Fanny Ward Papers, 1878 - 1895

Summary

Creator:
Ward, Frances Margaret
Abstract:
The Fanny Ward Papers date from 1878 to 1895, with the bulk of the letters dating from 1879 to 1893. The collection consists of over 100 letters discussing the mental illness of this young woman and showing the development and range of her illness over a period of fourteen years. The collection has no series and needs to be reprocessed.
Extent:
2 boxes .83 linear feet
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The Fanny Ward Papers date from 1878 to 1895, with the bulk of the letters dating from 1879 to 1893. The collection consists of well over 100 letters discussing the mental illness of this young woman and showing the development and range of her illness over a period of fourteen years. The letters were written by her brother Alexander Ward (who was primarily responsible for her care), her aunt, Dr. John W. Fry (who housed and cared for her), and her nurse Harriet Farnell. Some are written by Fanny herself. In addition to the letters, the collection includes medical reports, commitment papers, and official letters from the Lord Chancellor’s Visitors Office. The letters and documents show that many had hopes for Fanny’s recovery. There are graphic descriptions of Fanny’s relapses, which necessitated confinement and restraint. Letters tell of Fanny writing lucid but extravagant letters to Queen Victoria or to philanthropists asking for donations to found a hospital in Madras, India. There is a reference to a Dr. Maudesley [sic] as having seen Fanny at the onset of her illness, probably referring to Dr. Henry Maudsley (1835-1918), the son-in-law of John Conolly and the well-known founder of the Maudsley Hospital in London. The letters provide a very personal chronicle of the pathology of a mentally ill person. The collection also includes bills and receipts for medical services rendered and financial records pertaining to the Ward family’s account. A small amount of material relates to Fanny’s brother, Charles James Ward, who also suffered from mental illness and died in 1883. The collection has no series and needs to be reprocessed.

Biographical / historical:

Frances Margaret Ward, known to her family, doctors and attendants as Fanny Ward, was dismissed from a girl’s school in England in the 19th century at age 15 due to mental illness. She blamed this situation on the death of her father, which had left her an orphan. The letters in this collection take Fanny up to age 29, at which time it appears that there was a slight possibility that she would be paroled if her exemplary behavior continued.

Acquisition information:
The Fanny Ward Papers were purchased from the Old Hickory Bookshop in Brinklow, Maryland in 1967 with funds donated by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blatt.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
hysteria
Names:
Ward, Frances Margaret
Places:
Chennai (India)
England

Access and use

Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions on this material.

Terms of access:

Written permission must be obtained from the Oskar Diethelm Library and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Location of this collection:
DeWitt Wallace Institute of Psychiatry: History, Policy and the Arts
Weill Cornell Medical College
525 East 68th Street, Box 140
New York, NY 10065, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
212-746-3728