Lost Hospital Record Book Aids Gemma Collins’ Family History Research

The Surrey History Centre in Woking has received a previously missing hospital record book, which contributed to the discovery of reality star Gemma Collins’ family history. During an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, it was disclosed that Gemma’s grandmother had been admitted to multiple psychiatric hospitals located in Epsom. Personnel at the Surrey centre, which was showcased in the television program, were responsible for this finding, having conducted thorough investigations into hospital records. Julian Pooley, who serves as the centre’s public services and engagement manager, stated that the missing book, located in a south London attic, has the potential to “fill the gap” in their existing records. The episode, which chronicled an emotional journey for The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) personality Gemma, initially aired in September. She discovered that her grandmother, Joan Williams, had been admitted to two psychiatric hospitals: first at the age of 13, and again at 17, at which point Gemma’s mother was born and subsequently placed into foster care. Mr. Pooley commented that the program “was very poignant because it showed how the stigma attached to mental illness means that those admitted to these institutions were often not spoken about with the family”. He further noted: “So years on it is hard to piece together their stories.” He explained that they managed to reconstruct a portion of Gemma’s family narrative by utilizing records from St Ebba’s and Long Grove. These institutions belonged to a group of five psychiatric hospitals in Epsom, established to alleviate strain on London hospitals, and ceased operations during the 1990s and 2000s. Each hospital maintained a capacity of 2,500 beds, with every record book detailing information for 250 patients. Mr. Pooley also remarked: “Many of these historical records were kept in the most atrocious conditions.” He indicated that the absent record book represented a void in the centre’s archives, a situation “which has worried me for the last 30 years since I rescued these records in 1995.” This changed when a south London resident contacted the centre to inquire about their interest in a record book for the Manor Hospital, which he had discovered in his attic. “It is enormously exciting for us because it fills that gap and it shows that records have survived from these hospitals out in the community for the last 30 years since the hospitals closed,” Mr. Pooley stated.