IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): H46/SP
Held at: London Metropolitan Archives
Title: SPRINGFIELD HOSPITAL
Date(s): 1844 - 1990
Level of description: sub-fonds
Extent: 50.53 linear metres
Name of creator(s): Springfield Hospital
CONTEXT
Administrative/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.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
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.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
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 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
Physical characteristics:
Fit
Finding aids:
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
ACC/3755, ACC/3767, ACC/3769, B05/158
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Date(s) of descriptions: February 2009