no change until November when it was noted that he is a little brighter and takes note of what was being said to him and what was going on around him . He was employed and went on walks and slept well .
By February it is noted that there was much improvement but he still had that vacant expression and his mind was not clear and was still quiet . In May , it is noted that he never spoke to anyone unless he was spoken to and then only in syllables he worked a little out of doors but was very quiet , depressed and inactive . July , it was said his condition was around the same and he was discharged on trial on the 26th September 1892 .
In 1893 , a new Deacon was elected as John ’ s state of health would not allow him to be re-elected and in the 1901 census we see John was back working as Sub postmaster so was obviously feeling much better . Sadly , John ’ s wife Emma died on the 8th May 1902 and was buried in Reed on the 18th May . On July 2 1903 John was readmitted to Three Counties Asylum now aged 70 he was said to be suffering from dementia with the supposed cause of insanity being a previous attack and old age .
On admission , it was noted he was taking his breakfast while walking the room incompletely dressed , he was anxious and apprehensive and complained that someone was going to injure him . His housekeeper and sister in law had told how he did not rest properly at night and attempted to dress himself at unreasonable hours . Dr Wightman of Royston said that John did not look at him when he was being spoken to and that John thought that government officials were in the next room and that they had come to execute him – this is whispered mysteriously . John says his post office affairs were in a bad way . Fanny , John ’ s niece said that he kept removing the bed clothes from his bed and moved them into the next room saying he was not in his own house , he was dirty in his habits . Medically his eyes were grey but his pupils reacted well , his tongue was covered in fur . There was nothing abnormal found in chest , his pulse was regular but his heart sounded feeble , his
were feet swollen and his urine contained albumen . Mentally he was rambling and irrational in conversation , he was having delusions of persecution with auditory and visual hallucinations making him restless . The next day he was in bed in the infirmary , his legs were less swollen but he was wandering mentally . John thought he has lost large sums of money but this was not so , he had become very feeble and was confined to bed with oedema on both legs and albumen in his urine , his cardiac action was very feeble .
On July 13th he is incoherent , rambling and restless all the time . There was no change mentally until September it was just noted that he had become very feeble but on November the 13th it is noted his mental condition had improved but his health was still feeble .
November 26th the Drs notes read “ patient was put to bed yesterday because he appeared more feeble than usual , examination of the chest showed many ( unreadable ) with dullness at both bases , heart sounds distant but normal . He died rather suddenly at 12.25 am from Senile Decay ”
John ’ s Obituary read “ Last Thursday week there passed away at the age of 70 years a respected inhabitant of the little village of Reed . There are still a few in Royston who have pleasant recollections of the annual outing to Reed on the occasion of the Sunday School treat for the others . The face of our old friend John Farraway will not be soon forgotten . His whole life was spent in the village and many now advanced in years gratefully remember his instruction as the only kind of education which they ever received in a night school he conducted . He was for many years the superintendent of the congregational Sunday school and a Deacon of the church since its foundation . He also for a considerable time held the office of Sub-Postmaster and letter carrier for the village and at the same time carried on a general shop . The funeral took place at the parish church , where a number of the Sunday school scholars were present and sang at the graveside . There were several floral tributes , one from the teachers and one from the scholars of the Sunday School .
Duck Race 2017
Loads of Ducks gathered for this year ’ s annual Duck Race on Sunday 25th June at Glebe Meadow in Arlesey . The course was enhanced this year with lengths of rope to keep ducks out of the reeds , but this didn ’ t stop many getting caught up and getting left way behind the front runners .
The first duck over the finishing line was sponsored by Arlesey Pharmacy , the duck coming in at second place was sponsored by Helen Borne and the third place duck was sponsored by Freddie Hall .
The race , opened by Alex Prior , Principal of Etonbury Academy , ‘ Splashed Down ’ at 2.30pm from the southern end of the course and travelled to the wier just on the north side of the flyover .
www . facebook . com / groups / onthebutton / | # infoonthebutton | on the button issue 59 July 2017
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