David Walliams was devastated to discover that his great grandfather ended up in a lunatic asylum for 43 years in the upcoming episode of Who Do You Think You Are?
The Little Britain star wanted to learn more about his family tree – and decided to research what happened to his dad’s grandfather, who he didn’t know much about.
In the latest instalment of the BBC series, David found out that his great grandfather John George Boorman suffered from shellshock in the First World War.
He then went missing for a year, before winding up an asylum, where he lived out the remainder of his life.
In 1916, John was sent away from his wife and family to fight in the Battle of the Somme, although according to historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson, John was wounded in battle and ‘he was then sent back home and that marked the end of his war service’.
She explained to David that John, disappeared from public record for a year and then he turned up in Napsbury Military hospital, where his great grandfather started to hear voices in his head.
After learning about what had happened David said: ‘It’s very sad isn’t it.
‘He was in a very bad way mentally, it’s a really strong mental illness and he’s gone through hell and the terrible things he saw he just can’t unsee.’
The Britain’s Got Talent judge went on to discover that John was later transported to Cane Hill Hospital, which was known at the time as the local lunatic asylum.
David added: ‘He was certified insane – he died at the asylum and was there for 43 years.’
Historian Alice Brumby explained to David: ‘It’s likely when he went back to his wife, that it was too much for him, perhaps his illness meant your great grandmother couldn’t look after him.’
‘What an awful decision to have to make, to send the father of your children, your husband into a lunatic asylum,’ David continued.
‘He was here for 43 years, it’s a lifetime.’
Alice went on to point out that David’s great grandmother also had to live without a husband for 40 years.
David concluded: ‘Those children were never going to know their dad. My gran had to grow up without a father – that must have been very difficult to live with.’
‘It’s such a sad story, I look at this picture of him, the beginning of the first world war, he looks proud, he’s smiling, he has no idea what horror he is about to face.’
‘He sacrificed his mental health for his country.’
Who Do You Think You Are? returns on Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
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