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Renfrewshire / Re: Photo of grave in Hawkhead Cemetery
« on: Saturday 07 June 14 11:56 BST (UK) »M.R.
I have the death certificate and it says (clearly in typed letters) that he died at Hawkhead Asylum, Paisley. He did have an infectious disease.
Hawkhead Asylum, Paisley actually existed in both Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. The place was built by Govan Parochial Board in the 1890's and became a part of Glasgow in 1912 when Govan was annexed by the City although Govan Parochial Board continued to be responsible for the management of the place. Around 1914 the Asylum encroached further in Renfrewshire by acquiring Hawkhead House itself.
The County and Registration District Boundaries actually ran through the middle of the place and if memory serves me right there was one ward where which Registration District was used could be determined by which bed the patient died in. Some wards were wholly in Renfrewshire others in Glasgow. The place was massive with its own farms, a 9 hole golf course and several large woodwork and metalwork workshops.
Hawkhead Asylum in Paisley became a Glasgow Corporation hospital in 1930 and joined the NHS in 1948. Leverendale Hospital was adopted in place of Hawkhead Asylum, Paisley in 1964.
In the 1930's there was a massive reorganisation of local authorities in Scotland - Glasgow became a County in its own right and a number of smaller historical administrative bodies were done away with - the name Leverndale Hospital was adopted in the 1960's (although all of the bedding and utensils used still bore the old logo of a Hawk's head)
I didn't know that Hawkhead Asylum was for infectious diseases. My ancestor was certified insane on admission. He was said to be insane, suicidal and dangerous.
Hawkhead Asylum was not an infectious diseases hospital (confusingly Hawkhead Hospital in Paisley was - it was a purpose built hospital constructed on farmland in the 1920's or 1930's).
Paisley originally had two Mental Health Centres one was known as Paisley North, around the Sneddon area (just north of the modern town centre) and Paisley South which was in Craw Road. Both were later closed in favour of Dykebar Hospital although the Craw Road premises continued as an annex of the Royal Alexandra.
