01 July 2012

A is for Asylums, Arndell Index and Ashton

I'm sure Alona will forgive me for being late in joining the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge.

A is for...
  • Asylums.  If someone in your family tree 'vanished', look in mental asylum records. Causes of depression and other forms of mental illness included childbirth, epilepsy, head injury, alcohol, syphilis, congenital defect, jealousy, bereavement and 'domestic troubles'. Many patients (and their relatives) had been in asylums in other States and/or other countries. My Web site lists thousands of names from my indexes to mental asylum records. Start by reading the article about asylum case books.

  • Arndell Index.  Originally on 48,000 cards, this index was compiled mainly from early parish registers for the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales, Australia. It is thought to contain complete indexes (1811-1971) for St. Matthew's, Windsor; St. John's, Wilberforce; St. James's, Pitt Town; St. Peter's, Richmond; and the Presbyterian Church, Ebenezer. The index is held by the Society of Australian Genealogists. (This information is from the book Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide, which is described on my Web site.)

  • ASHTON.  Catherine ('Kitty') ASHTON of Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, England, married Peter MATTHEW or MATHEW of Crambe, North Yorkshire, in 1803. Census records imply that Kitty was born about 1777 at Swinton, Yorkshire. Was she related to James ASHTON and Thomas ASHTON who witnessed marriages at Kirby Misperton 1804-1807? If you are researching ASHTON of Swinton or Kirby Misperton, please contact me.

You may find some useful tips in my other articles in this series.

7 comments:

  1. I am sure that Alona is thrilled to have you joining the challenge. I'm anxious to read and learn from your future posts.

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  2. Of course I'm thrilled that you joined Judy. And your 'A' post has taught me something too. Now I'm looking forward to learning more from your posts.

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  3. Thanks. This is a fun series, and I will try very hard to make time to do 'A' right through to 'Z'.

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  4. Thanks for the Asylum post Judy. I have a ggg grandfather who died in a Vic benevolent asylum and no one can find where his wife died. Perhaps she ended up in one too.

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    1. Yes, Kerryn, it would be a good idea to look in records of benevolent asylums and also mental asylums. Some people, of course, spent time in both.

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  5. Hi, Judy. I'm joining the alphabet challenge way, way late, but I've been looking around at others' contributions for A and came upon yours. I'm just getting ready to post about my g-g-grandfathers whose death information I have been unable to find. This post may help me find him -- IF I can find asylum or country home records! Thanks so much.

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    1. Good luck, Nancy. It is not always easy to find out what records survive, but it is worthwhile making a big effort to find them because they often provide wonderful information.

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