Hatton Mental Hospital

[Lisajj]

Robtim
Its nice to hear that the patients were looked after.  I'm sorry that your mum had to go through such an awful experience though.  When my 4 x great grandfather was in there in the 1870's, it was obvious from his records that he was very well looked after.  The reasons for him being in there weren't really mental illness either.  He had an operation that went wrong which made his nerve endings bad.  This resulted in him not being able to sleep, so his nights in the workhouse were always bad and he disturbed the other inmates.  This concluded with the nurse and the vicar writing to Hatton saying he was a danger to himself and others - which he wasn't.  But I think they knew that the only way he would get the care he needed was by being taken to Hatton.  These days he would have been in an old peoples care home.
I really hope you find someone that remembers your mother and get some special stories.
Lisa

[HeatherLynne]

I am trying to send you a message but having difficulty. I may be able to help you as my mother was a nurse at The Central Hospital for almost 40 years. She is away until the weekend so I will talk to her upon her return. I worked at the hospital for a couple of years in a part time capacity and then at the new hospital.(I was actually on duty on the day the last wards closed.) My mum is a fountain of knowledge and I'm sure she will help you if she can. Could you message me your mothers name?

The private message facility on Rootschat will work once you have made three postings - so you just need to post a couple more times.  To send a message click on the green scroll under the name of the person you wish to contact and a box will pop up for you to type in.  Robtim will get a nofitication that there have been more posts made on this thread anyway so he will see your message.  However he can't send you a PM either until you've posted a couple more times.

It's great you may be able to give him more information about his mother's life.

Heather

[Yellow1]

Many thanks Heather x

[Yellow1]

Post

[sonia scott]

I have just had a reply from cath151 to a message I wrote to her about Hatton.  I have copied her reply so that others have the chance to see it.  I am relieved to keep on hearing about the community spirit there.

Thanks very much,

Robtim

Hi Robtim,
Both my mum and dad worked there occasionally my dad was a lab technician and my mum a medical secretary  (in the 1940s) . I m not sure how long they worked there, not long I think.
We lived a couple of miles away. Unfortunately i can t ask as they ve both passed away  and they said very little about it really. My Grandma died there and she had alzheimers or some form of dementia.
I think at one stage it was nt a very pleasant place to be but became a much much more patient friendly place in later years.
My mum said there where people there who should never have been there , for petty crimes ,very minor mental problems etc.
They tended the gardens and grew vegetables and a couple where well known in the area, absconding occasionally. In fact my dad chased a patient for about a mile  until he was thwarted when the unfortunate? ( I think not!) fellow stripped and swam the canal.
My mums abiding memory is arriving the first day and having to ride her bike up a long slow hill with residents cutting the hedges with massive billhooks, she was a bit worried but said she soon learnt that they were just unlucky and unfortunate to be there. Sorry to hear your Mother was there for such a time, i can t really say what life was like for her   , but there were staff there who cared greatly for the residents in later years ( and I m sure ,before that).
  Perhaps a look round on the web and you may find some info, there may be possible sources of records somewhere, especially if you are a relative.
Best wishes
Cathy

[sonia scott]

I recently found out that my unmarried mother was admitted to Hatton Mental Hospital shortly after my birth, during the war years.  I was brought up in care and discouraged from seeking out the truth.  Social Workers led me to believe that she had got married and had more children.  I didn't want to upset her new life.  My mother was at Hatton from the 1940's until the hospital closed in 1995.  She died in 1997 so I never met her.  I would like to know more about life at Hatton for patients at that time.  I would like to know whether they had jobs, their daily routine, whether they celebrated birthdays, whether they were taken for days out?  I would like more specific information on the welfare of my mother during her time at Hatton but I don't know if ex-staff would be allowed to discuss a former patient.  I have purchased a book called Central Hospital Remembered.  I have been in touch with the NHS, but her records have been destroyed.  I am also in touch with Warwick Records Office where they are searching for information about her.

If anyone does have any information about patients at Hatton Hospital from 1940's until 1995 I would be very interested.

[Jme79]

If you'd like to send me a private message I can see if my family know anything?

My family are from Hatton and both my mother and father (as well as two of my aunties) were nurses there during the 70's, 80's and 90s until it closed and at the other facilities after that.

I grew up in the 80s playing in the grounds, visiting the wards etc as my grandfather was a supervisor there and I used to go to his office with him.

[sonia scott]

hello robtim and yellow1'i am also a child who's mother was at hatton hospital.i never knew her because she was in the hospital when i was around 6 years old went into care then at the age of 9 my mother died.all i yearn for is to know something of her life,why she was in the hospital,to have a photo to see what she looked like.after mum died my father destroyed all trace of her,he of course never answered question that where asked and he died with his secrets.i have been trying for the last 20 years to try and find something about her life,i have done her family tree so know that part of her life,it's just after her marriage and illness i just cannot get a trace.i am quite elderly now so as you can imagine there are no relatives around to ask.i found this site while browsing and it is so helpful knowing others looking and helping each other.i would be interested to here from members of staff as to what years they worked there.my mum was there i would say 1950 to 1956.hope to hear from you.sonia.

[Robtim]

Dear Sonia

I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your mother so early in life.  I know it's very difficult growing up without having a picture of your mother in your mind.

At present we have only tracked down staff who worked there from 1979 until 1995, though we do intend to keep on trying.  Due to Hatton being such a large institution, we have found it very difficult to get specific information on my mother, especially in the early years that she was there, the 1940's and 50's.

I have gone to the Warwick Records Office to request information on my mother.  I am still waiting for their reply.  When they do reply I'll let you know how useful their search has been, what type of information we have received.

I hope we can be of mutual support to each other in our correspondence.

Kind regards

Robtim