Great Barr Hall, Walsall

[Beard grandchild]

I have recently found out that one of my grandfather's nephews was sent to the Great Barr Mental Institution as a young man and spent the rest of his life there.

Now, the dates and information that I have about this young man are from 2 different sources.

One tells me that he was the son of Minnie Beard and Bertram Smith and born about 1941, but the other informant says that this dob is way out, as he can actually remember the young man as a child, and says he was born nearer to 1926.

 As far as I know, Minnie didn't marry Bertram until 1930, so there is a chance that he was illegitimate, hence the name I have for him being Peter Beard.

Yet I also know for definite that it was Bertram, not Minnie who kept in touch with him when he was in the Asylum.

Not much to go on, I know, but is there anyway I can trace deaths which happened at Great Barr Hall as opposed to Walsall Deaths in general?

[CaroleW]

Minnie & Bertram did marry in 1930 as per freebmd - but in Wortley Yorkshire

[CaroleW]

If you check freebmd - there is no Peter Beard birth pre-1930 with mothers maiden name Beard

[Beard grandchild]

Hi Carole and thanks.
The person who gave me the marriage between Minnie and Bertram was about 90% sure that  the 1930 entry was the correct one.

Peter cannot have been born as late as 1941, as my uncle who does actually remember him as a child, can remember him visiting the family when they lived above a shop in town, and by 1935 the family had moved to a completely different location.

This is why I was hoping to be able to trace the death entry for Peter , to find out when he was born, then perhaps trace his parentage.

My uncle was always under the impression that he belonged to another of his aunts, not to Minnie, but The sister he thought was the mother married in 1908 and went on to have 5 children with her husband from what I've found out so far.

[CaroleW]

There is a death registered February 1999 in Walsall of a Peter Beard b 2.4.1937

[Beard grandchild]

Thanks Carole,

Was Great Barr still open as a mental hospital as late as 1999 though?  I have been told that Peter definitely died while still a patient there.

Cheers, Pat.

[CaroleW]

Haven't a clue - have you googled it for info?

[Beard grandchild]

All I came up with was that the hall itself was closed in 1978, and the hospital closed some years later - no actual date!

I'll have another look tomorrow when I'm not so tired.

Pat.

[seaweed]

The institution was also known as St Margaret's hospital and a google search suggests it finally closed in 1986/87