Gladys May BROWN

Abt 1910 - 1939  (~ 29 years)

 Set As Default Person

• Name	Gladys May BROWN
  Relationship	with Teresa Ann GOATHAM
  Born	Abt 1910
  	From age in death registration index
  Gender	Female
  Died	10 Feb 1939	Foreness Bay, Cliftonsville, Margate, Kent, England
  	Cause: Suicide - post-natal depression?
  	GRO ref: Hyde, Gladys M, aged 29 q1 1939 Thanet RD 2a 1847; GRO online index shows forenames as Gladys May Sadly probably unneccessary worries led Gladys to take her own life, leaving a 3 month old baby as well as her husband. I wonder if this was post-natal depression? A report of her death and the subsequent inquest appeared in the Thanet Advertiser of 14 and 17 Feb 1939: ' "Must End Everything" Young Wife's Tragic Death Body Found on Foreshore "I must end everything in the water . . . no blame to anyone." These were poignant passages in a note written by a young Margate mother a few minutes before she left her three-months-old-baby in her sister-in-law's care, and went out to her death. Worry over money matters and the health of her child caused Mrs. Gladys May Hyde, 29-year-old wife of Stanley Victor Hyde, a barman and cellarman, of Hastings-avenue, Margate, to take her life. Her body was found lying on the sands at Foreness Bay, Cliftonsville, on Saturday morning, and when the Borough Coroner (Mr. S. J. Wilson Price) held an inquest at the Town Hall, on Monday evening, a large piece of chalk and a piece of brick, which were found in the pockets of the dead woman's overcoat, were produced. Dr. A. D. Macleod, Deputy Police Surgeon, said he made a post-mortem examination and ascertained that death was due to asphyxia caused by drowning. He found no marks on the body. Worried Over Baby. The distressed husband told the Coroner that his wife seemed perfectly normal when he left the house to go to work shortly after five o'clock on Friday afternoon. Recently she had been worrying because of their baby. "She worried because the baby lost three-and-a-half ounces last week for the first time," said witness, "and she did not think the child was doing too well before." His wife had also been worried because of money matters, and did not think his wages were enough. She thought she could not manage. They had never quarrelled over money matters but his wife worried because she thought they had not enough money coming into the house. At about 10.15 p.m. on Friday one of her brothers told him his wife was missing. "The baby was born on 30th October," said witness, "and the doctor had not attended my wife since but she was going to the doctor on Friday for a tonic." Handed a note by the Coroner, witness identified the handwriting as his wife's. The Coroner said he did not intend to divulge the whole of the contents of the note left by Mrs. Hyde but it was clear that she intended to take her life. Nobody to Blame. "This is to state I must end everything in the water . . . There is no blame to anyone," was one extract read by the Coroner. The note, said Mr. Wilson Price, went on to speak about being a bad manager with money. "That may very well be untrue," he commented, "but that may have been on her mind." Charles Attwood, of No. 5 Arlington-gardens, said a few minutes after seven o'clock on Saturday morning he found the body on the beach just below the high water mark at Foreness Bay. Mrs. Florence Brown, of Marrose-avenue, Ramsgate, sister-in-law of Mrs. Hyde, said she saw Mrs. Hyde several times on Friday, having called to see the baby, and last saw her sister-in-law at 6 p.m., when Mrs. Hyde left the house to go to the doctor. "She left me to feed the baby, and later I became concerned when she did not return," said witness. Witness then communicated with Mrs. Hyde's mother. "She was not of a worrying disposition but did not seem to think the baby was going along as well as it might." Mrs. Hyde had once or twice said she wished she could manage better. She had not sufficient self-confidence but had never given witness the impression that she would take her own life. P.C. Williams said the body was lying on the sands about 100 yards east of Friend's Gap and 15 yards from the edge of the promenade. The tidy was receding and the clothing was saturated. The body, lying face downwards, was partly submerged in the sand. In the pockets of the overcoat worn by Mrs. Hyde witness found a piece of chalk and a piece of brick. The note was handed him at the police station on Friday evening when Mrs. Hyde was reported missing. Recalled by the Coroner, Mrs. Brown said when she took the baby to bed on Friday she found the note written by her sister-in-law on the cabinet in the bedroom. On Best of Terms. The Coroner said the note had been written by Mrs. Hyde before she left the house. Later in the evening she was reported missing, and it was quite clear that she intended to take her life. He had attempted to find some reason why Mrs. Hyde should have acted in that way, for she had never previously shown an inclination to take her life. She was worried, quite unnecessarily, over the health of the child, and had a mistaken impression that she was unable to manage with money but that was the reason for her action. He had not mentioned the whole of the contents of the note left by the deceased but Mrs. Hyde had gone out of her way to say that no one was to blame. "The terms in which she speaks of her husband make it quite clear that she was on the best of terms with him, and although I had not quoted her whole words I think that should be stated." The Coroner recorded a verdict of suicide while the balance of the mind was disturbed, and expressed sympathy with the widower and family.'
  Origins
  Person ID	I11899	All
  Last Modified	15 Jan 2021

  
  

  Family	Stanley Victor HYDE,   b. 20 Mar 1908, Margate, Kent, England ,   d. Mar 1995, Thanet Reg Dist, Kent, England  (Age 86 years)  Other Partners: Ruby WINFIELD  m. Mar Q 1947
  Married	Dec Q 1932	Thanet Reg Dist, Kent, England
  	GRO ref: Hyde, Stanley V TO Brown, Gladys M q4 1932 Thanet RD 2a 2695
  Children	+ 1. Stanley Douglas George HYDE,   b. 30 Oct 1938, Thanet Reg Dist, Kent, England ,   d. Jun 2001, Thanet with Dover Reg Dist, Kent, England  (Age 62 years)
  Last Modified	22 Nov 2012
  Family ID	F5344	Family Group Page  |  Family Chart

  
  

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  		Married - Dec Q 1932 - Thanet Reg Dist, Kent, England  Child - Stanley Douglas George HYDE - 30 Oct 1938 - Thanet Reg Dist, Kent, England   = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install)
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