Insanity the Common Verdict on Suicides in 18th Century England

August 10, 2021

(The Guardian) – Sbaraini scoured records of more than 100 inquest hearings deposited in archives in London, Kent, Cumbria, Essex, Suffolk and Bath, to build up a picture of suicide. Based on witness evidence, she found that older people who took their life were preoccupied with concerns about loneliness, memory loss, financial vulnerability and worries about becoming a burden on others. Nevertheless, in almost all the cases she studied the inquest verdict was insanity, or non compos mentis. (Read Full Article)