Lunatic assylum, Lancaster

[ems girl]

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

[PaulineJ]

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

[ems girl]

Thanks Pauline, will try.
Have googled and it seems there were 2 in Lancaster, just wondered if one would have been nearer for him.

[ems girl]

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.

[titch33]

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.

[titch33]

 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

[Gillg]

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.

[ems girl]

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!

[Berlin-Bob]

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