Chrichton Royal Institution.Dumfries

[julieann1]

Found this link:
http://elliottsimpson.com/history/dumfriescrichton1pre1930s.html

[julieann1]

and another
http://www.johnandmoragwilliams.co.uk/croyalh.html

[mosstrooper]

Dolly,
          I wouldn't be too quick to assume your relative was commited to a Mental Institution. These places also had paying guests who had become infirm and unable to look after themselves. If I remember correctly there were three different levels of care according to the fee paid by the "patient" different degrees of comfort, furnisings and food. Guests like this were taken in to defray the cost of running the Hospital.

James.

[julieann1]

The death certs of the two people on my tree who died at the Crichton, show that one had 'chronic cerebal disease of 15 years duration' and the other 'cancer of the uterus of some years duration'.
The Crichton sounds like it was quite a progressive institution. Not the regime you would normally associate with Victorian mental institutions.

[duckweed]

The hospital was made up of L shaped buildings,  with gardens in between.  On one side were the females and the other side males with a dining room in the middle.  Even more secluded was a place for richer inmates (this was where Spike Millighan stayed).  Different houses would have different types of patients.  Obviously all psychiatric institutions had all kinds of patients. There would be those with senile dementia, those with learning difficulties and even those who got pregnant by someone other than their husband, even profoundly deaf people so being in the Crichton would not necessarily mean any type of lunancy.   There was not a lot of provision for feeble patients in the local hospital though St Michaels Church did have provision in their house by the church for some elderly people.   Some would come in suffering from postnatal depression but because there was no effective treatment and very little reasessment after they were committed if they were there over a year never got the chance to go home.  Eventually they became too institutionalised to be able to leave.

[Paul Beck]

Greetings to little prince.
This is my first time and first post on RootsChat.
I am tracing Becks in Dumfries. I have screeds of data from IGI and Census.
Of special interest is the genetic factor Huntingdon's Chorea in my Beck ancestry. I found Beck records from Crichton, which you reference here.
I believe I am linked to the family of John Beck and Elizabeth Sloane of Cummertrees,  married ca 1799, through their son William (bn 1800). Do you have Beck data related to them, or including HD sufferers?
Can you say which Beck family of early 1800s you re connected to in Dumfries.
Thanks,
Paul
Melbourne, Australia

[littleprince]

Hi Paul

I do not think that my Beck`s are of the same line, I can go back to John Beck born circa 1770 in Dumfries.

I also have not found any rellies with Huntingdons which I believe is a terrible disease, sorry that I have not been of much help.

regards Gilly

[codam]

Hi littleprince, Can you Help me find out about my great great grandfather his name was David Lindsay, he died Aged 41. At 12 November 1893 at

Chrichton Royal Institution,

Dumfries

(Cause: Apoplexy)

his wife was Margaret Hamilton Lindsay they lived in Wishaw

[dolly dimples]

Codam, just to say that I had great success with my Gt Aunt who spent years in the Chrichton
             I contacted the Archivist, and asked if they could supply the records of my Aunt,
 I did indeed obtain them, for a mere £8. then,  albeit made very sad reading.
Write with as much info as you can of your person, to.

                                Morag Williams. Archivist to NHS Dumfries& Galloway.
                                  Solway House. Chrichton Royal Hospital.
                                                          Dumfries. Scotland.

       Hope the adddress is still the same.
                          I can't find the telephone number that I had ,but you could try googling or write to enquire on services, 
                            Wish you much success,  Dolly