Mental asylum records
The Archives and Heritage Service has been working on two related projects since 2019 researching the historic records of Staffordshire's three county mental asylums at:
- Stafford (later St George's Hospital)
- Burntwood (later St Michael's Hospital)
- Cheddleton (later St Edward's Hospital)
A Case for the Ordinary - Brampton Museum
This project, funded by leading medical charity, the Wellcome Trust, explores the patient experience of mental health care in Staffordshire, 1818-1960. The research is available through the project blog.
A major exhibition 'A Case for the Ordinary: Staffordshire's asylums and the patient experience' reveals the story of the county's three asylums, their staff and patients.
The exhibition opens at Brampton Museum, Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 0QP from Saturday 21 May until Sunday 3 July. For opening times and visitor information please visit the museum's website
Visit the 'taster' exhibition
Perton Library Tuesday 10 May - Thursday 9 June 2022
Cannock Library Saturday 11 - Monday 4 July 2022
Further venues to be confirmed.
Occupational stress and the victorian asylum
This is a three-year PhD studentship fully-funded by the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council. It will explore occupational stress as a ‘cause’ of asylum admission in the period 1818-1918. This is a collaboration between Keele University and Staffordshire Archives and Heritage Service.