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.
may lilley
find out more about may lilley
May was 19 years old when she was admitted to the Asylum on the 8th July, 1907, from the Guest Hospital in Dudley. May was a single woman whose occupation was given as dressmaker. It was reported that she had been ill for 8/9 weeks before her month long stay in the Guest Hospital. On arrival at the Asylum, May was in a critical condition and would not speak. Whilst an inpatient at the Guest Hospital she had only spoken for two days in the last month, was “dirty in habits” and believed her food was being poisoned. Her notes indicate that early in May she had become dull and listless and a few days later began suffering from delusions. It was in May that she started believing her food was poisoned and that people were following her. On seeing the local doctor, she was “ordered” to hospital.
The Asylum admission records describe May as having brown hair, hazel eyes, with poor muscularity and weighing 7 stone. A large number of bruises to her legs and arms were noted. It cannot be ascertained from the notes whether the bruises were the result of her medical condition or had been caused by falling or too vigorous restraining. The report of her stay in the Guest Hospital suggest she may have been seen as a difficult patient as her hospital notes state “…..she appears to understand but won’t do it”; “dirty in habits”; “ refusing food.”
In fact May was suffering from a large abscess in her chest and was producing large quantities of “foetid matter” from her mouth. Her skin was hot and dry and her tongue was dry and yellow. The Asylum staff decided to tube feed May. The second tube feed, caused May to become “ a bad colour” and the tube was removed to allow her to recover. May produced more “foetid matter” from her mouth before the tube was introduced for a third time. Unfortunately, May stopped breathing and her heart stopped on the 9th July, 1907.
The Worcester Journal on Saturday, July 13th 1907 under the heading “Sad Case at the Asylum” reported on May’s inquest. Mr W.B.Hulme presided (on behalf of Mr G.F.S. Brown). May’s father Thomas Lilley, a coalminer gave evidence of May’s condition leading up to her admission. Dr. J.A.Taylor, an Asylum medical officer said because she was so weak on admission he was unable to ascertain her mental state. Dr. Taylor had assisted the medical superintendent with May’s post mortem, where they found a very large abscess, which due to its position would not have been able to be removed and which was incompatible with life. The abscess had caused a respiratory vessel to rupture. Cause of death was heart failure due to an abscess on her respiratory passages, heart and vessels, accelerated by the shock of the feeding tube. Her condition had necessitated the use of a feeding tube. The medical superintendent Dr. G. Braine Hartnell “corroborated.” The jury “returned a verdict according to the doctors’ evidence, and added that the deceased was treated skillfully by the staff, and that no responsibility in connection with her death attached to the staff.”[1]
It may or not be significant that May had been a dressmaker for 2 years but for the 15 months prior to becoming ill had given up dressmaking and was helping at home. One can but wonder if she was suffering with some symptoms that precluded her working. May was buried in Dudley Cemetery (Section B, Grave 650).[2]
May had been born in Dudley in April 1888 to Thomas and Patience Lilley. [3] Thomas and Patience Worton had been married at Sedgley Parish Church, Lower Gornall, Staffordshire in 1869. [4] Patience had been born in Brierley Hill. In 1891, the family were living at 26, Hall Street, Woodside, Dudley[5]. They had been at this address for at least 10 years. Thomas was a coal miner and along with Patience and May, age 2 there were 4 other children: Fanny, age 20 a tailoress, Eliza, age 15 a domestic servant and Isaac, age 11 and Sarah, age 9 who were both at school. By 1901 the family had moved to 18 Blackbrook Road, Dudley. Thomas was now 48 and still a coal miner/hewer below ground, Patience was 47. Their son Isaac was now 21 years of age and a collier labourer above the ground. Also present was a grandson, William S. Lilley, age 4. [6] In 1902, Isaac married Annie Garbett and in 1911 is living with Annie and their 3 children at 108, Blackbrook Road, Dudley, the old parental home. Also present is Willian Lilley a 14 year old farm labourer.[7]
Both May’s parents outlived her. Her father Thomas Lilley died on the 5th April, 1908 and is buried like May in the same part of Dudley Cemetery (Section B, Grave 650)[8] May’s mother Patience died in Dudley in March, 1913 age 59.[9]
[1] Berrow’s Worcester Journal, Saturday, 13th July, 1907 p.6
[2] www.findagrave.com/memorial/219392286/may-lilley
[3] Free BMD. England and Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index 1837-1915 (database on line), UT, USA
[4] Free BMD. England and Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index 1837-1915 (database on line), UT, USA
[5] Census Returns of England and Wales 1891.TNA Kew, Surrey, England
[6] Census Returns of England and Wales 1901. TNA Kew, Surrey, England
[7] Census Returns of England and Wales 1911. TNA Kew, Surrey, England
[8] Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Find a Grave Index 1300’s- current ( database on line) UT, USA
[9] www.findagrave.com/memorial/219392327/patience-lilley
Research by Clare Brindley, 2025
To view May’s patient records, click here.
Go back to find out about more people who were patients at the asylum.