UK-WORKHOUSE-HOSP-L Archives

From: "chrisjwell" <>
Subject: [UK-W&H] Fw: hospitals around york
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 16:10:01 -0000

Dear Mary and Deborah

forwarded message about the contents of the Borthwick Institute as promised.
the 'next year' is now this year

Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: K Webb <>
To: chrisjwell <>
Date: 20 December 2000 12:03
Subject: Re: hospitals around york


>Thank you for your message. The reference you have been given re the
>material I have produced re. York hospitals etc could be the forthcoming
>Guide to the NHS archives, which will be produced next year - it is
>currently in draft form - which will include histories of the hospitals in
>York and district. However, the following may help you.
>I can answer your questions in your main message, but I have not been able
>to read your attachments as oursystem won't allow us to do this,
>unfortunately!
>Among the NHS records here are the archives relating to three asylums.
>Bootham Park (opened 1777) as the York Lunatic Asylum, took fee paying
>patients (with graded fees) from York, Yorkshire and further afield too;
>it also, between 1861 and 1906, took York City's 'pauper ' patients ie
>working class patients from the City of York who had their fees paid by
>York Poor Law Union. Clifton Hospital (opened 1847 as the North and East
>Ridings Pauper Lunatic Asylum, serving the North Riding only from 1865,
>closed 1994) took working class patients, paid for by North Riding poor
>law unions. Naburn Hospital (opened in 1906 as York City Asylum, closed
>1988) took the York pauper patients in 1906 who had previously been at
>York Lunatic Asylum. All these three hospitals became NHS in 1948. In
>addition, the Borthwick Institute holds the archive of the Retreat (opened
>1796) which has always been a private hospital, initially taking only
>Quakers, but later patients of all denominations; they did, however tend
>to be the more wealthy, as fees were charged, and patients were taken from
>all areas, not just York/Yorkshire.
>There are patient records extant for all of these (not many for Naburn).
>However, they are closed for 100 years, and so your ancestor's records may
>be caught by this rule. If so, I cannot discolse any information. It is
>difficult in any case to do a search unless you know exactly which
>hospital or approximate date (there is no general index of patients'
>names). If she spent her life there, your best bet would be to find her
>death certificate, as this may clarify which hospital she was in.
>As for workhouse records: these are at York City Archives, Art Gallery
>Building, Exhibition Square, York, tel 551878.
>You can search records at the Borthwick if you ring first to make an
>appointment: tel 642315. We are open Mon-Fri 9.30-12.50 and 14.00-16.50.
>The opening hours at the City Archives are similar. No card is necessary
>for either place.
>I hope this helps, Yours sincerely,
>Kath Webb
>Archivist, York Health Services NHS Trust
>
>On Fri, 15 Dec 2000, chrisjwell wrote:
>
>> dear dr webb
>>
>> i understand that recently you have produced some material related to
hospitals around york. could you please tell me how much a copy of this
material costs? my g.aunt emily chatterton b.1881, knaresborough was at some
stage of her life committed to an asylum. from the family tale she must have
spent the rest of her life there. i asked yorksgen to best guess which
asylum this might be and your book'let' was suggested. i believe you keep
the health authority archives at the borthwick institute, do you also hold
old asylum records from pre nhs days? i am unsure how long patients records
remain confidential, but would love to know the reason for her admission.
>>
>> also do you also keep old workhouse records? i am still looking for the
workhouse that admitted my paternal grandfather when he was orphaned.
>>
>> i hope to book some holiday next year and spend some time in yorkshire
looking for primary sources.
>>
>> i have a staff card for the university of surrey library. i understand
from our librarians that there are some sort of reciprocal arrangements.
would i be allowed to search your records please?
>>
>> thank you
>>
>> chris
>> home e-mail
>> work
>>
>

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