Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1675-1859 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
0.2 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Bethlem Royal Hospital was founded in 1247 as the priory of St Mary of Bethlehem. By the fourteenth century it was already treating the insane. In 1547 it came under the control of the City of London as one of the five 'Royal' hospitals seized during the dissolution of the monasteries and re-founded as a secular institution. The Corporation turned Bethlem into a lunatic asylum and it was commonly known as 'Bedlam'. The hospital was put under joint administration with Bridewell Hospital until 1948.
In 1676 the hospital moved to Moorfields, in a baroque building designed by Robert Hooke. The hospital moved to its third site in 1815, at St George's Fields, Southwark, part of which still survives as the Imperial War Museum.
Bethlem moved to a site in Surrey in 1930. With the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948, Bethlem was split from Bridewell and joined with the Maudsley Hospital Camberwell, to form a single hospital. In 1999 they were formed into the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, which provides mental health services throughout Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon as well as specialist services across the UK.
Repository
Archival history
CLA/065 1675-1859 Collection 0.2 linear metres Corporation of London
Bethlem Royal Hospital was founded in 1247 as the priory of St Mary of Bethlehem. By the fourteenth century it was already treating the insane. In 1547 it came under the control of the City of London as one of the five 'Royal' hospitals seized during the dissolution of the monasteries and re-founded as a secular institution. The Corporation turned Bethlem into a lunatic asylum and it was commonly known as 'Bedlam'. The hospital was put under joint administration with Bridewell Hospital until 1948.
In 1676 the hospital moved to Moorfields, in a baroque building designed by Robert Hooke. The hospital moved to its third site in 1815, at St George's Fields, Southwark, part of which still survives as the Imperial War Museum.
Bethlem moved to a site in Surrey in 1930. With the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948, Bethlem was split from Bridewell and joined with the Maudsley Hospital Camberwell, to form a single hospital. In 1999 they were formed into the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, which provides mental health services throughout Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon as well as specialist services across the UK.
Corporation of London Records Office.
Records of Bethlem Hospital, 1675-1859, including printed notice, issued by the Governors, seeking subscriptions for the erection of a new hospital in St. George's Fields and other papers relating to the removal to St. George's Fields; instructions for persons applying for the admission of patients into Bethlem Hospital, 1859; rules and orders of Bethlem Hospital, 1854; various other administrative papers.
In sections according to catalogue.
Available for general access.
Copyright: City of London.
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
The Bethlem Royal Hospital Archives and Museum Service hold the majority of the records of Bethlem Hospital, contact them at: Archives and Museum, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BX.
For Corporation of London records relating to hospitals, almshouses and workhouses, see CLA/064: Almshouses and Hospitals, CLA/065: Bethlem Hospital, CLA/066: Bridewell Hospital, CLA/067: Christ's Hospital, CLA/068: Royal Hospitals, CLA/069: Saint Thomas' Hospital, CLA/070: Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, CLA/071: Emanuel Hospital, CLA/075: London Workhouse, COL/CC/EHC: Court of Common Council Emanuel Hospital Committee, COL/CC/LUC: Court of Common Council Lunatic Asylum Committee, COL/CC/RHC: Court of Common Council Royal Hospitals Committee, COL/CHD/IC: Chamberlain's Department: Institutions and Courts, COL/CT: Charities, and COL/PL, COL/PLD/PL, COL/SVD/PL and COL/TSD/AD for building plans. There are also various papers in the Corporation of London collection relating to public health. See the Hospital Records Database on The National Archives website for the locations of hospital records held in other repositories.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. February 2009 Bethlem Royal Hospital , Corporation of London x Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem x Bethlehem Royal Hospital Lunatics People by roles People Hospitals Hospital administration Construction engineering Building operations Building construction Health services Medical institutions Asylums Europe City of London London England UK Western Europe Southwark
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Corporation of London Records Office.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of Bethlem Hospital, 1675-1859, including printed notice, issued by the Governors, seeking subscriptions for the erection of a new hospital in St. George's Fields and other papers relating to the removal to St. George's Fields; instructions for persons applying for the admission of patients into Bethlem Hospital, 1859; rules and orders of Bethlem Hospital, 1854; various other administrative papers.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
In sections according to catalogue.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright: City of London.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The Bethlem Royal Hospital Archives and Museum Service hold the majority of the records of Bethlem Hospital, contact them at: Archives and Museum, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BX.
For Corporation of London records relating to hospitals, almshouses and workhouses, see CLA/064: Almshouses and Hospitals, CLA/065: Bethlem Hospital, CLA/066: Bridewell Hospital, CLA/067: Christ's Hospital, CLA/068: Royal Hospitals, CLA/069: Saint Thomas' Hospital, CLA/070: Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, CLA/071: Emanuel Hospital, CLA/075: London Workhouse, COL/CC/EHC: Court of Common Council Emanuel Hospital Committee, COL/CC/LUC: Court of Common Council Lunatic Asylum Committee, COL/CC/RHC: Court of Common Council Royal Hospitals Committee, COL/CHD/IC: Chamberlain's Department: Institutions and Courts, COL/CT: Charities, and COL/PL, COL/PLD/PL, COL/SVD/PL and COL/TSD/AD for building plans. There are also various papers in the Corporation of London collection relating to public health. See the Hospital Records Database on The National Archives website for the locations of hospital records held in other repositories.
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English