Missing Women

Are you missing a female ancestor in your family tree? Only one? Chances are it is many more than just one. I know, it's frustrating! Want to make it even more frustrating? Piece of cake. Can you say insane asylums?

Starting with the 1850 census you can literally see females disappear right before your eyes. No record in the census, no obituary, no death certificate. Reason? Maybe they were committed, against their will, to an institution just because they were females. Misogyny at its best. 

Conditions that we would consider normal today were once seen as abnormal or insane. Anything a man did not understand or approve of could be a reason to remove a woman from her home. Menopause, jealousy, postpartum depression, book reading, standing up to your husband could be reasons for a woman to be locked up until they conformed to natural behavior. All that was needed was "request of husband" with no evidence required. Female independence was madness! Suffragists suffered from hysteria!

Asylums for the most part were overcrowded with poor living conditions. And waiting lists! Treatments included chloroform, ether, straight jackets and unnecessary cruel surgery. All because not all women were fulfilled by being wives and mothers. Many men saw this as women overusing their limited abilities.

Unfortunately it wasn't until the late 20th century that women started to fight for their right to be more than "just a housewife" and that didn't happen overnight. It has taken years with frequent set backs. 

Due to privacy concerns the records from many asylums are not available to the public making genealogical research difficult. You can begin by searching for an obituary or death certificate. As usual be alert for clues -- family folklore, letters or journals. Clues can often be found in local newspaper gossip columns. One overlooked census column is information about deaf, dumb or insane family members. Also, check to see if there is a small cemetery located on the grounds of an institution. The graves might be marked or there could also be a record of those buried in the cemetery.

For ancestor hunters in northwest Ohio the Toledo State Hospital has a wonderful website  toledostatehospitalmemoryproject.org There are two cemeteries located on the property with graves dating back to the Civil War. It is worth checking out if you are missing any ancestors in the area. The institution was a model of excellence, with no known history of the cruelty associated with asylums. 

Things to look for when researching any clues you might find are misspelling, hospital transfers, probate records, and sadly spouses who claimed to be widows.

The last asylum closed in 1994!!

Sources of information. Time Magazine, 22 Jun 2021, Declared Insane for Speaking Up:The Dark American History of Silencing Women Through Psychiatry, Kate Moore.

Website: toledostatehospitalmemoryproject.org