Mental Hospital Ratcliffe on Trent

[willsy]

Keep us all posted
Elaine

[Ursa Major]

The hospital you are asking about was Notts County Mental Hosptial. After the NHS took over its name was changed to Saxondale Hospital.  The address is Radcliffe-on-Trent, not Ratcliffe.  I worked there as a nurse for 31 years - from 1957 until it closed.  I can't speak for 1931 though I expect it was no different but some senile people were admitted in my time because they were difficult to manage or had no one to care for them and there was no other facility.  There were also physically ill patients whose illness had made them disoriented and caused behaviour problems which were difficlut to deal with.

Your grandfather would have been on a sick ward where he wouldhave received excellent care.  We used to get patients come to us from the Nottingham General Hospital with bedsores.  This never happened with our patients.  We did frequent 'back' rounds.

The older your grandfather was when he was first admitted the less likely it is that he woul have what is normally thoughtof as a mental illness, i.e schizophrenia or depression.

[Ursa Major]

I have a few older photographs of parts of Saxonale .

Incidently in one of those photgrphs that some one has already supplied that pagoda looking thing in the middle of the lawn was a ventilation shaft. There was a door and steps which took you down into a tunnel more that six foot high. This ran to other passages under the hospital, a whole network of them

[willsy]

Back rounds takes me back, I used to be a nurse too. I was based at Mapperley for my training and the girls from Queens went to Saxondale. My mother in law worked there too. I have actually been in an end terrace, it was really quite small...takes me back which is why I enjoyed popping up there to take the pics.

Elaine

[Ursa Major]

There were never any burials at Saxodale Hospital. There was a mortuary building with a refridgerator, a pathology lab, a chapel of rest viewing room  and a room where post mortem were carried out. It was usual for the bodies of patients to be  returned to their relatives for burial.  Those who ;had no relatives woul usually be buried in Radcliffe cemetery probably in an umarked grave by one of its walls,

[Ursa Major]

He would not have been buried on site. Thee nearest thing to a burial at Saxondale was when the Head Gardener's ashes were scattered on the bowling green.  Some patients who were not returned to their relatives were buried in Radcliffe.

[Jane Eden]

Hi

Can I just say it is Radcliffe on Trent not Ratcliffe on Soar. Both are in Nottinghamshire and referred to as Radcliffe and Ratcliffe.

Jane

[Auntie G]

I know it is some time since this was posted but have only just registered for rootschat. I have just found out that my Grandfather died at Radcliffe on Trent, Mental Hospital in 1927 - Cause of death - General Paralysis of the Insane. I wondered how you got on with finding out any more information as I have drawn a blank with the Hospital Archives, I have sent a message to the Nottingham Archives though so hope to get some info back from there.

Regards.


Auntie G

[Ursa Major]

Perhaps I am being pedantic but it is Radcliffe not Ratcliffe but there are a couple of Ratcliffes so any research you do might be lead astray. I can tell you that all the records were archived when the hospital closed around 1988.  Even the photographs of the staff pantomimes, I believe were saved.  The discussed that with the administrator and even offered to give them a home if nowhere could be found for them.  In the subways of the hospital were stored ward report books going back to before the hospital was built.  The hospital was know under various names. At the time you are refering to it was known either as Notts County Lunatic Asylum or Notts County Mental Hospital Some time later and until it closed it was Saxondale Hospital.

General Paralysis of the Insane was the last stage of Syphillus.  There was no cure for this until the arrival of Penicillin but a percentage of people recovered.  When I began working at Saxondale in 1957 I recall five such male patients. All had been soldiers in the First World War and penicillin could only arrest the disease but was too late to prevent the damaging effects.  During the 19 century I believe the disease was pretty widespread.

At certain stages the disease can be inherited but its effect is obvious and can include early childhood deaths and blindness. 

I don't know where the archives are stored you might find their whereabouts  on Google or some other site.
Bob