St. Joseph's and Farmfield
Reformatories for Inebriate Women
This A Few Forgotten Women Friday focussed on St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory, Ashford, Middlesex and Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women, Horley, Surrey, looking at the eighty six women who were enumerated as inmates in these institutions in the 1901 census.
You can find out more about St. Joseph’s here. It opened in 1899 to cater for Catholic inebriate women, who came from across England and Wales. As it was a Catholic institution, several of those treated there were of Irish origin. Farmfield was opened in 1900; there is more information here.
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There is more detail about the treatment of inebriates on Liz Craig’s excellent website.
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The women from these institutions were researched on 24 March 2023, by sixty-nine family historians from across Britain, Ireland, Canada, the United States and Australia, we are gradually adding their stories below. Click on the women's names to access their stories. Those that have been added most recently are marked *.
Ellen Aldridge c.1859-1903 from Burnham, Buckinghamshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 12 minute read.
Mary Jane (Polly) Allen c.1877-? from Sawtry, Huntingdonshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Prostitution, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 4 minute read.
Elizabeth Arnold c.1863-? from Sheffield, Yorkshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 2 minute read.
Annie Banks, aka Annie Williams, aka Annie Mullins, aka Annie Brooks, aka Annie Donovan, aka Ellen Donovan c.1862-? from Marylebone, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 7 minute read.
Margaret Bates, aka Mary Ann Casey, aka Mary Ann Mahoney c.1863-? from Brentford, Middlesex – Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 5 minute read.
Mary Ann Bennett c.1868-? from Worcester, Worcestershire - Alcoholism, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Poverty, Prostitution, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 8 minute read.
Margaret Best c.1860-? from Southampton, Hampshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, Suicide, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 6 minute read.
Mary Brown or Brahen, later Mary Ford c.1870-? from Leeds, Yorkshire – Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory 2 minute read.
Bridget Carroll, later Bridget Pattenden 1861-1935 from Deptford, Kent - Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Lawbreaking, Women at work, St. Joseph's Inebriate Reformatory. Warning, this story includes an account of domestic abuse. 9 minute read.
Honoria Coleman c.1866-1949 born at sea near Singapore - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 3 minute read.
Margaret Conway c.1864-? from Cardiff, Glamorganshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Mary Crawley née ? c.1861-? from London, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 2 minute read.
Minnie Donovan c.1860-? from Douglas, Co. Cork, Ireland - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Johanna Driscoll c.1864-? from Bishopsgate, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Mary Edwards c.1850-? from Carrick, Ireland - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Honora aka Norah Fleming 1861-? from Vauxhall, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 3 minute read.
Ellen Flynn, aka Ellen Cockling, aka Ellen Sullivan, aka Ellen Green, aka Annie Green c.1852-? from Camberwell, Surrey - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Prostitution, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Annie Foley, later Annie Norris aka Ellen Norris 1852-1907 from Somers Town, Middlesex – Abandonment, Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Mental Health, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 3 minute read.
Jessie Franklin aka Jessie Gray aka Jessie Richardson aka Jessie Graham aka Lilian Newlands c.1870-? from Bermondsey, Surrey - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Prostitution, Sickness, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 8 minute read.
Louisa Mary Goldfinch, later Louisa Mary Yeomans, aka Louisa Jones, aka Mary Smith 1869-1934 from Streatham, Surrey - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 6 minute read.
Linda Gummer, later Linda Bush 1867-1920 from Deptford, Kent – Alcoholism, Child Mortality, Domestic Abuse, Lawbreaking, Poverty, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 4 minute read.
Annie Harrington c.1865-1949 from Lambeth, Surrey - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 6 minute read.
Mary Harrison 1862-? From York, Yorkshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Prostitution, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Rose Howard 1861-? from Richmond, Surrey Alcoholism. Lawbreaking, Poverty, Prostitution, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women 4 minute read.
Sarah Jameson, later Sarah Woods 1881-? from Newport, Monmouthshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 9 minute read.
Alice Jones c.1871-? from Hackney, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 12 minute read.
* Elizabeth Jones, later Elizabeth Wannell 1863-1930 from Southwark, Surrey – Alcoholism, Child Mortality, Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Poverty, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 14 minute read.
Alice Kilkenny, later Alice Clancy c.1860-? from Kilclogher, Co Leitrim, Ireland - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 6 minute read.
Mary Ann Konsella aka Kinsella c.1846-1904 from Co. Mayo, Ireland - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 3 minute read.
Margaret Lynch, later Margaret Colgrove 1871-? from Ireland – Abandonment, Alcoholism, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Louisa Mason 1868-1925 from Barkingside, Essex - Alcoholism, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Prostitution, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 4 minute read.
* Ellen McCarthy, later Ellen Quinlan aka Nellie Quinlan, aka Ellen or Nellie Corfield c. 1860-? from Soho, London - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
* Louisa McCormack c.1856-? from Portsea, Hampshire - Alcoholism, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 3 minute read.
Mary McManus, aka Mary Gent, aka Mary Jent, aka Mary Brown 1859-? from Preston, Lancashire - Alcoholism, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 10 minute read.
Mary McLoughlin, late Mary Horsley c.1853-1919 from Sligo, Ireland – Abandonment, Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 2 minute read.
Selina Melville 1869-1952 from France - Alcoholism, No Descendants, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 5 minute read.
Rosalind Emily Miles, later Rosalind Emily Appleyard, aka Emily Rosalind Appleyard, aka Grace Emily Appleyard 1855-1902 from Birchington, Kent – Abandonment, Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 12 minute read.
Marjorie O’Brien, aka Valerie St. Quentin, aka Marjory Swan c.1870-? from Bristol, Gloucestershire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Sickness, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 5 minute read.
Catherine O’Connor c.1860-? from Holborn, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 2 minute read.
Ellen O’Donoghue, later Ellen Heather 1863-1913 from London, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Disability, Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 3 minute read.
Minnie O’Shea c.1854-1916 from Cork, Ireland – Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, Sickness, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 20 minute read.
Joanna Regan, later Joanna Walters c.1854-? from Clifton, Gloucestershire – Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Ellen Sampson c.1858-? from Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland - Alcoholism, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Poverty, Prostitution, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 15 minute read.
Ann (Annie) Sims, later Annie Dickenson 1865-? from Wantage, Berkshire - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 11 minute read.
Mary Slack aka Mary Stack 1882-? from Notting Hill, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Domestic Abuse, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 8 minute read.
Eliza Win(n)ifred Springate 1873–1914 from Deptford, Kent - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 2 minute read.
Bridget Sullivan, later Bridget (H)usher aka Mary (H)usher, aka Alice Arnold 1866-1928 from Knightsbridge, Middlesex – Accident, Alcoholism, Child Mortality, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 12 minute read.
Norah Sullivan c. 1871-? from London, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Winifred Sullivan c.1870-? from Wandsworth, Surrey - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, Poverty, Sickness, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 4 minute read.
Bridget Toomey, aka Mary Ann Gotten, aka Bridget Smith c.1878-1943 and Mary Toomey 1879-? from Fulham, Middlesex Surrey - Alcoholism, Disability, Lawbreaking, Poverty, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 12 minute read.
Ellen Ward, aka Helena Ward, aka Eleanor Ward, aka Ellen Hansbury, aka Ellen Davis, aka Ellen Godfrey c.1868-? from Notting Hill, Middlesex - Alcoholism, Lawbreaking, St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory. 6 minute read.
Ellen White c.1863-? from Birmingham, Warwickshire - Alcoholism, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women. 4 minute read.
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The nature of these women's lives means that some of them proved elusive. At the moment, we do not have enough information about them to list them with a story of their own but we are committed to remembering them. What we do know about them is included in our Other Women file, where you will find information about Mary S Bennett, Ellen Carroll, Margaret Griffin, Lilian King aka Lilian Jordan aka Lilia Mangley, Jannette Lambert, Julia Lyons, Mary J McLaughlin, Caroline Oliver, Juliet Regan, Mary A Ritchie, Amelia Roberts, Ellen Roberts, Annie Sheehan, Rose Smith, Elizabeth Steele, Mary Taylor and Elizabeth Williams.
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