Frederick Helwig was born around 1840 in Germany. He was living in Waterloo County before he entered the Poorhouse on January 5 1878, at 38 years old. No occupation is listed for him and the cause of pauperism is “weak intellect”. He stayed at the House for about three months before he is discharged. He was committed for a second time to the House on June 4 of that same year. He stayed at the House for about a year when he was sent to the County Gaol for being too dangerous to live with the other House residents.
According to the Minutes of the Standing Committee in March 1879, Frederick was going to be sent to the County Gaol with another inmate:
“that Keeper be and they are hereby instructed to take the necessary steps to procure the commitment to the County Gaol of Inmates Frederick Helwig and Catharine Chipchase as dangerous on the ground that they are insane and dangerous to be at large” (P 79)
He was sent to gaol from the House of Refuge on March 8, 1879. Frederick Helwig was later sent to the Hamilton Asylum where he stayed for just over eight years. Frederick died on April 4, 1888, from apoplexy, which resulted from cerebral hemorrhaging or a stroke.
Frederick’s Death record from the Hamilton Asylum; Source: Ancestry.ca
