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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: ems girl on Wednesday 06 September 06 15:04 BST (UK)
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Hi all,
My g.grandfather is listed as an attendant in lunatic assylum, Lancaster. Any ideas where this was?
On 1891 census he was living with ;
Jane Hampson age 41 occ;nuse sick
Jane Hampson age 15
Ellen Choake age 24
*Ernest Choake* age 24 occ; attendant assylum
Living in Lancaster
Ellen dies and he marries Mary Birkett so 1901 reads;
Lancaster;
Ernest Choake age 35 attendant in lunatic assylum
Mary age 32
Nellie age 11months.
Only need to know where assylum was, have families backwards and forwards.
Dont want anyone wasting there time searching for them.
Many thanks, Jane
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use the 1881 census, search for anyone( don't fill in names) in Lancaster who is a lunatic.
You've then probably found the right place(es)
Pauline
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Thanks Pauline, will try.
Have googled and it seems there were 2 in Lancaster, just wondered if one would have been nearer for him.
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Okay, just been through 40 pages and there's no mention of the name of assylum :0(((
How very sad though, the majority of people there are only listed by initials.
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The County Lunatic Asylum, on Lancaster Moor, opened in 1816, and since enlarged, is a stately quadrangular building of stone, with a handsome front, relieved by pillars of the Doric order, and will hold 2,400 patients in1913
It closed down in 2000 due to the reform of the mental health act, part of the assylum has been knocked down and converted to houses yet the other massive section is still untouched.
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was wondering whether you were aware that Lancaster had two asylums, though of rather different types. The Moor Hospital was the county asylum for the mentally ill, but on the other side of town, the Royal Albert Hospital opened in 1870 as the 'Royal Albert Asylum for Idiots and Imbeciles of the Northern Counties'". regards titch
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Sounds like what was know locally as The Moor, on the south side of Lancaster. Part of it still stands and can be seen from the M6 before you turn off for the city. Until fairly recently there was a geriatric unit on the site.
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Thanks Titch and Gill,
That's why I wondered which one it could be as I had found both asylums.
Guess I'll just leave this one for now.
Thanks again guys!
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Hi Ems Girl,
For background info, this might help:
there is a "lunatic asylums" site:
Index of English and Welsh Lunatic Asylums and Mental Hospitals
Based on a comprehensive survey in 1844, and extended to other asylums.
http://www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/4_13_TA.htm
if you search for lancaster, it turns up details of the Lancaster asylum
and there is some more on the Rossbret Institutions site
http://www.institutions.org.uk/asylums/england/LAN/lancaster_moor_asylum.htm
Unfortunately, neither site says where the records are now kept, which would have been a help. :(
Another "Institutions" site is the 1901 Institutions from Jeff Knaggs
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jeffery.knaggs/Instuts.html#3992
He gives the reference for the 1901 census, RG 13/3992 36-87
but only says "Lunatic Asylum Public Institution" without an address :(
Looks like only one is still there in 1901, if that helps
Bob
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Hi Bob,
Many thanks to you!
I had tried the Middlesex uni site before, but the site was down and then forgot about that one. Will have a look again. What a shame Ernest wasn't at work when the census was taken..lol.
I do think it was more likely to be the Moor though.
I remember the first time I found him on a census and I only read lunatic asylum.....gave me a fright till I read attendant.
Off to have a nose around those sites now, thank you,
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the workhouses had lunatic attendents i think
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Try this weblink for details of Asylum/Hospital records kept at Lancashire City Council
http://archivecat.lancashire.gov.uk/CalmView/Overview.aspx?s=register+of+patients
they are coded not named, you click on the code then you will get details of the name of place.
Also type in the Search Bar top right the name of the Asylum/Hospital for other records kept.
You can also email LCC to ask if they hold any info relating to your search at enquiries@lancashire.gov.uk they
will then let you know and how much for photocopies or transcriptions.
Bendywendy
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The Lancaster County lunatic Asylum opened in 1816, It was a a wholly self -contained community of its own with farms, piggery's allotments ,bakeries ,sewing workshops a soda-water bottling plant and laundry, it was almost a town within a town by 1925 there were over 3,000 patients and 1500 staff the asylum covered around 600 acres, they had there own orchestra not a band orchestra, plus what would today be professional football and cricket teams a cinema their own coaches to take patents out , a fire station and two churches plus a full time garden and building staff. The name changed firstly to Lancaster County Mental Hospital , and then to Lancaster Moor Hospital.
Queen Victoria agreed to become patron and as the result in 1866, 43 acres of land at Greaves were bought to establish the hospital The Royal Albert in the hope that this new institution would relieve the pressure on the Moor.
In 1879 work started on 41 acres of land across Quernmore Road known as Lancaster Moor. the Annexe was opened in 1883 with a further patient capacity of 825 beds. The hospital closed in 1999 and is now a luxury residential housing complex.