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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: Pennines on Wednesday 16 August 23 19:03 BST (UK)
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Hi Everyone,
Does anyone happen to know please, whether the records for inmates at Lancaster Lunatic Asylum are held anywhere? This is for the 1890s.
The records for Whiitingham Asylum are kept at Lancashire Archives, but I can't see anything for Lancaster records there.
Many thanks.
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If it comes under Lancaster Moor Asylum the the national archives suggest records are at Lancashire archives.
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Oh thank you Rosie - it's good to know the correct name. I just thought it was 'Lancaster'.
If I still can't find anything I'll contact Lancashire Archives tomorrow to see if they have these records.
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I am not sure that it is the same place, the national archives just calls it Lancaster Asylum.
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Yes - I had looked at the National Archives - anyway I will still contact Lancashire Archives.
I couldn't see any admission or reception orders for Lancaster on LANCAT - although I know Whittingham Asylum papers are there.
We'll see. Thank you Rosie.
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Also in Lancaster there was the Royal Albert Hospital on Ashton Road which was opened in 1870 as an institution for young people with learning disabilities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Albert_Hospital In 1913 a law was passed requiring such institutions to accept mainly older patients with mental disabilities. It closed in 1996 following the introduction of the Care in the Community Act and is now an Islamic school for Muslim girls.
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Thank you Gillg -- what a very impressive building!!
I have emailed Lancashire Archives - the admission details are on Ancestry, in the 'Lunacy Patients Admission Registers'! So I have the date and admission number. I suspect it was the Lancaster Asylum - as that is what is given on this record.
They seemed to take in patients from various towns -- it wasn't just that there was an enormous demand in Lancaster itself!!
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I have a person from OH's family that went in there, was living at Skerton. She had recently given birth and stayed there until she died. I must look and see what else I can find out about her.
OH lived very close to the asylum when he was very young ::)
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How sad Rosie, about the lady who had to be admitted after childbirth - also a coincidence that your husband lived near to the Asylum.
In addition - yet another coincidence, is that, I occasionally had to go to Lancaster for work reasons (back in the day of quill pens!!) Little did I realise, that years later I would be trying to find the town's Asylum records!
I have emailed Lancashire Archives.
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Lancaster Moor records are listed in Lancat. Not sure if a catalogue search online by name would help you.
from Lancat
Lancaster Moor Hospital - 1826-1954
4 - Patient records
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Thank you lancsann.
I hadn't found that. I had searched by the individual's name and by Lancaster Asylum - but no patients records showed up.
So it looks like it WAS Lancaster Moor, as Rosie had first thought. This extract from the Archives is really interesting;
"Background information
Lancaster Moor Hospital was Lancashire's first County Lunatic Asylum. The decision to build it was taken in 1809, one year after the permissive County Asylums Act, 1808. The hospital opened in 1816 as the "County Lunatic Asylum for the County Palatine of Lancaster". It was only the fourth asylum to be built under the terms of the Act in the country. It was extended in 1824 and 1883, and by 1891 it accommodated 1833 patients. In that year its administration was transferred to the new Lancashire Asylums Board of Lancashire County Council. Additional buildings, known as Ridge Lea, on the "villa" principle were added in 1907, 1909, 1912, 1916 and 1938. These buildings were chiefly to accommodate private patients."
By coincidence it mentions the year 1891 - this was the year the person I am seeking was admitted.
So it had been in existence since 1816!!
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One of my Broadley relatives from Clayton le Moors died there in 1826 and I found this in Baines's Lancashire vol 2 p. 17 The Asylum was opened in 1816 and the description is glowing. Hot and cold baths, stoves for warmth, galleries for walking if the weather is bad, but the crowning point "in the medical practice..every patient is treated as the peculiarity of his or her own case may require".
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Interesting information Pennines.
I have lived in Lancashire all my life and have always known it as Lancaster Moor.
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claytonbradley -- my goodness, that description sounds as though it could be for a hotel!! Hot and cold baths etc. in 1816. Brilliant.
Lancsann ---It was simply that on the 'UK Lunacy Patients Admissions' register on Ancestry - my person was simply shown as being admitted to Lancaster.
I also have lived in Lancashire all my life - but in all honesty, I have never heard of Lancaster Moor!
Every day's a school day!!
Thank you everyone for your interest and help.
(Just as an aside - I went to a talk at Lancashire Archives some years ago now on the subject of Asylums or similar.
There were named photographs on display of patients admitted to Whittingham Asylum. One of my Great Grandfather's had been admitted (and died) in there. Naturally I looked at all the photos - and don't know whether I was relieved or disappointed that there wasn't one of him!)
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Maybe I knew it because a friend had a relative in there. Don’t know why he was in there as Whittingham was possibly closer pre M6 days.
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Maybe Whittingham wasn't open when your friend's relative went to Lancaster.
I just checked - Whittingham was opened on 1st April 1873 (I can't resist saying 'How Apt for an Asylum to be opened on April Fool's Day!!) --- it closed in 1973.
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Yes Whittingham has been closed since 1995 and has been a housing estate for quite some time. Been passed it many times on my way home from Clitheroe.
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You probably know this, but Lancaster Moor Hospital became a general hospital in the 1990s following the Care in the Community policy, and then closed completely in 2000. It has now been converted into flats. The Royal Albert I mentioned earlier also closed because of C in C and is now an Islamic school for girls (Taliban take note!). I think all large hospitals of this type were affected by this policy. They were dreadful and frightening places to visit and in some cases just places where people were locked up away from the community.
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There used to be another such Institution at a place called Brockhall, near Whalley - also now closed.
I have just been looking at it and was really surprised to discover that initially it was an Institution for Inebriate Women!! It later became a mental home.
Again - it was a beautiful building.
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Brockhall is I place I have not heard of before. Thanks for the information. You learn something new every day!
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Do you think we ought to ask Tristan and Sarah to add a new 'Forum' entitled Asylums!!
(By the way lancsann - Blackburn Rovers now have their their training ground in Brockhall Village. You never know when you may get that question in a quiz!!)
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Could be informative a forum like that.
I will keep that in mind about Blackburn Rovers. You never know it might come up in the annual WI quiz. Or even making up a quiz about asylums for our monthly WI meetings!
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Indeed!
I had never known that there had been Institutions for Inebriate Women before! (Unless Brockhall was the only one and situated in an Inebriate Location.)
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After googling I discovered there were quite a few. At least 12 were in existence by 1906. I suppose they were really what we would have now as places where alcohol addiction is treated and as in workhouses male & female patients had to be separate.
Gone a bit off the original topic here but I hope you get a satisfactory answer fro Lancashire archives
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Oh Wow. Thank you for that additional info.
Surprising what we have learnt as we have gone along!
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Researching family history does give you some surprising facts about life in general and things like where old professions were mainly practised. I did not know Birmingham was famous for its jewellery quarter until I found an ancestor who was a gilder.
Going back to asylums - were there many around the hat making areas of Manchester due to madness caused by the mercury they used
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Just an update -- Lancashire Archives have confirmed they have Registers and Case Book Records for Lancaster Asylum.
I have to complete a form requesting these and they can then give me a quote for the copies - I have, of course, just requested such a quote.
(Let joy be unconfined!!)
lancsann - I hadn't known about mercury causing madness - and must confess I don't know of the Asylums around Manchester. I am ashamed to say I didn't even know that areas of Manchester were hat making centres!
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The main hat making centres were N Cheshire & SE Lancashire, the biggest areas being Stockport & Denton.
Apparently the mercury used in the industry caused mercury poisoning leading to insanity which is one probable explanation of the phrase “mad as a hatter”
Hope you are successful in your archives quest. Let us know how it goes
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Aaaah - Mad as a Hatter! Whilst I often wonder and check how certain expressions came into use -- I had never thought about that one.
Thank you Lancsann -- another 'school day' for me.
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Just letting you all know that during the week, I received the papers from Lancashire Archives for the inmate at Lancaster Asylum. I had requested them to be sent by PDF.
There were 8 pages in all and the cost was £18.60.
The entries in the actual case papers were written by Doctors - and often difficult to decipher - but I could get the gist.
The final entry was made following the patient's death - I have attached this!! Very detailed.
Don't worry, I am not seeking help with the transcription -- I am just sharing this writing and the complex medical words!
Many thanks to all of you who showed an interest in this query - very much appreciated.