Janet Achurch - Charrington

Museum Exhibit - Signature on paper: Yours Truly, Janet Achurch Charrington

In 1889, Janet Achurch travelled abroad with her husband of three years, Charles Charrington. Whilst in Cairo, Janet Achurch gave birth to a stillborn child, almost losing her life during the labour. The subsequent pain and the ordeal of performing on stage drove increasingly towards heavier use of morphine.

Janet Achurch performed on stage for the very last time in a production by Wiers-Jenssen, (1866-1925), entitled The Witch. She retired immediately after the season, finally dying of morphine poisening on September the 11th 1916. Her last place of residance was 4 Devonshire Terrace, Ventnor, The Isle Of Wight.

Museum Comment:

Janet's use of morphine throughout the later part of her life highlights the availability of such medicines at this epoch in history. Following the licensing acts that came into effect in the late 19th Century, such substances could be purchased from pharmacies only. At the time of Janet Achurch's death, many wounded soldiers would have been returning back from the WWI battlefields of flanders where use of substances including morphine and cocaine had resulted in high levels of dependency. These substances were made freely available to soldiers engaged on behalf of the British army

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