West Park Mental Hospital, Epsom

[Fritz27]

Hi All

My Great Grandfather, Daniel Fritz, Died in West park Mental Hospital in Epsom.

Does anybody know if it is possible to access the hospital records or where they buried the people who died in the hospital.

[dawnsh]

Hi

Most hospital records deposited at local archives for safe-keeping are usually closed for 100 years after the last entry in whatever the document is.

Before 100 years, you can usually make an application for a transcription of the records on production of the relevant death certificate.

As to the burial, you should check the cemeteries and graveyards close to where the family was living. Failing that you'll need to extend the search to a wider area which includes the hospital.

Dawn

[wyndham]

There's quite a number of references on Google with many photographs.  The Surrey History Centre at Woking can probably help regarding patient records although I imagine there are time restrictions as to disclosure.

[Fritz27]

Hi Guy's

Thanks for the information.

Nick

[bdmayes]

Hello Nick

West Park Hospital and the other 4 mental hospitals in Epsom used the Horton Estate Cemetery in Hook Rd, Epsom for burials between 1902 and 1952. Over 9000 burials were recorded, but no Daniel Frith. Nor was he buried in Epsom Cemetery.  See www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk for further info.

Brian

[bdmayes]

Fritz not Frith

[isaacivell]

My great x2 grandfather also died in an Asylum, and spent a total of 17 years in the mental hospital before he passed away. I could only find a handful of records for him, but managed to find out the date he was admitted to the hospital, and the date he passed away from looking at the Patients Admission Register in the National Archive. Another really useful source is the Hospital Records Database, a joint project of the Wellcome Library and the National Archives. I did a quick search for West Park Hospital and came to the following page:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=133&hospital=West+Park+Mental+Hospital&town=&searchdatabase.x=109&searchdatabase.y=3

Do you happen to know which year your great grandfather died?

Good Luck!
Isaac 

[Fritz27]

Hi Isaac
Thanks for replying, I will check out the link you supplied.

My great grandfather died in1927

Regards

Nick

[Fritz27]

Hi Brian

Thanks for replying.

I willcheck out that link.

Regards

Nick