Cheshire Asylum - Boase

[lalaus]

I'm looking for information about my grandmother, Lilian Mary Boase.  I just received her death certificate; she died at Cheshire Asylum Upton on Jan 7 1919.  It has been a family mystery; my father only knew that she went into a "sanitarium" when he was 4 (1917).  Her cause of death is listed as 'valvular disease of the heart  some years'.  I'd like to know if there is any way to get more information: if she was admitted for mental illness, or for this physical disease, and when she was admitted.  I'd also like to know where she is buried.   Thanks so much in advance to anyone who looks into this.

[Jo Harding]

Hello lalaus,

Welcome to Roots Chat.

The records for the Cheshire Asylum, known locally as The Deva, are held in the Cheshire Record Office in Chester.

I imagine it would require a visit to inspect these. Before you make any journey, I would ask them about the terms of access as sometimes such records are closed (ie not available to the public) for 100 years. Since you have a close relationship, Lilian being your grandmother, I imagine that you should be able to view these but you may need to supply proof of that.

Jo

[lalaus]

Thank you, Jo, for sending me in the direction of the Cheshire Records Office.  Since I am in the United States, I will not be able to go in person at this time, but have found their website and will submit a request.

Can you research if/where she was buried if in the Cheshire area, or would you like a separate request?

Thanks again.

[Jo Harding]

Hello lalaus,

I apologise for the delay in replying to your post.

I don't know where Lilian Boase would have been buried if she died in Chester Asylum in 1919. Very often, the asylums had their own private graveyards and patients were interred in these. I do not know if that applied to Chester.

There is only one cemetery database online for Chester, that is the Overleigh Cemetery. I did a search on there and could not find her burial recorded.

My advice would be to ask the Cheshire RO for the most likely cemetery for her burial. Offhand, I wouldn't like to suggest where it might have been.

Jo

[christopherneil]

Hi lalaus

Possible good news; the chesire records office in Chester has records of patients at what you refer to as Upton that has been known by many different names now known as the Countess of Chester.  My own grandmother was committed there in 1917 and I found she died in there in 1980.

Cheshire records office has records to 1959 but unfortuantely when the hosptal was taken over they decided to destroy records from then onwards.

My Grandmother was buried in Blacon cemetery which is directly opposite the hospital and was used by the hospital when patients died in their care. The staff at the cemetery are extremely helpful.

The information is to detailed to discuss here so i have sent you a pm so that if you want any further help you can contact me.

Chris Neil

[kathb]

Hi, lalaus, don't rule out that she was brought home to be buried.  My great aunt died in the asylum, (having been an in-patient for 20 years) but was buried in the churchyard local to her home.  Do you know where her husband was buried as she may be in the same grave?
Regards
Kathb