Last night I was googling to look for more info on my 3 x great grandparents Richard Lock and Marianne. They lived and died in Shoreditch - Richard - a sawyer- dying from gangrene of the leg in July 1865 at Shoreditch Workhouse Infirmary. I have his death cert and an extract from the Workhouse book when they released the files to Ancestry in 2011. I have yet to find Marianne's death.
1865 Lock Richard death Shoreditch workhouse 3.jpg.jpg
I found a Lancet report for July 1865 on this particular workhouse. Imagine my horror when I read this:
" A poor fellow laying dangerously ill with gangrene of the leg had had no medicine for three days, because, as the male "nurse" said, his mouth had been sore".
The rest of the report makes appalling reading describing the conditions, treatment and care of these patients -see here.
I couldn't sleep properly last night and was up at 4.30 this morning.
This may or may not have been MY 3 x great grandfather but he died at that time and in those conditions. Some times it's better not knowing all the details.
1865 Lock Richard death Shoreditch workhouse 3.jpg.jpg
I found a Lancet report for July 1865 on this particular workhouse. Imagine my horror when I read this:
" A poor fellow laying dangerously ill with gangrene of the leg had had no medicine for three days, because, as the male "nurse" said, his mouth had been sore".
The rest of the report makes appalling reading describing the conditions, treatment and care of these patients -see here.
I couldn't sleep properly last night and was up at 4.30 this morning.
This may or may not have been MY 3 x great grandfather but he died at that time and in those conditions. Some times it's better not knowing all the details.
Comment