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committed suicide suffering shell shock


byott

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Hello.

I am doing my family tree. Need help on research. A Fredrick charles BYOTT who was in the first world war came home suffering shell shock. He committed suicide about 3 years later. Would like to find out was there any hostpitals that the soldiers went to. He lived in lambeth England . And was married to a Rose Beatrice Haycock. Does any one know where i can research any newspapers e.t.c. I live in Australia. So its abit hard. Was trying to find out if he died during a stay in Hospital or died at home. Thank you Sandra

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In Lambeth it is possible he went to Bethlem Royal Hospital (which is now the Imperial War Museum - ironic eh?).

This was known as 'bedlam' as it was a psychiatric hospital and closed in the 1930's.

See http://www.bethlemheritage.org.uk

Ryan

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Was trying to find out if he died during a stay in Hospital or died at home.

Hello Sandra

His death certificate should tell you where he died. I understand that overseas customers can now order certificates on-line through the GRO website (www.gro.gov.uk) but I could be mistaken! I would also recommend that you take a look at www.1837online.com if you're unsure of his exact date of death. There are a number of other useful genealogical websites - drop me a pm if you're interested.

Hope the above helps.

Rgds

Ed

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  • 1 month later...
Guest Ian Bowbrick
Hello.

I am doing my family tree. Need help on research. A Fredrick charles BYOTT who was in the first world war came home suffering shell shock. He committed suicide about 3 years later. Would like to find out was there any hostpitals that the soldiers went to. He lived in lambeth England . And was married to a Rose Beatrice Haycock. Does any one know where i can research any newspapers e.t.c. I live in Australia. So its abit hard. Was trying to find out if he died during a stay in Hospital or died at home. Thank you Sandra

His local paper would have been the South London Post.

Ian

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Hi Sandra,

It is worth a try emailing Lambeth Library once you know the date of death,

http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/services/leisure...ture/libraries/

as they may have copies of the local newspaper and possibly a report on the inquest etc. I contacted a Cheshire library only yesterday looking for articles on 3 brothers who died in Cheadle. The articles are already in the post to me.

Janet

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Lambeth local records, newspapers and AVLs, are actually kept at the Southwark Local History Studies Centre just off the Borough behind the John Harvard Library.

Ian

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He committed suicide about 3 years later. Would like to find out was there any hostpitals that the soldiers went to.

Sandra

He need not have been in a psychiatric hospital to have commited suicide. St Thomas' Hospital is the major hospital in the Lambeth area. It would be worth contacting them (http://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/). Their records will certainly cover the period you are interested in. The other possibility is King's College Hospital, if he lived in the south of Lambeth. There may have been other community hospitals at that time as well. These will have been closed and I don't whether their records would have gone to the Public Record Office, now known as The National Archives, Kew. There are many other people on this Forum who are more knowledgeable about this possibility than me.

Robert

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Sandra

Thanks for the update. Yes, his suffering must have been terrible. He was obviously some distance from the family left in Lambeth too. Were there family in the Leicester area?

The Home of Recovery almost certainly will not exist now but locals in Barrow Upon Soar might remember it. Or there may be references in local newspapers. If records existed, they may be with the National Archives, Kew.

Robert

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  He was obviously some distance from the family left in Lambeth too.  Were there family in the Leicester area?

The Home of Recovery almost certainly will not exist now but locals in Barrow Upon Soar might remember it.local newspapers.  If records existed, they may be with the National Archives, Kew.

Hi Robert.

As far as i know his family was still in lambeth & his children. I have left a message on forum at barrow apon soar. Still have alot of work ahead on this.

He was in the Royal Field Artillary 174th Brigade. My grandfather would tell my father when he was a kid then what happened. that he would sit there real quiet chewing his nails. Its a shame he never recovered. His other brother my Grandfather. Lost one eye in the first world war.

Ive seen some of the pictures of the towns at barrow upon soar. Its looks so nice there and peacfull . Must have been so different to where he had just come from fighting. Would like to have found a picture where he was in hospital. Shall keep looking.

Thanks sandra

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It seems so sad to me that a man felt he had to commit suicide after the horrors of the war, in some ways a lot sadder than an 'accepted' battlefield casualty

my own grandfather spent six months virtually on his own, in a back room playing patience, until he could come to terms with normal life again

good luck in your search

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Hi All.

This is a photo i have of fredrick Charles Byott. Who commited suicide at the

Home of recovery leicester. he was in the Royal artilley 174th brigade. That is all i know at present. Shall see how i go posting photo.

Sandra

Hope this works for photo.

Sandra

post-1-1097293116.jpg

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Hi

Another photo of Fredrick and his wife.must have been taken befor he went off to war. You can see how the war has taken its affect on him.

Sandra

post-1-1097296946.jpg

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The man,s eyes in the first picture are haunting. The are typical of what the US Marines called "the two thousand yard stare", "The look of the man who no longer cares". of which a famous painting by Tom Lea. I cannot send the picture but it appears on p116 of James Jones The Graphic art of WWII, London, Leo Cooper, 1975.

A truly terrible image

David

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The man,s eyes in the first picture are haunting. The are typical of what the US Marines called "the two thousand yard stare", "The look of the man who no longer cares".

Yes Dave His eyes tell it all dont they. never heard that saying Two thousand yard stare. But how true.

The horrors of war . His eyes have seen so much. Tried to find the picture you spoke of but could not.

Sandra

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Sandra

Rothley Court Hotel at http://www.rothleycourt.com/history.htm

looks like the kind of place for a convalescent home, but its website doesn't mention this. It's certainly old enough. Might be worth contacting the hotel.

I've seen your photograph of him here, and noticed that at the bottom, it says Boston Studios. Boston is in Lincolnshire ... You say 'must have been taken before he went off to war' but you then say 'You can see how the war has taken its affect on him.'

Sorry, I don't know anything about the patch on his coat sleeve, or anything about uniforms at all. Why not try the uniforms section here?

Where does it say he died on his death certificate? Can you read it easily? Does it say suicide was the cause of death? 'Was trying to find out if he died during a stay in Hospital or died at home' - do you mean he killed himself at home in Australia, or at home in Lambeth?

sorry not to be able to help,

Viv

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Sandra,

He wears the single stripe of a Lance Corporal at the top of his arm and two wound stripes at the bottom of his arm, thus indicating that he was wounded twice.

Regards

Steve

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Sandra

Just read your email. Apologies for thinking Frederick may have died in Australia.

Could his second name have been transcribed as begining with an L? There is a medal card for an FL Byott, private 198719, in the Labour Corps, at

http://www.documentsonline.nationalarchive...1&resultcount=1

(Image Reference 703989 / 37597 - just in case it gets lost!)

Since your Frederick was wounded, he would be entitled to the Silver War Medal as well as whatever others are on the card, or so I understand.

Boston, Lincolnshire, is the only Boston in England, though there's a Boston Spa in West Yorkshire. Looks as though there's more detective work yet to be done, so ...

... good hunting,

Viv

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Sandra

In the Access to Archives site, searching under 'Barrow on Soar' it says there is a 'Bundle of miscellaneous numbered Packets marked "Inquests to be preserved as County Records - Verdicts of Murder, etc. Prior to 1928" - ref. CO.1/18/1-24 - date: 1914 - 1927'

This is at http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/documentxsl.a...properties=0601

A suicide would have an inquest, so you might just get lucky.

Viv

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He wears the single stripe of a Lance Corporal at the top of his arm and two wound stripes at the bottom of his arm, thus indicating that he was wounded twice.

Regards

Steve

Hello steve.

Thank you very much for that steve .

Sandra

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