The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-05-02 00:00:00

THE INSANITY IN THE KENT FAMILY.

As some of our contemporaries have already referred
to the possible madness of Constance Kent, and ea the
topic will probably be discussed with much interest,
we have extracted from Mr. Stapleton's Critical Review
of the murder some of the facts relative to the lunacy
of the first Mrs. Kent.

In 1836, soon after the birth of her son Edward, Mrs.
Kent first exhibited symptoms of insanity. Upon their
appearance Mr. Gidley, of Bidmoutb, ber usual medical
attendant, recommended Mr. Kent to take the advice
of Dr. Blackall, of Exeter. In a general conversation
which ensued it was found that the unfortunate lady
evidently laboured under various though harmless
delusions, and manifested so much weakness and
bewilderment of intellect that her husband was advised
to place her, at once, under the care of a constant and
competent attendant. As she was not violent or
dangerous, Mr. Kent was unwilling to take this impor-
tant and irrevocable step. Of the affection which
prompted his forbearance there can be no doubt; that
he was wrong in his decision is no less certain. The
symptoms which caused him BO mach anxiety progressed
because they were unchecked. Upon his return from
church, on one occasion, he found her destroying some
books of prints, the leaves of which she had torn out
and burnt. At another time, she took two of her
children from the house, and lost herself within a short
distance of the premises; but she still continued to go,
at times, into society; and though her delusions con-
tinued and increased, her peculiarity was not always
such as to attract notice. Her intellect, however, eon-

t7n-ia—eclto grow weaker. It was not discOvered that she
at any time contemplated murder or suicide; and the
fact of a knife having been found concealed under her
bed appears to have occasioned little or no apprebeueion
in this respect.
In the five years between 1837 and 1842 Mrs. Kent
became the mother of four children—
Henry Saville Kent, born February, 1837, died May,
1838, of inflammation of the lungs.
Ellen Kent, born September, 1839, died December,
1839, of consumption.
John Saville Kent, born March, 1841, died July, 1841,
of atrophy.
Julia Kent, born April, 1842, died September, 1842,

became

. .
of atrophy.
It is remarkable that only one of these four children
survived its birth six months. That each sickly dying
child was an index to its mother's health—that her
malady was reflected and impressed on each,—w.hat
pathologist will doubt? Bearing in mind the condition
of this poor lady during the five years from 1837 to
1842, we neither wonder at, nor regret, the fate of these
four children.
In the last eight or nine years of her life, Mrs. Kent
appears to have been little affected by bodily suffering
or disease. But her mental disorder continued without
amelioration, and while she still continued to reside at
Sidmouth she gave birth to her two youngest children,
who still survive her.
Constance Emily Kent was born in February, 1844.
William Saville Kent was.bcrn in July, 1845.
. _

_
About 20 years ago, and before the birth of his
daughter Constance, Mr. Kent found it requisite, in
consequence of the confirmed and increasing illness of
his wife, to devolve the education of his elder daughters
upon a competent domestic governess. His children
had reached a period of life when they required both
Instruction and restraint, and their mother was unequal
to the charge. In this contingency Mr. Walker, a
surgeon of Sidmonth, recommended Mr. Kent to obtain
the services of Miss Pratt, of Tiverton, who subse-
quently became his second wife. Mr. Kent engaged
her to come to Sidmouth, as the resident instructress
of his children. Soon after this Constance was born;
and as from that time Mrs. Kett became incapable of
managing even her domestia affairs, that duty was, with
her concurrence, placed in the hands of Miss Pratt.
Of the youngest child, Constance, she seems to have
assumed from the earliest p3riod the absolute control
and care. For many months after her birth great
apprehensions were entertained that this child would
share the fate of the four previous children of Mrs.
Kent. That she struggled through the feebleness of
her early infanoy is due chiefly to the devotion and
personal attention of Miss Pratt; by whom lihe was
fed, nursed, and waited upon for months. By degrees
her bodily constitution assumed that healthy develop-
ment and growth which have been bestowed on her the
counter and command of a powerful physique. As she
grew up Constance manifested a strong, obstinate, and
determined will; and her conduct,even as a little child,
, gave evidence of an irritable and impassioned nature. In
1848,when Constance was about four years old, Ur. Kent
, left Sidmonth, and took his family to reside at Walton,
a small watering-place on the Sonaersetshire coast of
the Bristol Channel. There he remained till March,
, 1852, when he removed to Baynton-house, about seven
miles from Trowbridge, in Wiltshire, and there, six
weeks after her arrival, Mrs. Kent died after a short
and unexpected illness. It will be seen from this brief
narrative that the madness of Mrs. Kent was of a
I very mild character, though decidedly chronic and in-
eradicable.

A few days ago a Mr. Baxter appeared in the market-
place, Axbridge, to "reveal the mysteries of Holy
Writ." Amongst his prognostications he asserted that
in the year 1873 the world would be at an end, and that
the parish of Cheddar would be destroyed three days
before Axbridge, and that he himself was sure of being
on the White Throne. His remarks became an out.
rageous that he was many times hissed and contradicted.
The Rev. Mr. Hopper, an Independent minister, en-
deavoured to hold an argument, but Mr. Baxter soon
made himself scarce; and the rev, gentleman addressed
those present, and showed, by various texts of Scripture,
that the doctrine propounded by Mr. Baxter, was quite
contrary to the Bible.
GrEATITILNG IKTSLLIGIIIOI.—It must be gratifying
to all those who have found out the value of RZCKTIT'S
DLAKOND BLACK LEAD, to learn that it is used in the
Palaces of the Queen, and Prince of Wales, The Royal
domestics were among Its ant patrons.