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.

harriet hannah marsh

 
 

find out more about harriet hannah marsh

In the December quarter of 1869 the birth of Harriet Hannah Hadley Griffiths was registered in the West Bromwich district.  Her mother’s maiden name was given as Hadley. 

Harriet was living at 17 Albion St, Oldbury in 1871.  With her were her father, Benjamin was age 31 and a labourer, her mother Hannah was 33 and her elder sisters Esther P. H. (9) and Mary A. H. (4).  On the same page in the 1871 Census at Salop Street, was Harriet’s mother’s brother, Nathaniel Hadley (32) a steel caster, Ann (31) his wife, and their children Louisa (8), Isaac (6), Florence (4), Tom (1mth) and Nathaniel (2). 

In 1881 Harriet was living at Salop Street, Oldbury, with her parents Benjamin (41) Phosphorus worker born at Dawley Green, Salop and Hannah Griffiths (42) born at Oldbury, Ellen V. (18) warehouse girl (unemployed), Mary A. H. (14) born at Rowley, Stafford, a packer at a printing office, and younger siblings Isaac E. H. (8), Alice L. (5) Leah E (6mths). Also recorded is Thomas W. (11 mths) who is Harriet’s nephew.  

Harriet’s christening took place 15 March 1888 in Rotherham, St Helen, Treeton, Yorkshire where she was recorded as an adult.  Her parents were Benjamin and Hannah (nee Hadley) Griffiths and her abode is recorded as Treeton and Oldbury, Staffordshire and her father’s occupation is given as a furnaceman.  There is no obvious indication as to why Harriet’s christening as an adult took place so far from her home in Oldbury.  

There are two ‘Harriet Griffiths’ born in Oldbury in 1869/1870 found on the 1891 census.  The most likely is working as a domestic servant at Copley Hill, Erdington about a mile from her parent’s home of Salop Street, Oldbury.   

In the first part of 1900 Harriet married Samuel Marsh at Stourbridge, only the index entry of the registration could be found. 

Harriet’s patient notes state that she had given birth 14 days prior to admission to the asylum, making the likely date of birth 9 January 1901.  She was recorded as seven months pregnant.   Searching the GRO index for children born in the first quarter 1901 in Stourbridge registration district and with the mother’s maiden of Griffiths, retrieved Hannah Marsh.  The full registration also records that she was born on 9 January 1901 at 30 Mount Street Stourbridge, named Hannah, a girl.  Her father was Samuel Marsh, House painter, and her mother Harriet Hannah Marsh formerly Griffiths.  Her father registered her birth on 11 January 1901.  Baby Hannah is also recorded as having died during the March quarter of 1901 at Stourbridge.   

Two days after her admission to the asylum Harriet died; the coroner’s verdict was “that the said Harriet Hannah Marsh died from failure of the heart consequent on exhaustion from mania”. 

Harriet was buried at Old Swinford, Worcestershire on 30th January 1901 by order of the coroner.  She was 32 years old and had been living at Stourbridge, Worcestershire. 

Harriet’s paternal family (Griffiths) came from Dawley and Little Wenlock, Staffordshire area with her maternal line (Hadley) being traced back to the late seventeen hundreds and living in the Oldbury area.   

Samuel, Harriet’s husband was living at 30 Mount Street, Stourbridge at the time of the 1901 census shortly after her death.  He was recorded as being 38 years old, a widower, house painter, having been born in Stourbridge.  Living with him is Bert Mainwaring his brother in law age 23 and a labourer at skin works, Clara (Samuel’s sister) age 28 and Clara his niece age 3 months.  Next door at 29 Mount Street was Henry Marsh age 66, labourer in gas works, Mirah, his wife, 61 born in Stourbridge, Henry, son single 27, house painter, born in Stourbridge, Alfred son single 24 Labourer in ba[?] works.  Further searching showed that these were Samuel’s parents and brothers.   

Looking back on Samuel’s life he was born in 1863 to Henry (1835 – 1909) and Myra (1840 - ) Marsh (nee Perry).  He had one older brother, Elijah (1862) and three younger brothers, Henry (1874), Alfred (1877) and Bertie (1878), as well as four younger sisters, Anne (1866), Mary Ann (1870), Eliza (1871) and Clara (1873). 

Samuel’s ‘Marsh’ family had lived in Stourbridge for at least three generations back into the mid seventeen hundreds. 

Patient record

  • Registration number 1846; Harriet Hannah Marsh (patient 8253)

  • Age 32, Housewife, married, 1 child

  • Admitted 23 January 1901, from Stourbridge.

  • Religion: Independent.  Read and Write.

  • Duration of existing attack – 8 days, supposed cause Puerperal [? ?]

  • Epilepsy: No.  Suicidal: Yes. Dangerous to others: Yes.

  • Copy of Medical Certificates: given by Edgar E. Collie, Stourcote, Stourbridge

She lies with a lack lustre expression of face, constantly restless, incoherent in all her talk repeating now this word and that without meaning.  She appears to recognise no one.

I have been attending her all through the illness; the condition of mania was more violent 2 days ago.

Mary Ann Marsh (sister in law) tells me this condition is the same all the 24 hrs, though at times she becomes more violent & has on one occasion at least attempted to jump from the windows.   

Previous history – Married 11 mos ago was prematurely confined 14 days ago of a 7 mos child, said to be due to a fall, did well for about 6 days, then began take suspicions against those about her, fancied they were trying to poison her has been getting more violent and restless. 

Family History –

Mother [childish] in old age, aunt on mother’s side had an attack of puerperal insanity. 

State on Admission –

A fairly nourished woman, anaemic, looks ill & prostrate, cannot walk without assistance, herpes round lips and sores on lip & teeth, breath offensive.   

Bruises or marks of violence – none.

[no weight or height given]

Pulse 102, small, low tension.  Skin: Dirty, Tongue: Thickly furred.

Eyes [no entry]

Page 630

Heart: Apex beat normal position, action rapid, sounds weak.

Lungs: No dullness [sic] or any adventitious sounds.

Urine: turbid; reaction: acid: sp. gr. 1025, amount of albumen: trace, Large uretic deposit. 

Mental Condition: Very confused, chatters to herself in an unintelligible manner & is unable to answer questions rationally, at times gets excited & resistive, refuses food under the idea that people are trying to poison her.  W. Buff. 

Notes on progress and treatment:

24 January 1901

Not much sleep last night, is taking food badly, fed with liquid nourishment consisting of milk, beef tea, is excited noisy & resistive.  W. Buff. 

25th January

She had a good night last night and seemed quieter & better this morning, at 7.45 the charge nurse (L. Palmer) gave her some milk which she took without much resistance, about 20 minutes afterwards a nurse (M. Hill) went in to see her to put her bed straight and found her lying on the floor apparently dead, the matter was at once reported to the writer who went to see her & found her quite dead; she had been kept in the padded room since admission the bed being made up on the floor.

The coroner was communicated with and decided to hold an inquest.  W. Buff.   

 Apparent cause of death…. Verdict of coroner’s --- “That the said Harriet Hannah Marsh died from failure of the heart consequent on exhaustion from mania”

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

Ancestry

Freebmd

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/

Findmypast

https://www.findmypast.co.uk

GRO index

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content

Research by Sandra Weir, 2026

To view Harriet’s patient records, click here.

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