Bodmin, Cornwall, England, Inmates at St. Lawrence's Asylum, 1840-1900

This Collection

This collection is made up of indexes created from the registers of St Lawrence's Asylum. Details given include the inmates' name, date of admission and parish of residence, year of birth, religion and, on occasion, occupation.

Included in this collection

The Admission Register, 1870 - 1875, of the Pauper Class of Patients. Many patients were discharged in later years.

Excerpts relating to the above patients, extracted from the Visitors' Minute Books for those years.

The Admission Register of Private Patients, 1886 -1890.

Excerpts relating to these Private Patients extracted from the Visitors' Minute Books.

Miscellaneous Admission and Medical Reports held by Cornwall Family History Society and transcribed with their permission.

The Register of Staff Wages/Salaries of all those employed in the Asylum during the years 1887 - 1889 inclusive.

Excerpts relating to those staff extracted from Visitors' Minute Books during those years.

Abbreviations used

• Admtd. - Admitted
• Asst. - Assistant
• Bdg. - Building
• Dementia G.P. - Dementia General Paralysis, or Syphilis
• Ep. - Epilepsy
• Ho. - House
• Lady - Lady Day
• Michs. - Michaelmas
• Midsr. - Midsummer
• qty. - quarterly
• Tfd. - transferred
• Workho. - Workhouse

Historical Context

Originally known as Cornwall County Asylum, the building was originally built in Bodmin in 1820 for around 100 inmates on the site of a former leper colony. It later became known as St Lawrence’s Hospital under the National Health Service. Additional buildings were added in 1842, 1848, 1867, 1873 and 1884 for a capacity of 760 inmates. The asylum received both private patients and 'pauper lunatics'.