In Georgian-era England, getting old was a source of deep fear for many. Because people who suffered from physical ailments, dementia or depression could hardly expect any help around 220 years ago. Quite a few therefore chose to commit suicide rather than end up in the poor house, as historical protocols of forensic medical examinations reveal. But wealthy members of the upper class also feared physical and mental decline.
Life in 18th century England was tough, especially for the middle and lower classes. Hard physical work and lives often full of privation caused many people to age and die before their time. What we now consider middle age at best was already considered old then, because less than 20 percent of the population were older than 50 at that time, as the historian Ella Sbaraini of the University of Cambridge explains.
Coroners’ protocols provide deep insights
But what did aging mean for the people of the Georgian era? The records and logs of coroners and witness interviews on 106 deaths of unknown cause from London and some English counties offer fascinating insights. In most of these cases, after careful investigation, the authorities concluded that they were suicides. The interesting thing, however, is that because the minutes recorded the statements of close relatives of the dead, some of them verbatim, they provide valuable insights into the physical and mental condition of those affected.
The reports reveal that most of these suicides were committed by people with no future because of the physical or emotional distress associated with their advanced age. One example is Isaac Hendley, a man in his 60s who killed himself in Shoreditch in 1797. Witnesses later reported that before his death he had often spoken of the fear of a life in misery and of the fear that he would no longer be able to practice his profession as a shoemaker. Because he was already suffering from physical ailments. Hendley feared he would end up in the poor house – a humiliating notion for a hitherto self-employed craftsman, as Sbaraini explains.
Fears, ailments and dementia
“The people described in these documents suffered from a number of age-related illnesses and disabilities, but also from serious social and financial problems,” says Sbaraini. “Many looked for help, but they lived at a time when the support they needed simply wasn’t available.” This was by no means restricted to members of the poorer classes, as historical records show. Even some older members of the upper class apparently saw no way out. One example is Thomas Norman, who committed suicide in the affluent area of ​​London’s St. James in 1771. His pharmacist reported afterwards that the deceased was extremely depressed with every illness.
Another case is the country nobleman John Braithwaite, who died in Cumbria in northern England in 1803. According to the testimony, he complained of increasing confusion before his death, forgetting simple words or where he had tied his horse. Abrupt mood swings and sudden fits of anger also marked his condition. “Today memory loss, confusion, and changes in behavior are well-known signs of dementia,” explains Sbaraini. “But in the 1700s there was far less understanding and support for patients with this condition. For a formerly independent person who was respected by his own kind, it must have been extremely stressful to no longer have his own behavior under control. “
According to the historian, these case reports illustrate that around 250 years ago people struggled with similar problems as we do today. But because there was hardly any help at the time, many saw no other way out than death. “The tragic experiences of many elderly people in the 18th century underscore the need for social and medical help for the elderly,” says Sbaraini. “History reminds us how important it is that older people also feel that they are useful and valued part of society.”
Source: University of Cambridge; Professional article: Social History of Medicine, doi: 10.1093 / shm / hkab048