Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

my mothers mother died in a mental hospital in 1943 age 30 .i have been given this information to go on this site.her name was bertha lee thornley .any information or heip would be really apprecated.thank you

carolinetaylor1 wrote:my mothers mother died in a mental hospital in 1943 age 30 .i have been given this information to go on this site.her name was bertha lee thornley .any information or heip would be really apprecated.thank you

Hi Caroline and welcome,
Your maternal g.mother's death is in the GRO Index as:
Death: THORNLEY, Bertha
Registration district: Prescot, Lancashire
Year of registration: 1943; Mar qtr
Age at death: 30
Volume no: 8B; Page no: 667

The Prescot registration of her death suggests she died in Rainhill Mental Hospital.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hosp ... 29&page=47
Her death cert would confirm this I think. It would cost £9.25 from the GRO at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certi ... efault.asp

If her maiden name was Lee, this could be her marriage:
Marriage: Albert Thornley married Bertha Lee
Registration district: Bolton, Lancashire
Year of registration: 1931; Mar qtr
Volume no: 8C; Page no: 372

If it is Bertha's 'history' and ancestors you are seeking please tell us what you already know. If it is her medical records that may present considerable difficulties. I believe there is usually a 100 year closure on patient records from that time, if the records are still available. It is possible that her death cert will be the only source of information, but I hope to be corrected on that issue.

Edited to update the post after transfer to this sub-forum.

Records for Rainhill Hospital are held by Merseyside Record Office M614 RAI. These records can only be accessed by the Research Officer for Liverpool Archives. His contact details are roger.hull [at] liverpool.gov.uk *. There will be a fee to access these records and you will have to provide proof of death of the person your are inquiring about and also relationship under the Data Protection rules.

*email address amended to prevent spamming, change the [at] to @ to use MA

Katie wrote:Records for Rainhill Hospital are held by Merseyside Record Office M614 RAI. These records can only be accessed by the Research Officer for Liverpool Archives. His contact details are roger.hull [at] liverpool.gov.uk. There will be a fee to access these records and you will have to provide proof of death of the person your are inquiring about and also relationship under the Data Protection rules.

Thanks for that info Katie. Much appreciated. I wasn't sure about the rules on more recent records.