Bit of a mystery!

[AlexNoodle]

Hi Guys

Here is one for you...

In my partners side of the family there is a Mary Jane Keightley, born Boston Lincolnshire around 1848. She married a William Dishman around 1870 up in Boston, had a son William that year who died as a baby. They they have a son Harry Keightley Dishman in 1872 down in Camberwell. They are lodgers in 1871, but in 1881 Mary is nowhere to be found and William is living with son Harry, Housekeeper Clarissa West, and daughter Ethel born circa 1878 and son Sidney born circa 1879... the thing is I know that Ethel and Sidney are both Clarissa and William's children as they (and their sister Winifred Clara born 1882) were all registered under the surname West with D as a middle initial (presumably for Dishman.) In 1891 Clarissa is down as William's wife although they weren't actually married yet.

In 1897 Mary Jane (Keightley) Dishman died aged 48 in Kensington Infirmary of paralysis. The following quarter William and Clarissa married. On Mary Jane's death certificate it says she was a Laundress of 24 Bangor Street. I've looked through the census returns for the Kensington Infirmary for both 1881 and 1891 and can find no trace of Mary there.

Does anyone know what district of Kensington Bangor Street comes under for the 1881 and 1891 censuses? I am just somewhat puzzled over where she was during both censuses allowing her husband to have children with his housekeeper. I know back then divorce wasn't really much of an option, a distant Dishman relation speculated she might have been admitted to a lunatic asylum following the birth of son Harry perhaps due to prolonged grief over her first child's death, but I doubt that. Is it possible she had some kind of accident which made her paralysed and hospitalised for a number of years until her death? Does anyone know whether the admittance records to Kensington Infirmary are able to be looked at?

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Although my partner comes from Sidney (William and Clarissa's son) I am still very much interested in the 'Mary Jane Mystery' lol.

Thanks in advance.

Alex

[Emsworthy]

Hmmm, interesting!

I've had a look at 1881 and found the following person:

M.D., Patient, Married, Female, Lunatic

Surrey County Lunatic Asylum, Wandsworth, London

RG11/660 Pg 40


Obviously could've been anyone, but a possibility I suppose...

Regards, Emma

[casalguidi]

Hi Alex

According to the Hospital Records Database, there are some records for Kensington Infirmary ie. Admission & Discharge  1872 - 1958 at London Metropolitan Archives

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/?source=ddmenu_search2

Casalguidi
 

[PB_Bear]

In 1881 this should take you to Bangor Street. Seem to be a lot of Lodging houses around there.

RG11/0032/ fol 72/ page 12
Kensington   (Kensington Town)

Pauline

[jennifer c]

Hi 1891 24 Bangor Street 1891 in St.Clements North Kensington.

7 families living at no.24 but no Mary Jane.
Jennifer

[AlexNoodle]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the help so far. Will take a look at the Bangor Street stuff.

Alex

[Richard Knott]

Putting the wife in an asylum and breeding with the housekeeper seems more common than you might think!:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,139071.0.html

[AlexNoodle]

Hi Guys

I had a quick look in my little booklet of old medical terms/causes of death and it seems that the term 'Paralysis' was used to describe someone who had a stroke. Quite sad really for a woman of 48 to die of a stroke.

Sadly still no further with finding poor Mary though.

Alex

[edwardgarrett]

Hi Alex,

If you are still interested in the Dishman/West story, I can tell you quite a lot about it as Ethel Nellie Dishman West was my grandmother. It is a tangled tale.

All best

EG