Over the years of my research I have discovered several ancestors who spent time in institutions such as workhouses, orphanages and lunatic asylums. Two of my Great Great grandfathers died in lunatic asylums, both from what we understand today to be dementia.
For many families, caring for an elderly relative, especially one who had developed dementia, was simply not possible, and before the rise of affordable nursing homes and old age care there were few places where the elderly could be cared for. In times when dementia was little understood and any kind of mental illness carried a weight of social stigma for the family as well as the sufferer, hiding the person away in an institution was a frequent solution. Others, unable to care for themselves because of their deteriorating mental state, were arrested for various reasons and ended up before the courts. Many ended up in lunatic asylums, spending their declining years in conditions that today we would consider inhumane and totally unacceptable. For my ancestor Edward Beseler, this was to be his fate.
Edward Beseler was born in 1836 in Neubukow, Germany and emigrated to Australia as a child with his family, father Carl Friedrich Beseler, mother Susetta Eva (Lisette) nee Farchens and 4 siblings. The family arrived in Adelaide in 1847 on the ship Pauline, with the ship's passenger list describing Carl Beseler as a shoemaker. The family lived in Adelaide for several years before travelling to Victoria, settling on a farm in Ercildown.
Edward was naturalised as an Australian citizen in 1863, and married Emma Flower in 1865. Emma was born 19 September 1841 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales and died 1 August 1882 in Donald, Victoria. Together the couple had 10 children.
By 1900, Edward was in his 60s and showing signs of dementia. Matters came to a head in 1909 when he appeared in court (see report below) on the charge of having insufficient means of support, was found to be insane and an order of commitment was made.
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| From the Ballarat Star, 4 February 1909 |
Edward was admitted to the Ararat Mental Asylum, where he was assessed, found to be suffering from senility, and committed to the wards. In his asylum record below he is described at the time of his admission as being in fair bodily health for his age, clean and tidy but difficult to communicate with as he was quite deaf and illiterate, and described as suffering from delusions. While there are only a few doctor's notes in his file, by 1917 Edward's health was deteriorating and he died in the asylum on 7 December 1918, only a few months short of 10 years after his admission.
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| Asylum Record page 1 |
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| Asylum Record page 2 |
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| Asylum Record page 3 |
