Genealogy Chat

Paula I am not sure, but I think the couple were Dutch and newly arrived in the US in about 1700. I have taken the book back to the library but I will see if I can get a quick squint at it tomorrow - always supposing someone hasn't taken it out! Otherwise, it will be Tuesday. I won't forget. This is probably really naughty - but if you joined (or your Uncle) the Huntingdon's Society and offered your family tree for their research, I bet you would get a copy of their Master Tree! Sorry, I know this isnt a subject to joke about but you would definitely have a correct tree if you got theirs - Huntingdons is a 'signature' which can't be ignored. I seem to remember from the book that many people living in Venezuela suffer from it - all traced back to the original couple. Apparently it took two Genealogists twenty years to compile trees because there were no records in Venezuela and it all had to be done on 'memory' backed up by baptismal certificates. I am surprised that your Uncle's GP is in any doubt that your Uncle's mother died of it - unless his father died of it, then he definitely inherited it from his mother. Having said that, it still continues to be misdiagnosed because many GPs never ever see a case of Huntingdons in their whole professional life. Add to that the secrecy and shame which surrounded this condition for centuries and it is no wonder it still goes undiagnosed. I will message you when I find the book! Regards Marjorie

Marjorie>> That would be interesting to see if i can trace back that far. Where were the couple from? Paula

Sam, try phoning the nearest local archives to the hospital. I was in Wakefield Archives this week and someone there was looking through old hospital records but I'm not sure how old the records were. Worth a try anyway. Good luck, Maggy

Paula No, it used to be called Huntingdons Chorea. St Vitus Dance has very similar symptoms, but is curable. From what I have read (and its a subject which fascinates me because a friend discovered in the 1960s that her father had died of it, big family secret, - fortunately she does not have it, but spent many agonising years worrying about it, before genetic testing came into being) it is always hereditary, in other words, it doesn't happen spontaneously, one of your parents must have it. As you say, there is no cure, but there is great hope that gene therapy will be of some use in tackling this and I am sure I also read somewhere that Thalidomide has been used, with some small success, in treating it, although that is not a form of treatment available in this country. The first couple to produce Huntingdon children were noted in the early 1700s, although no-one knew what it was of course. The children, as adults, were tried for Witchcraft because of their bizarre behaviour. Everyone who has Huntingdons is proved to be a descendant of this couple - and there are about 50,000 sufferers worldwide. Marjorie

I will give them a try- its not my ancestor though but if i get the info my auntie can write from australia if they won't let me have anything. Its my uncle (dads sisters husband) through marriage so thankfully not in my direct line although could affect my cousins. I was over visiting them in australia and since i got back a couple of weeks ago i contacted someone through this this board whose auntie is a cousin of my uncle and she also has Huntingtons. Apparently it used to be called St Vitas dance or something Paula

Paula I am so sorry. I know something of Huntingdons - it is truly awful. I do know that the Huntingdons Society have drawn up a massive family tree of sufferers (world-wide) and proved all cases back to one couple in the 1700s. I wonder if an approach to them might give you some sort of letter the GP could send to England? They must have dealt with this situation many times before. Do you have the death cert of this rellie? (Sorry, yes you must have!!!) Parkinsons was often confused with Huntingdons in those days and it was often felt anyway, that it was a kinder cause of death for the rellies to read. I am quite sure, that if the records still exist, in these circumstances you would be allowed to look at them. The Area Health Authority (where your rellie died) should be able to tell you where the records are. The very best of luck - let me know if I can help in any way and please let me know the outcome of this. Marjorie

Thanks for all your replies, I will search a2a and see what I can find. I had been searching for his death for months, finally found him on the burial registers and discovered he had died in a different registration district to where he lived and also that he died in a mental hospital. After family stories of him dying after falling down stairs drunk, it was quite a disappointment to see 'has diabetes' as the cause of death! Sam

Marjorie> My uncle (through marriage) has Huntingdons disease which is a very serious genetic disease that there is no cure for. I have just started looking into his family tree for my auntie to see if the disease goes back. The trouble is they are in Australia so their GP is over there. They didn't know there was Huntingdons in the family till he got it but the docs in Australia think that his mother may have had it as she died of Parkinsons and it may have been misdiagnosed. The doctors in Australia are very interested is seeing if this came through the family but i don't think they know where to start with requesting records from the UK Paula PS I still live in the UK

Paula If it is a serious Genetic Disease, then the Hospital may be more amenable to you accessing the records - but I think you would have more success if your GP made the approach himself. Good luck Marjorie

My auntie in Australia has asked me to look into her husbands tree as he has found he has a genetic disease which they now suspect his mother also had. Would it be possible for them to get her hospital records? She died in Leicester about 40 or 50 years ago Paula

Hi Sam, my Uncles second wife got the birth report of my Uncles father (my Grandad) who was born in 1914 at Queen Charlottes hospital Islington. She contacted London Metropolitan Archives but she did have to send my Uncles birth certificate, their marriage certificate etc to prove the direct link to my Grandad (maybe even Grandads death certificate). Hope this helps. Kate x

I think you'll probably find, that, even if the records exist, they will be closed for either 75 or 100 years. If 75, not too long to wait, but if 100, well!!!!!....

Sam google a2a - this will find the Access to archives site. Type in the hospital name and with luck it should tell you where/if the hospital archives are. nell

Does anyone know if it is possible to get access to hospital records from c1935? I have received the death cert for my great grandad and have found that he died in a mental hospital (which is no longer in existance just to complicate matters further). My dad seems to think he was an alcoholic and this casued his death but the death cert gives cause of death as 'Has Diabetes'. I am interested in finding out WHY he was admitted to a mental hospital and wondered if anyone knew if this information would be accessible and if so, where from if the hospital in question is no longer there. Thanks Sam