Hi, On 3 Dec 1878 there was the following entry in the Wallingford Union Guardians Minutes:- "Credit Common Fund, debit Treasurer by cash from the undermentioned Paupers own account Relief, viz: Charlotte HARRIS, St. Mary the More, Sale of Household furniture £1" Charlotte's husband had died in 1870 and she was listed as living in Kine Croft in 1871. Charlotte died, aged 75, on 26 Dec 1878 in the Wallingford Union Workhouse, which compared to some, was supposed to be not that bad. Her cause of death was stated as "Paralysis". I have a vague idea of what was going on here but am not sure and would appreciate input from anyone that knows more about Workhouses and medical matters. Bascially my impression is that she sold her furniture and gave up her house in Kine Croft (which was an almshouse, and not her own) to pay her way in the workhouse where she could receive medical attention for some debilitating disease which sadly killed her a few months later. Is this likely to have been what happened? Can anyone explain what a cause of death of "Paralysis" means? Thanks

Paralysis was probably stroke ~ They had the same diseases and medical events we do, probably more as we cure and prevent so many now. They had funny ways of describing them, you have to use your imagination. The cause of death for one of my GGpas was Bright's disease which is a kidney disease, but with three cases of diabetes among my cousins I'm convinced he had diabetes and congestive heartr failure and kidney failure. Another strange one from 1849 was strangulation of the insane, which translates to heart attack, one of the major arteries being the insane. It is sad that old people with Alzheimers were deposited by their families in lunatic insylums where they were chained to walls and other horrendous things. Everybody laughed and called them crazy. And the Workhouse was where you went if you had no nest egg to live on in your old age, so many women outliving their men, or being dropped for a younger woman. We really don't know how lucky we are. Norma ----- Original Message ----- From: "baldrick" <baldricktheturnip@inspiralmail.com> To: <BERKSHIRE@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 1:00 PM Subject: [BRK] Furniture, Paralysis & Wallingford Workhouse > Hi, > > On 3 Dec 1878 there was the following entry in the Wallingford Union > Guardians Minutes:- > > "Credit Common Fund, debit Treasurer by cash from the undermentioned > Paupers own account Relief, viz: > Charlotte HARRIS, St. Mary the More, Sale of Household furniture £1" > > Charlotte's husband had died in 1870 and she was listed as living in Kine > Croft in 1871. > > Charlotte died, aged 75, on 26 Dec 1878 in the Wallingford Union Workhouse, > which compared to some, was supposed to be not that bad. Her cause of death > was stated as "Paralysis". I have a vague idea of what was going on here but > am not sure and would appreciate input from anyone that knows more about > Workhouses and medical matters. > > Bascially my impression is that she sold her furniture and gave up her house > in Kine Croft (which was an almshouse, and not her own) to pay her way in > the workhouse where she could receive medical attention for some > debilitating disease which sadly killed her a few months later. > > Is this likely to have been what happened? Can anyone explain what a cause > of death of "Paralysis" means? > > Thanks > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BERKSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

According to your information the furniture was sold on the 3rd December and she died on 26th December - not sure where you get the "debilitating disease which killed her a few months later"?  Unless you have more information as to the date of her entry into the workhouse.  It sounds more likely from the information you give that she had some sort of stroke, causing paralysis, which meant that she was taken into the workhouse and died fairly shortly afterwards - weeks rather then months. The workhouses had fairly Draconian rules and they stuck to those rules to the letter.  This would have meant that they would have had the power to sell her furniture and to put the proceeds towards the costs incurred in looking after her.  I am afraid that this is what would have happened.  The records of the workhouse ought to give a date that she was admitted and her death certificate should state how long she had had the paralysis.  Wallingford Workhouse may have been better than many, but I'm afraid it would not have compared to a modern hospital. Tomas Christie. ________________________________ From: baldrick <baldricktheturnip@inspiralmail.com> To: BERKSHIRE@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, 30 September, 2009 21:00:54 Subject: [BRK] Furniture, Paralysis & Wallingford Workhouse Hi, On 3 Dec 1878 there was the following entry in the Wallingford Union Guardians Minutes:- "Credit Common Fund, debit Treasurer by cash from the undermentioned   Paupers own account Relief, viz:   Charlotte HARRIS, St. Mary the More, Sale of Household furniture £1" Charlotte's husband had died in 1870 and she was listed as living in Kine Croft in 1871. Charlotte died, aged 75, on 26 Dec 1878 in the Wallingford Union Workhouse, which compared to some, was supposed to be not that bad. Her cause of death was stated as "Paralysis". I have a vague idea of what was going on here but am not sure and would appreciate input from anyone that knows more about Workhouses and medical matters. Bascially my impression is that she sold her furniture and gave up her house in Kine Croft (which was an almshouse, and not her own) to pay her way in the workhouse where she could receive medical attention for some debilitating disease which sadly killed her a few months later. Is this likely to have been what happened? Can anyone explain what a cause of death of "Paralysis" means? Thanks ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BERKSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message