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.

sarah ann price

find out more about sarah ann price

Sarah Ann Price (nee Shorthouse) was born in 1816 at Brierley Hill, Staffordshire the eldest daughter of John, a blacksmith and Sarah (nee Perks) Shorthouse.  She was christened on 20 October 1816 and had at least two sisters and four brothers. 

Sarah married William Twiger 25 December 1835 at Dudley with this surname being shortened to Twig/Twigg in later years. They had five children, Thomas (1837), Sarah Ann (1839), Eliza (1841), Jane Selina (1843) and William Henry (1848) each being born in the Kingswinford area of Dudley.

By the 1841 census Sarah was living at Moor Lane, Kingswinford with William Twiger, a labourer and their eldest three children, Thomas (4), Sarah (2) and Eliza (1 month).  William noted that he wasn’t born in Staffordshire although this census does not record where he was born and he had died before the next census.   

William Twigg died in 1848 aged about 32 leaving Sarah widowed with five young children.  In the 1851 census Sarah was recorded as living at Low Town, Dudley, with her five children Thomas (15) working as a coal miner, Sarah Ann (13), Eliza (10), Jane (8) and William H (2). 

Later in 1851 the banns were recorded in preparation for Sarah marrying William Price at St Martin, Tipton on the 29 September.  The original marriage document is not available online to establish further details.   

Sarah was widowed again in 1861 where she was living at Bughole, Dudley with children Jane (18, 1843), William (12, 1848), Elizabeth (8, 1853), Absalom (6, 1855) and Joseph (4, 1857). 

By 1871 Sarah was in the High Street, Pensnett with her five children by William Price, Elizabeth (1853), Charles (Absalom 1855), Joseph (1857), Sarah (1859) and John (1862).  Again, Sarah has been widowed.  Charles had previously been registered as Absalom. 

There is no given occupation in any of the historical records for Sarah, her main occupation during her adult life can be assumed to be the caring of her ten children much of the time as a single parent through widowhood. 

Sarah’s oldest child Thomas Twigg, a coal miner and his wife Martha (nee Rigby) were at Swan Street in Pensnett, Dudley in the 1881 census and Sarah was recorded to be living with them. Swan Street is adjacent to Broad Street where Sarah was living when she was admitted to Burntwood Hospital.  

On 7 October 1884 Sarah is transferred to Powick Hospital from Burntwood Hospital.  Her admission entry notes that this is her first attack (of senile dementia) which has lasted 20 months with the cause being unknown. 

On admission to Powick Hospital “she was stated to be suicidal but neither epileptic nor dangerous to others".  Her certificate said she was incoherent in conversation regardless of personal safety and had cut her dress in several places to conceal silver spoons which did not belong to her; she would also appear before persons in a state of nudity if not prevented; she had a tendency to wander without any definite object & would get through her bedroom window at night is not prevented”.

Sadly, during the following two years she is often recorded as restless and disruptive, especially at night, eventually becoming feeble and unable to do anything for herself.  By September 1886 Sarah is bedridden and very weak resulting in her death on 8th October 1886. The cause of death is recorded as “Interstitial Nephritis & meningeal haemorrhage”.  

Sarah was buried in the parish of Powick on 12 Oct 1886. 

Research process

Using the Broad St, Pensnett address found in the admission entry to the Powick the 1881 census was searched.  Sarah Ann Price was found living with Thomas & Martha Twigg, she is recorded as mother-in-law to the head (Thomas Twigg).  They were living at Swan Street, Pensnett, Dudley which is in tangent with Broad Street, as recorded in her admission to the asylum.   

The 1871 census was searched for Sarah Price whose details matched those in the 1881 census.

A possible Sarah Price was found as a widow with four children, Elizabeth Price, Charles Price, Sarah Price and John Price.  They were living at New Street, Pensett, Kinswinford, Dudley.  

Thomas & Martha Twigg’s marriage was found (Ancestry) which gave Thomas’s father’s name (William Twigg) and Martha’s maiden surname as Rigby. 

To establish if Sarah is Martha’s mother as suggested in the 1881 census the GRO index was searched for children found in 1871 census with the mother’s maiden surname of Rigby (no results) and further research on Thomas Twigg and Martha Rigby lead to the theory that Sarah may have been Thomas’ mother.  

As Thomas Twig’s marriage gave his father as William Twigg, Ancestry was searched for christenings of children to William and Sarah (Ann) Twigg in the Kingswinford area.  This retrieved Thomas (1837), Sarah Ann (1839), Eliza (1841), Jane Selina (1843) and William Henry (1848).  The birth date for Thomas matched that found in 1881 census. 

Cross referencing these children in the GRO index retrieved the mother’s maiden name as Shorthouse. 

GRO index was again searched for the children found with Sarah Price in 1871 census.  This retrieved each child with the mother’s maiden surname Shorthouse.

Freebmd was searched for a marriage between Price & Shorthouse but retrieved no results.

This search was repeated in Ancestry and this initially retrieved banns for William Price and Sarah Ann Twigg and then a marriage between them where the bride’s father was recorded as John Shorthouse.  This was the evidence needed to link the surnames Twigg, Price and Shorthouse, substantiating that this is the same Sarah through the historical documents found.

Findmypast was searched for a marriage between Sarah Ann Shorthouse and William Twigg retrieving the correct event, with the groom recorded as William Twiger

Ancestry was searched for christenings in Brierley Hill Sarah’s birthplace recorded in the 1881 census.  Sarah’s christening was found (daughter of John and Sarah Shorthouse) along with her siblings and a marriage between John Shorthouse and Sarah Peck concluded the details of Sarah’s life.  Searches were made of the census’ to establish John Storthouse’s occupation.  Ancestry also retrieved Sarah’s entry record to the Worcester Asylum and her burial details.  

Research by Sandra Weir, 2025

To view Sarah’s patient records, click here.

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