Since admitting its first patients in1863 Broadmoor has acquired areputation as one of Britain’s mostnotorious institutions. Now that

the Broadmoor archive is open toresearchers at the Berkshire Record Office,we can begin to discover the truth behindthe negative stereotypes.

Before Broadmoor opened in 1863, the questionof what to do with those who committed crimesbut were mentally ill, was a controversial one. In1800 James Hadfield attempted to shoot KingGeorge III, claiming he was acting on thecommands of God. Hadfield’s actions led to theCriminal Lunatics Act of 1800, allowing all personsacquitted of a crime on the grounds of insanity tobe detained “until his Majesty’s Pleasure be known”– in other words, indefinitely. Hadfield spent therest of his life in Bethlem Royal Hospital.

Now the problem was finding suitableaccommodation for criminal lunatics.

A Parliamentary Select Committee reported onthe subject in 1860, and this led to the CriminalLunatics Asylum Act. The new legislation allowedthe creation of criminal lunatic asylums inEngland under the control of the Home Secretary.

Broadmoor was the first such asylum. Openedin 1863 it was built near the Berkshire village ofCrowthorne. Originally it had two walledenclosures, one for females, containing twopatient accommodation blocks, and one formales, containing six patient accommodationblocks and a chapel. The annual reports say thatin the first year 214 males and 95 females wereadmitted. By 1870 however, 375 males arerecorded, and the wards were full. It istherefore likely that the maximum occupancywas 375 males and 100 females, and though theylater added more wards there was stillovercrowding at times.

Like other asylums of the time, Broadmoorwas an isolated, almost entirely self-sufficientcommunity. Patients and staff worked together toproduce most of their own food on a 170 acrefarm. Other goods were made in its workshops,including those for shoemaking, upholsterery,tinsmithing and carpentery. Uniforms for patientsand staff were sewn and repaired by the femalepatients, and washed in the laundry.

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Kate Tyte reveals the characters and the stories behind Broadmoor Hospital

Patients and staff worked together to

produce most of their own food on a

170 acre farm...

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Staff were managed by the MedicalSuperintendent, an authoritarian patriarchwholly responsible for every aspect of theestablishment. He was assisted by twoother doctors, meaning there were onlythree medically trained personnel in thewhole institution. A chaplin, matron,steward, and farm bailiff made up the restof the senior staff.

There were about 100 attendants ornurses – roughly one for every threepatients – who worked extremely longhours, usually from 6am to 8pm.

Once a week they finished early, at2pm, and they had two days off togetherevery other month. In total they workedfor about 79 hours a week. The staff livedunder a very strict regime and could besacked if they were suspected of breakingany of the numerous rules. They even had to askpermission to get married.

Staff either lived on site or were provided withcottages to rent nearby. They received wages anda uniform, and had their meals provided. Theywere not allowed to go to the pub, but had a staffclubhouse, which held dances and had a library.

Added attractions were free medical care, aschool for children, and the prospect of apension on retirement.

As for the patients, in the period before 1900they were “treated” with a strict regime of rest,fresh air, a healthy diet, and work. Men andwomen were kept strictly segregated, spending

their time on their wards, in the outdoor “airingcourts”, and at work.

The wards had dayrooms where newspapers,books and board games were provided, as well asa piano for female patients, and billiard tables forthe men. Entertainment and recreation waslimited to what could be provided by the staffwho formed a band to play for the patients, andput on amateur shows. The patients also playedcricket, bowls and croquet.

The annual report for 1900 lists the crimes ofthe women admitted to Broadmoor between 1863and 1900: murder, manslaughter and attemptedmurder – 367; larceny and petty theft – 148; and“Other” – 61.

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Programmes from 1888for performances bythe staff.

A staff photographtaken in the early 1880s.

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Left, the male dayroomin about 1885.

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Of the 367 killers, the majority of them hadkilled their own children, and most of thesewomen were probably suffering from what is nowknown as post-natal depression. They had a goodchance of being discharged: the annual reportshowing that 127 had been released.

One such patient was Ann Nicholls, a marriedwoman with three children, from Hartlepool. Anewspaper report of her trial states that on 17July 1871 she killed her eight-month-old sonSamuel by pouring sulphuric acid into hismouth. Her husband kept the acid in anouthouse, because he was studying chemistry.At her trial neighbours said that she had beenvery low-spirited since the birth of the child.Shortly after she killed her son they found herin the house crying. She said “I do not knowwhat came over me all in a minute thismorning.” She told the doctor that she had hada sudden urge to destroy the child, and thoughtit was the right thing to do at the time. Thedoctor explained to the jury that:

“The suckling of children sometimes has aweakening effect on mothers and produces lowspirits and a weak mind. The tendency of suchweakness is to produce a feeling in the motherto destroy her children, and there are instancesof mothers, whilst labouring from weakness ofthat kind, having taken the lives of theirchildren…On recovering strength the mindwould recover.”

Ann Nicholls was admitted to Broadmoor on30 December 1871. Her husband Richardpetitioned for her release on several occasions.He wrote to the Superintendent in March 1873saying “should my leaving this country for anumber of years have any influence in gettingan earlier release for my wife I am prepared tomake that sacrifice.” He went to Pittsburgh inPennsylvania.

The petitions were eventually successful. Annwas discharged and sailed to New York in March1878. Richard wrote to Broadmoor to informthem of her safe arrival, thanking theSuperintendent, and staff for caring for her, andsaying: “She is now in the best of health and itwill be my greatest earthly aim to keep her so.”

There was far more variety amongst the malepatients. The annual report for 1900 shows thetypes of crime committed by male patientsadmitted since 1863: murder, manslaughter,attempted murder – 915; sexual crimes(including rape, indecent assault and unnaturalcrimes) – 95; burglary – 151; larceny and theft– 324; arson – 120; other (including desertionor insubordination in the armed forces,vagrancy, one count of endangering railwaypassengers, one count of sending indecent

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The artist Richard Dadd(1817–1886) is one ofBroadmoor’s best-known

patients. Dadd studied art at theRoyal Academy Schools inLondon. In 1842 he went on atour of Europe, Egypt and theHoly Lands as the personal artistof Sir Thomas Phillips, and didseveral paintings of him in localcostumes. During the trip Daddbecame paranoid and deludedand believed that the EgyptianGod Osiris spoke to him andguided his actions.

In August 1843 Daddstabbed and killed his fatherduring a walk in thecountryside at Cobham. Hebelieved he had killed the devil in disguise, andmaintained this delusion all his life.

Afterwards Dadd fled to France but was caught by the police after attempting tocut the throat of another traveller. In his pocket was a list of names of “people whomust die.”

Dadd was tried and found insane, and sent to Bethlem Hospital in London. Heremained there for 20 years, and spent his time painting. In 1864 he was moved toBroadmoor where he continued with his painting until he died in 1886.

Above, Richard Dadd at work,and right, one of his portraits ofSir Thomas Phillips.

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Richard Dadd

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postcards, and eleven attempted or threatenedsuicides) – 263.

Male patients were more likely to have killed arelative than a stranger. Statistics for 1904 (thereare none before this) show that 171 patients hadkilled a relative, and 107 had killed other people(although many of these must have been peoplewell known to them, such as fellow residents orstaff in workhouses, prisons or asylums).

One extraordinary example of a male patientkilling a relative is 13-year-old Robert AllenCoombes who murdered his mother, Emily. Hehid her body in a cupboard, where it remainedfor over three weeks. According to The Timeson 18 September 1895, Robert told the police:

“I did it. My brother Natty got a hiding forstealing fruit, and ma was going to give me one.So Natty said that he would stab her, but as hecould not do it himself he asked me to do it. Hesaid ‘When I cough twice you do it.’ He coughedtwice and I did it. I am sorry I did it.”

Witnesses at the trial said that Robert wasvery intelligent but also very excitable, obsessedby criminals, and read sensational novels aboutcrime. While awaiting trial he had been verydestructive, and had to be put in a padded cellon one occasion. Doctors noted that he hadscars on his head, complained of headaches, andheard voices. They diagnosed “cerebralirritation” caused by the use of forceps duringhis birth.

Robert was discharged in February 1912, atthe age of 30, to the care of the Salvation ArmyLand and Industrial Colony at Hadleigh in Essex.The Salvation Army accepted many ex-Broadmoor patients, who they housed and foundwork for, until they were ready to return to thecommunity. In 1913 Robert expressed his wishto move to New Zealand, and was granted anabsolute discharge, though it is not knownwhether he eventually did emigrate.

An example of a patient who killed a virtualstranger is described in The Times on14 January 1898. On 16 December 1897William Terriss, a distinguished actor, wasstabbed three times with a butcher’s knife whileentering the Adelphi Theatre in London. Terrisscried out “Oh, my God, I am stabbed”, and diedshortly afterwards. His attacker made noattempt to escape. He was identified as RichardArcher Prince, an aspiring actor who had oncehad a walk-on role in a play with Terriss.

Prince had attempted acting for some time,but was unable to learn his lines, and wasregarded as being “ridiculously dramatic” andimpossible to work with. He falsely believed thathe was a great actor, and blamed his failure onTerriss. He told his friends that Terriss was a

dirty dog who had been blackmailing him andhad ruined his career. In fact, Prince had writtento Terriss several times asking for help, andTerriss had responded with good references,enabling Prince to get money from The Actors’Benevolent Fund. Prince, however, said “MrTerriss would not employ me, and I wasdetermined to be revenged.”

Witnesses at the trial gave overwhelmingevidence that he was of unsound mind. Princehad a family history of mental illness and hadbehaved strangely for some time, saying that hismother had poisoned his tea and that he was thesecond Jesus Christ. His neighbours nicknamedhim “mad Archer”. The jury found him guilty butinsane, and he was sent to Broadmoor where heremained until his death in 1937.

In most cases the patients admitted wereobviously mentally ill, but some admissions weremore controversial. The Revd Henry Dodwell wasfired from the Brighton Industrial School wherehe was a chaplain, and took legal action forunfair dismissal against his employers. He wasfrustrated by the slow progress of his case, anddecided to draw attention to himself by firing apistol, loaded with blanks, at a court official. Hewas tried and found guilty but insane, and sent toBroadmoor in 1878.

While at Broadmoor he wrote hundreds ofletters to influential people, complaining that histrial had been unfair. He also continued todemand an apology for his dismissal from theschool. His case was widely discussed in the

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Richard Dadd’s portraitof Broadmoor’s MedicalSuperintendent DrWilliam Orange paintedin 1875.

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newspapers and even in the House of Commons,and he managed to persuade many people thathe was the victim of injustice.

The Royal Psychological Society even publisheda pamphlet called The Case of the Rev. MrDodwell, which claimed that “The case of thisunfortunate gentleman has justly excited muchsympathy.” It pointed out that no medical evidencewas given at the trial. The pamphlet also printedthe report of doctors employed by Dodwell and hisfriends, which stated that “he is of sound mind,and there is nothing to justify his detention as acriminal lunatic.” It concluded “we…trust that theauthorities will soon liberate Mr Dodwell andpermit him to return to his family.”

Broadmoor’s Medical Superintendent,

Dr Orange, disagreed. He noted that Dodwellbelieved that there was a widespread conspiracyagainst him by the government and governmentofficials. Dr Orange stated that given the natureof his delusions, Dodwell would be verydangerous if discharged.

In 1882 he was proved right. Dodwellattacked Dr Orange, hitting him over the headwith a large stone wrapped in a handkerchief.Dr Orange suffered severe head injuries fromwhich he never fully recovered.

Dodwell tried to justify his actions, writing“having reflected that a man may escape by anymeans from brigands, I with very great sorrowand reluctance plead that I may by dire necessityraise my hand against the Superintendent.” Heremained in Broadmoor where he died fromheart disease in 1900.

In 1948 Broadmoor became part of the newNational Heath Service and its name waschanged to the less judgemental BroadmoorInstitution. Inmates were now known asBroadmoor “patients” instead. The Mental HealthAct of 1959 changed the way that patients wereadmitted and discharged, allowing “civil patients”to be admitted. These were people who had notbeen accused of any crime, but needed to becared for in a secure environment.

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The Broadmoor archive can be consulted at BerkshireRecord Office, 9 Coley Avenue, Reading, RG1 6AF;telephone 0118 9015132;www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk.

Patient records are closed for 100 years, but access toinformation from restricted records may be granted toclose family members at the discretion of BroadmoorHospital. There are no access restrictions on other types ofrecord, except where there are security concerns. Allenquiries should go through Berkshire Record Office inthe first instance, not through the hospital directly.

An exhibition on The Secret World of VictorianBroadmoor is on display at the Museum of Reading until22 February 2009. Museum of Reading, The Town Hall,Blagrave Street, Reading, RG1 1Q; telephone 0118 939 9800.

Simon Winchester’s book The Surgeon of Crowthorne: ATale of Murder, Madness, and the Oxford EnglishDictionary (Penguin, 1999) describes the life ofBroadmoor patient William Chester Minor, and givesfurther descriptions of Broadmoor in the Victorian period.

There are a few Home Office, Treasury and Ministry ofHealth files about Broadmoor at The National Archiveswhich are mainly about the administration of the asylumor allowances paid to patients and staff.

TAKING IT FURTHER

Kate Tyte is an archivist currently workingat the National Portrait Gallery. She has justcompleted a project working on the recordsof psychiatric hospitals.

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Top, one of the manyletters written by theRevd Henry Dodwellwhile at Broadmoor.Above, the openingparagraph from hispamphlet The Case ofthe Rev. Mr Dodwell.

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