GB 0120 GC/244 - Gittins, Dr Diana: Severalls Hospital, Essex

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0120 GC/244

Title

Gittins, Dr Diana: Severalls Hospital, Essex

Date(s)

  • 1905-1998 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

4 boxes 1 oversize item

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

As a result of severe overcrowding at the Essex County Asylum, Brentwood, suggestions for building a new asylum in the Colchester area were being made from 1902; the Severalls Estate was sold for the purpose by Colchester Corporation in 1903. The foundation stone for the New Asylum/Second Essex County Asylum was laid in June 1910, and the asylum was opened for patients in 1913. Substantial additional building works took place during the 1930s. Patient numbers started to decline from the 1940s and there were also staffing problems. The decision to close the hospital was made in 1994 and in 1997 patients were moved from the core asylum buildings to to other facilities in the area, although some services continue to be provided from peripheral units on the site.

Archival history

The interviews collected here were undertaken by Dr Diana Gittins of the Department of Sociology, University of Essex, between 1995 and 1997.

GB 0120 GC/244 1905-1998 Collection (fonds) 4 boxes 1 oversize item Gittins , Diana , fl 1995-1997 , lecturer

As a result of severe overcrowding at the Essex County Asylum, Brentwood, suggestions for building a new asylum in the Colchester area were being made from 1902; the Severalls Estate was sold for the purpose by Colchester Corporation in 1903. The foundation stone for the New Asylum/Second Essex County Asylum was laid in June 1910, and the asylum was opened for patients in 1913. Substantial additional building works took place during the 1930s. Patient numbers started to decline from the 1940s and there were also staffing problems. The decision to close the hospital was made in 1994 and in 1997 patients were moved from the core asylum buildings to to other facilities in the area, although some services continue to be provided from peripheral units on the site.

The interviews collected here were undertaken by Dr Diana Gittins of the Department of Sociology, University of Essex, between 1995 and 1997.

Received in October 1998 from Qualidata, ESRC Qualitative Data Archival Resource Centre, University of Essex Colchester, where the material had been deposited by Dr Gittings in May 1998

Research papers of Diana Gittins, 1905-1998, for her book Madness in its Place: Narratives of Severalls Hospital, 1913-1997, (London: Routledge, 1998), including tapes and transcripts of interviews with staff, ex-patients and patients, and background information on the hospital.

Arranged in sections as follows: List of summary sheets; Interview transcripts; Tapes of interviews; Contextual materials.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

English

Entry compiled by Sarah Drewery.

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.

Jun 2008 Psychiatry Hospitals Medical institutions Health services Patients Gittins , Diana , fl 1995-1997 , lecturer Severalls Hospital

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Received in October 1998 from Qualidata, ESRC Qualitative Data Archival Resource Centre, University of Essex Colchester, where the material had been deposited by Dr Gittings in May 1998

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Research papers of Diana Gittins, 1905-1998, for her book Madness in its Place: Narratives of Severalls Hospital, 1913-1997, (London: Routledge, 1998), including tapes and transcripts of interviews with staff, ex-patients and patients, and background information on the hospital.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Arranged in sections as follows: List of summary sheets; Interview transcripts; Tapes of interviews; Contextual materials.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wellcome Library

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

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area