Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1844 - 1990 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
50.53 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Springfield Hospital was originally opened in 1841 as the Surrey Pauper Lunatic Asylum. The Surrey Justices of the Peace had formed a Committee in 1835 to look into the 'state and expense of pauper lunatics belonging to Surrey'. A new committee reported in 1837 that it was desirable to build an asylum 'as a measure of wise economy and enlightened humanity'. It was hoped that this would reduce the burden on the parishes of Surrey to maintain the insane. The site purchased in 1838 from Henry Perkins consisted of a house and estate known as Springfield Park (a total of 97 acres). The asylum was designed by Mr W. Moseley, County Surveyor of Middlesex (who had constructed the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum at Hanwell).
Two new wings were built onto the north and east and by 1855 the asylum could accommodate 430 male and 534 female patients. Additional land to the east of the estate was acquired in 1864. A Cottage Hospital was opened in 1872 to deal with infectious diseases. Following the formation of the London County Council and Middlesex County Council in 1889, the overall question of provision of asylums in London resulted in Springfield being allotted to Middlesex County Council.
In 1897, a separate 'Annex for Idiot Children' was opened to accommodate 20 children under the provisions of the Lunacy Act of 1890, which sought to separate the treatment of mentally handicapped children from the treatment of the mentally ill. An Infirmary Block for the physically ill was opened in 1931.
In 1948 the Hospital was transferred to the National Health Service. In 2001 the Hospital became part of South West London and Saint George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
Repository
Archival history
H46/SP 1844 - 1990 subfonds 50.53 linear metres Springfield Hospital
Springfield Hospital was originally opened in 1841 as the Surrey Pauper Lunatic Asylum. The Surrey Justices of the Peace had formed a Committee in 1835 to look into the 'state and expense of pauper lunatics belonging to Surrey'. A new committee reported in 1837 that it was desirable to build an asylum 'as a measure of wise economy and enlightened humanity'. It was hoped that this would reduce the burden on the parishes of Surrey to maintain the insane. The site purchased in 1838 from Henry Perkins consisted of a house and estate known as Springfield Park (a total of 97 acres). The asylum was designed by Mr W. Moseley, County Surveyor of Middlesex (who had constructed the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum at Hanwell).
Two new wings were built onto the north and east and by 1855 the asylum could accommodate 430 male and 534 female patients. Additional land to the east of the estate was acquired in 1864. A Cottage Hospital was opened in 1872 to deal with infectious diseases. Following the formation of the London County Council and Middlesex County Council in 1889, the overall question of provision of asylums in London resulted in Springfield being allotted to Middlesex County Council.
In 1897, a separate 'Annex for Idiot Children' was opened to accommodate 20 children under the provisions of the Lunacy Act of 1890, which sought to separate the treatment of mentally handicapped children from the treatment of the mentally ill. An Infirmary Block for the physically ill was opened in 1931.
In 1948 the Hospital was transferred to the National Health Service. In 2001 the Hospital became part of South West London and Saint George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
ACC/3755, ACC/3767, ACC/3769, B05/158
Records of Springfield Hospital, 1844-1990, including committee minutes and papers, annual reports, reports by the Commissioners of Lunacy and the Commissioners of the Board of Control, general administrative files, records of the League of Friends, admission and discharge registers, death, discharge and transfer registers, medical journals and treatment records, social histories of patients, staff records, financial records, plans of the hospital, photographs and publications.
These records are arranged according to a classification scheme for hospital records: General Hospital Administration (A), Patients' Administration (B), Finance Office (D), Endowments (E), Related Documentation (Y) and Prints and Photographs (PH).
These records are open to public inspection, although under section 5(4) of the 1958 Public Records Act administrative records are closed for 30 years and patient records for 100 years.
Copyright: Depositor
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
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 Springfield Hospital x Surrey Pauper Lunatic Asylum x Springfield Mental Hospital Lunatics Paupers Medical institutions Child health services History Personal history Medical history Health services Hospitals Psychiatric hospitals Disadvantaged groups Disabled persons Mentally disabled People People by roles Hospital patients Wandsworth London England UK Western Europe Hertfordshire Europe
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
ACC/3755, ACC/3767, ACC/3769, B05/158
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of Springfield Hospital, 1844-1990, including committee minutes and papers, annual reports, reports by the Commissioners of Lunacy and the Commissioners of the Board of Control, general administrative files, records of the League of Friends, admission and discharge registers, death, discharge and transfer registers, medical journals and treatment records, social histories of patients, staff records, financial records, plans of the hospital, photographs and publications.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
These records are arranged according to a classification scheme for hospital records: General Hospital Administration (A), Patients' Administration (B), Finance Office (D), Endowments (E), Related Documentation (Y) and Prints and Photographs (PH).
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are open to public inspection, although under section 5(4) of the 1958 Public Records Act administrative records are closed for 30 years and patient records for 100 years.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright: Depositor
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
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