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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: dolly dimples on Friday 20 April 07 23:30 BST (UK)
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I have found my Gt Aunt Helen Martin (nee Brash) in the Chrichton Royal Institution in Dumfries in 1881 age 33, she was still there in 1901, age 52. I have searched Scotlands people for her death, to no avail.. Can anyone point me as to where I might find any info or records of this place. I believe it was for insane patients as that was mentioned on one of the census. Her husband was George Martin, who was a corn merchant, and a Marine Insurance broker. I can't find any further info, being Scottish records. Any thoughts on this topic appreciated. Regards Dolly.
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Hello 'dolly dimples',
Scotlandspeople (SP) has two Helen Martin deaths, around the correct age, in Dumfries County between 1901-1956. Both turn out to be in Dumfries District. You say that you have already searched for her death on SP so I assume that you have you dismissed them.
I have not paid to look at the records but one is in 1929, age 80 and the other is in 1932, age 82.
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Hi T.T.T. thank's for your reply, I was at the end of my credits on S.P. when searching for my Helen, I only came up with one possible, in 1918, and as her nee name was Brash I spent last credit on it, and it was the wrong one! Rather than waste any more money, which I always seem to on that site, I thought I'd try to find out more info about the Institution, and also wondered if Helen had possibly moved from Dumfries after 1901. Your 1929 one sounds a good possibility tho' so I may stretch the budget and try again, although it would sadden me even more if I found that she had spent all those years locked away. She had 5 children between 18781 & 1881, then ended up in a mental Institution, how awful eh? Thanks again, Dolly.
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Hi T.T.T. thank's for your reply, I was at the end of my credits on S.P. when searching for my Helen, I only came up with one possible, in 1918, and as her nee name was Brash I spent last credit on it, and it was the wrong one! Rather than waste any more money, which I always seem to on that site, I thought I'd try to find out more info about the Institution, and also wondered if Helen had possibly moved from Dumfries after 1901. Your 1929 one sounds a good possibility tho' so I may stretch the budget and try again, although it would sadden me even more if I found that she had spent all those years locked away. She had 5 children between 1871 & 1881, then ended up in a mental Institution, how awful eh? Thanks again, Dolly.
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Hello :)
I too have gg-aunt who was committed to the Crichton Royal Insitution in Dumfries where she died in 1904. I'm under the impression that she was sent there as a "patient" - from details given in her husband's will, but her death certificate suggests that she ended up as a "housekeeper" at the Institution. I am intrigued about why she was there and what conditions would have been like for her. From different accounts, the Asylum was a pioneering one - but I suppose that is relatively speaking!
Would anyone know if patients' records from the 19th century exist and whether they are accessible?
Kind regards
Trisha
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Here are the details of the Crichton Royal Hospital Archives
Dumfries and Galloway Health Board Archives
Contact Details
Easterbrook Hall
Crichton Royal Hospital
Dumfries
DG1 4TG
Scotland
Tel: 01387 244 228
Fax: 01387 269 696
Access information
Open : Tues-Fri 9.30-4.30
Book in advance
Hope this is of some help
Little Prince
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Thank you so much for taking time to respond to my query about records for the Crichton. I will definately follow this up.
Happy New Year!
Kind regards
Trisha
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The Crichton is now a college, part of a university. There is a graveyard behind it which would have ex patients and staff who died there. Could be another place to search. Famous people who were patients there included Conan Doyle's father and Spike Milligan. The Crichton was a massive place and included an industrial unit, a market garden, a farm and also had the Nursing School there, and the laundries. I believe there is a website which tells you its history but I don't know the address.
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hi all
had a look around and found this -
http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/liff/history5.html
might give some idea of treatment
ev
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Found this link:
http://elliottsimpson.com/history/dumfriescrichton1pre1930s.html
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and another
http://www.johnandmoragwilliams.co.uk/croyalh.html
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Dolly,
I wouldn't be too quick to assume your relative was commited to a Mental Institution. These places also had paying guests who had become infirm and unable to look after themselves. If I remember correctly there were three different levels of care according to the fee paid by the "patient" different degrees of comfort, furnisings and food. Guests like this were taken in to defray the cost of running the Hospital.
James.
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The death certs of the two people on my tree who died at the Crichton, show that one had 'chronic cerebal disease of 15 years duration' and the other 'cancer of the uterus of some years duration'.
The Crichton sounds like it was quite a progressive institution. Not the regime you would normally associate with Victorian mental institutions.
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The hospital was made up of L shaped buildings, with gardens in between. On one side were the females and the other side males with a dining room in the middle. Even more secluded was a place for richer inmates (this was where Spike Millighan stayed). Different houses would have different types of patients. Obviously all psychiatric institutions had all kinds of patients. There would be those with senile dementia, those with learning difficulties and even those who got pregnant by someone other than their husband, even profoundly deaf people so being in the Crichton would not necessarily mean any type of lunancy. There was not a lot of provision for feeble patients in the local hospital though St Michaels Church did have provision in their house by the church for some elderly people. Some would come in suffering from postnatal depression but because there was no effective treatment and very little reasessment after they were committed if they were there over a year never got the chance to go home. Eventually they became too institutionalised to be able to leave.
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Greetings to little prince.
This is my first time and first post on RootsChat.
I am tracing Becks in Dumfries. I have screeds of data from IGI and Census.
Of special interest is the genetic factor Huntingdon's Chorea in my Beck ancestry. I found Beck records from Crichton, which you reference here.
I believe I am linked to the family of John Beck and Elizabeth Sloane of Cummertrees, married ca 1799, through their son William (bn 1800). Do you have Beck data related to them, or including HD sufferers?
Can you say which Beck family of early 1800s you re connected to in Dumfries.
Thanks,
Paul
Melbourne, Australia
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Hi Paul
I do not think that my Beck`s are of the same line, I can go back to John Beck born circa 1770 in Dumfries.
I also have not found any rellies with Huntingdons which I believe is a terrible disease, sorry that I have not been of much help.
regards Gilly
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Hi littleprince, Can you Help me find out about my great great grandfather his name was David Lindsay, he died Aged 41. At 12 November 1893 at
Chrichton Royal Institution,
Dumfries
(Cause: Apoplexy)
his wife was Margaret Hamilton Lindsay they lived in Wishaw
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Codam, just to say that I had great success with my Gt Aunt who spent years in the Chrichton
I contacted the Archivist, and asked if they could supply the records of my Aunt,
I did indeed obtain them, for a mere £8. then, albeit made very sad reading.
Write with as much info as you can of your person, to.
Morag Williams. Archivist to NHS Dumfries& Galloway.
Solway House. Chrichton Royal Hospital.
Dumfries. Scotland.
Hope the adddress is still the same.
I can't find the telephone number that I had ,but you could try googling or write to enquire on services,
Wish you much success, Dolly
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Hi dolly, that is great thank you very much for you help.
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Your welcome Codam,
Please let us know if you are successful.
Dolly
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Hi Dolly, yes i will let you know how i get on, once again Thank You Very Much.
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Your welcome Codam,
Please let us know if you are successful.
Dolly
Hi Dolly, just to let you know, I could not find a phone number for your place but i got a number for Dumfries and Galloway Archives
Archive Centre, 33 Burns Street, Dumfries DG1 2PS
T: 01387 269 254
F: 01387 264 126
They were very helpful i was talking to a women called Cathy and she emailed me my {gg}grandfathers records, and you were right they are very sad reading. So Dolly I Thank you very very much for your help. Thanks. codam
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Wow ! well done Codam,
That was quick.
If only all the searches were as easy.
Dolly
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Around 1875 to 1881 David ROBERTSON was the
Manager of Chrichton Royal Institution
According to the birth record for his son
John Kear ROBERTSON b 30 March 1879.
David ROBERTSON & his wife Ann KEAR went onto
the District Asylum in Daviot, near Inverurie and then to Poiriria
Asylum near Wellington NZ they both died in NZ he 1926 she 1931.
In the 1871 David and his newly wed wife ANN KEAR were at the
Stirling District Asylum, Larbert
where he was a Gardiner Farm Overseer.
Small world.
Angus
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I can help if u are still stuck as have lived nere the Crichton for last 30+ years
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The Crichton is now a college, part of a university. There is a graveyard behind it which would have ex patients and staff who died there. Could be another place to search. Famous people who were patients there included Conan Doyle's father and Spike Milligan. The Crichton was a massive place and included an industrial unit, a market garden, a farm and also had the Nursing School there, and the laundries. I believe there is a website which tells you its history but I don't know the address.
Where as lived @ kinghlom quay all my life and. Never Sen the graveyard nere the chrichtion
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Crichton Royal records are now in the care of Dumfries Archives, Ewart library, Dumfries.
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there is not a grave yard thats i no off in the chrichtion as i have lived at kinghlom quay all my life