Genealogy Chat

try this dizzy bexley mental institution or bexley hospital got this from it Bexley Asylum at Bexley in Kent was opened by the London County Council in 1898. Nigel Roberts has a set of plans for 'the Heath Asylum Baldwyn's Park Bexley', with the name of 'Geo T Hine 1896' on. The chapel was designed to seat 850 people. David Cochrane speaks of a 'striking similarity to the design' Hine had used at Claybury Compact Arrow Website (October 2006) on the history of Bexley Hospital In 1907 a death certificate was signed 'London County Asylum, The Heath, Dartford, U.D.' (information from Michael Ball). The City of London Asylum at Stone was on the opposite side of Dartford. The Bexley Asylum became Bexley Hospital, Old Bexley Lane, Bexley, DA5 2AW. It has now closed. Between 2001 and 2007, Dartford Council plan to build houses on it, plus a new primary school and the 'retention of community facilities' (Kingswood Ward (archive) was a rehabilitation ward for adults with severe and enduring mental health problems. External link to Edenwood, Old Bexley Lane, Bexley - ( 'I live in Bexley and the local asylum was known as Bexly Mental Hospital, it has now been demolished and is a vast estate of new houses which is still growing. They have kept the main building, i think because it was listed, and turned it into a fitness centre for the local residents'

Tried Googleing 1 Bexley lane Dartford ... all i get is Planning applications and ofsted reports! :(

Have a google of the address on his death certificate.

Syphilis was the fifth commonest cause of death in 1995 - yes, 1995. Aids wasn't even in the top 100. Of course, you only have to have sex with one person who has syphilis to catch it - many innocent and faithful wives died of it, and many men caught it from their one and only experience with the local loose woman, or while abroad during the war. Because it was such a taboo subject, many men didnt even know they had it, and even if they did, there was no cure till the advent of M and B just before WW2. Or worse still, they bought some quack cure, and because the symptoms disappear very quickly after the initial infection, they must have thought they were cured. OC

Thats a good point Janet. That might explain why he died in Dartford when he lived in Islington! I will have to do some in depth searching! dizzy

Perhaps your man was in a mental institution at some point. My Grandfathers first wife died of this in Brentwood mental hospital. A friend of the family was a nurse there before it closed and she told us that it was endemic amongst the patients (it closed in 2000) I guess if you have few pleasures in your tortured life you'll seek comfort from anywhere.

OMG this is so spooky tonight. I was just laughing with my Son about someone in the tree dying of syphilis... i turned round and everything was closing down and my PC turned itself off! I got back on and had a reply from another relative of the man in question. Now i can't open my tree (FTM) to give her the details of who is who etc). Uncle Joe must not be happy with me!!!!

I was told many years ago, by a Professor of Genito-Urinary Medicine, that Syphilis was never put on a Death Cert, to save the feelings of the family. GPI, or General Paralysis of the Insane, is what appeared instead. However, several people on here do have death certs where syphilis is given as the cause, so my Prof was wrong. OC

I wonder if his wife/widow knew what it was! Very sad! dizzy

Just found this: General paresis, also known as general paralysis of the insane or paralytic dementia, is a now-rare neuropsychiatric disorder affecting the brain and central nervous system, caused by syphilis infection. It had been considered a psychiatric disorder before and during the nineteenth century, when it was first scientifically identified and discovered to be extremely common, because the patient usually first sought—or was brought for—treatment because of psychotic symptoms of sudden and often dramatic onset. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_paresis_of_the_insane I just had to email that to my Dad, it was his Uncle's death cert! dizzy

Hi dizzy. Very sorry to tell you General Paralysis of the insane is the terminal stage of syphilis. One of the earlier features is an uncontrollable rage. Sufferers often get involved in violent confrontations. Sounds a horrible end. Regards Bill

Just got a death cert and it says cause of death ' general paralysis of the insane' ..... family tales say that he died after a street fight so would it mean Brain haemorrhage or has anyone any other ideas?