Relative- Ann Morris

Rachel (known as “Ray”) went into Craig-y-nos in 1951.





“My mother was reluctant to talk about her time in Craig-y-nos” - Ann Morris, daughter of Rachel Lewis.




How did children feel about their mothers being sent away?

Ann Morris was eight years of age when her mother, Rachel Lewis, went into Craig-y-nos.

“She went in as a very, thin smart woman. Ten months later she came out weighing 15 stone! She looked as if she had been blown up.

I said” That’s not my mother!”
And she burst out crying. She was very upset.”

Her memories of her mother’s time away are “sketchy”. She recalls her mother, who was in her early 30s, referring to her time in Craig-y-nos as “part of one big family “ though she was unhappy about leaving her own family behind for such a long time. Ann was the only child.


She knows that her mother received streptomycin and recalls that people were amazed at the speed of her recovery.
( Her mother only died recently at age 87 years and enjoyed excellent health throughout her life).

Prior to going into Craig-y-nos her mother was in bed at home for five months.
”I was not allowed to go in and visit her and, of course, while she was in hospital I never saw her,” says Ann.

While her mother seemed to have enjoyed her stay in Craig-y-nos she was very reluctant to talk about it and she would reprimand Ann if she ever mentioned to anyone that she had TB.
“She would get quite upset if I ever talked about it. I got the impression that it was a taboo subject.”