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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Surrey => England => Surrey Lookup Requests => Topic started by: bearrpam on Monday 23 September 13 16:02 BST (UK)
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Looking for a mental health hospital in or around the Croydon area. My grandmother (Rose Cole nee Harris born East Woodhay 1889) was committed to such a hospital during this period and I would like more info but do not know of any hospital other than Warlingham whom I have been in contact with and they were very helpful.
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I remember as a child going with my mum to visit a friend of hers who was in Netherne, which was a mental hospital in that sort of area, though it may have been more Coulsden that Croydon. Very vague, as about 50 years ago!
I'm off to google now, to see what I can find
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherne-on-the-Hill
CLosed in 1994, now a "village
More about the hosp here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherne_Hospital
Maybe a bit too far south to count as Croydon, though.
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Appreciate your reply. Been searching for my grandmother Rose Cole (nee Harris born 1889) for so long. As I grew up I could not understand why I never saw her. My mum died when I was 4 and I had no contact with her parents.It was only recently I found out she and grandfather were divorced. On the copyof the Decree Absolute dated 1939 I obtained from the Court it stated she "was represented by her Guardian because of her mental incapacity" I also found out she had been in Warlingham Park Hospital in 1920's but no trace of her thereafter. So trying all mental health hospitals in the area.
Cannot find her death either and the fact that she had such a common name did not help!!
Thanks
Pam R
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If she didnt have a middle name, and if she didnt stray too far from Croydon, then there aren't many death regs to choose from:
March 1941
Pancras (London) ref 1b 45
Rose Cole
Age 52
OR
Jun 1975
Surrey South Western ref 17 1195
Rose Cole
age 87 dob 20 May 1888 (do you know 'your' Rose's birthday?)
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Warlingham is only a short distance from Caterham. Caterham Dene Mental Hospital (1920-1941) and St Lawrences Hospital, also in Caterham (1941-1980s). The National Archives have a hospital records database which I have just found.
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Sorry I misread your post, but Caterham is only half an hours drive from Croydon too.
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Another hospital that I came across recently not far from this area was the Cane Hall hospital. It was described as the London County Asylum for south London, so probably covered a very wide area. I can't remember exactly, but it was somewhere in Surrey, possibly the Penge area.
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Yes, that's almost right. It was called Cane Hill and was in Coulsdon, which is the neighbouring town to Croydon.
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I've heard of that one too- near Netherne, I believe.
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There are some links below that might be of use. There are records at the National Archives, but the would be subject to a closure period of at least 70 years.
http://www.canehill.org/
http://www.simoncornwell.com/urbex/projects/ch/
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=48
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Apppreciate all your replies. Will follow them up. Also will get a copy of the Death Certificate of Rose Cole dated 1941 St Pancras see if it is the correct one. See was born 25th Sepember 1888 I have her birth certificate. Dont know if this will confirm it is the correct lady though. Will keep you all posted.
Thanks
Pam
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Obtained the Death Certificate of the Rose Cole as suggested by lyzdb. Unfortunately this is a different lady. Born same year. My Rose Cole (nee Harris) was born 25/9/1888. I have her certificate of birth. Still trying wil keep you informed!
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I have checked out all the Rose Cole (nee Harris) in the replies, obtained certificates but to no avail. Still not found my Rose born 25/9/1888 East Woodhay last heard of in Croydon 1939 when her husband divorced her because of her mental state - just disappeared!
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Have you looked at Rose M Harris (she could have reverted to her maiden name following the divorce) ???
death registered Mar qtr 1944 age 43
Croydon RD Surrey
ref 2a 975
She is listed on the WW2 Commemoration as having died during the bombing of Croydon - Rose Mary Harris age 53 of 16 Devonshire Rd, daughter of the late Charles Harris, 19 Feb 1944 at Queen's Rd Homes (which is in Croydon)
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3149473/HARRIS,%20ROSE%20MARY
The Croydon Workhouse became known as the Queen's Rd Homes http://www.croydononline.org/history/genealogy/poor.asp#hospital
The above website stated that there are admission and discharge & death registers, which usually have a closure period.
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Thanks Sam have tried this one! Got Certificate. I thought it sounded good but many details incorrect. Thanks anyway.
Pam R
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Pam, you could try contacting Croydon Local Studies (Google) They have Cane Hill documents. My paternal grandmother was there & although these records are normally closed they kindly gave me her admission date & date of death. Worth a try,
Jane
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Jane I did try Cane Hill and they came up with a Rose Cole but she was 72 when admitted in 1941 - my grandma would have been 52. What I cannot understand is I cannot find her in any hospital but most puzzling is she does not appear on any BDM list.
Thanks for suggestin anyway.
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Moving a little further away, but not that far from Croydon, is the Royal Bethlem Hospital. This has an archives section which you can read about here (http://museumofthemind.org.uk/collections/archives). I see it also has records from Warlingham Park (formerley Croydon Mental) Hospital. But it's closed until February 2015 during a move to new premises, and it's not clear from a cursory reading of the website how much information is available without visiting in person, especially as some of the Answer buttons under the View Online Archives section of the above page won't open in my browser. YMMV.
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Thanks for your reply Chris. I have been in touch with Bethlem Royal Hospital and from the Bethlem Museum obtained copies of her hospital records from the Warlingham Hospital in 1920 and 30's but after her husband divorced her in 1939 due to her mental state I have lost all trace of her. Not even to be found in BDM Registry. I have been searching for years and I wonder if it is possible that she was killed in the war and body never found. I suppose that is possible.
Thanks anyway
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Sorry, I'd forgotten or missed the bit about your already having information from Warlingham. Do their records say when and where she was discharged to? She might then be traced through directories and/or electoral rolls (if not disqualified from voting by her mental condition) which Croydon Local Studies have.
On the WW2 possibility, could this be her: Rose Mary Harris (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3149473/HARRIS,%20ROSE%20MARY)? The age is about right; father Charles Harris, address 16 Devonshire Rd (whose occupants could be traced back).
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Sorry Chris I have this Certificate. One of the many useless ones I have. Rose was always known as Rose in Census return, Marriage Certificate, D A etc. Never Mary. Dad died c1916 and he was an Ag worker not Platelayer and she was not a Spinster! I have assumed because of her mental state she did not remarry or emigrate so will keep trying. Just cannot undersand no mention of her in BDM records. It does not help that my mother died in 1942 when I was 4 and my grandmother was never mentioned to me and I never saw grandad! Families sure are weird.
Thanks anyway
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Just a thought, but if she was in the Mental Hospital in 1939, that was the start of the war. Were any of the patients from the hospital evacuated to get them out of London and the danger of bombing? If so, her death may not be in the Croydon area.
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Good thinking Groom I will check this out with Croydon History people.
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I grew up in Coulsdon surrounded by all these places !
They provided a lot of employment-presumably you have tried Epsom ?
Kim
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No Kimbrey have not gone out this far. It seems as though Rose always lived within the Croydon area but I will have to go further afield. Still puzzles me why no notice in BDM. I wonder if she changed her name I have tried all the Harris and Cole deaths - both common names unfortunately.
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My G. Grandmother died in Springfield Mental Hospital and also an aunt who was in Tooting Bec Mental Hospital in the 1950's. Both these hospitals are close to Croydon.
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Thanks Peb21. I will try these hospitals.