The Tewksbury Asylum for Chronic Insane kept records from 1866 to 1907, which
are available at the Massachusetts State Archives or through the Family History
Library. These registers include the patient's name, age, sex, civil condition
(single or married), birthplace, residence, transferred from (usually from the
almshouse), date of transfer, how supported by state or town, date of discharge,
how discharged (usually by death), and remarks. When the asylum opened on
October 1, 1866, thirteen of the first thirty-five patients admitted were males,
twenty-two were females, and they ranged in age from fourteen to fifty-five (two
had no age recorded). Nineteen of the patients were born in Ireland, while
others were born in England, France, Scotland, Charlestown, Lynn, Cape Breton,
Boston, and Lowell (four had no birthplace recorded). Thirty patients died while
at the asylum, three lived into the twentieth century, and one was transferred
to the Worcester Asylum.
The available records of the state almshouse at Monson contain admission
records and case histories from 1854 to 1882. The State Primary School at Monson
contain case histories from 1864 to 1895; boarding out registers from 1883 to
1892; placement registers from 1874 to 1890; hospital registers from 1854 to
1895; indenture agreements from 1854 to 1890; death registers from 1854 to 1895;
birth registers from 1854 to 1885; and registers of weekly admissions and
discharges from 1854 to 1895. This example from Great Barrington shows the basic
form used by towns throughout Massachusetts when sending people to the Monson
almshouse:
September 13, 1871, The Superintendent of State Almshouse, at Monson, Will
please admit the following person from Great Barrington; name, Angeline
Garrison, age 46, birthplace Hillsdale in State of New York, Came into State
1868, last time; this is signed by the overseers of the poor of Great
Barrington.
Additional questions on this form show that Angeline's parents were Henry and
Mary (Makeley) Garrison, born in New York; the father died in Austerlitz, New
York, and the mother lives in Albany, New York; her grandfather was Jacob
Makeley of Hillsdale.
On September 26, 1871, Worcester sent
three-and-one-half-year-old Alexander Benton, born in Rhode Island, son of
Alexander Benton, to Monson. The back of the form reads:
This child was brought to Worcester by His Father who states that the mother
is dead; he was born in one of the Southern States and served in the Rebel Army
during the war, and is now in Fitchburg Jail under sentence of one Year for
Assault with intent to murder; he married an Irish woman in Worcester, and
afterwards informed her he had another wife in Rhode Island, and all he wanted
for her was to take care of the child - which she now refuses to
do.
The admission forms to the State Primary School at Monson are on letterhead
of the "State Board of Lunacy and Charity, Department of In-Door Poor." The form
letter continues as in this example: "To the Superintendent State Primary
School, Dear Sir: Please receive and provide for Mary Godfrey, committed to the
custody of the Board by Police Court at Springfield, on the third day of
September 1882, for the offence of Neglected." At the bottom are explanations of
how the children came to be sent to the State school, in the manner of the
following examples:
- Mary Godfrey, of Sprague St., W. Springfield. Born Sept. 10, 1877 in
Springfield. Fa. John [dead], Mo. Ellen. This girl's father is dead and her
mother in jail, Springfield, for drunkenness. She has been arrested several
times for this offence. There are two other children, John about 14 years old,
is in the Hampden County Truant school, Charles, about 15 years old is at work
for the M.U.Tel. Co. in Springfield and is self supporting. After commitment of
the mother, this girl had no home. She is bright and attractive and should be
placed out.
- John J. Connors. Father Michael Connors died in 1878. Mother Betsey died in
1879, soon after adopted by Patrick & Rose Keegan. Has had a good home, but
disposed to take things not his own. On Friday stole a watch chain, rings &
ball from a store on E. Main St., Fall River.
- Harry Sheldon of Curtisville, Stockbridge. Born Mch. 1880 in Chatham, N.Y.
Fa. Horatio N. - Mo. Maria (dead). This boy with his older brother was before
the Court at Lee last Jan. 9 as neglected children, but father said he was going
to remove to N.Y. Instead he moved to Stockbridge. He keeps house himself &
works out on a farm and locks the children out of doors day times. They are
little thieves. Have been implicated before. Sat. Oct. 5th they broke into the
house of a Mr. Clapper and stole a number of small articles and did quite an
amount of mischief. The father is an old man and is said to have been in jail
several times. He has very little control over the boys.
- Irene T. Chapman, of Main St., Natick. Born April 1, 1877 in Cochituate.
Father Charles K. Mother, Margaret. The parents of Irene are dead. Father died
1885, Mother 1884. Since their deaths she has been living most of the time with
her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Catherine Martin, 299 North St., Boston. Mrs.
Martin keeps a house of ill-fame and dance hall at that place. On Sept. 15th
Irene ran away from there and went to her paternal grandmother, Mrs. Lucy
Chapman in Natick where she has since resided. Irene has a very bad temper and
when asked to do anything replies with vile and abusive language. Has thrown
knives and dishes at her grandmother and torn up her bed clothes. Mrs. Chapman
being an old lady was in constant fear and for that reason had her complained
of.
- John C. Rochford, born Feb. 23, 1882, Alice J. Rochford, born Feb. 24, 1884,
and Mary E. Rochford, born Aug. 23, 1885, all born in Springfield. Fa. Geo. J.,
Mo. Mary [dead]. Family have been aided a good deal. About a year ago the father
got drunk and smashed the furniture and turned his wife out of doors, though
since there has been but little trouble. The mother died Dec. 7th and the
children were found last Wednesday ragged and dirty at the home of their
grandmother who says she can find places for them but could not show that she
had found any suitable persons willing to take them.
The school made indenture agreements that placed many children with families
throughout New England; sample indentures show placements in Massachusetts as
well as Providence, Rhode Island; Hillsborough, New Hampshire; East Windsor,
Connecticut; and a rare placement in Woodsdale, Butler County, Ohio. The boys
were in most cases to learn agriculture or farming and the girls housekeeping.
At the end of their indenture, when the boys were twenty-one and the girls were
eighteen, they were to be given a certain sum of money - usually $50 but
sometimes as high as $100 - two suits of clothing, one for the Sabbath and one
for working days, and sometimes a Bible.
The registers of births contain records of many illegitimate children, but in
most cases the names of both parents are given.
The registers of deaths
contain the name of the deceased, age, death date, cause of death, parent's
names, sex, and birthplace.
The records of the hospital at the State Primary
School contain the name of the patient, age, birthplace, whether single or
married, occupation, previous health, habits, color, date of admission, disease,
result (whether they got well or died), and remarks. For example:
- Catherine O'Donnell, 3 1/2 months, born Boston, white, admitted 25 July,
Diarrhea, died 28 July, mother had syphilis
- Primus Johnson, 100, born Connecticut, married, black, admitted 23 July,
Diarrhea, got better
- John P. Hillman, 40, born New York, married, laborer, previous health good,
habits bad, white, admitted 24 August, Fracture skull, comatose, died, injured
on Railroad.
Monson was also home to the Hospital for Epileptics. The records contain the
name of the patient, whether sane or insane, age, sex, civil condition,
birthplace, residence, occupation, how committed, committed from, date of
commission, how supported (by state, town, or private), date of discharge, how
removed, and remarks. For example:
- Warren Edward Whitehill, sane, 16, male, single, born New Jersey, residence
Springfield, no occupation, committed by District Court at Salem, 12 August
1898, supported by the town, died 29 May 1905 of pulmonary
tuberculosis
- George Mullin, insane, 13, male, single, born Boston, residence Holyoke, no
occupation, admitted from Northampton Hospital 25 February 1902, supported by
the town, died 30 October 1905 from exhaustion from epilepsy.
At Rutland, the State Sanatorium kept records from 1898 to 1918, also
available at the Massachusetts State Archives or through the Family History
Library. The detailed patient registers contain the date of admission, name and
address of patient, sex, age, married or single, religion, occupation, place of
business, dependents, trial, date of discharge, who is paying for the hospital,
family physician, friends, place and date of birth, and mother's and father's
names and places of birth. Other registers in the sanatorium also included
length of stay and result.
- On 30 January 1900 Chas. T. Crook of Attleboro was admitted; he was male,
16, single, Protestant, worked in a jewelry shop, dependent was his father, send
bill to father, physician was Dr. A.A. Amsden of Attleboro, friends were his
father A.W. Crook of Attleboro and his mother S.W. Crook of Plainville; he was
discharged on 5 May 1900 after a stay of 96 days but was not improved, in fact
worse.
- On 1 May 1905 Frederick E. Marsh of 380 Court St., Ware was admitted; he was
male, 48, married, Protestant, a self-employed silver plater, had a wife and 4
children as dependants; he was discharged 31 August 1905; he was paying for his
stay himself; his physician was Dr. Pearson of Ware; his friends were his wife
Mrs. Frederick Marsh Mr. E.N. Lyman of Ware; he was born at Ware on 18 September
1856 to Wm. C. Marsh born Hardwick and Delia B. [Comsear?] born Ware.
There are three institutions in Boston for which records are available: the
Boston Insane Hospital or Lunatic Hospital (records available from 1855 to 1907
at MSA or through FHL);the Hospital at Rainsford Island (1854-1866); and the
Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-minded Youth (1864-1909). All
records can be accessed at MSA or through the FHL. The registers of the Boston
Insane Hospital contain the name of the patient, age, sex, civil condition,
birthplace, residence, committed by, committed from, committed on, discharged
on, removed by, and remarks. For example:
- Wm. E. Foley, age 30, male, born Boston, residence Boston, committed on 7
Jan. 1880, discharged on 23 Feb. 1911, removed by the Board of Insanity to
Medfield Hospital
- Maria F. Dennis, age 69, female, widow, born New Hampshire, residence
Boston, admitted by probate court 7 Dec. 1903, died 3 Jan. 1904 from exhaustion
of Melancholia
The registers of the Hospital at Rainsford Island contain the name of the
patient, age, birthplace, marital status, occupation, previous health, habits,
color, date of admission, disease, duration before admission, condition, result,
departure, and remarks. Many of the patients were recent immigrants, as in the
following examples:
- John Kerrigan, age 22, born Ireland, married, tailor, poor health, irregular
habits, admitted 19 August 1854, Phthises for 1 year, very feeble, not improved,
departed 13 October 1854, sent to Ireland
- Mary Manning, age 24, born Ireland, married, housewife, good health,
admitted 3 April 1855, Parturition for 4 hours, favorable condition, had child 4
April 1855
The hospital also took in Civil War soldiers:
- Sergt. Wm. Griffen, late of Co. I, 2nd N.H. Vols., Fever and Ague, married
to Abigail Brown at R.I. Hospital
- Wm. Parker late of Co. L., 1st Ky. Arty., Loss of Leg, Died August 8th
1865.
Finally, registers were kept by the Massachusetts Commission on Mental
Diseases of patients in private hospitals from 1843 to 1917. In the register
that covers from 1884 to 1914 there are listed forty-two private asylums or
doctors licensed to take mental patients. Information contained includes the
name of the patient, age, sex, civil condition, birthplace, residence, committed
by, committed from, committed on, discharged on, removed by, and remarks. The
residences of the patients are from all over New England and beyond.
The stories found in these case histories, and to a lesser degree in the
registers, provide not only a glimpse into the life of a particular individual,
but also a window onto how the state took care of the poor, mentally ill,
chronically ill, and disabled in the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries.