How the brothers found her is quite heartwarming. I wonder how many others in England and here are still lost in the system. Here, of course, there would be a lawsuit worth millions.
Found, the sister who was locked away for 70 years when she was wrongly accused of stealing 12p
At the age of only 15, Jean Gambell was locked away for supposedly stealing the equivalent of 12 1/2p from the doctor’s surgery where she worked as a cleaner.
She was later found to be innocent, but by that time she had been condemned as ‘feeble-minded’ and lost in the system.
Two brothers born after her incarceration were convinced she must have died long ago. But now, an astonishing 70 years after she was sent away, the family have held an emotional reunion.
[…]
Jean, who lived on the Wirral, was ordered to be detained indefinitely in Cranage Hall, Crewe, after the money – half a crown – went missing from the surgery in 1937.
Here, of course, there would be a lawsuit worth millions.
I love that US attitude! “People are jerks for suing everyone!”, but also “We can sue anyone! Isn’t it great?!”
Maybe in this case there SHOULD be a lawsuit. Jeez, they locked her up for 70 years on a bogus charge, stole her whole life, what more could they do to her that would be worthy of punishment?
She must be a real sharpie though; she “immediately recognized” her brother David, who wasn’t born until SEVEN YEARS AFTER she was locked away and lost in the system? Hmmm. 60+ years later? Hmmm. Too bad the fish-o-meter doesn’t weigh in on this one….
#2, MM
I’m with you on this one. The indifference by the staff is unconscionable.
FYI, the family had had contact with her over the years, up until 25 years ago when she was moved to another home. So she was familiar with her adult brothers.
Now the British government can sue her for scamming them out of 70 years of room and board. That’s obviously their best defense.
“The money was eventually found but by then it was too late. David said: ‘Nowadays there are reviews and appeals, but back then a doctor could sign away a life with the stroke of a pen – it’s a terrible waste.’ ”
see, weren’t things so much better before the lawyers and the courts got their hands on them?
The appalling thing is that all the people who had been committed without due process were kept there even after it became clear that the old system allowed for wrongful commitments.
Did you bother reading the article…
The two brothers were allowed to visit her over the years but she was subsequently moved to numerous care homes across the North-West, making it hard for them to stay in touch.
And when David and his elder brother Alan lost their mother 25 years ago, the final link to their sister was lost.
Mustard, please read the article more carefully:
“The two brothers were allowed to visit her over the years but she was subsequently moved to numerous care homes across the North-West, making it hard for them to stay in touch.
And when David and his elder brother Alan lost their mother 25 years ago, the final link to their sister was lost.”
#2 and #3 did you read the whole article?
The two brothers were allowed to visit her over the years but she was subsequently moved to numerous care homes across the North-West, making it hard for them to stay in touch.
And when David and his elder brother Alan lost their mother 25 years ago, the final link to their sister was lost.
#3, 6, 7
Yeah yeah, OK. I still think she should sue the bastards.
#1 – Due to your “I hate America” post, I’m going to have to ask you to kill yourself.
10. LOL, James is on a killing spree this morning.
What do you expect? It’s a country where they used to hang kids for pickpocketing, and where for many centuries a set class of people – the “noblility” – were automatically considered gifted and righteous and everyone on the working class rung of the ladder were thought of as little more than animals and virtually incapable of morality. In between that were middle classes mostly aspiring to be nobility, so they adopted attitude that implied their qualifications for nobility. I’m sure the doctor who signed Jean’s life away figured he was doing her a favor, and there’s a good chance he felt she was likely getting much better than she deserved.
#6, #7, and #8,
Something a little fishy about those posts. Three identical posts within three minutes by three different writers.
BTW, I was #3 and I pointed out to MM that the family had been previously allowed to visit.
Shouldn’t the title be “For Not Stealing A Few Cents”?!
Summary judgements by mean spirited, uneducated justices of the peace in rural England, for three centuries, are what populated Australia.
#12
Here’s something said by the immortal words of Tim Allen: “They stuff kittens in pies!”
This is typical of the British. They are inbred and rude.
Ryan Mulrooney is SO right – my own guess is that Jean’s Boss – the Doctor – had made unprofessional sexual advances to her and felt threatened by her non-co-operative response to him-so cooked-up the 2/6d story to create a disbelief in her word. He signed the actual sectioning forms – he could have put that right too – so he was scared. Good people of England have experienced that kind of problem throughout centuries – particularly the Poor. It is, on those terms – so very disgusting that a good Woman lost her chance to a liveable life and her own Children on these terms – a shame and curse on England forever. The ruling classes have destroyed many Good lives on lack of Honour throughout History. My Heart continually weeps for Jean. Well done to Ryan for assessing the vulgar Brits for what they really are. Eve.