Notes on David Ritchie's admission to the London County Asylum

The set of documents provided by Judy Lester relating to my great-grandfather's entry into the asylum at Hanwell are very illuminating. In this post, i will summarise the statements and facts which I find most interesting, omitting the parts relating to administrative procedure which don't really add to the story.

The original documents are held at the London Metropolitan Archives and form part of the collection from the St Marylebone Board of Guardians. They can be accessed online via Ancestry.com.

The first is an extract from the register of the Marylebone workhouse, dated 30 May 1909. It shows that David Richie entered the workhouse but the handwriting is so illegible that nothing can be gleaned from it. All I can say is that the information gathered relates to his age, religious persuasion, names of informant, from whence admitted, name of relieving officer, where sent in the house, date of admission and date of discharge.

The second document is the doctor's certificate I shared in my previous post. This is dated 1 June 1909. In it, Dr Duncan Menzies certifies that his patient is "of unsound mind and a proper person to be taken charge of and detained under care and treatment".

The third document is a permit for admission to an asylum, contained in a letter to the head of the Marylebone Workhouse. Originating from the Asylums Committee and dated 4 June 1909, it gives instructions on when and how the patient is to be removed from one institution to the other.

The fourth document is entitled "Order for reception of a pauper lunatic" and comes from a Justice of the Peace for the County of London. Addressed to the Superintendent of the London County Asylum, it contains the following statement:

I, Frank S Turner, having called to my assistance Dr Duncan Menzies of Dorset Square, London NW, a duly qualified medical practitioner, and being satisfied that David Ritchie, a butler, of Marylebone w/house, is in such circumstances as to require relief for his proper care and maintenance, and that the said David Ritchie is a person of unsound mind and a proper person to be taken charge of and detained under care and treatment, hereby direct you to receive the said David Ritchie as a patient into your asylum. Subjoined is a statement of particulars relating to the said David Ritchie.

Here are the particulars as given on the reception order:

Name of patient [with Christian name at length]: David Ritchie Sex and age: Male, 35 yrs Married, widowed or single: Married Rank, profession, or previous occupation [if any]: Butler Religious persuasion: Ch of Eng Residence at or immediately previous to date hereof: Cleveland House, Piccadilly Whether first attack: No Age on first attack: About 18 years, for about 3 days When and where previously under care and treatment as a person of unsound mind: Nowhere Duration of existing attack: Few days Supposed cause: Unknown Whether subject to epilepsy: No Whether suicidal: Yes Whether dangerous to others, and in what way: Whether any near relative has been afflicted with insanity: Not known Union to which lunacy is chargeable: St Marylebone Names, Christian names, and full postal addresses of one or more relatives of the patient: Wife, Maude [address given] Name of the person to whom notice of death to be sent, and full postal address: Sister-in-law, Mrs E Smith [address given]

The above order for reception concludes with a note by the relieving officer from the workhouse. It confirms that he removed David Ritchie to the London County Asylum on 5 June 1909 and deposited his clothing back at the workhouse.

Photo credit: "Chimney Pots" by Stephanie.