Tracing Your Ancestors in Lunatic Asylums (Paperback) Michelle Higgs

Have you ever wondered if your ancestors spent time in a lunatic asylum—and what their lives were really like? In Tracing Your Ancestors in Lunatic Asylums, social historian Michelle Higgs offers a powerful and accessible guide for family historians seeking to uncover the stories of forebears who lived with mental illness.

This richly detailed book explores:

• The evolution of mental health care from the 18th century to the founding of the NHS in 1948
• Types of institutions, including private madhouses, county asylums, and military mental hospitals
• Admission procedures, daily routines, and treatments for conditions like depression, mania, shell shock, and puerperal insanity
• Sources for research, including casebooks, admission registers, census records, wills, and Lunacy Commission files

Using original documents, photographs, and real-life case studies, Higgs brings the world of historical mental health care vividly to life. Whether your ancestor was a patient, staff member, or simply lived nearby, this guide helps you navigate the complex and often emotional terrain of asylum records.

ISBN : 9781526744852

£14.99

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