OUTSIDE THE ASYLUM

Can you help George Marshall Medical Museum with a spot of family history research to find out about some people who were admitted to the Worcester City and County Lunatic Asylum in the 19th century?

Our aim is to share more patients’ stories, and to find out about their lives before admission and (where possible) after discharge.

frank morgan

find out more about frank morgan

Frank Morgan’s earliest record is the 1871 census. He is listed as the youngest child of John and Janet Morgan, of Birmingham Road, Oldbury. The identity of John Morgan is somewhat uncertain. On this census he gives his age as 46 and his birthplace as Llanfair, Montgomeryshire. Census night in 1871 was 2 April, so John must have been born between 2 April 1824 and 1 April 1825. There is a gravestone in Oldbury Cemetery for John Morgan, his wife Janet and his mother Mary, which gives John Morgan’s date of birth as 6 April 1824. This fits with Frank’s father, and there is a baptism record for a John Morgan on 15 August 1824. However, the birthplace for this John Morgan is given as Newtown, Montgomeryshire.  His parents’ names are given as David and Mary, which accords with the name of his mother shown on the gravestone.

There is a census record from 1841 for a David Morgans, with a son named John and a wife named Mary. However, the ages of the John and Mary listed on this census record do not accord with the dates on the gravestone. I have been unable to find a census record from 1841 for a John Morgan who more closely matches with the information given on the gravestone.

In the census return for 1851, John and Janet were recorded as living in Birmingham Street, Oldbury. John’s occupation is given as Spade Maker. The marriage of John Morgan was recorded as taking place in the Birmingham registration district in the first quarter of 1851. His wife’s name was given as Janet McKean. Census night that year was 30 March, so this fits for Frank’s parents being newlyweds at the time of the census. There is an 1841 census return for a Janet McKean, daughter of William McKean, aged 12 and living with her family in Walsall. Unfortunately, her place of birth is not listed.

In the 1861 census, John and Janet were still living in Birmingham Street, John was still a Spade Maker, but also a Warehouse Man. Janet’s occupation is given as Milliner. His birthplace is listed as Llanfair, Montgomeryshire, and hers as Paisley, Scotland. They had four children – William, Jean, Alfred and Henry.

Frank was the youngest of five children listed in the 1871 census, the oldest of whom, William, a print compositor, was 19. Jean, aged 16, was a dressmaker, and Alfred, aged 13, was a draughtsman. The next child, at eight years old, was two years Frank’s senior, and rather oddly was named Francis Ernest.

All of the children were born in Oldbury. Census night was 2 April. As Frank’s age is given as six years old, he must have been born between 2 April 1864 and 1 April 1865. Unfortunately, no baptism record has been found.

In the 1881 census, the family’s address is given as 69 Birmingham Road, Oldbury. John was still working as a warehouse clerk, but Janet has no occupation noted. William and Jean are not included, Alfred and Frank were both draughtsmen, and Francis was a pattern maker. There was another child, nine year old Florence.

John Morgan died on 27 April 1887. In Kelly’s Directory of 1888, Janet Morgan is listed as a stationer living at 66 Birmingham Road, Oldbury.

Frank was first admitted to the Powick Asylum on 23 March 1889. His case notes state that he was suffering from melancholia caused by ‘domestic trouble and religious excitement’. He was described as ‘lost and confused, incoherent in his answers, and inclined to kneel down and pray at any time. He refuses his food, and is perverted in his habits. Masturbates and says he has done so for years. Sleeps badly.’

His mental and physical condition gradually improved. By August 17, his case notes read ‘Is going on very satisfactorily. Amuses himself with drawing and takes an interest in what is going on. Looks rather pale, but says he is in his usual health.’ By October 7, ‘Having remained steady and rational, free from delusions or excitement, he was this day allowed out on Trial.’ On November 4, he was ‘Discharged. Recovered.’

In the 1891 census, Frank was living at 127 Oldbury Road, Smethwick. The form notes ‘Head [of the household] away, and the other occupants were the head’s daughter Dorothy, sister-in-law Emily Hale, brother Frank, and a servant, Elizabeth Price. Frank was again following his trade as a draughtsman, working for the railway.

As Dorothy was only five months old at this census, she must have been born at the end of 1890. The only Dorothy Morgan born in Smethwick at that time was the daughter of Alfred Evan Morgan, one of Frank’s older brothers. For some reason, he and his wife and four-year-old son were in a boarding house in Bournemouth that census night.

On 5 March 1895, Frank was admitted to All Saints' Hospital, Birmingham. His previous address is given as Hillfield Road, Saltley. In the 1891 census, his mother Janet was living at 129 Alum Rock Road, Saltley, so it is possible that in 1895 they had both moved to Hillfield Road, or that Frank lived near to his mother.  

On 17 September 1896, Frank was again committed to the Powick Asylum, this time by his brother William. His admission note state ‘He was in Powick Asylum in 1889. Has never done any work since last attack: collects quantities of rubbish. 7 days ago he became violent and threatened to kill his mother & tried to break open the door of her room so as to get at her.’ 

He was in Powick for the next eleven years. As with so many other patients, he had medical problems which should have been dealt with in a normal hospital rather than a mental institution, but the staff at Powick seem to have been more concerned with his behaviour than with any treatment. Time and again his case notes mention his ‘feeble-minded state’ and that there is ‘No change to note.’  

On August 22 1898, the case note reads ‘Suffering from Melancholia: is still, at times, depressed; and is deluded, says one side of his head is thicker than the other. He is weak & simple in Conversation & general demeanour: takes little interest in things about him; is, at times, destructive. Requires supervision. Sparsely nourished. Has Cardiac Hypertrophy.’ There is no mention of medical treatment for his heart condition.

In 1907 Frank was one of 200 patients who were transferred from Powick to the new Barnsley Hall Asylum in Bromsgrove. One hundred men and one hundred women were transferred in batches of 25 over eight days. They were given a new patient number on admission to Barnsley Hall. Frank was number 101. Unfortunately, only one volume of case notes for male patients and one for female patients remain. The male volume includes patients up to number 100, so unfortunately, we do not have a record of Frank’s time at the Bromsgrove asylum.

The admission record for Barnsley Hall notes that he was ‘Previously certified as Insane’, and that his form of mental disorder is ‘Dementia (secondary)’. His bodily disease is noted as Arterio-Sclerosis. Other patients had medical conditions including epilepsy, sunstroke, influenza and masturbation. Again, one cannot help wondering how many of these patients would have fared better in a medical hospital rather than in a mental institution. In the 1911 census, Frank is included on the Barnsley Hall return, listed only by his initials, as were the other patients, all of whom were noted as either ‘Imbecile’ or ‘Lunatic’.

He was one of a number of patients returned to Powick on 9 January 1920. Unfortunately, the case books from this time have disappeared, so we cannot know about his last period at the asylum, although he was included on the 1921 census return from Powick.

Frank died in 1931, his death registered in the second quarter of that year at the registry office in Upton. Deaths at Powick Asylum were normally registered in Upton, so one can assume that he died at the asylum. Apart from the period between 4 November 1889 and 5 March 1895, he had spent almost forty years in various asylums.

Research by Cathy Broad, 2026

To view Frank’s patient records, click here.

Go back to find out about more people who were patients at the asylum.