Hanwell Asylum

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This article is about the history of the Asylum at Hanwell; for 'other' non psychiatric organizations that now share the original site such as Ealing Hospital NHS Trust, please seek their separate entries - if any.

Map sources for Hanwell Asylum at grid reference TQ145799

The (1^st Middlesex) County Asylum at Hanwell was built for the pauper insane and has evolved to become the West London Mental Health NHS Trust (WLMHT). The 2^nd Middlesex was Colney Hatch Asylum opened in 1851 and the 3^rd being Banstead Asylum (in Surrey) opened 1877.

Its first superintendent became famous in his own lifetime for his pioneering work and his adherence to his 'great principle of therapeutic employment' (developed at his previous post at Warwickshire Asylum) and amazed his many sceptical contemporaries, that at Hanwell such therapy speeded up recovery. ^[1] This greatly pleased the visiting Justices of the Peace (JPs) as it ultimately reduced the long term costs of keeping each patient. Under the third superintendent John Conolly the institution became world famous for being the first 'large' asylum to totally dispense with all mechanical restraints.^[2][3]

It lies next to the village of Hanwell from which it gets its name but parochially belongs to the suburb of Southall (and before a boundary change it was in Norwood). ^[4] It is some eight and a half mile from London which lies to the south east and six and a half from Uxbridge to the west. (O/S map ed 1896)

The building is well situated on a gently sloping 'river gravel terrace' which are a common feature of the Thames river valley. This terrace was formed during the cold wet periglacial periods of the quaternary. The land immediately to the east was further cut down by what is known today as the river Brent, which still flows alone its eastern parameter. At its southern boundary is the Grand Union Canal and a flight of six locks. Both the southern wall of the old asylum and the flight of locks have been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument.^[5] This meets the western boundary of Windmill Lane at the Three Bridges, (which is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument). Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1859, it consists of a cast-iron trough carrying the Grand Union Canal over the Great Western Railway and a cast-iron bridge carrying the public highway Windmill Lane over the other two. So, it is actually only two bridges.

Today the building also serves as the head offices of the West London Mental Health NHS Trust (WLMHT). Although the on-site facilities have been reduced and scaled down from what was once the world's largest asylum, it is still very much involved with the treatment and research into serious mental distress. A prior Trust created the London West Mental Health R&D Consortium ^[6] which also has its administrative base there. On the land released by scaling down the old mental hospital, there is now a complex of other buildings known as Ealing Hospital NHS Trust built on the old asylum's recreational grounds and cycle track to the east. At the back of the main building are some disused wards that still belong to the Regional Health Authority.

The WLMHT currently act as guardians of the Corsellis Collection, containing some nine thousand specimens dating back to the 1950s. No larger depository of this speciality is known. WLMHT also run Broadmoor High Secure Hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire.

Medical terms in this article: are in the context of what was legally correct usage for that period where they appear in the text. Therefore, terms as: feeble-minded, idiot, imbecile, lunatic etc., are not intended to cause offence.

Contents 1 Early History 2 County Asylums Act (1808) 3 Decision to build asylum (1827) 4 The building (1829- 1831) 5 Middlesex County Asylum at Hanwell 1831 - 1889 5.1 Anatomy Act (1832) 5.2 John Conolly (1839) 5.3 The Illustrated London News (1848) 6 London County Asylum, Hanwell 1889 - 1918 6.1 Nurse Hilda Elizabeth Wolsey — (1910) 7 County Mental Hospital, Hanwell 1918 - 1937 8 St. Bernard's Hospital, Hanwell 1937-1980 8.1 War years (1939-1945) 8.2 Dr. Max Glatt (1958) 9 Psychiatric Unit 1980 - 1992 9.1 Three Bridges Regional Secure Unit - opened 1985 10 West London Healthcare NHS Trust 1992 - 1999 10.1 Major refurbishment (1998) 11 Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham Mental Health NHS Trust 1999 - 2001 12 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 2000 - present 12.1 Wells unit (2006) 13 Notable people 13.1 Dr William & Mildred Ellis 14 Trivia 14.1 Film 14.2 Museum 15 See also 16 External links 17 References

[edit] Early History

The building of the asylum was made possible through several Acts of Parliament and statutes still drive the changes in mental health care into the present day. The more important ones and other notable dates are:

[edit] County Asylums Act (1808)

The context which made it possible to create an asylum in Middlesex might be best understood from drawing attention to the 1808 County Asylums Act. This recognised lunatics as being ill, being held in the wrong institutions and who would possibly 'recover' if given the right type of treatment. Non-recovery would mean the insane pauper would always need to be looked after and hence cost more in the long run. The war with France had cost much. Moreover, industrialisation was causing some parishes to grow in population and so have a greater number of people in need than the existing system of charitable institutions and workhouses could cope with. This 'acceptance' of insanity being an illness can almost be seen as an attempt to improve the health of local finances rather than that of the poor or for to meet any other high need of humanity.

"Whereas the practice of confining such lunatics and other insane persons as are chargeable to their respective parishes in Gaols, Houses of Correction, Poor Houses and Houses of Industry, is highly dangerous and inconvenient" ^[7]

Therefore, the 1808 Act was passed to empowered County Justices of the Peace (JPs) to construct asylums. However, since this was to be financed out of the local rates the notion was very unpopular and the JPs has thus to consider their positions (i.e., did they want to hold onto their jobs(?) -as the election of these posts was each year). The downside to this, as already mentioned was the cost of keeping lunatics in jails and workhouses was charged to the parishes in which they were born, and with no assistants to get well again the costs to the parishes continued unabated.^[8] To make matters worse (and a factor often overlooked) the Corn Law kept food prices high whilst the Enclosure Act of 1813 removed the means for poor people to use the common lands to support themselves, coursing mental distress to increase amongst the already impoverished.

[edit] Decision to build asylum (1827)

It was not until concern about the disproportionately high number of lunatics in Middlesex, grew so high and unmanageable, that the local judiciary (in front of whom the lunatics would have been brought charged with various offences or running amok) decided on 15th November 1827 that it was time to exercise their powers and build a asylum. ^[9] In the following year Parliament in recognition of some of the barriers to asylum building passed the 1828 Metropolitan Commissioners in Lunacy Act with the purpose of ensuring the previous acts were obeyed thus given the JPs powers to progress things more rapidly. (Norris & Alen)

[edit] The building (1829- 1831)

Work on the new asylum started in 1829 on land most of which (44 acres) was purchased from the Earl of Jersey. The architect was William Alderson, a Quaker. His neo-classical design consisted a central octagonal 'panopticon' tower of a basement and two floors. The windows have a tall aspect with semicircular bonded gauge brick arches at the top. Two wings of one basement and one floor only (in the 'corridor form' style) going east and west.^[10] They then both turn north and each terminate at it own panoptican tower, which again had basement and two floors, thus forming in plan view: a building around three sides of a square. The east side of the central tower was intended for the male patients and west for the females. With germ theory beginning to be developed around this time, spreading the wards out in this manner was thought to help reduce the spread of infections. The newer extensions which were added in 1859 are readily identifiable, in so much as they have flat bonded arches to the tops of the windows.

In 1999 the exterior of the building (just those parts of the building which are still in use and seen seen by the general public) got cleaned with a proprietary dilute hydrofluoric acid preparation, removing nearly one and three quarter centuries of grey grime and soot to reveal the rough golden yellow colour of the bricks, which is characteristic of handmade 'London stocks'. One can still see original small cast iron ventilation grills that show the Middlesex County Shield with the three Saxon swords incorporated into the design, indicating that it was first owned by the Middlesex County Council (MCC).

Upon entering the building one is struck by the economy in the proportioning of space for a building of this period, until one remembers that it was not built as a grand residence or proud civic building but purely a functional work space and home for the treatment of insane paupers. This unfortunately lead to the building having poor ventilation, and together with overcrowding may be the reason behind the high rates of TB before the age of antibiotics. This was made worse in that the asylum filled up so quickly that basements were converted into sleeping dormitories and even a few extra wards. To this end earth was dug away from the basement walls and widows fitted. This worked quite well for much of the east side where the ground almost 5 metres lower than on the west due to the slope of the gravel terrace.

Finally, the most people get to see of the hospital, is the elegantly proportioned gatehouse entrance; that adjoins the Uxbridge Road. It takes the form once again of a neoclassical large and solid half circular arch, over tall vertical barred, iron gates, which incorporate a small pedestrian gate with its own key lock. Any harshness in the architectural solid lines are softened somewhat by the vine creepers that envelop the upper parts. Surprisingly, it is built from pale gray Gault bricks which are not only gauged but had to be brought in from afar, and so commanded premium prices. It also supports on the north side of the building a blue Ordnance Survey Bench Mark; type: flush bracket; No. S1016. This point was measured to be 69.279 feet (21.116 metres) above mean sea level. ^[11]

[edit] Middlesex County Asylum at Hanwell 1831 - 1889

Under the administration of the local Committee of Visiting Justices of Middlesex County Council.

The asylum opened on the 16 May 1831 by taking in twenty-four male patients and eighteen female patients.

In this age of enlightenment had been found essential for recovery that the patients could get out into full daylight, take in fresh air and to walk about and exercise, so the ground floor wards had 'airing courts' which where shared by the other wards upstairs. These were pleasantly laid out areas with seating and bounded by walls or railings so as they could not wander off. When a patient had somewhat recovered their wits they were allowed walk and work in the surrounding fields. The asylum had its own carpentry, bakery, brewery, dental departments, fire brigade, gasworks, laundry, shoemakers, smithy, tailors, farm, church and burial ground etc. (See diagram of the layout of the asylum). It was as self-sufficient as it could be. The asylum paid the canal company for taking water from the canal and had its own dock to receive barges. This was very convenient for receiving coal deliveries, which was used not only for heating but for producing gas for illumination.

Originally planed to house 450 patients with space for a further 150 it was cut back to 300 with space for another 150 due to perhaps the fear of an outcry if the local rate increased too sharply. At first the number of paupers admitted was low due to the charge of nine shilling per week each, this being higher than the workhouses and jails, but by force of the law the asylum was in six months and with more space badly need. Therefore, in November of the same year work on building extensions began and so started the almost continuous process of rebuilding and improvements that go on into the present day. ^[12]

[edit] Anatomy Act (1832)

When a person died in the asylum, their friends or relatives were free to remove them for burial. Failing this, the deceased was interned in unmarked paupers grave in the hospitals own burial ground. Come the new Anatomy Act of 1832, the body was first kept in a building called the 'dead house' (which was situated to west side of the burial ground. (See diagram of asylum layout above) and if unclaimed after 72 hours could be sold to (licensed) anatomy schools. The Act also provided for people who wished to donate the bodies upon death. Inspiration for this Act was came from the 1828 trial and conviction of Burke and Hare the body snatchers.

As permission to perform autopsies need not be sort from the local coroner they became common at the hospital. Starting in 1845, the results of these autopsies were recorded in detail by Dr. Hitchman. ^[13]

[edit] John Conolly (1839)

John Conolly took up residence as the third superintendent on the 1st June 1839. When his appointment came though earlier in April, Serjeant Adams, who was one of the Visiting Justicies of the asylum (and a circuit judge who often visited Lincoln, the county of Conolly's birth) suggested that Conolly visit the Lincoln Asylum and see the system worked out by Mr Gardiner Hill. ^[14] So impressed by what he saw there that he was convinced to do everything he could to abandon all mechanical restraints at Hanwell. This must have taken enormous powers of persuasion, since the existing staff would have to abandon old habits and learn how to nurse more effectively those patients who's illness exhibited itself in troubling behavior. This however, seemed to avoided the patient from suffering still further trauma from being restrained and made to feel totally helpless. The fact that he did this in only three months is also possible testament to the earlier work of Ellis.

Something of his success can be gained from this extract of the first page of the sixty-eighth report of the Visiting Justicies.
"The Visiting Justices have the satisfaction to find that every year , as the excellence of the non - restraint System becomes more generally recognized, affords fewer Materials in the Asylum for Comment or Report. For four years it has been the settled Rule of the House, that no harshness nor coercive cruelly should be used in any case, but that every patient, however violent, should be treated with uniform kindness and forbearance; and during that time such as been the undeviating success of this Plan, such as been the even tenor of it course, that it now presents no new fact nor features either to vindicate or explain. This is the more extraordinary, as it rarely happens that a Theory can be brought into practice without losing a Portion of its presumed Efficiency." ^[15]

(Serjeant Adams was also, a founding member and first chairman of Leagal & General)

[edit] The Illustrated London News (1848)

Full page illustration and short article was published in The Illustrated London News on January 15th 1848 about how Twelfth Night was celebrated at the Hanwell Asylum.^[16]

[edit] London County Asylum, Hanwell 1889 - 1918

Under the administration of the London County Council.

[edit] Nurse Hilda Elizabeth Wolsey — (1910)

Nurse Hilda Elizabeth Wolsey on 11th June 1910 followed a female patient who had climbed up one of the fire escapes and along the guttering of the ward roof. She held on to the patient until help arrived and they could both be lowered to the safety of the ground. For this act of heroism she was awarded the Albert Medal. ( In 1971 surviving holders of the Albert Medal were invited to exchange their decoration for the more suitable George Cross; which she did. She died on 11 March 1974 in Ealing, West London.) ^[17]

[edit] County Mental Hospital, Hanwell 1918 - 1937

Still under the administration of the London County Council,

The photograph to the right shows St. Bernard's hospital when it was called the County Mental Hospital, Hanwell.

The area shown is covered by Grid Ref: 514552,179994 (TQ 145 799 GB Grid)

Taken in the first half of the 1920s one can see that the large nurses home has still not been built in the top right corner of the frame. It has since been demolished. Further to the top right is the Iron Bridge at the junction of Uxbridge Road (A 4020) and Windmill Lane (A 4127) which runs south to the left of the frame. Running down the left-hand side is a section of the 'Flight of Locks' on the Grand Union Canal.

For overhead aerial view of Hospital today take external link to Goole Maps: [2]

Also, come the 1920s there is sufficient beds to ensure no one who is too ill to keep within the law (or avoid getting misled by others into transgressing the law) need be sent to gaol.^[18]The prison population has subsequently fallen many fold. It was always the fool who was the easiest to convict, as they are basically honest, they would readily agree to what they had done when it was put to them. Also, if they 'hadn't' done such an act they might still confess anyway due to the way the illness and its resulting social isolation affects their desire to please anyone who suddenly takes an interest in them. The prison population now to continues at around this low level for some years.

[edit] St. Bernard's Hospital, Hanwell 1937-1980

Under the administration of the London County Council until 1948 when responsibility was transferred to the new National Health Service - North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, which under reorganization became in 1974 the North West Thames Regional Health Authority with local power invested in the Ealing District Health Authority

[edit] War years (1939-1945)

The hospital had one ward turned over to act as the local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) centre, to cater for the the extra casualties of war. ^[19]

The hospital and its grounds received several bombs during the second war. This was mostly due to the proximity of two strategic targets: the AEC factory in Windmill Lane which build Fighting vehicles and the Wharncliffe Viaduct which carried the Great Western Railway (GWR), an important arterial route. As some of the UBX's fell wide and into the soft sediment of the river Brent they are probable still there. However, a V1 or Doodle bug was not so obliging and hit the laundry causing many casualties.This event is mentioned in a personal account by Simon Tobitt in WW2 Peoples War. ^[20] The Gatehouse also recived some bomb damage.

[edit] Dr. Max Glatt (1958)

Dr. Max Meier Glatt, (born January 26 1912; died May 14 2002).^[21] One of the pioneers in the treatment of people who don't feel quite right without drinking or drugs or both. Appointed as a consultant in 1958 he set up a alcohol dependency unit in a female ward. Overcoming many managerial obstacles; his approach of creating a therapeutic community was found to be a great success. In 1962 this was moved and became a drug and alcohol dependence unit; now known as the Max Glatt Unit and situated in 'A' Block, and next to the Tony Hillis wing. Run currently by the Central North West London Mental Health NHS Trust; Substance Misuses Service ^[22]

[edit] Psychiatric Unit 1980 - 1992

North West Thames Regional Health Authority via the Ealing District Health Authority

The local District Health Authority following Government edict to close the smaller cottage hospitals and maternity units, and bring health services together on one multi-disciplinary site, changed the name of the grounds to 'Ealing Hospital.' However, the new nomenclature given to describe the new layout and various buildings was found to go against all natural intuition and so forced people to keep resorting to the name St. Bernard's Hospital to make it clear that they where referring to the psychiatric parts run by the WLMHT and 'Ealing Hospital' when referring to the District General Unit building - which is administrated by a totally separate public sector corporation or Trust. Even by 2006 the old name is often used in internal communications and in-house publications and some National Service web site still give the address as St. Bernard's Hospital. This approach has proven an effective Coping mechanism against the Petronius syndrom. Likewise: its geographical attachment depends on context. For postal communications it is in Southall, for non clinical administration it is referred to as the 'Ealing site' and to the people to whom it serves -it remains in Hanwell.

[edit] Three Bridges Regional Secure Unit - opened 1985

Run by the Forensic Directorate, this unit was named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Three Bridges that lays only a few hundred feet away to the west. One of the wards has been named after the rastafarian dub poet and mental health campaigner Benjamin Zephaniah.

[edit] West London Healthcare NHS Trust 1992 - 1999

It achieves 'Trust' status and becomes a public sector corporation.
North West Thames Regional Health Authority abolished 1994
New authority: North Thames Region until 1996 and the Ealing District Health Authority is also abolished.
Replaced by NHS Strategic Health Authority (SHA): Ealing & Hammersmith & Hounslow (EHH) .

[edit] Major refurbishment (1998)

Started in February 1998 St. Bernard's main building under goes a major refurbishment. ^[23] It costs in excess of four and a half million pounds sterling and takes about eight months. Finally the exterior brickwork gets cleaned and netting is strategically placed the deny the local Rock Pigeons a roost.

[edit] Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham Mental Health NHS Trust 1999 - 2001

Ealing & Hammersmith & Hounslow Health Authority (EHH)

[edit] West London Mental Health NHS Trust 2000 - present

Ealing & Hammersmith & Hounslow Health Authority (EHH) until 2006
Existing Strategic Heath Authority amalgamated with other London SHA's to become The 'London SHA'.

Current trust established 1st October 2000 under order number 20002562. Currently the Trust management is exploring the possibility of becoming a NHS Foundation Trust. This will give it more flexibility to better meet the needs of the people who live in the locality that it serves; and to whom it will become accountable. Should this come about in the time frame hoped for, then the long psychiatric tradition at Hanwell will have just finished celebrating its terquasquicentennial anniversary to have arrived back to having similar freedoms arrangements that its first superintendent William Ellis enjoyed -when first opened 175 years ago. The wheel will have gone full circle.

[edit] Wells unit (2006)

Wells is a new medium secure unit opened in June 2006. It has been designed to accommodate up to ten adolescents between the ages of 12 to 18 years. Statutory education is provided to those still of school age and other educational pursuits are offered.

It is named after an artesian well to the west of the site in an area now called the Orchard Unit. The application for Planning Permission for the Orchard had to be resubmitted in order that it could be built further south to avoid chance of damage due to possible future subsidence. This is quite apart from it being considered a wonderful example of fine Victorian engineering of significant archeological interest and thus worthy of presivation.

Here is a description of it published in 1854:
The asylum is supplied with water from an artesian well, which is considered to be the best in the kingdom. The shaft, to a depth of 31 ft., is 10 ft. in diameter, and thence to a further depth of 209 ft., 6 ft. in diameter, together, 240 ft.; the whole of which is constructed of brickwork in cement. The boring was commenced at the bottom of the shaft, with pipes of 14 in. Internal diameter; these are carried down about 50 ft., into the stratum of flint stones overlaying the chalk formation, making the whole depth from the surface about 290 ft., whence the water rises into a tank, 20 ft. Above the ground-floor of the asylum, without the aid of pumps, at the ratio of 90,000 gallons per diem. ^[24]

In passing: This source of water is still considered economically viable today: Only just back in September 2002, Brixton PLC applied for water extraction license from the Environment Agencyin Hatfield for its site on the opposite side of the hospital's boundary with Windmill Lane.

[edit] Notable people

[edit] Dr William & Mildred Ellis

The first superintendent was Dr William Charles Ellis (later knighted) presided together with his very capable wife Mildred Ellis who held the post of matron, from the opening in 1831 until he resigned in the summer of 1838. ^[25]

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Film

The hospital was used for shooting some scenes of Stephen Poliakoff's film She's been away (1989). Dame Peggy Ashcroft stared as Lillian Huckle; a women who was institutionalized 60 years before whilst still a young girl, simply because she did not conform to society norms.

In the film The Bargee (directed by Duncan Wood 1963) which starred Hugh Griffith and Eric Sykes, the two charters go down the flight of locks with the Hospital in the background.

[edit] Museum

Reverend H A Norris, (a former chaplain to the hospital) realized in the early 1980's that there were still old records at hospital which were historically important and should join the others in the GLC Records Library. He feared these would thrown out by staff who did not appreciate their historical value. Getting little cooperation from officials, a dedicate band of volunteers formed the 'Museum Committee' to help. They searched out, recovered and thus saved much of the hospital heritage. This also included mechanical restraints, ECT machines, some of the old fixtures and fitting. The largest item by far was an original 'seclusion room' with leather covered straw padding walls and floor. Also on display was a letter written by Arthur O'Connor. He had been committed to Hanwell on May 6th 1875 for firing an unloaded pistol at Queen Victoria earlier on the 29th February.^[26] The purpose of writing was to partition for his release; which was granted on the 16th November 1876. He never came to the attention of the authorities again.

Mention should here also be made of the work of long time administrative staff member Pauline May, without whose tireless work in the 1990s, much of the museum artifacts would have been lost for ever.

Despite its growing reputation and size (taking up the whole of the available space in the disused church), the lack of any fiscal recognition made it impossible to provided staff to assist the many visitors who wished to view and study the collection. Therefore, it has now been dispersed to, and can be seen at:

• Bethlem Royal Hospital Museum. [3]
• London Metropolitan Archives
• Wellcome Trust
• Gunnersbury Park Museum. [4]

[edit] See also

• Weale, John (1854). The Pictorial Handbook of London: Comprising Its Antiquities, Architecture, Arts, Manufacture. London: H.G. Bohn, pages 601-. OCLC: 1387135. 

• Martineua, Harriet The Hanwell Lunatic Asylum Description of the Ellis system; published in Tait's Edinburgh Magazine. June 1834 Roberts, Andrew (1981)The asylums index. Middlesex University, London, England. Retrieved on 2006-10-07

[edit] External links

• Photographs of St. Bernard's Hospital. County Asylums (December 2005). Retrieved on 2006-10-02.

• The local voluntary Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forum. Retrieved on 2006-10-05

[edit] References