Below you will find documents detailing information about patients at The Royal Holloway Sanatorium.

Both men and women were admitted to the Sanatorium and documents were kept which detailed the name, age, address, occupation, religion and history of mental illness of each patient. Many also had their photo taken. Letters were also discovered that the patients had written, but which were never sent as the asylum deemed them proof of the persons insanity and thus placed with the patients records.

Full transcript below.

3473/3/1 Reference: Page 9 Image Number: 3473- 3-1 9a

Name of Patient: Elizabeth Maria Hall

Age: 56

Admitted: July 21st 1885

Previous place of abode: 30 Flanders Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick.

Occupation: Companion to a lady

Single

Whether the first attack : Yes

Age of first attack: 55

Duration of excising attack: 7 Months

Supposed case of insanity , Over stimulated mind.

1st Medical certificate

1: Facts indicating insanity observed by myself.

I found her in a state of nervous excitement. She tells me she feels as if her body was not her own and says, she is lost and she suffers from melancholia and at times from excitement.

2: Other facts (if any) indicating insanity communicated to me by others. I am told by her mother that at times she is so violent that she is afraid of her doing something to herself or others and threatens to burn herself.

Fredrick Laurence

St Albans Terrace Hammersmith

2nd Medical certificate

1: Facts indicating insanity observed by myself.

Her manner was excited and any sound caused her to look around as if suspicious of someone coming to harm her. She said she was of no use and different to everyone else and lamented she could do nothing.

2: Other facts (if any) indicating insanity communicated to me by others.

Was told by Elizabeth Hall (her mother) that she frequently refuses to take food saying it’s of no use if she is to lose it again. In consequence is most unwilling to relive nature. That at times she gets very excited and throws down anything she may have in her hands and declares she has no body like others have.

William Leigh

The Terrace, Twickenham Green, Chiswick

2640/4/1 Reference : Letter 1 from Page 117-120 Image Number: 5e

Virginia Water

July 4th 1895

My Dear father

God tells me that you are a lamentable fool for not to have persevered in your search after the truth. Had you done so you would have found that Darwinism is only one of the many explanations of the origin of man. But even were it not so luminary Christianity is not the only creed that explains truth and honour. The bible was written under god's direction by men like myself, and is therefore very imperfect. But for all that is true, historically, although it is incorrect in many aspects. On the other hand your medicine is almost entirely false.

I am

Your Son

Robert Elijah

P.S I shall take the name of Elijah always in future when writing on religious subjects.

Catalogue Number : 2640 /4 /1 Reference : Page 271-272 Image Number: 7a-c

St. Anns Heath

Virginia Water

25th February 1896

Dear Mrs Fox

The worst has happened. I am in a lunatic asylum, but I am perfectly sane, only miserable. I will tell you how I came here almost 5 weeks ago. I was insulted by my father and I lost my temper and struck him. For this my mother persuaded me to come to St Anns, which is the name of this lunatic asylum- Oh the horror of this place can you picture me shut up here. Very shady practises go on in this place, and there are a number of people who have nothing the matter with them, expect they have peculiar religious ideas or their friends shut them up to get rid of them. I have been subject to the most awful indignations. I have to sleep in a room with about 9 other fellows. I have to bath before a host of fellows, and if I am not civil I am locked up in close confinement. Oh the anguish I have suffered.

My writings are tampered with and held back and I can get no redress. I am sending this secretly so I do hope you will receive it I implore you my only friend to pray for me, pray that I may be released from this awful prison. Will you hold the thought of FREEDOM for me? Please do. God only knows when they will let me out.

Bitterly do I regret coming back to England when I think that only 2 or 3 months ago I was staying in your dear home releasing the air of purity. The thought fills me with madness. But I have made up my mind what to do. I mean to make a desperate attempt at escape then I will try to make terms with my people failing this I will enlist with one of her Majesties Cavalry regiments, the 11th Hussars I think. - Do I appear selfish to you? I hope not. Perhaps God will forgive me. What the world wants is "love" - love cures everything.

Holy Heavenly Love- When will people learn to love one another- I would love all, I do try but have failed. You are my dearest and only friend - therefore will you promise me one thing. In the ordinary case of events you will leave this earth first, well will you promise me that you will come meet me when I die. - I am distracted with misery, promise me this one request will you be there to meet me when I enter the unseen.

Promise this and I shall be so grateful. I have written imploringly to my mother to ask her to let me free, but they won't. I have already written twice before to you from this infernal prison. Did you receive them? If so you will be surprised at the contents, the fact is some of the letters are returned and I could not write what I wanted. I am sending this note in secret by the kindness of the housemaids. Sometimes an awful fear comes over me. What if after all if the old fashioned doctrines of the church are the true ones- but I will not believe it. I cannot believe in the Devil or our Lord. So I suppose I am doomed. Do you remember playing that sad little chant to me. ( The one you had played at the funeral of your little girl). Well, they played it in the chapel, live last Sunday. It's a sweetly sad tune. I wonder if I shall ever go to the "priory" again hear the "Ave Maria" which they play so well though?

I do long to see your holy face sometimes and I want to see Murray too. My love to him: I cannot write to Murray because I am sad. I am living in England through the 19th century too, that I can be locked up against my will thus. - Oh God how awful.

We had a very lovely hymn the other day

"Gracious spirit,

Holy Ghost taught by thee we covet most

Of the gifts at Pentecost

Holy Heavenly Love"

You know don't you I hope you will enjoy Sir Henry and sweet Ellen.

Pray for me and write to me I implore you.

Forgive me this bad writing

Goodbye my best friend

Yours affectionately

Henry Edwards

P.S When you write address the envelope to

29 Hampstead Hill Gardens. They will forward it.