Rainhill Mental Hospital.

[coppice eel]

Hello everyone.
Been trying for years to find any info on the (Black Sheep of the Family) James Greaves, born in Accrington, Lancs. 1899. Married in 1920, had 3 children, then disappeared in the late 1920s, leaving wife and children.
Only info I have, is a photo, showing my Parents, Grandparents and James Greaves with a lady (unknown), outside the entrance of Rainhill Mental Hospital around mid to late 1950s.
My mother seems to remember he worked there as a maintenance worker. Also, I heard that he may have served time at Preston Jail?
Been trying to find records of Rainhill and people who work there for years, without any joy.
Any help would be grand.   Thank you.

[Sam Swift]

Try Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EW 0151 233 5817 http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a?_ref=1072
I would have thought that there should be staff records that would be accessible.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Possibly Lancs board may be a better home for this? Any luck searching electoral lists for the chap, he might have stuck to his own name when he hopped it?

[Joney]

Link for emailing Liverpool Archives which is on the 3rd floor at the Central Library.
http://liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/archives-family-history/contact-us/

Records for Rainhill are at Liverpool Record Office. I have looked at records for a patient quite recently. You will need to make an appointment to view original records in the search room and give at least 24 hours' notice. The on-line archives catalogue is not very informative unless you already know the ref for the collection in question., so I would send them an email with the name and dates which you are interested in, specifying that it's a member of staff.  The staff ARE very helpful fortunately. Good luck.

Joney