Wakefield Lunatic Asylum

[sianw]

Can any one help please with how I can find out where the records for Wakefield Lunatic Asylum are and how I can get hold of them?  I have found that one of my ancestors died there.

Any help appreciated.
Thank you

[J.R.Ellam]

Hi

The West Yorkshire Arichives have some records but I think they have to be over a hundred years old before you can look at them.
A long shot could be to contact the hospital museum.

John

[sianw]

Thanks John

He died there in 1867 so I might be lucky with the archives.  He was still working in 1861 census so I take it that he went down hill pretty rapidly.

However I will try the museum too.

[J.R.Ellam]

I think the asylum was also the workhouse so he might have just been in the workhouse.
The museum is the Stephen Beaumont Museum of Mental Health. It only used to open on a Wednesday but it is a long time since I visited.

John

[sandrastocks54]

Hi Sian

I would try Wakefield Archives if I were you.  I went over there last year and got a copy of the record of an ancestor who died there in 1863 of TB.  It was very sad reading, but interesting.  A lot of the records had a photograph attached too so you may be lucky.

There is a website for the museum which is very informative - www.stanleyroydhospital.co.uk

good luck
Sandra

[weenie]

Hi ,
I have just requested my gt grandmothers records for this same place, i had to email them my request and this is what they emailed me. ive copied and pasted main bits so you get the jist of it.

I can confirm that West Yorkshire Archive Service holds archive records from several West Yorkshire mental health hospitals covering the period relevant to your enquiry. The processing of enquiries relating to historical mental health care provision involves some complex issues and requires consultation with the relevant NHS mental trust concerned.
 
It is therefore likely that in this instance we may need to make use of the Freedom of Information (Time for Compliance with Request) Regulations, 2004 (S.I. 2004/3364), which allows up to thirty working days for a response to your request.
 
As you have provided a lot of personal details related to *******  we will undertake a search for you on this information, but of course there is no evidence that she was ever a patient of any asylum in the county. Once we have completed the search we will get back to you with our general findings. 
 
There are certain restrictions on access to medical records of patients under 100 years old and  I have also attached our User Guide on Access to Mental Health Records for your information which we hope will serve to clarify things a little in regards to Mental Health Access


hope this helps

Weenie

[sianw]

Thanks Weenie

Much appreciated.

Sian

[stawberry]

Hi

I have a great grandfather that died in the Wakefield Asylum in 1918 and would like as much information as possible and I was told in most hospitals they photographed the patient.
Have you had any luck so far.

June

[stawberry]

Hi Weenie

Which site did you email can you send it to me please.

June