General Chat

Not being able to read / write was common until the latter part of the 19th century until child education became the norm.

As far as medical terms were concerned as suggested, they had a rather different meaning to that we are used to today. For example, an elderly person with dementure would have been classed as an imbecile.....!

In those days the words Idiot, imbecile etc. were just used as medical terms rather than derogatory terms.

Lots of people still worked well into their seventies (if they were lucky enough to live that long) as there was no welfare state and very few people could afford to pay into a pension.

The majority of people in the 1800's couldn't read or write.

Kath. x

In 2016 a good GP would hesitate to make these distinctions'
He or she would refer the patient to a specialist.
So how is the enumerator to know?

Remember also that many people in 'lunatic' asylums were suffering from things like grief at the death of a family member, depression, post natal depression, not being a 'good girl' etc, you can't really judge the definitions in the same way we use the words today.

Also not unusual to see the term 'dumb' next to the entry for a baby!

Infirmities recorded on the census'

http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/census/SRC_P/9/EW1911GEN

probably if a person were deaf and dumb the enumerator would class them as an imbecile

While looking for my ancestors I have found some sad things.
My paternal GGF could not read or write, he made his mark along side his name.
He was still a general labourer at age 70

Also on the 1911 and 1901 census forms I see who ever was filling in in the form
had to tick to state that the name mentioned was an idiot, an imbecile or a lunatic.
What parent would tick any of those boxes?
Who in authority would want to know? :-0 :-(