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Looking for Great Grandmother Mary Lynn

Antrim

My Great Grandmother Mary Lynn nee Mary Moore White. born 22 August 1876, Stiles Antrim. died 2nd Oct 1958 Hampton Court, Middx. I have her in the 1901 census living at 7 Curran Street, Larne, with Great Grandfather William Lester Lynn and Grandfather John Campbell Lester Lynn. However, in 1911 I can only see Great Grandfather and Grandfather as boarders living at 7 Coopers Lane, Larne. They did have another son William Lester Lynn who was born and died in 1909 and is buried in Belfast cemetery. There was also a still born child who died the month after they married in 1897. Also buried in Belfast cemetery. I have been searching for 3 years for Mary Lynn from 1911 onwards, even if I could just find her in 1911 would be good. I have her from 1929 onwards until her death. It has been suggested to me that she may have been so badly affected by the death of 2 babies that she was maybe hospitalised, or even ended up in a work house.Rumour in the family is that William Lester snr. was not a nice man, so she may have left him. William Lester Lynn Snr. died in 1913 in Fulham, London, which is where I have been able to pick up the trail of Mary. My family came from Fulham/Kensington area in the 1920's, and I wondered if she came to London and her husband followed her there, he died in Fulham hospital.

Any help would be very gratefully appreciated.

Deborah Lynn

6 replies

I checked Larne Workhouse. There's no sign of Mary there in 1911. Could she have been in a Mental Hospital? There are two possible women of the right age, marital status and denomination in Holywell Asylum just outside Antrim town. (The hospital is still functioning today). In the census, inmates were only identified by their initials:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Antrim_Rural/Ho…

I am fairly sure the patients records for Holywell are held in PRONI. Those less than 100 years old are normally closed but you should be OK for records up to 1919.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Yes, a mental hospital is a real possibility. She got married in 1897, and a month later had a stillborn child. Then in 1909 her 9 month old son died. The only relative we ever knew about was my Grandfather John Campbell Lester Lynn.b1900, Larne.

It wasnt until I started doing the family history and my DNA, that I discovered Mary Lynn had 7 brothers and sisters, my Father and grandfather used to see Mary most days, and these siblings were never mentioned, it came as a great shock to my Dad, I have been in touch with some of the grandchildren of the siblings who I found through DNA matches, and am now piecing it all together.

Its my theory that she was abandoned by her siblings, probably because she was expecting a child out of wedlock, then she lost 2 babies, and its rumoured that her husband was not a very nice man. Probably enough to drive anyone mad, unfortunately these days she would have just been diognosed with depression.

I really appreciate your help, my cousin and I have been trying so hard to work out what happened to her.

Deborah Lynn

Being in Holywell doesn't necessarily mean she was committed there. The vast majority of patients were voluntary, mainly suffering from things like severe depression and sometimes issues to do with alcohol abuse. And many recovered.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Elwyn, I would think from looking at her life, she was suffering with severe depression. I tried to access the Holy Well Asylum records this afternoon, without success, eventually I had a live chat with someone at the National Archives, who told me "Unfortunately, records of lunatic asylums are not held in one place and often not all records have survived. Many records of asylums, prisons ansd houses of correction are kept in local archives and especially those of the patients and inmates. However,most patient files have been destroyed" 

They suggested I start with https://www.flintshire.gov.uk/ ; and http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Holywell ;      but from what I can see, its not just a case of looking it up online, which is a pity because the lead you gave me for National Archives:census of Ireland 1911 looks very promising. The age is a little out, but she was always a house keeper. Its not clear on any of these websites exactly how to go about making your enquiry. IE; visit/phone/email, I found myself going round in circles.

Deborah Lynn

Deborah,

The records you need are not going to be on-line. They are in paper format and you need to go to PRONI (or get someone to do that for you). My guide to PRONI’s records indicate that “Registers of admissions to Antrim District Lunatic Asylum 1849 – 1920” are in a file HOS/26/1/3A 1-2 in PRONI.

There are numerous other files in that HOS/26 series eg Register of Paying patients (this was pre NHS), casebooks for female patients 1899-1946, night attendant’s returns 1909-1916; Record of visits 1899-1931 record of visits 1899-1952. Some of them might help.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

THank you very much Elwyn, thats all really helpful, I do have a cousin who lives nearby, so I can ask her to have a look for me.

 

Thanks again,

Deborah.

Deborah Lynn

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