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Messages - lolponty

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The Common Room / Re: Gladys Ivy Willis 1925-2007 Adoption
« on: Sunday 08 November 09 14:02 GMT (UK)  »
Completely new to forums so don't know if this will suffice, however I have posted areply to another topic since. Does this count? Lorraine
PS how do you then contact through PM I presume this means personal message?

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The Common Room / Re: Idiots, Imbeciles, Lunatics .....
« on: Sunday 08 November 09 13:48 GMT (UK)  »
Under the old Mental Health catergories these were divided by IQ levels if my memory serves me right, worst of categories was imbecile these were usually people with an IQ of less than 60 with serious mental and/or physical deformiites. Idiots were people with IQ less than 70 and Feeble-minded fell between 70 and 90. I may be a bit out on actual figures but not that much. All could have physical problems as well as what we now call learning difficulties. There was also another category Moral Defectives this was usually given to women who had illigitimate children or lived off immoral earnings and could be sectioned and incarcerated under the Mental Health Act. Incidentally, as a retired nurse for what was then termed Mentally Handicapped people, we had in our care a lady who was locked away for the sole offence of having an illigitmate child, she was in her late teens when sectioned and although under the Mental Health Act of 1959 was free to leave, having only known institutional life for 40 years did not wish to do so. She was still alive in the late 80's and her daughter visited her regularly. Its sounds likely that your relative could have suffered with Cerebral Palsy (spasticity) and although may or may not have had normal IQ, because of the poor knowledge of these conditions at the time and lack of therapy and speech aids, may have been thought to have low IQ. The film My Left Foot illustrates this very well but he was proved to have normal IQ when ways of helping him communicate were discovered. Lunatics were people who would now be classed as having Mental Illness and come under the Psychiatric umbrella. Hope this helps. Lorraine

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The Common Room / Re: Gladys Ivy Willis 1925-2007 Adoption
« on: Sunday 08 November 09 13:16 GMT (UK)  »
Don't know much about these forums etc. but I may be able to give some guidance on looking for her daughter. I noticed Gladys married in the first quarter of 1956 so the baby must have been born very early 1956 or late 1955. Do you have a date for her birth or the baby's name? Where was she born? Don't know if you are allowed to put your own email address but if so I will give you mine so that you can contact me directly. Would caution that these things need handling very carefully and recommend the use of an intermediary. Lorraine

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