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.

martha franklin

find out more about martha franklin

Martha Franklin née Hopkins was born in 1832 in Cholsey, Berkshire to parents Thomas and Hannah. Thomas was a shepherd and in the 1851 census she was living with her parents, her brother James, her cousin Emma and her nephew who was the son of James. In 1856 she married William, a farm labourer from Cholsey and in the 1861 census they were living locally with their two children Jane age 3 and Albert Henry age 4. William was still a farm labourer. Life changed for the family in April 1863 when Martha aged 31 was admitted to Littlemore Hospital, Oxford. The notes suggested that this was her first admission and that she had suffered from epilepsy for 20 years. Her symptoms were described as not suicidal but dangerous to others and demented. She was able to answer questions but slowly and had a vacant expression and continually looked about her. Notes from 1866 describe her as frequently maniacal with violence after epileptic fits.

On the 26th April 1867 she was moved to the asylum at Powick.

Several other patients were transferred at the same time. This often occurred when an asylum became overcrowded and financial arrangements were made with other Asylums. Martha spent 4 years at Powick and her diagnosis remained as Dementia with epilepsy. Her symptoms had worsened as she is described as having a weak memory , understanding very little and subject to sudden outbursts of excitement and very violent. Her epileptic attacks were irregular. She also felt her legs and arms had been cut off and imagined her friends had been poisoning her. She was still seen as a danger to others. I would presume due to the distance she was from her family and the cost of travel she had little or no visitors.

On January 26th 1871 she was again transferred to Camberwell House London, one of several patients transferred at the same time. Camberwell House was newly opened, set in 20 acres with an emphasis on exercise and outdoor pursuits. Some patients attended concerts and even went on seaside trips so a more progressive approach to treatment. Unfortunately Martha stayed only four months before transferring to the newly opened Berkshire asylum. So on the 4th April 1871 she moved to Berkshire finally nearer home and family. Her diagnosis was still Dementia, supposed cause epilepsy.

Unfortunately there are no clinical notes remaining from her time there, but she remained at Berkshire Hospital until her death on 19th February 1874 at age 42, her death certificate stating cause of death as Epilepsy. Regarding her family her husband William in 1871 was living with his two children Jane and Henry. By 1981 he had remarried and was living with his wife and Henry and their new baby John. William died in 1894.

Jane married age 23 and had six children. Her oldest child was called Martha after her mother.

Research by Tessa Franklin, 2026

To view Martha’s patient records, click here.

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