Find Ancestors in Historic Insane Asylum Records

Mental Institutions were once called Insane Asylums and those committed to them were deemed lunatics, idiots, imbeciles, crazy, and other terms we now consider derogatory. Many times people committed did not suffer from mental illness. Women were frequently admitted with what we now know was post-partum depression, or menopausal hormone changes. 

For the genealogist, these institutional records are full of information that is horrifying yet important in our genealogy research. Below are some links, both pay-to-view and free, leading you to various online databases of Insane Asylum records.

United States Insane Asylum Records

New York, U.S., Hebrew Infant Asylum Records, 1895-1927   
 

New York, U.S., Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society Records, 1884-1925   

New York, U.S., Home for Hebrew Infants Records, 1922-1937   
   
New York, U.S., Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum Records, 1878-1969   

New York, U.S., Hebrew Orphan Asylum Records, 1860-1934   
 

UK Insane Asylum Records

Annual return of lunatics: Guisborough Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Stocksley Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Richmond Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Thirsk Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Stockton Union, Yorkshire England 1869

Annual return of lunatics in the Stockton Union Yorkshire England 1870

Clifton Asylum, Yorkshire England Names of private lunatics in the Asylum at Clifton on 1 January 1869 

England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1843
   
Bodmin, Cornwall, England, Inmates at St. Lawrence's Asylum, 1840-1900   

Glamorganshire, Wales, Glamorgan County Ayslum Records, 1845-1920    Directories & Member Lists   
    
Fife, Scotland, Asylum Registers, 1866-1937   
      

Canada Insane Asylum Records

Toronto Insane Asylum 1841

Annual Report of the Medical Superintendent of the Provincial Hospital for the Insane, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Australia Insane Asylum Records

Victoria, Australia, Lunatic Estates and Register, 1867-1906

New South Wales, Australia, Registers for the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children, 1852 - 1915   
    
New South Wales, Australia, Hospital & Asylum Records, 1840-1913

Victoria, Australia, Asylum Records, 1853-1940    

Miscellaneous Insane Asylum Records

Olive Tree Genealogy Insane Asylum Records 

Blacksheep Ancestors Insane Asylum Records

 

Search for Ancestors in Insane Asylums

Sometimes our ancestors ended up in Insane Asylums not because they were insane but for other reasons - post partum depression in women, menopause, depression... any number of occurrences could land an individual in an asylum.

Olive Tree Genealogy has an Insane Asylum section which includes England, Scotland, Australia and Canada. One database in particular may be of interest to Canadian genealogists.

Toronto Insane Asylum 1841 ABSTRACT of PATIENTS admitted, discharged, and remaining in the temporary Lunatic Asylum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada from January 21st to July 31st, inclusive, 1841 

Was Great-Great-Grandma Crazy?

Insane Asylum Records

My second great-grandmother Georgiana Golding was institutionalized in an Insane Asylum in Kent England in 1864, released after 6 months, and sent back in 1868. But was she really crazy?

There were many female complaints that were mis-diagnosed back then. She was only 24 in 1864 so it wasn't menopausal symptoms. But a scrutiny of the family reveals that Georgiana had just had her third child a few months before being admitted. Post-partum depression comes to mind. Three children ages newborn, 3 and 5 years old might just do it.

In 1868 she was admitted shortly after her 6th child was born. She was 28 years old and her six children were aged newborn to 9 years old. I truly  believe the poor woman was worn out and depressed. After another 6 month stay Georgiana was released.

I did not find her in any other Asylum records but in 1882 at the age of 42 Georgiana died in childbirth. It was her 11th child.

If you haven't checked Asylum records for your ancestor, especially your female ancestor, you should. Below is a link to some online Insane Asylum Records.

Insane Asylum Records