Admission Details for Patient: Mary Catherine Jones (502)
Name Mismatch: 502 , 2430, 2468
Gender: Female Age: 46
Marital Status: Single Religion: Calvinist Methodist
Occupation: None
Address: Amlwch, Anglesey
Date of Admission: April 2, 1890
Date of Discharge: December 30, 1890
Discharge Category: Recovered
Disease: Mania
Supposed Cause: Heredity/Previous attack
Medical Certificate:
1. (i) Continually laughing, random talk, buying two large farms for nominal sums, £13 each. (ii) Communicated to me by O. E. Jones Esq., her brother: Thinks herself the Queen of England. That she was going to the Asylum to be made a Matron there. G. Gryffydh Jones, LRCPh and LRCS Edin., Amlwch.
2. (i) She is laughing continually and states that she is going to preach tomorrow, which she takes to be Sunday. Also she states that she has been suffering from Influenza which on enquiry I find not to be true. (ii) Her brother, O. E. Jones Esq., informs me that she complains that the servants put poison in her food. April 1st 1890. John Jones, LRCPh Edin., Llanerchymedd.
Approximate duration of present attack: About 3 weeks
Number of Previous Attacks: 7
Number of Previous Admissions: 7
Number of Subsequent Admissions: 1
Total Number of Admissions: 9
Relatives affected: Mother
Number of Previous Attacks: 7
Epileptic: -
Suicidal: -
Dangerous: -
Clean Habit: -
Food Refusal: -
Sleep Habit: -
Destructive Habit: -
Disposition: -
Education: -
Physical/Mental State at Examination: No notes on admission. Health good.
Current Diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder (F31.2)
Case Notes
1890 Apr 5 - Patient's general condition very similar to that seen upon former attacks. She is loquacious and makes all sorts of absurd statements, eg that she is Queen of England, the Head Attendant of this Asylum etc. Is good tempered and manageable at present. In excellent health.
21 - Has made considerable improvement and gives but little trouble in any way.
June 15 - Has again become very excited and talkative and generally troublesome. July 15 - The last excitement quickly subsided and she is now very quiet and sensible in her conversation and behaviour and is usefully employed daily. Health good.
Aug 5 - Improving and quite rational in every way.
Nov 13 - Had another relapse at the end of September just as she was to have gone home. Has now quite recovered but until she has remained so for a few weeks it would be imprudent to discharge her.
Dec 21 - Is now as well as she will ever be and will shortly return home again.
Medications/Treatments:
Additional Notes
Previous admissions:
First admitted 24th August 1862 (no. 203) with a diagnosis of dementia and discharged recovered on 18th March the following year.
On 13th April 1869 she was readmitted with mania (no. 282) and discharged recovered 8th September 1869.
13th July 1877 (no. 378). Medical Certificates read: 1. (i) Very restless and excited. Declared she was dead, had gone to heaven, did not like it as there were so few people there etc.
2. (ii)
From Miss M. A. Jones:
Stated that Miss Jones thought she was against her and was a bad angel and that she dared not be alone in the room with her.
2. (i) Very excitable and incoherent in her speech.
Laughing immoderately at other times frowning much and causing her friends and attendants to be in dread of her. She said all were ill except her, even the cats had heart disease. Very lavish of money, did not know what it was for but to be spent.
(ii)
Her brother and friend declare she is not safe. The latter is afraid of her.
R. Price Roberts.
Mary was ‘removed by friends’ on 20th December 1877.
On 31st December 1880 Mary was readmitted, again with mania (No. 395).
Medical Certificates read: 1. (i) Incoherency of conversation. A suspicion that the bread given her had been poisoned etc. (ii) Being abusive to her friends and relations and having groundless suspicions regarding them; stating that her brother, whose house she lives in, has no business there etc.
William Evans, Llandynedd, Anglesey. 2. (i) Excited manner, immoderate and causeless mirth during conversation.
Aversion to bread as an article of diet.
(ii) That she fancies her bread poisoned. That she is jealous of her greatest friends, eg, out of spite to her sister-in-law she stated that food cooked by her was stinking etc. That contrary to her previous habits she is careless of her dress, of her household duties and of her manner of presiding at table etc.
William Rowlands, Amlwch, Anglesey.
On admission Mary expressed her willingness to stay at the asylum for a while and she remained until she was thought recovered and discharged on 10th March 1882.
Wearing the same peculiar expression she had worn on previous occasions Mary was once again admitted on 26th July 1883 (no. 427) and discharged on 12th May the following year.
When readmitted on 17th August 1885 (no. 450), again with mania, the Medical Certificates read: 1. An excited manner and a rambling incoherent conversation, accompanied with some delusions, eg that "Mrs Douglas Pennant" presided at an Ebony Room somewhere to entertain visitors to the Asylum with wine etc and others equally ridiculous.*
I was informed by her brother Owen Jones Esq. that she suspects her food poisoned and will not partake of tea or coffee etc on that account. She is also very irritable in temper. William Evans, Llanerchymedd, Anglesey. 2. Incoherent manner of speech. Stating that during her previous stay at the Asylum she helped at various operations and had frequently amputated limbs etc. Leaving house unawares to family and visiting church at early hours, being a constant attendant at chapel. States that Lord Penrhyn was not a fit person to be on the Asylum Committee.
Mr Owen Jones has been the informant. John Griffith Roberts, Amlwch.
Mary’s next admission was 19th October 1888 (no. 487) when the Medical Certificates read:
1. (i)
Wanders in her speech, talks nonsense. Sleeplessness.
She thinks that there is a skeleton inside her stomach. (ii). She swears, at times will not take food being under the impression that it is poisoned.
Ran away from home not fully dressed.
Facts communicated to me by Mr. Owen Jones, Amlwch. Griffith Gryffydh Jones, Amlwch.
2. (i) Talking quite incoherently upon most subjects of conversation; among other matters she said the Bishop of Denbigh was expected to preach the Harvest thanksgiving sermon, and that she attempted to attend the service partly undressed.
Be advised, she says, that that was the proper way to go there etc. (ii) Her brother, Mr. E. Morgan Jones, informs me that she left home a few days back only partly clothed and when brought back, she said she intended walking to Denbigh.
Her brother, Mr. O. E. Jones, says she fancies her food is poisoned.
William Evans, Llanerchymedd.
Diagnosed with mania she was discharged recovered on 7th February 1889.
Readmission:
11th August 1912 (no. 799).
Medical Certificates read:
1. (i) Inability to speak coherently on any subject. Laughing incessantly without cause. Vacant look. (ii) Tears her clothes in bed. Gets up and breaks panes in the window. Has done several times. Has lucid intervals but attacks similar to this, though not so severe, are periodical. Previous to 14 years ago, has been an inmate of Asylum for several periods of time. This information given by Mary Williams, maid in service at Pwllyrolwyn, Mona St, Amlwch.
Signed R. E. Roberts, Bootle, Lancs. Diagnosed with recurrent mania, Mary died in care on 9th June 1916 from ‘senility’ and bronchitis.
*The Ebony Room mentioned in Mary Catherine Jones’s 1885 reception order refers to a room in Penrhyn Castle, a National Trust property just outside Bangor. The mock-Norman castle was built by the Pennant family in the 19th century from the fortune they had made from the slate quarries at nearby Bethesda.
Mary was always admitted to Denbigh as a private patient, her brother a tobacco merchant, so it may be assumed her family had substantial means. It is not impossible that she visited the Pennants.
Historical Records Search