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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: Urbanfox on Monday 12 September 11 21:24 BST (UK)
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Would anyone have any information/photos of Bothwell lunatic assylum. Two of my relatives lived and worked there.
Regards, slywright
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I used to live near there, but unfortunately have no pics. Have you tried googling Kirklands Hospital, there's a few write-ups, but no pics. There is a contact for the university archives you could try them to see if they have any photos.
Good Luck
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Not sure Kirklands was everly openly called a Lunatic Asylum.
I have recently foung out that my great grandmother died there.
It was always just referred to (certainly in my memory) as Kirklands Hospital.
Gail
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The Glasgow Herald, April 19, 1872 carries an article about Bothwell Asylum opened "June last and erected at Kirklands". It gives a detailed description of the buildings, grounds and the type of patient catered for ie. "upper and middle classes"
Have sent a PM
regards
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1958 map it is recorded as Kirklands Mental Hospital
1914 map it is recorded as Kirklands Lunatic Asylum
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Details of NHS archives here www.archives.gla.ac.uk/gghb/collects/lk7.html
Monica :)
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I have just found my copy of my gt grandmother's death certificate.
She passed away at Kirklands, October 1938. On closer inspection, place of death does, indeed state." Kirklands Mental Hospital, Bothwell".
I guess that I didn't pick up on it's full name.
Apologies to those posters to whom I might have come across as defensive to your posts.
Hindsight is always rewarding, even if not for the reasons that you are looking for.
Gail
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There's no shame in mental illness
Many of the patients from those days would not be admitted nowadays
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Thanks Santi.
As you say, many people today wouldn't be in such a place.
Gail
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Some general info....not all in-patients in the asylums had mental issues:
http://www.bobbysimpson.org.uk/HARTWOOD_PAGE_2.htm
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I worked at Kirklands for two years in the 1960's as a secretary. At that time a number of the patients came fromj a children's hospital in Lesmahagow - when they reached 18 )I think) they were then transferred to Bothwell. I remember the main psychiatrist at that time was Dr Ligertwood, who also ran clinics for people referred to him. There was a lot of emphasis on occupational therapy and a thriving garden which supplied veg and plants to the hospital.
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this is a picture of Fallside Road. It has relevant info regarding Kirklands - Longdale Mental Asylum
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Thanks for this photo.
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I used to live near there, but unfortunately have no pics. Have you tried googling Kirklands Hospital, there's a few write-ups, but no pics. There is a contact for the university archives you could try them to see if they have any photos.
Good Luck
There are some pics on various sites now. The archivist is also very helpful. I emailed asking for a search and had an immediate reply with dates of admission and recovery in 1883/1884.
I then took a look around the Net to get some idea of what it was like and reasons why some were admitted. From the photos and remarks in this page - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3131630/Harrowing-portraits-Victorian-lunatic-asylum.html it does seem that there were many cases of post maternity depression. In the case I was researching this trauma was added to by the loss of her husband only 5 months after giving birth leaving her completely on her own - before returning to Scotland and then being placed at Kirklands.
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Kirklands hospital is still there, albeit a modern version. I was at a meeting there last month.
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:) I traced a number of photographs taken of the hospital, the board of governors and of Rowans Gardens / Kirklands Cottages on Whitley's Loan / Fallside Road. They were transferred to the Mitchell Library (archives section) by NHS Lanarkshire.
On application to the archivists you can see them - by appointment - and photograph them, (without tripod or flash etc).
The Kirklands hospital was built opposite its predecessor, Langdale Lunatic Asylum and was linked to a lunatic asylum in Cleland near Carfin (Omoa Road) which in turn had been a poorhouse - which posed a source of fear to those living hand to mouth in the area for so many years.