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.

frederick warman

find out more about frederick warman

Frederick was admitted to the Asylum due to epilepsy on the 24th November, 1906. His stay was short as Frederick died at 7.15am on the 27th November, 1906. 

On the 15th November, 1906, Frederick has suffered an epileptic fit and it was noted this was his first and last epileptic seizure. However, on the 20th November, he awoke with “religious mania” and progressively became more violent, suffering from delirium and hallucinations.  On admission, he had to be carried to the ward and was very weak. Milk had to be poured into his mouth from a drinking cup as he had not eaten for 2 days prior to admission.  On the 25th November, Frederick was catheterised to draw off his urine. His medical notes  on the 26th November, state that Frederick appeared to be paralysed and unable to understand what was being said to him.  During the night of the 27th November, Frederick’s condition worsened at 3am he was struggling to breathe and his pulse was low. An injection of strychnine had some short term affect of alleviating his symptoms but at 7.15am Frederick died.  Further reading of his notes identifies that Frederick was suffering from chronic Bright’s Disease and hence the need for bladder catheterisation.  Bright’s Disease is an old fashioned term for nephritis, an all encompassing term for kidney inflammation. Frederick may have been diabetic, or suffering from Lupus or had a streptococcal infection that resulted in his nephritis.  Without treatment, convulsions and coma may occur in nephritis cases and it may be that Frederick had a convulsion rather than an epileptic fit.

Frederick had light brown hair, grey eyes and a sallow complexion and on admission was age 32, a farm labourer, married and the father of five.  His height and weight were not taken on admission. Frederick had been born in Bromsgrove in the second quarter of 1873 to Eliza (Brighton) and Samuel Warman. His name at birth appears to have been Joseph Frederick Warman[1] and he was baptised with this name on the 13th April, 1873 at Catshill, Worcestershire.[2]

Frederick’s father Samuel Warman had been baptised on the 5th June, 1842 in Bromsgrove.[3] In 1851 Samuel, age 8 was living with his parents and 2 brothers in Catshill, Bromsgrove. Samuel’s father, Peter was an agricultural labourer[4].  On  Christmas Day, 1858 Samuel (age 18) married Eliza Brighton (age 19) at St. John the Baptist Church, Bromsgrove. Both parties were living at Catshill at the time of their marriage and their occupations were given as nailors.  They both made their mark on the register. Samuel and Eliza’s fathers were both nailors too.[5] The predominance of nailors in the family is not surprising given nailing was the main industry in Bromsgrove in the 18th and 19th centuries and where equal numbers of men and women were employed.

Prior to Frederick’s birth, his family were living at 154, Dog Lane, Bromsgrove. Samuel was 31 working as a Farm Labourer  and Eliza (age 32) was working as a nailor. Also present were William Bright, Eliza’s 13 year old son and another son Edward age 11 who were both nailers and a daughter, Theresa May age 9 at school.[6]  By 1881 the family, (Samuel, Eliza, Theresa and Frederick) were living at 8 Birmingham Street, Bromsgrove, Samuel was an Agricultural Labourer and Eliza and Theresa were nailmakers. Joseph Frederick was age 8 and at school[7]. The 1891 Census finds Samuel age 49 and Eliza age 50 living with their grandson, Charles age 10 living at 99, Bournheath, Bromsgrove. Still with the same occupations of agricultural labourer and nailmaker.[8]  In 1911 Samuel and Eliza are living on their own at Snuff Hill, Bournheath and Samuel gives his occupation as Market Gardener.[9] Eliza dies in 1917 and  Samuel in 1927. Samuel was buried in Catshill on the 26th February, 1927.[10]

An obvious candidate for Frederick has not been found in the 1891 Census, although there is a Fred Warman, age 19 working as a servant to Thomas Jones, a grocer in Hawn, Stourbridge.[11]

On the 23rd April, 1893, Frederick age 21, married Agnes Fisher, age 21 at Catshill church. Agnes is a nailmaker and Frederick’s occupation is given as Labourer. Agnes’s father, Henry Fisher is a nailmaker too, whilst Samuel’s occupation like his son is given as labourer.  Both the Bride and Groom are living in Bournheath at the time of their marriage.[12]

By 1901 Frederick is living at 3, Alfred’s Well Bromsgrove. He is aged 29 and a waggoner on a farm/ “Ag. Horse” (sic). Also there is Agnes age 29, his wife and his children, Elsie, 7 (1894- ?), Frederick Joseph, 5 (1896-1978) Mabel, 3 (1897-1956) and Francis,1 (1899-1986), all born in Bromsgrove.[13] This is the address given at the time of his admission to the Asylum.  Frederick was buried in Catshill on the 2nd December, 1906.[14] Although his admission records identify Frederick as a Baptist, he appears in the Church of England Registers.

There is an obituary for Frederick in the Bromsgrove and Droitwich Messenger on the 1st December, 1906 which simply states: “ Sadly missed by his wife and children.” [15] The following year, there are 2 memorium notices for Frederick in the Bromsgrove and Droitwich Messenger, one from his wife Agnes. The second notice from his “ loving brother”, Edward  says “in ever long remembrance of my dear Brother”.[16]

Agnes, Frederick’s widow in 1911 is back working as a wrought iron nailmaker and living with her 4 Children.[17] By 1921 Agnes is living at 42, Stourbridge Road and is on ‘Home Duties’.[18]  Three of her 4 children are living with her, Fred jnr, Mabel and Francis who are all working at Austin Motors. Francis at age 18 and a half had enlisted, he was 5ft 7” and gave his religion as Primitive Methodist but in May 1918 he was classed as no longer fit for service[19].  In the 1939 Register, Agnes is still living in Stourbridge Road, with a lodger George Cound.[20] In October 1946 Agnes married George Cound in Droitwich. Agnes died in April 1958 age 86 [21] and is buried at Lodge Hill Crematorium, Birmingham.[22]

Frederick’s time in the Asylum had been a short one but his life and the life of his family mirrored changes at the both the local and national level. Locally the dominance of nailmaking in Bromsgrove is reflected in the occupations of the family, interspersed with agricultural labouring. Frederick and his family would have keenly felt the moves from agricultural life to the changes wrought by industrialisation. As nailmaking declined in the region, job opportunities occurred in motor manufacturing, which Frederick’s children took advantage of. The family also lived through a time of rapid societal change with religious diversity the Warmans’s were Christened and married in the local parish church (Church of England) but embraced non-conformity as Baptists and Primitive Methodists. Frederick’s widow and children lived through World Wars and despite being a young widow, working in a difficult industry, Agnes must have been built of strong stuff to live until she was 86.

[1] England and Wales Civil Registration Birth Index 1837-1915 (database on line) Free BMD Leih, Utah, USA

[2] England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (database on line) Family Search,2013, Provo, Utah, USA

[3] Worcestershire, England, Church of England, Births and Baptisms, 1812-1922 (database on line) , Lehi, UT, USA

[4] 1851 England Census HO107; Piece:2047;Folio:386;Page:25

[5] The Diocese of Worcester Bishop’s Transcripts 1598-1920, Worcester, Worcestershire: Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Servics

[6] 1871 England Census RG10; Piece: 3072; Folio: 89; Page 24

[7] 1881 England Census RG11; Piece: 2939; Folio: 70; Page 11

[8] 1891 England Census RG12; Piece: 2346; Folio: 89; Page 17

[9] The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew Census Returns of 1911: 214

[10] Catshill Parish Registers 1905-1928 The Diocese of Worcester Parish Registers, Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, Worcester, England

[11] 1891 England Census RG12; Piece: 2299; Folio: 15; Page 24.

[12] Catshill Parish Registers 1862-1894 The Diocese of Worcester Parish Registers, Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, Worcester, England

[13] 1901 England Census RG13; Piece: 2799; Folio:112; Page 1

[14] Catshill Parish Registers 1905-1928 The Diocese of Worcester Parish Registers, Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, Worcester, England

[15] Bromsgrove and Droitwich Messenger  1/12/1906 p.10

[16] Bromsgrove and Droitwich Messenger 27/11/1907 p.8

[17] The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew Census Returns of 1911

[18] The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew Census Returns of 1921

[19] UK British Army World War 1 Pension Records 1914-1920 TNA Kew Surrey England WO364 Piece: 793

[20] The 1939 Register Kew London, England, RG 101/5765J

[21] England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index 1916-2007

[22] Birmingham City Council ‘s Cemeteries and Crematoria Records http://birminghamburialrecords.co.uk

Research by Clare Brindley, 2025

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