by Mark Stevens
Although a number of real patients are named in the book, for the handful of cases in the Diagnosis chapter I have used initials in order to preserve the anonymity of patients within the Victorian asylum. I can dispense with this conceit here, and list them by their full names:
• E.B.: Ellen Brookes, housewife, from East Hagbourne, admitted to Moulsford in 1887
• J.T.: James Turvey, schoolmaster, from Windsor, admitted in 1871
• J.B.: Julia Batten, field labourer, from Newbury, admitted in 1878
• J.N.: James Neville, labourer, from Reading, admitted in 1870
• S.J.A.: Sarah Jane Allott, dressmaker, from Reading, admitted in 1879
• J.H.: Jesse Horn, ex-soldier, from Englefield, admitted in 1870
• W.S.: William Shanks, blacksmith, from Cookham, admitted in 1874
• H.T.: Hesther Turrill, housewife, from Reading, admitted in 1875
• S.C.: Sarah Cannon, cellarman’s wife, from Maidenhead, admitted in 1871
• F.S.: Frederick Simmonds, ex-soldier, from Reading, admitted in 1874
• F.B.: Frederick Benning, from Binfield, admitted in 1872 [Benning subsequently ended up in Broadmoor where his BRO file reference is D/H14/D2/2/1/785]
• A.H.: Agnes Harrow, housewife, from Reading, admitted in 1880
• J.Hr.: James Hester, policeman, from London but charged to the Faringdon Union, admitted in 1871
• J.Ht.: John Hewett, unemployed, from Wellington in Somerset, admitted in 1880
Similarly, four anonymous patients have a brief mention in the Discharge chapter. They are:
• W.G.: William Goddard, carpenter, from Leckhampstead, admitted to Moulsford in 1878
• F.T.: Frederick Todd, house painter, from Windsor, admitted in 1878
• E.F.: Eliza Fullbrook, baker, from Reading, admitted in 1878
• J.Bo.: Jane Bowyer, servant, from Easthampstead, admitted in 1878
Another patient crops up on three occasions in Part One but is never named. Selina Lambourne was admitted in 1893, via the Berkshire Assizes, where she had been charged with attempted suicide. It was Selina who was fond of swallowing hair pins. Happily, she spent only nine months in Moulsford before being discharged to the care of her family in Kent.
There are, of course, many other asylum archives up and down the country. I have been lucky enough to have insight from the archives of Brookwood (Surrey), Fisherton House (Wiltshire), Littlemore (Oxfordshire) and Rainhill (Liverpool), but I will let you hunt out your own local ones, as that is part of the fun of research.
Bibliography
Books and Other Printed Sources
A handful of contemporary Victorian texts were essential companions during my research:
Bucknill, John Charles; Tuke, Daniel Hack, A Manual of Psychological Medicine, J & A Churchill, (1879 edition).
Commissioners in Lunacy, Suggestions and instructions with reference to site: general arrangement of buildings: construction of buildings: plans and particular: estimates: of lunatic asylums, HMSO, (1871).
Medico-Psychological Association, Newington, H H (ed), Handbook for Attendants on the Insane, Bailliére, Tindall and Cox, (1899 edition).
Mercier, Charles, Lunatic Asylums: Their Organisation and Management, Charles Griffin and Co Ltd, (1894).
I have also used some of the printed annual Commissioners in Lunacy reports, which give a running commentary on the development of asylums during most of the nineteenth century. The Lunacy Acts and County Asylum Acts were also of help.
Local newspapers are an invaluable source for making sense of the more sensational events in local asylums. Coroners inquests, trials and festivals are often reported in some detail and in diary form, without the journalistic interventions in modern media. The Reading Mercury was my paper of choice for this book, with the Berkshire Chronicle second. Both these resources can be found in Reading Library.
I tried to read as few contemporary sources as possible while I was writing this book, because I wanted to react solely to the Victorian take on asylum care. However, many books and articles have been written about the Victorian approach to mental health and the following are recent books that I have drawn on while writing Life in the Victorian Asylum. They all provide more extensive bibliographies for further reading than I will attempt here:
Arnold, Catharine, Bedlam: London and its Mad, Simon and Schuster, (2008).
Barham, Peter, Closing the Asylum, Penguin, (1992).
Porter, Roy, Madness: A Brief History, Oxford University Press, (2002).
Rutherford, Sarah, The Victorian Asylum, Shire Books, (2008).
Wise, Sarah, Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and the Mad-doctors in Victorian England, Bodley Head, (2012).
Index
Abingdon, 137, 163
Accidents, 30, 68, 85, 94, 107, 113, 159
Accommodation, 4–5, 10–11, 20, 22–39, 57, 59, 62–63, 65, 68, 70, 131–134
Addiction, 52, 93
Admission, 14–21, 34, 36, 60, 62–63, 98, 100, 102, 111–112, 117–119, 121–122, 124–125, 131, 139, 143, 148, 150, 152, 157–159
Aggasiz, Frederick, 57–58, 135
Agriculture, 23–25, 53, 69, 76–77, 83, 89, 142, 161
Airing courts, 5, 24, 29, 31, 69, 77, 80, 141
Alcohol, 49, 60, 65, 75, 84, 93–94, 106
Alienists, 9, 42, 48, 51, 53, 55, 67
Allott, Sarah Jane (S.J.A.), 45, 168
Amentia, 52–53
America, 49, 135
Armed forces, 9, 41, 46, 49, 60, 63, 116, 135, 145, 163, 168
Arson, 44, 117
Ashton, Thomas, 163–165
Assaults, 68, 72, 99, 100, 113, 116, 139
Asylums Act 1808, 10, 12, 22, 130
Asylums, private, 7, 9, 34, 39, 92, 94–95, 111, 114–115, 131, 162
Attendants, 18, 27, 30–32, 35, 55–57, 59, 62–68, 70–74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84–87, 94, 96–97, 99–102, 104–109, 113–114, 118, 126, 133, 135–137, 141–142, 145–146
Bagatelle, 82
Bailiff, 69–70, 77, 83
Balmoral, 162
Barron, John, 135
Batchelor, Arthur, 146
Batten, Julia (J.B.), 44, 168
Baths, 21, 34, 36, 62–63, 68, 74, 85–86, 94
Beatrice, Princess, 162
Bedrooms, 32–33, 87, 117–118
Belcher, Mary, 138
Benning, Frederick (F.B.), 49, 168
Berkshire Mental Hospital see Moulsford Asylum
Bethlem Hospital, 8, 10, 115
Binfield, 168
Birds, 30, 83
Bleeding, 94–95
Boilers, 5, 21, 23, 26–27, 29, 68–69, 75
Books, 20, 30, 58, 82, 145
Borlace, Grace, 138
Bowls, 81
Bowyer, Jane (J.Bo.), 117, 168
Breastfeeding, 40, 48, 138
Broadmoor Hospital, 116, 144–146, 155–159, 163–168
Brookes, Ellen (E.B), 43, 168
Brookwood Asylum, Woking, 132
Buckingham Palace, 162
Bulwer-Lytton, Lord Edward, 82
Burning, 95
Bury St Edmunds, 162
Camberwell, 131
Cambridge, 57
Cambridge Asylum, 135
Cannon, Sarah (S.C.), 48, 138, 168
‘Care in the community’, 151–152, 159
Carter, 70, 165
Cassidy, David, 166
Catheters, 106
Chancery lunatics, 115
Chapel, 25, 29, 58, 60, 63, 74, 89–90, 101, 145
Chaplain, 15, 57–58, 74, 81–82, 89–90, 102, 120, 134–135, 167
Chelsea, 9, 60
Chess, 82
Chickenpox, 21
Children, 16, 53, 57, 101–103, 139–140, 166
Cholsey, 131, 136, 140, 143, 155
Churchill, Winston, 149
Christmas, 65, 90, 145
Cleaning, 17, 75–76, 78, 105, 164–165
Clerk, 20,
27, 60, 120, 162–163
Clothing, 21, 32, 36–39, 41–42, 47, 53, 61, 63, 65, 67, 70, 75, 78–79, 85, 99–100, 103, 105, 107, 109, 119, 123, 126, 138
Commissioners in Lunacy, 11, 22, 24, 27, 36, 41, 60, 84, 96–97, 102, 111–113, 122, 127, 131, 140, 144, 156, 158, 167
Compton, 164
Conolly, John, 9, 155
Convalescents, 24, 34, 73–74, 78, 81–82, 84, 89, 118, 144
Cook, 70
Cookham, 168
Cozens, Celia, 134
Corridors, 28–29, 31–33, 36, 74, 76. 80, 83, 87, 100, 105, 113, 119, 164
Cricket, 57, 76, 80–81, 87, 89, 96, 144, 155, 164
Criminal lunatics, 116, 144–146, 148, 164
Croquet, 81–82
Crowthorne, 144–146, 165–166
Dancing, 39, 43, 65, 88, 90, 155
Day-rooms, 29–32, 34, 36, 43, 58, 61, 68, 76, 78, 80, 85, 101, 109–110, 118–119, 140, 142, 152
Death, 125–127
Defectives see Learning disability
Delusions, 43, 46–50, 67, 81, 92, 99, 138, 161, 164–165
Dementia, 42, 44–46
Dining room, 29, 59, 74, 79, 83, 119
Discharge, 32, 37, 51, 56, 60, 63, 75–76, 96, 113, 115, 117–121, 123–124, 138, 140, 151–152, 158, 162
Dispensary, 35, 60, 93–94, 106
Dormitories, 17, 31–33, 64, 73–74, 85, 87, 101, 113, 132
Dorset Asylum, 131–132
Douty, Joel Harrington, 134, 143
Down, John Langdon, 53
Drugs, 60, 93–95, 106, 150–151
Dumfries, 134
Earlswood Asylum, Redhill, 53
Easter, 90
Easthampstead, 168
Edinburgh, 57, 162
Education, 57–58, 102
Electricity, 95, 143, 163
Enemas, 106
Engineer, 68–69, 78
Englefield, 168
Entertainments, 29, 57, 60, 63, 67, 87–89, 142, 145, 163
Epileptics, 33, 87, 98–99
Erysipelas, 21, 105
Escape, 123–125, 141, 164
Essex Asylum, Brentwood, 133
Eugenics, 149
Fair Mile Hospital see Moulsford Asylum
Family history, 159–160
Faringdon, 168
Farm see Agriculture
Feigned insanity, 52
Fire, 85, 109–110, 117
Fisherton House Asylum, Salisbury, 164
Food, 14, 23, 29–30, 44, 49, 53, 62, 65, 68–70, 74, 79, 83–85, 92, 97–99, 103, 106, 113, 117–118, 123, 138, 145, 162–163
Football, 81
Force-feeding, 97–98, 138, 163
Freeman, Frederick, 139–140
Fullbrook, Eliza (E.F.), 117, 168
Furniture, 20, 29–30, 32, 70, 73–74, 76, 83–84, 86, 98–99
Games, 6, 30, 81–82, 85, 89, 140
Gardener, 70, 116
Gardens, 23–24, 29, 69, 76, 87, 101, 152
Gasworks, 25
General paralysis see Syphilis
George III, King, 9, 52
Gilland, Robert Bryce, 55–56, 133–136, 163–164
Glasgow Royal Asylum, 133
Goddard, William (W.G.), 117, 168
Goodyear, William, 142
Gordon, John, 72, 146
Great Western Railway, 47, 131, 143
Hackney, 57
Hadfield, James, 9
Hagbourne, 168
Hanwell Asylum, 9, 155–156
Harpwood, Harriet, 109, 137–138
Harrow, Agnes (A.H.), 51, 168
Harvest, 70, 77, 90, 132
Hawsley, Mrs, 9
Heating, 5, 19, 23, 26, 29–32, 65
Hereditary, 17, 41, 127
Hester, James (J.Hr.), 51, 168
Hewett, John (J.Ht.), 52, 168
Home Office, 116, 118
Horn, Jesse (J.H.), 46, 168
Horton, Hannah, 136–136
Housekeeper, 21, 61–63, 114, 135
Howell, Charles Henry, 131
Huddersfield, 163
Hysteria, 44
Idiots see Learning disability
Imbeciles see Learning disability
India, 49
Infirmary, 17, 21, 35–36, 58, 74, 105–106, 123, 125, 142, 165
Insulin, 150
Ipswich Asylum, 162
Ireland, 59
Jesuits, 162–163
Jury, Jane, 146
Justices of the Peace, 10–11, 18, 50, 112, 116, 130–131, 143, 157
Kent, 168
Kraepelin, Emile, 148
Lactation see Breastfeeding
Lambourne, Selina, 100, 108, 168
Laundress, 26, 70, 116
Laundry, 26–27, 33, 37, 44, 62, 70, 78–79, 136, 142, 146
Leckhampstead, 168
Learning disabilities, 42, 44, 52–53, 85, 139, 143, 148–149
Lee, John James, 161–162
Lemon, James, 141
Letters, 30, 36, 56, 60, 89, 122
Lighting, 5, 32, 35, 68, 77, 87, 101
Littlemore Asylum, Oxford, 130–131, 164
Lockie, Alfred, 135
London, 4, 8, 57, 63, 66, 72, 132, 165
Lunacy Act 1845, 10–11, 18, 111, 125
Lunacy Act 1890, 143
Lunatic Asylums Act 1845, 10–11, 112, 130
McLaren, James, 136
McNaughten, Daniel, 10
McPhee, Duncan, 161–163
Madhouses Act 1774, 9
Magistrates see Justices of the Peace
Maidenhead, 138, 168
Mania, 42–44, 46, 48, 74, 92–95, 117, 164
Mansfield and Price, 132–133
Marnock, Robert, 132
Marriage, 66, 124, 133, 146
Masturbation, 45, 95
Maudsley, Henry, 148
Measles, 21, 105
Medical Act 1858, 15
Medical officers, 11, 15–18, 21, 27, 40, 54–64, 68, 71, 73, 88, 90, 97, 101–103, 105–107, 111–115, 118–120, 122, 126, 133–135, 137, 139, 142–143, 147, 157, 162, 164–166
Medicines see Drugs
Medico-Psychological Association, 63, 66
Melancholia, 43, 46–48, 93, 95, 100, 108, 138
Menopause, 40, 47, 139
Mental Deficiency Act 1913, 149
Mental Health Act 1959, 150
Merryweather & Co, 109–110
Mills, Hannah, 8
Monomania, 44, 48–50, 162
Montevideo, 58
Moral insanity, 50–51
Moral treatment, 8, 74–83, 91–93, 99, 102–103, 142, 144, 150, 155, 160
Moulsford Asylum, 20–127, 130–146, 149–151, 155, 157–159, 161–168
Mulcay, Hannah, 136
Murdoch, John William Aitken, 134, 137, 143, 159, 165
Music, 43, 60, 87–88, 90
National Health Service, 150, 152, 155
Neville, James (J.N.), 45, 168
Newbury, 131, 168
Newspapers, 4, 58, 75, 82, 116, 131
Noakes, Ruth, 137
Norris, William, 8–9
North Moreton, 164
Nottinghamshire, 10
Occupational work, 49, 67, 74–79, 92, 99, 118, 138, 151
Osborne House, 162
Oxford, 57, 130, 163
Oxford, Edward, 10
Padded rooms, 33, 97, 109, 137
Paisley Asylum, 134
Parham, Emily, 165–166
Parham, Henry, 165–166
Peel, Sir Robert, 10
Personality disorder see Moral insanity
Phthisis, 104, 106
Poor law, 10, 12, 15–18, 60, 114, 123, 125, 143, 147–148, 150–151, 154–156, 161
Porter, 70, 72, 136, 146
Powell, Enoch, 151
Pregnancy and childbirth, 40, 72, 108–109, 117, 136–137, 139, 146, 165
Prison Commissioners, 116
Prisons, 7, 10, 14, 116, 136, 145–146, 148, 152, 163
Private patien
ts, 7, 34, 37, 39, 92, 94–95, 114–115, 142, 162
Puberty, 40, 101, 139
Purgatives, 94–95, 106
Quakers, 8
Railways, 18, 24, 47, 72, 120, 125–126, 131–132, 143, 164
Reading, 130–131, 134, 136, 141, 143, 163, 166, 168
Relieving officer, 15, 17–18, 20
Religion, 8, 14, 20, 48, 57–58, 74, 89–90, 92, 103, 138, 162–163
Restraint, 4, 8–9, 55, 68, 89, 96–98, 100, 109, 137–138, 155
Royal Edinburgh Asylum, 162
Royal Historical Society, 57
Royal Lancers, 135
Royal Scots Greys, 163
Runciman, John, 161–162
St Bernard’s Hospital see Hanwell Asylum
Scarlet fever, 21, 105
Schizophrenia, 148–149
Scott, Sir Walter, 82
Sculleries, 29–30, 79, 101, 118
Second World War, 149–150
Seclusion, 97, 105
Sedatives, 93, 106, 117, 125
Sex, 40, 44, 49–50, 92, 118
Shanks, William (W.S.), 46–47, 168
Shipton rail disaster, 47
Shoreditch, 165
Simmonds, Frederick (F.S.), 49, 168
Smallpox, 105
Smith, Mrs, 9
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 82
Somerset, 168
Staff uniform, 65
Steward, 27, 60–61, 69–70, 135
Stoker, 27, 69
Stores, 21, 27–28, 62, 70, 86, 119
Stott, Edwin, 135
Suicide, 20, 42–43, 48, 67, 100–101, 108, 116, 168
Superintendent see Medical officers Surgery, 60, 105–107
Syphilis, 43, 51–52, 166
Talbott, John, 152
Tennis, 81, 164
Thames, river, 23–24, 29, 77, 80, 108, 125, 132, 141–142, 164
The Retreat, York, 8, 160
Tobacco, 85, 104
Todd, Frederick (F.T.), 117, 168
Tuberculosis see Phthisis
Tuke, William, 8, 160
Turrill, Hesther (H.T.), 47, 168
Turvey, James (J.T.), 43, 168
Typhoid, 21
Vagrancy, 14, 52, 161
Victoria, Queen, 10, 97, 131, 150, 162
Visitors, Committee of, 11, 27–28, 54, 56, 69, 71, 112–114, 119–120, 122, 127, 134, 136, 138
Visits, 5, 8, 100, 122–124, 137, 145, 166
Waiting room, 20, 100, 120, 166
