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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: carmay on Tuesday 07 June 11 23:41 BST (UK)
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I was just wondering if there is any place where still births and/or miscarriages were recorded for Salford.
Thanks,
Carole
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Any particular date? It's only fairly recently that stillbirths were registers (miscarriages are not recorded) and the registers are not available to the public.
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I'd be looking at somewhere around 1923-26.
Carole
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Registration began in 1927. See this thread for more details-
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,302107.0.html
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Thanks. I'm still researching what "acute mania" meant in the late 1920's. People have told me it could have been post partum depression, but when my grandmother was admitted to Hope Hospital, my Mom was 6 and her brother was 3. So I'm wondering if there was a still birth and that led to my grandmother's hospitalization. I know I can't access her hospital records for 100 years and I probably won't be around by then. I would just really like to know what happened to her.
Carole
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I got my grandmother medical records for the 1940s regarding her stillborn twins directly from the hospital she was in. They have their own archives department. I just had to have a letter signed by my grandmother giving me permission to access her record. This is in NSW, Australia.
I don't know much about the medical records and privacy acts for UK, but could it be worth getting in contact with the said hospital to see if you can do a similar thing. You might be able to do this with a letter signed by your mum or a sibling.
Just a thought.
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Thanks, but my Mum passed away in 1996 and I am the only one left in our family. I think I will try writing to Hope Hospital though as there are so many unanswered questions about my grandmother.
Carole
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Perhaps a letter from you would be enough (as next of kin) if they do hold any of the records onsite. Good luck.
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I am currently searching for my stillborn sister with no luck. HOwever someone I work with found her stillborn brother who was born at Hope Hospital. Apparently they have a stillborn list there with details of burial. The baby who was found was from the 1960's so not sure how far back it goes but might be worth contacting the hospital first.
You can apply for a stillbirth cert from the General Register Office but I am not sure whether you would get one from that far back. They will only send it to a parent though or a sibiling if the parents have died.
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Acute mania is definitely not post partum depression. It's now called Bipolar disorder.
Basically it means the person can have episodes of depression and then elevated energy levels often leading to lack of sleep and or it can even be so severe that they have hallucinations or mania. In the early years of the 20th century most people were locked away for their own safety because of the manic mood swings.
My great grandmother died from acute mania in an asylum in Scotland
Margaret
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Thanks for the reply, Margaret. I'd been told so many different things about what acute mania meant. When I got my grandmother's death certificate, that is what was listed as the cause of death. My Mom had been told that her mother died of hepatitis. She had also been told that her mother died when she was 6 years old, when in fact, my Mom would have been 7-1/2 when her mother actually died. So evidently when my grandfather had to put her away, he felt it was easier to tell the children that their mother had died. I'm sure back in the 1920's a mental ward of a hospital was no place to take children to visit their mother. And she may not even have known who they were anyway. It's all rather sad.
Carole
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Isn't it sad that something that today is a controllable illness should lead to isolation from family and friends and eventually death for our ancestors.
I've just started to research what life was like in the asylums and it's not a nice picture at all.
Margaret
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I would be interested in your research. I know that the term "bedlam" came from the old insane asylums. What a horrible life that must have been for those who were put in there.
Carole
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I'm still collating bits and pieces but I need to do a lot more. I would love to get hold of some medical records but most seem to have been destroyed.
Have a look at the BBC website for Bedlam Hospital it's very interesting.
Margaret
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Hi,
Hospitals do keep birth registers that include stillbirths. Hope Hospital is no exception, it is now called Salford Royal Hospital and its maternity unit is due to close mid November. Only a stand alone unit will remain and hopefully about 600 births a year will take place there.
The old registers which are currently stored at the unit are due to be archived at Manchester Record Office once the unit closes.
Some midwives keep personal registers and these may sometimes have been deposited at archives so it is always worth checking as personal records often contain more information.
Midmum
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Midmum, do you know how long hospitals would keep registers of stillbirths for and who you would contact to check the register?
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Hi
maternity units or hospitals have to keep records for 25 years and then they can either destroy them or send them to an archive.
To access them or to see where they are it would be best to either call the hospitals maternity office or the relevant record office. Bear in mind though that confidentiality may mean that unless you are the mother you may not be able to access the records for 100 years.
I think, if my memory serves me right that Guy Etchells had a thread on this subject which included all the relevant legal niceties. Probably on the common room.
My local unit has registers going back a long way and I imagine many others do too.
Midmum
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Hi
I have more info re Salford Royal / Hope hospital maternity registers.
From 20th July the registers dated 1934 - 2008 will be transferred to the Greater Manchester County Record Office. Access will be limited in accordance with the Data Protection Act. If you want info from them you will need to submit a "Subject Access Request" with proof of your identity.
After 100 years these registers will become open to the public.
GMCRO, 56 marshall street, New Cross, M4 5FU
tel 0161 832 5284
email archiveslocalstudies@manchester.gov.uk
hope this helps you
Midmum