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
This project, funded by leading medical charity, the Welcome 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 will continue at the Nicholson Museum and Art Gallery, Leek from Saturday 7 January until Saturday 18 February 2023. For further details please visit the Nicholson Museum and Art Gallery website.
Visit the 'taster' exhibition
- Lichfield Library from Friday 11 November until Tuesday 29 November
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.