ABOUT ELOISE
Between 1871 and 1994, Caterham Asylum became home to thousands of mentally ill and disabled patients. These patients often spent the rest of their lives within the asylum, hidden away from society and forgotten. One of these patients was my Great, Great, Great Grandmother, Emily Pratley, who was suffering from “debility through lack of nourishment and paralysis”. Over the following year, her case notes document her declining health, noting her sitting by herself crying, believing she was going to die. On April 27th, 1889, Emily passed away, and like many of the asylums other patients was buried in an unmarked grave in the asylum’s burial grounds. Over 3,000 people are buried in the in these grounds, many without gravestones; hidden away and forgotten just as they were in life. My work aims to explore Emily’s life while also creating a memorial to not only her but the thousands of other asylum patients who have been forgotten.
