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  #31  
Old 08-10-12, 22:50
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What became of those girls who never reached the heights of domestic service because they were 'dull' or had epilepsy?
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  #32  
Old 09-10-12, 07:18
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Perhaps things like rag sorting or other unskilled factory work?
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  #33  
Old 09-10-12, 09:38
Olde Crone Olde Crone is offline
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Even a "dull" girl could scour dirty saucepans and empty chamberpots!

Girls with severe epilepsy would be locked away in the mental asylum.

OC
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  #34  
Old 09-10-12, 09:51
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Even a "dull" girl could scour dirty saucepans and empty chamberpots!
I would agree with that, but the dozen plus dull/epileptic girls they mentioned in the programme had been trained for domestic service but were considered incapable so were recorded in the "other occupations" column in the records of the domestic service training establishment.
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  #35  
Old 09-10-12, 10:42
Olde Crone Olde Crone is offline
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Ah, sorry, I didn't actually see the programme, so was just commenting in general.

A domestic training would still be quite useful for a severe epileptic, who would of course be still expected to WORK in a mental asylum!

OC
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  #36  
Old 09-10-12, 11:18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Olde Crone View Post
Ah, sorry, I didn't actually see the programme, so was just commenting in general.

A domestic training would still be quite useful for a severe epileptic, who would of course be still expected to WORK in a mental asylum!

OC
One of my great aunts was epileptic and was put in St Ebba's Hospital in Epsom, then called Ewell Epileptic Colony, from the age of 13 (when menstruation started) until her early 60s when she was released into the care of a nurse from the hospital. She lived with her until sheltered accommodation became available about 10 years later.

She worked in the laundry at the hospital for all her time in there and lost the sight of one eye when a fellow patient flicked a sheet in her eye during the late 1920s.

She was never talked about and I only knew of her existence when she was released when I was about 13 or 14. She was such a lovely lady, considering what her life had been like, and spent her remaining years travelling throughout Europe, before dying of cancer at the age of 75.
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  #37  
Old 09-10-12, 11:53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Langley Vale Sue View Post
She was such a lovely lady, considering what her life had been like, and spent her remaining years travelling throughout Europe, before dying of cancer at the age of 75.
That is a lovely ending to the story, Sue.
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  #38  
Old 09-10-12, 11:53
Olde Crone Olde Crone is offline
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Sue

A tragic story. I have a great great aunt who was born deaf and dumb but wrongly diagnosed as an imbecile. She spent many years in the workhouse but was evidently trained well enough to become a children's nurse. She was released, after her father's death, into the care of a clergyman (her "kinsman") at the age of 39 and took with her a glowing reference about her domestic skills and her great aptitude for dealing with small children.

Her three brothers, who apparently knew nothing of her existence, all did well for themselves and lived a comfortable middle class life.

OC
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  #39  
Old 09-10-12, 12:30
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OC - that is tragic that your great great aunt was diagnosed in such a way. I'd heard of unmarried mothers being classed as moral defectives and institutionalised, but wasn't aware that people born deaf and dumb were treated in this way. I appreciate that there were different standards then, but to me it seems just cruel

For reference - 19th and early 20th century census definitions:

Imbecile: Mental age of an infant.
Idiot: Natural fool from birth.
Lunatic: Sometimes of good and sound memory and understanding, and sometimes not.

Following the Mental Deficiency Act 1913:

Idiot: Unable to guard themselves against physical danger.
Imbecile: Incapable of managing themselves or their affairs.
Feeble-minded: Needing care or control for the protection of themselves or others.
Moral defective: Those possessed of vicious or criminal propensities.

And unmarried mothers could be deemed morally defective.
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  #40  
Old 09-10-12, 17:00
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Morally defective also covered homosexuality and various addictions.
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