Records of the Royal Hospitals of Bridewell and Bethlem. About three-quarters of the records are solely of Bridewell Royal Hospital and have been catalogued as Bridewell Royal Hospital; the other quarter are joint records of the Royal Hospitals of Bridewell and Bethlem and have been catalogued under that name. A few records are essentially of Bridewell but have some Bethlem subject content. The joint records are largely constitutional, court, accounts and joint estate records, with some clerk's correspondence relating to both hospitals.
The archive has been catalogued in one block, regardless of whether individual records are of Bridewell Royal Hospital only or of Bridewell and Bethlem jointly. The archive includes Constitutional records; Minutes; Legal papers; Accounts; Clerk's papers; Prison records; Apprenticeship records; School records; Legacies; Estates records; Bridewell Chapel records; Bridewell Precinct records; and officers' private papers.
There is a general 30 year closure period. Pupil records have a 100 year closure period.
Bridewell , Corporation of London Bethlem Royal Hospital , Corporation of London x Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem x Bethlehem Royal Hospital