Collection of Documents from the Hospital
Since 2009, I have collected a very large, and in some cases very rare, assortment of documents which relate to the people, places and events that made up the Leavesden Asylum/Hospital from 1870 to 1995.
Many of these documents were donated to the Leavesden Hospital History Association by former staff of the hospital or their relatives.
These are being made available to the public so that anyone wishing to learn more about the operations of the hospital can find this information all in one place.
I will be adding more documents as they are catalogued and scanned, so watch this space.
Thank you.
Martin Brooks - 17 March 2023
Metropolitan Asylum District - Leavesden Asylum Stewards Weekly Wages Book
A hand written record of wages paid to staff working at the Leavesden Asylum from
8 October 1870 to 30 September 1871.
Leavesden Asylum Weekly Payment Book 187[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [26.8 MB]
During the early days of the Leavesden Asylum, the job of maintaining and managing physical structures of the hospital, the brick as motor, as well as the 20 acres of landscaped gardens and the 42 acres of the Home Farm, fell to the Chief Steward.
Today, these duties would be the responsibilities of the Facilities/Premises or Estate Manager.
This is the handwritten record made by Henry Chapman who worked as the Chief Steward of the Asylum from around 1895 to 1903 and is a fascinating look into the behind the scenes running of such a large organization and facility.
Stewards Record Book - Edited - 28-12-20[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [18.7 MB]
The following is a transcript of an article that originally appeared on page 3 of The Herts Advertiser and St Albans Times on the 16th of July 1887 and details the recent inspection of the Leavesden Asylum by the newly formed Metropolitan Asylums Board.
____________________________________________
The annual inspection of the Leavesden Asylum by the managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District took place on Saturday.
A number of the members of the Asylum Board proceeded by train to Watford, and thence drove to the asylum, Abbots Langley.
The asylum - opened October 1870 - contains accommodation for 2,000 harmless insane patients - 900 males and 1,100 females.
The Leavesden estate comprises 85 acres one rood, of which about 38 acres are under cultivation. The cost per bed, including purchase of land, is £9O 14s. 7d., and the present cost per head per day for maintenance and clothing patients is 7d.
Under the guidance of Dr. John Bell Sedgwick (the chairman of the committee of management), the managers made a complete inspection of the asylum, commencing with the administrative offices, passing to the chapel, then through female wards, next the male wards, and finally overlooking the farm.
Many of the imbecile patients seemed anxious for liberty, and, of course, thought they were perfectly sane. Their delusions took various forms, such as imagining that they were wrongfully detained for interested motives, or complaining of their treatment, though it was evident that there was no ground for such complaints. One man wished to get "a situation outside," remarking that he would be steady.
At a luncheon which subsequently took place under the presidency of Dr. John Bell Sedgwick, the health of Sir E. H. Galsworthy, the chairman of the Metropolitan Asylums Board was proposed, and it was pointed out, Sir E. H. Galsworthy being present, that this was the first institution under the management of the board, that he had visited since he had received the honour knighthood. Replying to the toast, Sir E. H. Galsworthy said he regarded the honour conferred upon him as due to his official position, and all he could say was that during the time he had been connected with the board he had done his best, as he should continue to do. He proposed "The health the committee of management." He stated that the committees of the board worked hard, and he went on to say that the newspapers occasionally made mistakes, even going as far as the Islington Guardian to accuse the board of extravagance. The managers thought that the work was done economically, and that a great deal of public benefit was derived from the operations of the board, and they were satisfied. No one could examine such an institution as that without being satisfied with the admirable results.
The toast was responded to by Dr. Sedgwick, who said that it was the desire of the committee to carry out the wishes of the board and to endeavour to promote the wellbeing of the miserable persons committed to their charge. Other toasts were given, reference being made to the excellent staff of the institution, and the care bestowed on the poor inmates.
Provided by: Mike Atkinson, 8 December 2021.
"A Sterilized Water-Supply at Leavesden Asylum" - Paper No. 36060 - 1899
As the result of a Cholera epidemic at the Leavesden Asylum in early 1898, which is reported to have caused the death of over 5000 patients and staff at the hospital, a report on the installation of a sterilized water supply system was requested from William Thomas Hatch, M. Inst. C.E.
Sterilized Water Supply Leavesden Asylum[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [3.2 MB]
From 1868 to 1930, the Metropolitan Asylums Board managed the Leavesden Asylum as well as all other mental health facilities in England. These are the regulations that staff would have been expected to follow during that time.
MAB regulations for Staff 1930-high reso[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [7.0 MB]
Leavesden Mental Hospital - Manual of Duties - Revised 1932
London County Council, Manual of Duties - Extracted from the Statutory "General Rules" from management of the London County Mental Hospitals, and from the "Regulations" supplementing those Rules, made by the London County Council. Revised to 31st July 1932.
Manual of duties 1932-high resolution.pd[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [16.4 MB]
London County Council Annual Report 1935
LCC Annual Report - 1935 - high resoluti[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [20.0 MB]
London County Council - Annual Report 1936
LCC Annual Report - 1936 - high resoluti[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [18.2 MB]
Abbots Langley Official Guide
A guide book produced by the Abbots Langley Parish Council sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Donated by Tim Perkins, Clerk for Abbots Langley Parish Council.
Paddy Lundon -History of Leavesden 1971-[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [4.1 MB]
Leavesden Group Journal - June 1973.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [20.1 MB]
Leavesden Hospital Insight Magazine - June 1974
Insight Mag - June 1974 - Edited 31-12-2[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [13.8 MB]
Leavesden Hospital-Insight Magazine-Octo[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [9.5 MB]
Insight Magazine - Nov 1975.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [15.8 MB]
This is the Abbots Langley and Leavesden Hospitals Sector 5 year plan for Building and Engineering which looks at the overall costs to maintain the hospital in the first year of the plan from 1975 to 1976.
Adobe Acrobat document [2.4 MB]
“Problems in measuring and evaluating the quality of care in mental handicap hospitals.”
Written by Andy Alaszewski, MA Cantab and published in the October 1977 edition of the Health and Social Service Journal.
This paper addresses the indices for measuring performance within the NHS with an emphasis on hospitals for the mentally handicapped.
Adobe Acrobat document [7.7 MB]
Pat Allen Essay - 1979
Patricia (Pat) Allen was studying for her Ordinary National Certificate in Business Studies at St Albans College and selected to do her essay on the operations of the Leavesden Hospital.
It is a detailed accounting of the inner workings of the institution in the 1979.
Pat Allen Essay Correspondence
Correspondence between Pat Allen and various departments of the Leavesden Hospital requesting information for her essay
Pat Allen Essay -1979 - Pages 1-137 - wi[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [48.5 MB]
"Holy Communion in a Hospital"
This is a copy of the Holy Communion that would have been used at the Leavesden Asylum/Hospital, Chapel of the Good
Shepherd.
Date is unknown.
Holy Communion in a Hospital - high reso[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [2.3 MB]
A Synopsis of Parts of The Mental Health Act 1983, England and Wales.
This booklet summarizes the basic details of the Mental Health Act of 1983 and is part of the Cherry Jackson collection.
Adobe Acrobat document [12.6 MB]
“Contact”
The Leavesden Hospital Newsheet.”
Issue 11, March 1983.
Edited by The Revd. J W Pragnell.
Adobe Acrobat document [5.0 MB]
Leavesden Hospital Fire Instructions. October 1982
Adobe Acrobat document [2.0 MB]
“The North West Thames Regional Health Authority News”
16 April 1985.
Title: Consultation Paper Spells Out New Management Proposals for Mental Handicap Hospitals.
Topic: Plans to integrate the management of Hertfordshire’s three hospitals (Leavesden, Harperbury and Cell Barnes) into one District Health Authority are presented.
Leavescene Journal, Number 11, June 1987
Adobe Acrobat document [8.8 MB]
"The Development Control Plan for Leavesden Hospital, December 1986"
This Development Control Plan, produced by the North West Hertfordshire Health Authority (later to become the Horizon Trust) was one of many attempts to try and save parts of the Leavesden Hospital by selling off the land on the south side of the site (the Annexe) to raise the capital needed to maintain a smaller version of the main hospital.
Adobe Acrobat document [23.7 MB]
Leavesden Contact Newsheet
December 1987
In this issue of the Leavesden Contact Newssheet, Jayne Robinson, Hospital Manager, discusses the possibility of changing the name of
Leavesden Hospital to something else.
Adobe Acrobat document [16.2 MB]
"The Abbots Langley and Leavesden Hospitals Draft Planning Brief December 1988."
This report sets out Three Rivers District Council’s planning requirements in the event of any development/redevelopment of the hospital land at Abbots Langley and Leavesden.
This plan was revised in August of 1995.
Adobe Acrobat document [25.0 MB]
"The History of Leavesden Hospital by Monica Diplock."
Monica Diplock was the Head of the Male Occupational Therapy Department at the Leavesden Hospital from 1962 to 1984.
Seeing the writing on the walls that the hospital would soon be closing, she set about recording its history and heritage.
Monica passed away in October of 2020 at the age of 96.
The History of Leavesden Hospital - M Di[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [46.4 MB]
Leavesden Hospital Information Booklet - October 1990
An outline of information of the facilities provided for residents and their relatives when at Leavesden Hospital.
Leavesden Information Booklet 1990-high [...]
Adobe Acrobat document [4.6 MB]
Contact Newsheet - Spring Edition.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [9.4 MB]
Contact - Leavesden Hospital Newsheet-Su[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [10.8 MB]
Leavescene Group Journal July 1992.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [5.7 MB]
Leavesden Hospital Lifting and Handling Training Manual
May 1994
Adobe Acrobat document [3.4 MB]
The Leavesden Hospital Story Kevin Brown[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [7.8 MB]
Horizon NHS Trust
“Health on the Horizon Magazine.”
Issue 4, July 1995
"Leavesden Hospital, Draft Revised Planning Brief, August 1995."
This revised brief was produced by Three Rivers District Council in August 1995 for the purposed development of the old Leavesden Hospital site.
Leavesden Hospital Planing Brief - 1995 [...]
Adobe Acrobat document [4.3 MB]
New Horizons Staff Newsletter
No 2/95, September 1995.
Adobe Acrobat document [3.3 MB]
Horizon NHS Trust
A Service of Thanksgiving for the Work of the Hospital for
125 Years.
Leavesden Hospital
1870 to 1995.
Closing Day Ceremonies
31 October 1995.
Adobe Acrobat document [3.1 MB]
"Leavesden Revisted."
An article written by Ian McMillan on behalf of the Nursing Times Magazine.
13 December 1995.
Leavesden Revisited - Ian McMillan-1995.[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [3.1 MB]
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