In search of the family

  ECT: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY Bethlem Hospital London c1830 now part of the Maudsley Hospital www.psychology.wikia.org I couldn't immediately think of what to write for this weeks theme of shock. There have been a few 'shocks' whilst researching my family tree. I have already written posts about many of them and some still have personal memories for living relatives. So for this weeks theme I thought I would write a post about the psychiatric treatment of ECT.  My Great Aunt suffered from anxiety and depression for much of her life. In the 1950's she received treatment with both surgery and courses of ECT, leaving her with long term 'fugue' type episodes. From my point of view I trained as a Mental Health Nurse (then Psychiatric) back in the 1980's in an 'asylum' in the process of being closed. There were still a number of 'long term patients,' one, I recall had been an inpatient for over 40 years. These people generally initially had a di...

  REVEREND ARTHUR OSBORNE MONTGOMERY JAY 1858-1945       "THE BOXING PARSON"                                         This week I am again writing about a clergyman. 'What has religion got to do with sport?' you may ask. Well, Arthur Jay was known as 'The Boxing Parson.' He was a man who courted controversy which has resulted in various versions of his life. Arthur Osborne Montgomery Jay was the younger of 2 sons, born in India on 14th April 1858. His father, William James Jay married to Harriett nee Osborne, was chaplain to the East India Company and was Assistant Chaplain on the Bengal Establishment from 1850-1860 throughout the Indian Mutiny, before returning to the UK. By 1861 and the census, the family had returned to the UK and were living in Poplar where William had a chaplaincy. During his time in India, William had baptised and instructed the Maharajah Duleep S...

  REVEREND GEORGE STEWART HITCHCOCK 1866-1922 B.A. D.D. S.S.D.  illustration from The Vicar of Bray opera www.wikipedia.org George Stewart Hitchcock links to my Pye family ancestry, he married a widowed Edith Louisa Miskin nee Pye in 1914. Edith was the youngest sister of Marian Pye, who I have previously written about under the theme 'Work'. I have chosen to write about the Rev Hitchcock under the theme 'Changes' as he was a clerical man who changed his denomination no less than 4 times (3 different denomination) and is perhaps why in a newspaper obituary was described as a modern (c1922)  'Vicar of Bray'.  The  Vicar of Bray  is a satirical description of an individual fundamentally changing his principles to remain in ecclesiastical office as external requirements change around him. The religious upheavals in England from 1533 to 1559 and from 1633 to 1715 made it almost impossible for any individual to comply with the successive religious requ...

 PRESERVATION I was really struggling to think of something to write for this weeks theme. I wished I had some Cornish ancestors then I could write about the salting of pilchards to see them through the winter. I will be writing a blog in relation to fishing in the future and wondered about writing about the Yarmouth or Lowestoft bloater, but this was actually related to the smoking of the fish, rather than as a preserving tool. So then I thought about my poorer ancestors and how they had to resort to poaching and stealing a faggots (branches twigs or wood in bundles) in order to survive, a form of self preservation. I did think about being a little controversial and talk about cryogenic freezing, which then became an arguement with myself about which of my ancestors rather than loved ones I would like to bring back to have a chat too. I still haven't made a decision on that one. Then I looked at any keepsakes I may have from my grandparents, but really I don't have a significa...

LOIS SOANES 1828-1917 A Cautionary Tale For last weeks post I wrote about John Soanes, who in later life was caretaker of Lowestoft model yacht club. This weeks post I am writing about his sister, Lois, daughter of Robert Taylor and Esther Soanes, nee Youell. Esther was the sister of my 3x Great Grandfather William Youell. Lois' story fits the criteria of 'steps' due to the complexity of her relationships and marriages. She had 5 children from her first marriage, in turn there were 4 half blood step siblings to these 5 children and non blood step siblings too. Lois' story is full of tragedy such that had I not researched this story myself I would have expected Lois to feature as a character in a Catherine Cookson novel (British author who wrote numerous novels of hardship on Tyneside.) Well this was the story I was intending to write! But I had a mini tragedy all of my own.  Lois' story is quite long with lots of characters, information and links and has taken a whi...