital which started my path to finding out about her. she also gave birth to a son who died at birth at the city asylum lodge road in 1910 a year and half after she gave birth to my grandad. i have done some census researching and i cant find where she was living but i found my grandad living as an adopted child same street few doors down from his father no emily living with him.?? so this is what makes me think she was in a mental hosptial??
 
Hi grandaughter82

There is a burial at Warstone Lane for an Emily Jane Steeles. Register No. 101984.

The only thing is, it states year of burial as 1954 and I note she died in 1952 and was registered JFM 1953.
I wonder if the burial record on BMSGH has the incorrect year?

Just a thought:)

Suzanne
 
I should imagine that Highcroft had no part in it, I think it would be the family wanting to keep it hidden, that is if that is what happened to her. It all sounds rather sad to me. My grandfather's sister who was not mentally ill, was put in Highcroft in about 1913. She claimed her brother made her pregnant and that is what happened to pregnant girls quite often in those cruel times. She did have epilepsy, but that is no reason to have anyone put away. Her father then disappeared off to London. I would think that she may have suffered from something like depression, which although carried little or no stigma today, was treated differently in those days because no-one really understood it. Either that or a long-term mental condition - hence the birth in Lodge Road Asylum. My gt gt grandmother, who was seemingly fine for most of her life died in Gloucester Lunatic Asylum. I feel lucky because they were at the forefront in Gloucester of good and kind treatment to those with mental illnesses. Her granddaughter had died, aged 5 in 1875, and as she had depression, I was wondering if the death caused the illness? Her DC states 'atrophy due to melancholia'. Terribly terribly sad I think.

I think for you, it would be worth looking at the Lodge Road admissions before you take on Highcroft - that should give you an idea, and as it's the first time you have a hint of any problem, there may be something in the admissions. This all sounds very interesting, so do let us know.
 
Thankyou have inboxed you

smtr said:
Hi grandaughter82

There is a burial at Warstone Lane for an Emily Jane Steeles. Register No. 101984.

The only thing is, it states year of burial as 1954 and I note she died in 1952 and was registered JFM 1953.
I wonder if the burial record on BMSGH has the incorrect year?

Just a thought:)

Suzanne
Click to expand...
 
Thankyou for the advice. i think i will start by following the lead from lodge road see where that takes me. :)

its very sad how relatives who were in these places were looked on in shame :( for something like depression but like you say it simply wasnt understood back then.

will keep everyone upto date with what i find.


Shortie said:
I should imagine that Highcroft had no part in it, I think it would be the family wanting to keep it hidden, that is if that is what happened to her. It all sounds rather sad to me. My grandfather's sister who was not mentally ill, was put in Highcroft in about 1913. She claimed her brother made her pregnant and that is what happened to pregnant girls quite often in those cruel times. She did have epilepsy, but that is no reason to have anyone put away. Her father then disappeared off to London. I would think that she may have suffered from something like depression, which although carried little or no stigma today, was treated differently in those days because no-one really understood it. Either that or a long-term mental condition - hence the birth in Lodge Road Asylum. My gt gt grandmother, who was seemingly fine for most of her life died in Gloucester Lunatic Asylum. I feel lucky because they were at the forefront in Gloucester of good and kind treatment to those with mental illnesses. Her granddaughter had died, aged 5 in 1875, and as she had depression, I was wondering if the death caused the illness? Her DC states 'atrophy due to melancholia'. Terribly terribly sad I think.

I think for you, it would be worth looking at the Lodge Road admissions before you take on Highcroft - that should give you an idea, and as it's the first time you have a hint of any problem, there may be something in the admissions. This all sounds very interesting, so do let us know.
Click to expand...
 
What an interseting thread. I also have a relative who died here. He was 84 and died in 1946 of pneumonia but a 2nd cause is stated as senility so I'm assuming the family found him hard to cope with as he would have had what we now would call 'Dementia'.
I'm glad to have found out the meaning of the address. He previously lived in Small Heath so I'm guessing this was the nearest place that older people could be placed if they had mental health issues.
I'm so glad that elderly care has improved since then. No wonder so many older people are afraid of going into a care home though. They must think it's going to be like the old asylums. :blue:
 
Maggiebee - the DC I have also says senility, however, he had bronchial pneumonia, myocardial degeneration, and arterial stenosis too. I did wonder if the 'senility' was just the fact he was old. His grandson who is still alive at nearly 98 does not remember any mental incapacity at all, and it was he who registered the death. It's also worth remembering that Rubery Hill also catered for the chronically sick as well as the mentally ill, so maybe Highcroft did also. I am meeting the grandson again shortly, so I shall enquire further - maybe the length of time he was in the hospital would indicate whether there was a mental impairment or if senility just meant aged.
 
Just had another thought on this subject - my late father in law was diagnosed in the 1960's with what was then called Senile Diabetes - now we know that as Type 2. Senile meaning late-onset one would think - he was only in his 40's at the time, and certainly not demented. Then I thought that years ago dementia was known as Senile Dementia, so I looked up senile in the New Oxford. Senile just means 'feebleness, etc, associated with old age' (and another few words but this was the main drift). Senility did not mean anything other than 'aged' I would suspect.
 
Shortie said:
Maggiebee - the DC I have also says senility, however, he had bronchial pneumonia, myocardial degeneration, and arterial stenosis too. I did wonder if the 'senility' was just the fact he was old. His grandson who is still alive at nearly 98 does not remember any mental incapacity at all, and it was he who registered the death. It's also worth remembering that Rubery Hill also catered for the chronically sick as well as the mentally ill, so maybe Highcroft did also. I am meeting the grandson again shortly, so I shall enquire further - maybe the length of time he was in the hospital would indicate whether there was a mental impairment or if senility just meant aged.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, Shortie. Yes, everything you say makes perfect sense. In a strange way it's rather a relief!
 
2 of my grandparents died in Highcroft in the 60s. One certificate states cause of death "Cardiovascular degeneration and senility" the other "Bronchopneumonia and senility". Both certs give the address as number 18.
 
This is a very interesting thread - my great great aunt, Emily Litherland died there too in 1948 (she'd previously been a resident at Calthorpe Nursing home 1945 Highbury Hall 1947 : it became a home for elderly women in 1932). As yet I don't know what Emily died of - she's one of the not-directly related ancestors that I will eventually get round to investigating further.
 
I had several friends who worked there as nurses in the late fifties early sixties. I never visited there myself but did socialise with many of the staff. This is my personal view but I feel that although it called itself a mental hospital, I feel it was still a mental asylum. I am sad to say, again, a purely personal opinion, that mental treatment was still quite predudiced and primitive. I wouldn't use the term mental care for those days. For example, ect (electro convulsive treatment) was standard, I had a lovely aunt who was treated with it. Comparable with, if your tv or other contraption fails to work bang it or give it a kick. (sorry to be so negative but in my view some attitudes in that field were appalling)
 
I am glad I read this read as 18 Highcroft Road comes across as a normal residential home which clearly it isn't. I have a relative Edwin Henry Barker who died on 6 July at Highcroft Road. He previously lived in Metchley Lane Harborne. I will order his death certificate and report back on his cause of death.
 
You will find that most of the hospitals have a 'normal' address, Selly Oak is 1a Raddlebarn Road, Dudley Road was 77 Dudley Road - why it was like that I don't know, but it may have been to save embarrassment in the case of poverty perhaps and mental illness.
 
I have Edwin Henry Barker's death certificate and its states he died from bronchial pneumonia plus 2 cardio related problems. You never know with these things. The Doctor present may have taken into account the family wishes and detailed the physical causes rather than their state of mind. The death certificate i have is quite illegible and I will have to investigate further.
 
As I understand it the death certificate would only list the main causes of death, it would not include any other conditions that did not contribute to his death.

Colin
 
hi ahd a great uncle george bakewell robinson pass away at the erdington infirmary in the 1920's i live in australia, any suggestions on how can view or get a copy of his records as to why he died, my aunt beleived rhuematic fever n this cause eplileptic fits ans ? died of a seizure but it was a touchy subject, my grandmother apparently wanted to bring him out but was refused by ? granddad or great grandad, they immigrated in 1924 arriving in jan 1925 in australia. any help appreciated
 
one of my relatives died in erdington workhouse infirmary in 1918
was but her mother was living in tennent street was it used as a hospital for the poor as well as a workhouse
josie048643b0-e1a8-490d-b41a-40e9426e21a8[1].jpg
 
Dear Shorty, so sorry to read your story.... I feel that I must tell you my family story as well. First, I have just researched and found that Highcroft was origanally founded in 1836 and was formally known as the Aston Union Infirmary, later it became known as Erdington House. My late grandfather was Leonard Horace Smith ( the Birmingham Boxer Len "Tiger" Smith in the late 1920's to in the 1940's) and he was married to Grandmother Lillian Harris in 1934 in Birmingham. They had a daughter (my mother Mary Elizabeth Smith born 12 April 1935. During the year 1937 Len was to leave for South Africa and took my Mother with him as well as a lady by the name of Mona Meddins Primrose Jones.

After some time, my Mother found out that Mona was not her biological mother, but not a word was said about her biological mother Lillian Smith. Mona and Len had a son Graham Jones Smith, born here in South Africa where they then lived in Cape Town area. In the early 1950's, my Mother insisted that she wanted to know who her Mother was and Mona, with Graham and my mother set off to the UK to look for Lillian (Len did not go with for some reason). Now Mona knew all Len's family - and she took Mom from the one to the other in search of information as to Lillian's whereabouts to no avail.
In 1972 both Mona and their son Graham died and as my Mother had herself married and had 6 children, Len decided to return to the UK and we never heard from him ever again, nor did we know or met any of the family in the UK - no contact whatsoever!
For many many years (before internet) my brother started searching for Len and found out that Len died in Erdington in 1977 - This was a great shock to my mother and I remember her saying that she suspected he may have died, but the confirmation of his death was a great shock.
So we had no contact person to find out about Lillian and the search continued for many years and with the internet's help, we made contact with many of Len's family (Len had 4 sisters) but not one of his family members "knew" what happened to Lillian - even some of Lillian's own family members was made contact with, but to no avail. I had the most wonderful people in the UK who tried to help me as my Mother will be 79 on ther next birthday in April, time became a factor and we (myself and my siblings also needed to know Lillian's story.
This week Len's daughter-in-law unravelled the whole thing that nobody could inform us of.... Lillian Smith (nee Harris) must have been taken to Erdington Highcroft hopital in 1937 when Len had to leave for SA. Nowhere could we find any Marriage Certificate for Len and Mona, nor can any Devorce Certificate for Len and Lillian be found.....
My Grandmother was robbed of her daughter and taken to Highcroft for fighting to retain her child.... they do call that "mad" and so will most of us get mad if someone took our babies from us.... so now Len and Mona could take my Mom with them and start a new life in SA without any problem. When Len went back to the UK after Mona and Graham's death in 1972, he lived opposite Highcroft Hospital (to see the wife he dumped in 1937?) and I hope he had lots of photos of my Mom and all us 6 children that made her the happiest Mommy and Grandmommy in the whole wide world - she must have been so proud of us!!! If only we had known, she would have had a wonderful life WITH us and she would have seen her first 3 Great-grandchildren before her death! This Monday it is going to be a very emotional day for me as, AT LAST my precious Mommy will find out about her precious Mommy and she will have the closure she needed since she was a small little girl! HOPE EVERYONE WHO READS THIS WILL BE THINKING OF ME ON MONDAY WHEN I GIVE MOM THE NEWS :) :) :)

Emmie Germishuys :)
 
Sorry, also just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to BIRMINGHAMHISTORY as it was right here where I found the WONDERFUL people who helped me locate may Grandmother's whereabouts - You are AWESOME PEOPLE! XXXX
 
From what date are the records closed. I want to look up someone born 1870 died in Highcroft 1935. Per his death certificate he was in Highcroft and at a guess it appears he was probably an inpatient from 1924. Would I be able to access his records. I do have the death certificate
 
The only details retained in the archives would be dates of admission and dates of discharge/death, all medical records for mental patients would have been destroyed after 20 years from date of last contact (in the case of discharge) or 10 years after patients death, other medical records would have been destroyed 8 years after patients death, with the exception of maternity/obstetric records which are retained for 25 years after the birth of the last child.
Details of staff don't usually include much more than dates of employment and sometimes qualifications, for some hospitals there are minutes of management meetings which will often include names of staff.

Colin
 
Thank you for the excellent info Colin. It is a sort of shame that we can never know why he was admitted in the first place. We are hoping that it was not merely because he went blind. On the other hand perhaps there are things we should not know. No one in the family ever spoke of it. I do know at least some family members never spoke to his wife for years but we do not know why. The death cert just said pneumonia.

I am really upset about the maternity records though. I have been waiting for 2016 so I can check my father in laws birth records at Queen Charlotte hospital, Holborn as I thought they became available after 100 years. Now I discover I will never know why I cannot find the birth certificate or why he was born in London. I did try emailing the LMA to ask for access to the records but I only got responses from national archives telling me to contact LMA. Sigh.
 
What a shame...., but at least I know that it will never be possible to find the records of my Grandmother Lillian (Harris) Smith - the 2nd wife of the Birmingham Boxer , Len Tiger Smith (Leonard Horace Smith).

At least, after searching for Lillian Smith all our lives, we have managed to find her having been admitted to Highcroft Hall for post-natal depression in 1937 when her daughter was only 2 and half year old and my Grandfather Len Smith removing my Mother from Lillian and starting a new life with his mistress Mona Medins Primrose Jones in South Africa.

Len and Mona had a son (Graham Jones Smith) born in 1939 and lived in South Africa till Mona's death in 1972 as well as their son Graham's death - also in 1972, never to inform my mother Mary Elizabeth Smith (Betty Volschenk) about Lillian's whereabouts. Len returned to the UK after their deaths and he died in Erdington in 1978 without making contact with his daughter Betty and his 6 grandchildren in South Africa ever again....

It was quite obvious that none of Len's family members, whom we made contact with since internet, refused to inform us - "nobody ever new nor heard anything!!!", but with the help of Wendy Horn and her family, we tracked her to Highcroft Hall Hopital where she was left to spend the rest of her life from 1937, after being moved to Kingfisher when Highcroft was sold - until she turned 81 years old where she died.

Lillian has 5 grandchildren in South Africa (my brother Jacobus died in 1987) and 14 Great Grandchildren as well as 14 Great-Great grandchildren - HAD WE KNOWN WHERE SHE WAS WHILE SHE WAS STILL ALIVE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCH AN HONOUR FOR US TO HAVE FETCHED HER AND GIVEN HER THE LIFE SHE DESERVED WITH US - PITY THE FAMILY IN THE UK FELT EMBARRASSED TO TELL US WHERE TO FIND HER, NOTWITHSTANDING OUR DESPARATE BEGGING FOR INFORMATION!!!

During 1951 my Mother (Mary Elizabeth Smith - Volschenk, travelled all the way from SA to the UK to try and find her Mother, with Mona Jones and Graham by her side, but the family still maintained that they had "NO CLUE" of her whereabouts - Mom returned to SA, SHATTERED, and spent all these years wondering what could have happened to her dear Mother....


Well, my Mom Mary Elizabeth Smith-Volschenk is now nearly 79 years old - and only now found out what the true story was - that Len's Lady was put away in order that Len could live with his mistress in South Africa without having any trouble of a wife giving him a hard time..... at least Mona Medins Primrose was a good mother to my Mom but she knew Len was a married man with a child.... what a way to start a new life - easy way to get the wife out of the way - just have her admitted.???.

Lillian, may your soul rest in peace - we may never have met you, but we lived our lives with you in our hearts and will love you ALWAYS xxxxxxxxx ,
 
My Father Frederick Albert Darby died in Highcroft in 1968, he spent the last years of his life there suffering from Huntingdons. Visited many times, very sad place.
There was one old boy in the same ward as my Dad, suffering from the effects of the Great War, he was always under his bed shouting to his mates.
 
Colin B said:
Highcroft Hospital was known as Erdington House between 1912 and 1948.
My website https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/HIGHCROFTHALLHOSPITAL.htm

Colin
Click to expand...


hi colin..wonder if you clear something up for me please..i have read up on highcroft hall hospital and the book says that after the introduction of the national health service in 1948 this is when it became known as highcroft hall hospital...thing is i have a family birth cert here saying date of birth 3.8.1947..where born 18 highcroft road at highcroft hall hospital so it was called that before 1948..the mother lived a stones throw from dudley road hospital so is it possable that at this time she was suffering from mental health problems...and i am right in thinking it used to be a workhouse...i have done a street walk and i think that highcroft hall hospital is still there??

thanks for any help

lyn
 
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Just noticed I did two washes instead of a was and a wash!
Highcroft Hospital was originally the local workhouse I believe and changed to a hospital for mental illnesses. I'm sure someone will confirm this. Older folks around there remembered it as a workhouse and didn't want to go in although things had much improved. It is now apartments but luckily they left it as a landmark.
 
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