Good afternoon,
I have only joined this forum today so this is my first enquiry.
My GG Grandfather died in Rainhill Asylum in March 1899. Can anyone give advice as to where he is possibly buried & how I can obtain grave details etc.
Do the Asylum records still exist for this period & if so can they be viewed & where. The 100 year rule hopefully doesn't apply in this case.
On his death cert. The cause of death was General Paralysis, about a year. This is rather vague. Can anyone give a more accurate account or meaning for this description.
Any help will be greatly appreciated
Peter
Rainhill Asylum
Hi Peter
Welcome aboard!!
I have a person in my tree who was put in Rainhill 1898 for "overlaying' a baby. She lived for a long time, died in there, I've never found her burial place. I wish you the best of luck.
General Paralysis was the end result of dementia as we call it today. When the body functions break down.
I'm sure you will get lots of help in this wonderful forum.
Tina
Welcome aboard!!
I have a person in my tree who was put in Rainhill 1898 for "overlaying' a baby. She lived for a long time, died in there, I've never found her burial place. I wish you the best of luck.
General Paralysis was the end result of dementia as we call it today. When the body functions break down.
I'm sure you will get lots of help in this wonderful forum.
Tina
- Tina
Cornthwaite,Milburn,Coll,Gaffney,Pearce,Singleton,Hazlehurst,Cuthbert,Mackintosh,McAllister,Morana, Corfield
Any census/bmd information within this post is Crown Copyright from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Rainhill Hospital
Ref. No M614 RAI
Title Rainhill Hospital
Date 1851-1981
Description Admissions records
1 Admissions papers
2 Criminal lunatic admissions papers
3 Haydock Lodge admissions
4 Index books
5 Admissions registers ('civil registers')
6 Private patients: registers of admissions
7 Register of temporary patients
Case records
8 Casebooks: female patients
9 Annexe casebooks: female patients
10 Death and discharge books: female patients
11 Casebooks: male patients
12 Annexe casebooks: male patients
13 Death and discharge books: male patients
14 Death and discharge papers: male and female
Patient status records
15 Medical registers
16 General register
17 Special reports and certificates book
18 Regrading books
19 Patients register: charges on local authorities
Death or leaving records
20 Death statement and notice book
21 Register of deaths
22 Register of discharge and departures
23 Register of discharges of patients upon trial
24 Discharge certificates
Clinical or medical records
25 Pathological reports
26 Reports of specific conditions
27 Other clinical records
28 Medical officers journal
29 Head night nurse report book (female)
Administrative records
30 Committee of visitors: minute books
31 Committee of visitors: visitor's book
32 Chaplains reports
33 Hospital Management Committee
34 Finance Committee
35 Finance Sub-Committee
36 General Purpose Sub-Committee
37 Building and Planning Sub-Committee
38 Farm Committee
39 Staff changes
40 Annual reports
41 Printed material
42 Miscellaneous administrative records
Records of other organisations
43 Institute of Hospital Administrators
44 St Helens Hospital
45 Whaley Bridge and Openshaw rent books
Admin. History
Rainhill Hospital (formerly named Rainhill Lunatic Asylum and later Rainhill Mental Hospital) was a large psychiatric hospital situated a few miles outside St Helens. The original building was designed by Harvey Lonsdale Elmes (the architect of St George's Hall in Liverpool) who died in 1847, 4 years before the hospital opened in 1851 as one of the Lancashire county asylums. The asylum was badly needed: it was built to accommodate 300 patients and opened with approximately 220. By 1852, the committee was having to admit 400 patients and from then onwards was constantly reporting that the asylum was overcrowded.
Expansion began in an attempt to accommodate these increasingly large numbers of patients. In 1859, additional wards were built to house another 228 patients and 32 single rooms were added to existing wards, along with a recreation hall and new workshops. In 1860 it was decided that the hospital should purchase the farm on the opposite side of the road, for £2100.
The problem of accommodation was aggravated by the fact that chronic and incurable patients were being admitted to the hospital, using beds that could otherwise have been taken by acute cases. The hospital committee wanted these cases to be taken by the local workhouses. In 1877, the Medical Superintendent, Dr Rogers, started a crusade for a new asylum. He decided that if land were available, it would be an advantage to expand Rainhill Asylum, rather than build a separate establishment, and to split the site between chronic and acute cases.
In 1878, the county authorities purchased land for the building of the annexe. It was designed by G E Grayson to house around 1000 patients and was opened in April 1887; it was used for patients whose conditions had seriously deteriorated.
Further expansion of the hospital included the building of a detached Infectious Diseases Hospital between 1892 and 1895, a Nurses Home which opened in 1896, the Roman Catholic Chapel and extensions to both the main building and annexe in 1898. Reeve Hall was built in 1936 and the old recreation hall it had replaced was converted into kitchens in 1938. In the same year a new Admissions Hospital, latterly the Benedict Clinic, was approved by the committee. During the 2nd World War, this building was used to accommodate more than 100 patients admitted from the armed forces. By 1949, the building had been vacated and was returned to its intended purpose as an admissions hospital. In 1956 the Hospital Committee decided to dispose of the hospital farm which was eventually sold.
In 1991 the gradual closure of the hospital through the 1980s was completed; most of the patients went into community care, while the acute cases were transferred to Whiston Hospital.
AccessConditions Some records in this collection contain sensitive personal health information and are closed for 100 years. This is in accordance with Section 1 (Principles 1, 2 and 7) of the Data Protection Act, 1998. Permission to consult closed records should be sought from the Assistant Director of Operations, Whiston Hospital, Warrington Road, Prescot, Merseyside L35 5DR. Access to all other records is open to any accredited reader.
Source: Liverpool Record Office
Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EW
Peter, Hope this helps you, Regards Margie.
Title Rainhill Hospital
Date 1851-1981
Description Admissions records
1 Admissions papers
2 Criminal lunatic admissions papers
3 Haydock Lodge admissions
4 Index books
5 Admissions registers ('civil registers')
6 Private patients: registers of admissions
7 Register of temporary patients
Case records
8 Casebooks: female patients
9 Annexe casebooks: female patients
10 Death and discharge books: female patients
11 Casebooks: male patients
12 Annexe casebooks: male patients
13 Death and discharge books: male patients
14 Death and discharge papers: male and female
Patient status records
15 Medical registers
16 General register
17 Special reports and certificates book
18 Regrading books
19 Patients register: charges on local authorities
Death or leaving records
20 Death statement and notice book
21 Register of deaths
22 Register of discharge and departures
23 Register of discharges of patients upon trial
24 Discharge certificates
Clinical or medical records
25 Pathological reports
26 Reports of specific conditions
27 Other clinical records
28 Medical officers journal
29 Head night nurse report book (female)
Administrative records
30 Committee of visitors: minute books
31 Committee of visitors: visitor's book
32 Chaplains reports
33 Hospital Management Committee
34 Finance Committee
35 Finance Sub-Committee
36 General Purpose Sub-Committee
37 Building and Planning Sub-Committee
38 Farm Committee
39 Staff changes
40 Annual reports
41 Printed material
42 Miscellaneous administrative records
Records of other organisations
43 Institute of Hospital Administrators
44 St Helens Hospital
45 Whaley Bridge and Openshaw rent books
Admin. History
Rainhill Hospital (formerly named Rainhill Lunatic Asylum and later Rainhill Mental Hospital) was a large psychiatric hospital situated a few miles outside St Helens. The original building was designed by Harvey Lonsdale Elmes (the architect of St George's Hall in Liverpool) who died in 1847, 4 years before the hospital opened in 1851 as one of the Lancashire county asylums. The asylum was badly needed: it was built to accommodate 300 patients and opened with approximately 220. By 1852, the committee was having to admit 400 patients and from then onwards was constantly reporting that the asylum was overcrowded.
Expansion began in an attempt to accommodate these increasingly large numbers of patients. In 1859, additional wards were built to house another 228 patients and 32 single rooms were added to existing wards, along with a recreation hall and new workshops. In 1860 it was decided that the hospital should purchase the farm on the opposite side of the road, for £2100.
The problem of accommodation was aggravated by the fact that chronic and incurable patients were being admitted to the hospital, using beds that could otherwise have been taken by acute cases. The hospital committee wanted these cases to be taken by the local workhouses. In 1877, the Medical Superintendent, Dr Rogers, started a crusade for a new asylum. He decided that if land were available, it would be an advantage to expand Rainhill Asylum, rather than build a separate establishment, and to split the site between chronic and acute cases.
In 1878, the county authorities purchased land for the building of the annexe. It was designed by G E Grayson to house around 1000 patients and was opened in April 1887; it was used for patients whose conditions had seriously deteriorated.
Further expansion of the hospital included the building of a detached Infectious Diseases Hospital between 1892 and 1895, a Nurses Home which opened in 1896, the Roman Catholic Chapel and extensions to both the main building and annexe in 1898. Reeve Hall was built in 1936 and the old recreation hall it had replaced was converted into kitchens in 1938. In the same year a new Admissions Hospital, latterly the Benedict Clinic, was approved by the committee. During the 2nd World War, this building was used to accommodate more than 100 patients admitted from the armed forces. By 1949, the building had been vacated and was returned to its intended purpose as an admissions hospital. In 1956 the Hospital Committee decided to dispose of the hospital farm which was eventually sold.
In 1991 the gradual closure of the hospital through the 1980s was completed; most of the patients went into community care, while the acute cases were transferred to Whiston Hospital.
AccessConditions Some records in this collection contain sensitive personal health information and are closed for 100 years. This is in accordance with Section 1 (Principles 1, 2 and 7) of the Data Protection Act, 1998. Permission to consult closed records should be sought from the Assistant Director of Operations, Whiston Hospital, Warrington Road, Prescot, Merseyside L35 5DR. Access to all other records is open to any accredited reader.
Source: Liverpool Record Office
Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EW
Peter, Hope this helps you, Regards Margie.
-
antonio111
- Non Member
- Posts: 102
- Joined: 27 Jan 2008 19:16
Hi Peter
Try this link, it may be of help.
Best wishes
Tina
http://crem.oltps.sthelens.gov.uk:8080/ ... ch#results
Try this link, it may be of help.
Best wishes
Tina
http://crem.oltps.sthelens.gov.uk:8080/ ... ch#results
- Tina
Cornthwaite,Milburn,Coll,Gaffney,Pearce,Singleton,Hazlehurst,Cuthbert,Mackintosh,McAllister,Morana, Corfield
Any census/bmd information within this post is Crown Copyright from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
-
Peter Lee
Rainhill Asylum
Many thanks to all who replied with info.
Number 1) I have established that my GG Grandfather was buried in a public grave at St Helens cemetery on 26 March 1899. Details are being sent to me.
Very helpful young lady.
Number 2) I am off to Liverpool library ASAP to view the files of the asylum. There appears to be loads if information, hopefully on my GG Grandfather!!
Peter
Number 1) I have established that my GG Grandfather was buried in a public grave at St Helens cemetery on 26 March 1899. Details are being sent to me.
Very helpful young lady.
Number 2) I am off to Liverpool library ASAP to view the files of the asylum. There appears to be loads if information, hopefully on my GG Grandfather!!
Peter
Hi
On a slightly humourous note - Rainhill Hospital was situated in NUTGROVE St Helens. I passed it each day when I lived in Rainhill but worked in St Helens
I have also visited there - purely on a professional basis before anybody comments!!
It's been demolished now I believe and houses built on the site.
On a slightly humourous note - Rainhill Hospital was situated in NUTGROVE St Helens. I passed it each day when I lived in Rainhill but worked in St Helens
I have also visited there - purely on a professional basis before anybody comments!!
It's been demolished now I believe and houses built on the site.
Cheers
Carole
Member 6965
Researching Carlin, Dick, Gilchrist, Wareing, McDonald, Doughty, Wright
Any census/bmd information within this post is Crown Copyright from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Carole
Member 6965
Researching Carlin, Dick, Gilchrist, Wareing, McDonald, Doughty, Wright
Any census/bmd information within this post is Crown Copyright from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
-
Roymontrose
Hi all,
I actually live on one of the estates (Foxwood) built on the old Rainhill Hospital Grounds. I'm right on the border of Nutgrove and Rainhill. The weird thing is my Grandfather Richard Montrose died in Rainhill Hospital in October 1936. I have his death certificate but haven't been able to find out yet were he's buried.
Regarding finding records from the Hospital it's quite an easy process but you don't always get the information you want. First of all you have to write to Whiston Hospital (I can't remeber the department) and ask for permission to view the records of the person you are looking for. They will write back granting that permission. You can then contact Liverpool R.O. in William Brown Street and make arrangements to go there armed with your permission, or ask them could they possibly look it up for you. If it's your first request to them they usually will do it for you. I wrote to Ruth Hobbins, Team Leader, Record Office, 4th Floor, William Brown Street, Liverpool. She was very helpful and gave me some information in writing but informed me that the volume that contained his files had not been registered with the R.O.
However, I do know people who have been successful using this route and have been given 'photos and lists of treatments etc so good luck with your search and I hope I haven't confused the issue!
regards,
Roy Montrose
I actually live on one of the estates (Foxwood) built on the old Rainhill Hospital Grounds. I'm right on the border of Nutgrove and Rainhill. The weird thing is my Grandfather Richard Montrose died in Rainhill Hospital in October 1936. I have his death certificate but haven't been able to find out yet were he's buried.
Regarding finding records from the Hospital it's quite an easy process but you don't always get the information you want. First of all you have to write to Whiston Hospital (I can't remeber the department) and ask for permission to view the records of the person you are looking for. They will write back granting that permission. You can then contact Liverpool R.O. in William Brown Street and make arrangements to go there armed with your permission, or ask them could they possibly look it up for you. If it's your first request to them they usually will do it for you. I wrote to Ruth Hobbins, Team Leader, Record Office, 4th Floor, William Brown Street, Liverpool. She was very helpful and gave me some information in writing but informed me that the volume that contained his files had not been registered with the R.O.
However, I do know people who have been successful using this route and have been given 'photos and lists of treatments etc so good luck with your search and I hope I haven't confused the issue!
regards,
Roy Montrose
-
m.downey
Might not be the answer you were loking for - this is the description of the term general paralysis of the insane
'General paralysis of the insane, a syndrome of mental disorder and weakness occurring in tertiary syphilis, is also known as dementia paralytica, Bayle disease, parenchymal syphilis and symptomatic neurosyphilis. It is a rare disease in western general adult psychiatry these days but, at the height of its powers, it is thought that it accounted for up to 20% of patients in asylums'.
No treatment in those days for std's.
md
'General paralysis of the insane, a syndrome of mental disorder and weakness occurring in tertiary syphilis, is also known as dementia paralytica, Bayle disease, parenchymal syphilis and symptomatic neurosyphilis. It is a rare disease in western general adult psychiatry these days but, at the height of its powers, it is thought that it accounted for up to 20% of patients in asylums'.
No treatment in those days for std's.
md
-
coldshowkid
Hi
Im new to this forum.
Sorry to resurrect this old post. I have a Great Uncle who according to the family grape vine was shot as a deserter in WW1.
Having obtained a copy of his death certificate I see he died in the County Lunatic Asylum St Helens in 1916, with General Paralysis Duration Unknown as the cause of death. His home address at the time was West Ham, London. He was a Motor Driver
my questions are, which I hope you can help me with
Was Rainhill also known as the County Lunatic Asylum?
would it be normal for somebody living in London to be in a north west asylum?
I assume he died of a STD?
im looking for 3 yes's (or is that britain got talent?)
I would appreciate any assistance you can give
many thanks
Graham
Im new to this forum.
Sorry to resurrect this old post. I have a Great Uncle who according to the family grape vine was shot as a deserter in WW1.
Having obtained a copy of his death certificate I see he died in the County Lunatic Asylum St Helens in 1916, with General Paralysis Duration Unknown as the cause of death. His home address at the time was West Ham, London. He was a Motor Driver
my questions are, which I hope you can help me with
Was Rainhill also known as the County Lunatic Asylum?
would it be normal for somebody living in London to be in a north west asylum?
I assume he died of a STD?
im looking for 3 yes's (or is that britain got talent?)
I would appreciate any assistance you can give
many thanks
Graham
-
m.downey
Welcome Graham you've joined the best forum!!!
So for your three yes's!!!
Yes, Rainhill Hospital was known as The County Lunatic Asylum,Rainhill.It opened in 1851. It was renamed the County Mental Hospital in 1936. Lots of history about the hospital if you Google it!!!
Not 100% about the 2nd Yes, but parts of the hospital may have been used as a place for soldiers from WW!. Winwick Hospital (not far from Rainhill and also a psychiatric hospital was renamed during WW1 The Lord DerbyWar Hospital - between 1915 -1920) )so maybe your Great Uncle had been hospitalised as a casualty from the War . I know service men from WW2 who became mentally ill were sent to Psychiatric hospitals all over the UK and not necessarity their home town area.
No 3, well yes GPI as the illness was known was as described in previous post. Not unusual to see GPI throughout the 20th century in Psychiatric Hospitals.
Did you find where he was buried? Would certainly be local and many patients where buried in St. Helens cemetery - which has an online grave search....if he's there more likely to be in a public grave without a headstone but maybe his family paid for a headstone.
Good luck.
So for your three yes's!!!
Yes, Rainhill Hospital was known as The County Lunatic Asylum,Rainhill.It opened in 1851. It was renamed the County Mental Hospital in 1936. Lots of history about the hospital if you Google it!!!
Not 100% about the 2nd Yes, but parts of the hospital may have been used as a place for soldiers from WW!. Winwick Hospital (not far from Rainhill and also a psychiatric hospital was renamed during WW1 The Lord DerbyWar Hospital - between 1915 -1920) )so maybe your Great Uncle had been hospitalised as a casualty from the War . I know service men from WW2 who became mentally ill were sent to Psychiatric hospitals all over the UK and not necessarity their home town area.
No 3, well yes GPI as the illness was known was as described in previous post. Not unusual to see GPI throughout the 20th century in Psychiatric Hospitals.
Did you find where he was buried? Would certainly be local and many patients where buried in St. Helens cemetery - which has an online grave search....if he's there more likely to be in a public grave without a headstone but maybe his family paid for a headstone.
Good luck.
Nearby Whiston Hospital also had a lot of soldiers treated there during and after both wars, not all from the local area. So it's more than plausible that that'd include soldiers from out of the county.
With regard to Rainhill I, through Liverpool RO, obtained details of my great grandmother who spent over 35 years in Rainhill hospital from 1921 with what appears now to be nothing more than post-natal depression. I say nothing more not wishing to be flippant about the condition. But it hardly warrants being locked away for 35 years....
I had to prove that she was deceased and then the nice man from the library supplied me with copies of her entry in the admissions register and the notification of her death.
Sadly, he explained nothing else of her had survived in the other hospital documentation which was really disappointing but understandable.
With regard to Rainhill I, through Liverpool RO, obtained details of my great grandmother who spent over 35 years in Rainhill hospital from 1921 with what appears now to be nothing more than post-natal depression. I say nothing more not wishing to be flippant about the condition. But it hardly warrants being locked away for 35 years....
I had to prove that she was deceased and then the nice man from the library supplied me with copies of her entry in the admissions register and the notification of her death.
Sadly, he explained nothing else of her had survived in the other hospital documentation which was really disappointing but understandable.
Member 7682
http://davidbrindle.tribalpages.com
Member Interests : Quirk, Mahoney, Brindle, Watmough, McCann, Kerrigan, Burns, Fitzmaurice.
http://davidbrindle.tribalpages.com
Member Interests : Quirk, Mahoney, Brindle, Watmough, McCann, Kerrigan, Burns, Fitzmaurice.
-
Scipio
Rainhill
This thread includes the address to write to:
http://liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB ... sc&start=0
See page 2.
These were the days before antibiotics (by about 50 years) and the treatment of syphilis was not well understood. The superintendent of Rainhill, Dr E F Reeve was an early pioneer and some of the background may be found here:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/psychiatry/history/20th.htm
How times have changed for the better.
http://liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB ... sc&start=0
See page 2.
These were the days before antibiotics (by about 50 years) and the treatment of syphilis was not well understood. The superintendent of Rainhill, Dr E F Reeve was an early pioneer and some of the background may be found here:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/psychiatry/history/20th.htm
How times have changed for the better.
Rainhill
Hi folks,
I usually frequent the Liverpool Forum but today decided to venture here.
Spotted this thread and was immediately interested. A paternal g.g.father died at the age of 36 in Rainhill, aka The County Lunatic Asylum, in 1878 of "General paralysis" according to his death cert. Eventually I was able to access his Medical Records at the Liverpool Archives and, because I live outside the UK, a VKP took the trouble to photograph the records and email them to me.
The records included the autopsy which mentioned 'inflammation and swelling of the arachnoid membrane'. This is the delicate outer covering of the brain. When I checked out this condition on medical websites I found it is known today as Arachnoiditis and is incurable, even now.
It produces all the symptoms my rellie had, blindness, deafness, muscular spasms, epileptic fits, etc. And although it can be the result of an STD, it can also be caused by a blow, or a number of blows over time, to the head. He had been a cabbie, the horse-drawn type, and according to his wife on his admittance notes he had had "frequent falls from his cab due to drink being taken" and "hurt his head many times".
So, if you can, try to get a copy of the autopsy for a more 'modern' interpretation of the cause of death.
I'll be back!
Dickiesam
I usually frequent the Liverpool Forum but today decided to venture here.
Spotted this thread and was immediately interested. A paternal g.g.father died at the age of 36 in Rainhill, aka The County Lunatic Asylum, in 1878 of "General paralysis" according to his death cert. Eventually I was able to access his Medical Records at the Liverpool Archives and, because I live outside the UK, a VKP took the trouble to photograph the records and email them to me.
The records included the autopsy which mentioned 'inflammation and swelling of the arachnoid membrane'. This is the delicate outer covering of the brain. When I checked out this condition on medical websites I found it is known today as Arachnoiditis and is incurable, even now.
It produces all the symptoms my rellie had, blindness, deafness, muscular spasms, epileptic fits, etc. And although it can be the result of an STD, it can also be caused by a blow, or a number of blows over time, to the head. He had been a cabbie, the horse-drawn type, and according to his wife on his admittance notes he had had "frequent falls from his cab due to drink being taken" and "hurt his head many times".
So, if you can, try to get a copy of the autopsy for a more 'modern' interpretation of the cause of death.
I'll be back!
Dickiesam
DS
Member # 7743
RIP 20 April 2015
Emery, McAnaspie/McAnaspri etc, Fry, McGibbon/McKibbion etc, Burbage, Butler, Brady, Foulkes, Sarsfield, Moon [Bristol & Cornwall].
Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Member # 7743
RIP 20 April 2015
Emery, McAnaspie/McAnaspri etc, Fry, McGibbon/McKibbion etc, Burbage, Butler, Brady, Foulkes, Sarsfield, Moon [Bristol & Cornwall].
Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/