Dealing with people who had mental health problems was originally severe, partly because they were regarded as bad (and possibly possessed by the devil) rather than mad. They could be locked up to prevent them harming themselves or others, and visitors gawped and mocked them (for example at Bedlam in London). Treatment was gradually introduced, but much of it was unlikely to be helpful (e.g. cold baths and electric shocks). Small private lunatic asylums were set up for patients who could pay, and paupers supported by local authorities.
The History of the Site
Towards the middle of the 19th century the government ordered that asylums should be built; locally this was Warwick County Lunatic Asylum at Hatton, which opened in 1852. It was renamed Warwick County Mental Hospital in 1930, changed its name to Central Hospital in 1948, and finally closed in 1995. Some of the original buildings survive and the whole site is now residential.
Records at the County Record Office
Annual reports on Hatton feature in the Quarter Session minutes that are held at the Warwickshire County Record Office along with a large number of other records about the Asylum (some of which are of course confidential).1 The regime of ‘moral treatment’ encouraged patients to participate in work and social activities; the asylum was almost self-sufficient with its own farm, laundry and fire service, and eventually it had well over 1,000 patients.
1 Quarter Session Minutes reference QS 39; Warwick County Lunatic Asylum records reference CR 1664.
Comments
The Warwickshire County Record Office does have a register of patients in three volumes.
The reference No. QS24/a/I/5 and the volumes cover years 1805-1839, 1828-1832 & 1839-1850.
Hi
Do you have records of people who worked at the asylum? Both my Grandparents worked there, I think during the 1920s. I am currently researching family history and want to build a picture of their everyday lives.
Thanks
It would be great to hear any tales you have about your family working here. The Warwickshire County Record Office holds a lot of records from the county asylum: staff and patient records, registers, reports, minutes, accounts etc. If you are local you could come into the office to enquire about them. If you are coming from a distance it would be wise to check ahead as some of the records may be confidential and ‘closed’ for a certain number of years.
I’m interested in learning more about the life of the hospital in the 1920s and 30s, and will be visiting the County Records office shortly. Both my grandparents were nurses during that time, with my grandad Bertie Phillips being Head Male Nurse at the time of his (early) death in 1941. My mother was born at Hatton Terrace and later lived in one of the staff cottages within the hospital grounds. Among other documents, I have my grandparents’ nursing certificates and their letters of recommendation from the Chaplain and the Superintendent in 1924/5.
I do hope that you will be able to find interesting details about Hatton in the records Wendy. (Please note that the Record Office is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Many of the old buildings survive on the site: you can have a look at maps from 1900 and 1940 on the Windows on Warwickshire website.
Hi Wendy
Many thanks for your comment. You mention visiting the record office shortly, but please do contact us prior to your visit, as many of the records in the Hatton collection are unavailable for general access for the period you are interested in (within the last 100 years). We will then be able to advise you on how to proceed with a request for access to these records.
Hello, my grandmother ( born 1894) was a patient at Hatton in the 1920s and fortunately made a full recovery. She died in 1969. Would it be possible to view her records please?
Sally, I suspect that personal records might be difficult to come by, but you could start by looking at the County Records Office site at http://archivesunlocked.warwickshire.gov.uk/CalmView/ . If you can`t find anything (as I suspect will be the case), you could try submitting a query to see if anyone there has some useful suggestions.
Regards, Sam
Hi , if anyone is interested there is a talk on Hatton at the County Record Office on Saturday 27th February 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm . Details:
Life in the Madhouse: Warwick County Lunatic Asylum
The history of the Hatton Asylum provides an insight into how the Victorians treated the mentally ill. The Hatton Records include admission notes, case books and photographs. Learn about this intriguing collection and view original documents at this illustrated talk by local historian Julie Moores. Cost: £5, call 01926 738959 to book online at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/heritageboxoffice
It’s definitely worth emailing the record office if you had relatives at Hatton. They’d be really happy to help if they can.
While records may not be available for the public to access, you might be able to apply through a subject access request because it relates to you personally… Worth a shot!
[email protected]
I am researching a family for a friend and I note that in 1851 Census John Croft was ‘superintending the Erection of the Pr Cn Lc Asylum at Warwick.’ (The writing is unclear in the census entry.) However, John Croft was also residing in Hatton so guess there may be a link
Interesting Mike…I had a look in the Quarter Session Minutes around that time, but sadly can find no mention of John Croft being employed at Hatton. (I assume that ‘Cn Lc’ is ‘County Lunatic’ though not sure what the ‘Pr’ stands for.)
Hi I worked here for about a year in the late 80s, I remember there being donkeys kept near my ward. I think Charlie Craig was the charge nurse, his deputy was Welsh. I lived in the nurses home and the hospital ran a staff bus to get people to and from work, you could also order a milk delivery from the home. The ward later moved to Church Hill in Leamington Spa.
My father was a patient in the late 40s for two years. I was a child at the time. Is it possible to find out exactly when he was a patient?
Hi Dave,
If you contact the County Record Office in the first instance on [email protected] and explain what you’re looking for, they ought to be able to guide you through the process.
My gran worked there as a nursing auxiliary for many years, until she sadly passed away in 1983. I myself then trained there as a mental health nurse in 1985. I would love to know if there any records of my gran’s employment that I could access. I think she worked on Elizabeth Woodville for quite a long time. I remember the rehabilitation ward that Dave Cadman mentions in his post. I worked there as a student nurse with Charlie as the charge nurse. It was over at the chest hospital at that time. I remember the Welsh male nurse but can’t remember his name. I learnt a lot from Charlie. I still remember today things that he would say and followed a lot of his advice over the years. Then a few years after I qualified I worked with Charlie again at Church Hill. I left the hospital in 1995, and was working at Church Hill at the time. I have a lot of good memories of working there, service users and staff. I wonder if I am able to get any information about my gran but not sure if that is possible
Hi Marie, in the first instance I’d contact the County Record Office on [email protected] and they’ll guide you through what’s possible, and not possible 🙂
Thanks for your prompt reply Benjamin
I will do that, will see what they say
I worked at the Hospital between 1985 and 1989 and undertook my enrolled nurse training. They were great times
I would be interested to find if you have any records relating to my uncle who died at the hospital aged 29 in 1948.
How do I find out information regarding my grandmother who was admitted to the Asylum in 1920 for an indefinite period. Her admission was very soon after the birth of her last child and I suspect she may have developed post natal depression.
Hi, if you contact Warwickshire County Record Office, they ought to be able to take you through the process 🙂
We believe our great grandfather Joseph Morris was involved in the setting up and/or early days of Hatton. He was a doctor LSA, MRCS, LRCP in Leamington Spa from the 1860s to 1905 and had previously worked at the Warneford Hospital. We hope to visit the archives in April2022 and would appreciate any hints as I am coming from Scotland and time will be short.
A useful new booklet by Richard Neale is being published very shortly that will be able to help you learn about the records kept at the County Record Office.
I recently found out my great grandmother Sarah Orton nee baker who was born in warton NR Tamworth in 1866, was a patient here.
According to her death certificate she died at Hatton in January 1919 of pheumonia.
We have searched everywhere to find where she is buried but to no avail.
Her husband Stephen Orton was living in Nuneaton at the time of her death .
I understand Hatton had a cemetery but it does not contain any headstones I’m at a total loss.
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