RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Stirlingshire => Topic started by: davy.campbell on Tuesday 13 August 13 10:48 BST (UK)
-
Hello i have a very old hand written ledger entitled Stirling District Lunacy Board MINUTE BOOK OF VISITING COMMITTEE...( IN LARBERT STIRLINGSHIRE SCOTLAND) .its starts march 1890, and runs to June 1907. It details everything that was discussed about the asylum, this book has only ever been read by a select few, it makes fasinating reading. The asylum has just been recognised by UNESCO as being of outstanding historical importance. Perhaps if you have a question about the asylum, i may be able to help. Thanks.
-
Asylum Orchestra. Dr.Macpherson intimates that there was now an orchestra in the asylum for the purpose of supplying music at the weekly dances and balls for the patients during the winter months. Up till the present the music had been supplied by Francis Binnie, Stenhousemuir, who for the past year, along with James Clarke, cornet player, had assisted the asylum orchestra. It was now the desire of the members of the asylum band that no outsiders be asked to help them. It was agreed to give Binnie notice that his services would no longer be required. In respect of his long connection with the asylum a bonus of £5 was agreed to be paid to Binnie on his retiring. ::)
-
Another Extract from The Minute book of visiting committee....Case of John Sneddon (22nd March 1900).....Dr. Robertson reported the accidental death of John Sneddon. This patient had been for many years on full parole and worked on the farm. On the 31st January he left the asylum and every endeavour was made to find him but without success. No danger to himself or others was antisapated as he was a quiet and fairly sensible patient. On the 10th of feb his body was found in the neighbouring wood lying on the ground with an empty bottle within reach. Dr. Fraser of Falkirk who performed the post mortem examination was of opinion that the patient was emancipated. It is believed that the patient must have become intoxicated and died from exposure. A full report of all the facts was sent to the general board of lunacy who were quite satisfied with it, and consider that no blame attaches to any one. It was an accident that is unfortunately possible with the system of giving patients their liberty. ::)
-
Extract from Minute book. 20th April 1905. SMALLPOX. It was agreed to pay £20 to the assitant medical officers and clinical assistants for special professional l services in connection with the vaccination of the patients, staff and families of officials at the time of the outbreak of smallpox. ::)
-
Now that sounds like a book I would like to see Davy. My great great grandmother died in Larbert in 1903.
-
Extract Stirling District Lunacy Board, 17th september 1903. ...Claim by Wm. Bullions. W.Black submitted analyis by Wm. Wilson an example of water taken from Kersbrock? stream and the Mill of Kinnaird stream he also reported regarding the death of certain calves belonging to Wm Bullions and the illness of others. Under the agreement permitting the asylum authorities to discharge their sewage into the stream at Kersbrock? it was stipulated that any claims for damage at the instances of Wm Bullions were to be submitted to W Aitkenhead as arbitor. W Black stated that he was in communication with W. Aitkenhead on this subject.
-
Is there any mention of George William Kirton? He was only briefly at Larbert from March or April 1894 before being transferred to the Insane Ward at Sunderland Union Workhouse in early May.
-
This sounds a marvellous resource. You are doing a marvellous job in transcribing sections. Do you have any plans to digitise it - perhaps just photograph the pages for preservation then also others can browse and/or help you transcribe? I am sure the local history society would be delighted to have a copy of the images on CD.
Josey
-
Hello Josey, thanks i intend to give the book to stirling university archives, all the pages are all in beautiful long hand, in fact so beautiful i cant make them out, hence a lot of spelling mistakes!...I actually cleared all, or most of the furnishings out the hospital a number of years ago. Some parts had never been renovated and remained the same since it opened in the 1800s, pretty scary to say the least...Will continue to add some extracts, bye!.
-
Extract 18th Feb 1892.......Dr. Macpherson reported that a male pauper ex district patient named Alexander Purdie chargeable to the parish of kirknewton was found killed on the railway on the 3rd inst. Purdie had escaped from the ayslum on the morning of that day by a door left open for the convenience of workmen employed in the alterations now going on. He duly reported the accident to the procurator fiscal and General Board of Lunacy neither of whom had however taken any steps in the matter ::)
-
Extract 17th December 1891... Dr. Macpherson repoted that during the past month there had been two sudden deaths in the asylum- one a male patient named Donald McLeod and the other a female patient named Margaret Lindsay. The former had received a fracture of the scull resulting from a fall while under a cow vulsive? seizure or fainting fit and died on 23rd november, while the latter was found dead in bed on the morning of 21st november. Both cases he had duly reprted to the proculator fiscal and General Board of Lunacy neither of whom however had taken any stepps in the matter. ::)
-
Extract 19th March 1896..... Dr. Macpherson brought up the case of Agnes White a voluntary patient who on account of nervous symptoms desired admission to the asylum as a voluntary patient. She came from the parish of Gargunnock, but was not a pauper, and offered her work in future for board and treatment. The commissioners in Lunacy having sanctioned her admission, and in consideration of the fact that she was a good worker, the committee agreed to comply with the request, on the payment, by her, of a nominal sum for board, of 5/- per annum. ::)
-
Extract 21st april 1898....No. 3994 Janet Walls or Whitelaw......Dr. Macpherson reported that this patient rendered useful service on the farm and that she was present boarded with the farm steward where she was better and more contented than when she was boarded in the asylum. The patient receives all her food from the farm steward and some compensation ought to be made to him. It was agreed to allow Mr. Brown 4/6 per week for the patients keep. ;)
-
extract 20th sept 1906.... Dr. Robertson intimated that he had been approached by a representative of The Scottish Central Electric Power company who wished the asylum to take a supply of electricity from that Coy. Their offer was 1.3/4d per unit. Dr. Robertson submitted statistics showing at that present the cost of the electric light was less than the above amount. Dr. Robertson was sanctioned to inform the Scottish Central Coy that unless they could reduce their quotation it would not be accepted. Further consideration of this matter was continued until the november meeting. ::)
-
extract 21st sept 1905... Purchase of Land.... Mr Brown reported that about 47 acres of land adjoining the asylum (part of the farm of Inches) had been purchased from Mr Aitkens at the price of £3900. He also made a statement as to the condition of the sale. 8)
-
a fall while under a cow vulsive? seizure or fainting fit and died on 23rd november,
Probably convulsive.
Interesting extracts! Regarding the patient who worked on the farm: in the 1990s I lived for 10 years in a flat in the[converted ;D] Murthly Mental Hospital near Perth which closed in the 1980s. They too had a farm & a laundry where patients worked. Local people who had worked there [there were 400 patients & 300 staff, most of the village had worked there but the park surrounding the hospital was open access] said it was a very tranquil place.
Josey
-
Hi Josey thanks, yes i remember when the patients worked at Larbert. The grounds were all full of fresh produce, they had a large greenhouse with a huge vine with loads of grapes. The book has loads of info about the price of farm produce ect, seems patients came from quite far afield as well. I see Perth mentioned several times. The part i am reading at the moment, is a request to dispose of the two cows which supplied milk to staff, and purchasing milk from a local supplier! :)
-
extract 20th april, 1905.....Photographing Patients.....Dr.Robertson intimated that all patients were photographed at the time of their admission to and discharged from the asylum and he proposed to allow the electrical engineer to do this in his spare time and to pay him £10 for doing so. This was agreed to. :)
-
Hello, Davey, what an amazing resource- how on earth did you come by it? My great grandfather was there twice, between 1909 until his death in 1916, so unfortunately for me it falls outside your records. But when i went to Stirling University archives i was lucky enough to see 2 photographs of him which was something i never expected to find. They have had a profound impact on his family, as you might expect. It would be fascinating to find out more about the day to day life in the asylum, and what my great grandfather would have experienced.
-
You don't happen to have any admission books, by any chance? They contain admissions info and photographs of patients- i can't find anything on my great grandfather's second admission in 1910, and it would be fantastic to find something on this!
-
Francis Binnie (1856-1920), from the Tryst Raod in Stenhousemuir, was my great- great grandfather. His daughters (including my great grandmother) were very musically inclined. There was more than one Francis Binnie in the Stenhousemuir/Larbert area, which makes tracing family trees complicated, but do you believe this might be the same one? He was an iron moulder by trade and his wife's name was Jane.
Sarah
Asylum Orchestra. Dr.Macpherson intimates that there was now an orchestra in the asylum for the purpose of supplying music at the weekly dances and balls for the patients during the winter months. Up till the present the music had been supplied by Francis Binnie, Stenhousemuir, who for the past year, along with James Clarke, cornet player, had assisted the asylum orchestra. It was now the desire of the members of the asylum band that no outsiders be asked to help them. It was agreed to give Binnie notice that his services would no longer be required. In respect of his long connection with the asylum a bonus of £5 was agreed to be paid to Binnie on his retiring. ::)
-
Hi, its only a guess but Tryst Road is only a stones throw away from the Hospital, so it may well have been your grandfather. I went to piano lessons with an old lady (against my will), in Tryst road about 50 years ago but cant remember her name. There also used to be loads of foundries in this area but all closed now.