Suicide in the Nineteeth Century Cumberland Press

Today, 10^th October 2019, is World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is suicide prevention, and the message is that of hope. Through this post I shall reflect on how suicide was regarded in the later nineteenth century in a bid to reflect on what has changed, and maybe what has not changed so much.

In an earlier post I detailed how suicides were reported when they occurred in the asylum, this time I focus on how they were reported in the local press. An apt starting point is an article published in the Penrith Observer in June 1894 entitled ‘The Prevention of Suicide’. It placed great importance on a lack of faith: ‘the decay of religious faith coincides with an increase of suicides’. It suggested that doctors would do well to advise religion medically and that: ‘Religion is undoubtedly of use to unhappy persons; therefore let all the unhappy by all means seek its consolations and its staying powers.’ This differs somewhat to the contemporary treatment of an individual with suicidal thoughts, and demonstrates the prominence of religion and morality in Victorian society.

An earlier article from the Wigton Advertiser dated September 1860, detailed a paper published by Dr Conolly, the celebrated asylum superintendent from Hanwell. Titled, ‘Prevention of Suicide Among Lunatics’, Conolly stated that: ‘means for the prevention of suicide, save incessant watching, there seem to be none.’ He went on to describe the hidden impulses of those harboring suicidal thoughts, and that it is impossible to predict that they may harm themselves: ‘A lady, who seemed on the preceding evening quite cheerful, and even to awake in the morning reconciled to life, and restored to hope, is left alone for what seemed to have only been five minutes, and is found suspended by the bed curtains.’ Conolly was one of the early advocates of the ‘non-restraint’ movement, which encouraged the abandonment of straitjackets and other implements, and only resorted to them when all else had failed and patients posed a risk to themselves or others. He touches on non-restraint and its impact on suicide in this paper: ‘It is scarcely necessary to say that since the abolition of mechanical restraints suicides have not been of more frequent occurrence than before…I believe it may safely be said that they have even become less frequent in proportion to the increased viligance necessarily substituted for restraints and to the greatly increased attention given to the general comfort of the insane in all our great institutions.’

Instances of suicide would frequently be reported in the local and national press. Although this seems somewhat intrusive and an invasion of privacy, until 1961 suicide was illegal, which still protrudes somewhat into today as the phrase ‘commit suicide’ has criminal connotations. This may help to explain why suicide was reported in newspapers in such detail, and quite frequently. This is an example from the Penrith Observer in March 1874, which can be upsetting and quite shocking for us reading in the modern-day:

SUICIDE AT GREAT STRICKLAND

On Saturday last a very painful case of suicide occurred at the village of Great Strickland, Westmorland. On that day the dead body of Mr John Parker, mason and farmer, an old and respected resident in the village, was found suspended by the neck from a cross-beam supporting the roof of his barn. Deceased, who was an elderly man, left his family after dinner, but nothing in his manner tended in any way to indicate that he contemplated suicide, and it was not until between two and three o’clock that he was missed by his relatives. A search was then made, and the body of the deceased was found as described above. The deceased was usually a cheerful and intelligent man, and up to the present time nothing has been elicited to account for the rash act.

Cases where suicide had not resulted in death would be the subject of inquiry and would result either in the individual being sent to prison, or they would be judged to have been insane at the time of the act and would be admitted to an asylum. One example was reported in February 1897 in the Maryport Advertiser:

A VIOLENT LUNATIC AT COCKERMOUTH

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Yesterday (Friday) a potter named Edward Keenan, 27 years of age, who lives with his father and several brothers…made an attempt to cut his throat with a table knife, but fortunately only succeeded in inflicting a slight scratch. The man was very violent, and Sergeant McKay and Constable Dodd were called in to hold him down, and it was necessary to have the assistance of a third man. Dr Mitchell was sent for, and after examination he ordered Keenan’s removal to Garlands Asylum. On the way to Carlisle the man continued to be very violent.

It is evident that the way in which suicide is regarded has altered since these newspaper reports were published. However, it has been on the increase in recent years. The more we can encourage people to talk about their feelings, and offer safe spaces to listen, the more chance we have of looking out for each other. In line with World Mental Health day, it is important to highlight that mental illness can occur to any of us, at any time. Reflecting on stories such as the one’s presented here reasserts the importance of talking about our feelings, and helping each other when we may be particularly struggling. For more information about World Mental Health Day 2019 see https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day