Over the years of my research I have discovered several ancestors who
spent time in institutions such as workhouses, orphanages and lunatic
asylums. I have discovered that 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 (Frederick) Beseler, mother Susetta Eva
(Lisette) nee Farckens 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.
 |
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 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.
