THE KNIGHTWATCHER’S PARANORMAL SOCIETY

PERSONAL INVESTIGATION INTO KINGSEAT LUNATICS ASYLUM

REPORT COMPILED BY JIM ROGAN

The Story of Kingseat Lunatics’ Asylum dates back to the time of King Malcolm Canmore who according to local history slew Macbeth at Lumphanan in 1053 A.D. it is said that weary from marching at the head of his army rested his head on a stone - the “King’s Seat”. Perhaps this is a true story.

In 1842 there was no village in the parish but by 1871 the village of Summerhill, population 155 had been established on the railway line. By the time Kingseat was built however, the village had been renamed Newmachar and so remains to this day, very much enlarged in the last 10 years.

But there is also another theory: - “The story of King Malcolm the 3rd sitting on the stone at Kingseat is not, like the most ancient traditions one invented in the nineteenth century. The name appears on Sir Robert Gordon’s Map of c.1637 and there is no known reason to doubt that Malcolm rested at what is a superb vantage point just north of the Original Kingseat Farm.

Maybe the tale of water from the Betteral Well is also invented. Maybe the stone which was used to be shown to the people of Aberdeen and surrounding area’s before 1901 was no more than stone but it seems a bit of a shame that a piece of local history such as the stone has disappeared in the course of all the building works after 1901.

Could it be found and made a feature of the New Kingseat which is nearing it’s completion at this moment in time?

The decision to build the Kingseat ground was left to the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland on the 1st of June 1898, where they met with representatives of the Aberdeen Parish Council, the Directors of the Royal Asylum & Aberdeen District Lunacy Board.

At which point it should be duly noted that the Aberdeen Royal Asylum provided all the necessary care and treatment for the patients with ailments such as: - Mild Schizophrenia, Deformalities, Emotional Problems and Epilepsy.

A small group of representatives toured England and the Continent and decided upon that of a villa type of institution was needed and they then agreed upon using the ones that they had viewed at Alt Scherbitz near Leipzig as the most suitable, with E. Marshall Mackenzie being the main Architect for the site.

Land was purchased at Kingseat and the first turf of grass cut out on the 12th January 1901. The foundation stone was laid on the 14th of September 1901 respectively in the base of the first building which was the Administrations Block.

Please not the air raid siren and the clock above the main from veranda entrance-way of the admin block….so in theory there has to be a bomb shelter somewhere on the site……

Kingseat Lunatics Asylum officially opened on the 14th of May 1904.

It had 478 beds in total 100 of these were in the main hospital unit which in 1979 had been used for Acute Admissions. The other 379 beds were in the 10 villas

A) Four of them were ‘Closed’B) Two “Observation” and four of the buildings marked as “Parole” villas.

By the 16th of May 1904 two days after Kingseat officially opened it received 261 patients transferred from the Aberdeen Royal Asylum.

The Names Of Kingseat

The villa’s that once occupied Kingseat as wards were named after very prominent professors of the day these were as follows

Pinnel, Maudsley, Mercier, Mitchell, Sibbald, Connoly, Tuke, Clouston, Ferrier & the Social Center – It is also has to be known by this point that as time went on the Sibbald villa was originally a female villa known as Dix Villa (ten villa) and the Social Center was also known as (until early 1976) the Mendel Villa, there was also the nurses villa that also once occupied the Kingseat site but an unexplained fire destroyed it in the early 1950?.

The names as stated as found in the Kingseat commemorative booklet from 1975 gives a brief description of the villa’s namesakes.

William Tuke was based in The Retreat in York, Philippe Pinnel in Paris, Henry Maudsley was based in London and Manchester worked on the subject of changing mental health issues.

Sir William Osler was a physician from Canada and later London and oxford and he was a contemporary of Maudsley, there were also the following Scotsmen who also left their mark all had local connections with the area…

There was Sir Thomas Clouston in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, Sir David Ferrier in Aberdeen and Heidelberg and in our own time Sir Alexander Grieg Anderson whom was a geriatrician and it seemed natural to ask him to lend his name to a ward.

The responsibility of running the Asylum on behalf of the District Board was then vested in the Medical Superintendent Dr Charles Angus an Aberdeen University Graduate of 1887 who had worked both in the Royal Asylum as the Royal Cornhill Hospital was then called and in the Royal Infirmary. He was appointed the position in Kingseat March 1903 and died in his 48th year on 21st July 1906 his successor as Medical Superintendent was Dr Hugh De Maine Alexander was appointed on the 11th of September 1906 at a salary of £500 per year (a lot of money in them days) plus the use of a rent free house and car until his retirement in 1933.

His replacement Dr James Scott Annandale whom with the handover of Kingseat to the Royal Navy in 1939 went to the Argyll & Bute Mental Hospital at Lochilphead. He later returned to Kingseat in 1948 with the introduction of the National Health Service.

By 1909 the first annual report is about the Asylum but contains a section on “The Mental Hospital” i.e. the acute admissions unit & by 1911 the word ‘Asylum’ had been omitted and replaced with Mental Hospital.

Also in 1916 a new ‘Hospital’ block had been completed known to many as Morel; A Psycho geriatric Unit (P.G.U.) & by 1926 two new villa’s known as Lister and Osler had been completed and Lister was provided with a lift in 1969 and made into two Psycho geriatric wards in January 1972 & Osler was later converted into a ‘mixed rehabilitation unit.

By the mid 1960’s it was renamed Benview House and became female long- stay in 1970, by 1974 it too was provided with a lift also allowing the conversion into two Psycho geriatric wards.

There as a point of interest a psychiatric building right in the heart of the Kingseat site with four floors, two sets of day wards, a shower area and restaurant each providing access to the bowling green to the back of the building and also the two sun rooms for long terms patient stay.

To the front of the site there is also the recreation hall, the superintendents cottage, the administrations block, an engineers house a security gatehouse, nurses dormitory building, a morgue, a cricket pitch, greenhouses, on site staff bungalows, a playing field,

The site itself was self sufficient with it’s own engineering building two large furnaces(first used oil, then coal, then gas) with it’s large chimney stack breaking the Aberdeen skyline. As well as a self contained sewage system and water aqueduct system – this was essential as Kingseat was 10 miles from Aberdeen City.

COST & EFFECT

In the days of old before the introduction of the NHS in 1948 funding for the asylum had to come from charitable donations of the rich and patrons of the hospital itself for it’s

daily running and upkeep as well as the care for all it’s patients and staff below is a list of terms that were actually used at the time.

ALMS – Charitable Donations.

ASYLUM – Hospital specifically designed to look after the mentally ill. It also mean ‘safe place’.

PARISH – An Area defined and run by the church.

PATRON – A wealthy person that gives money to a particular cause to support it though it has to be noted history suggests that patients belonging to wealthy families were kept in deliberately by those of the asylums in order to gain more monies from the families even if the patient was actually cured.

POOR LAW – This was set up so that a parish was responsible for those who could not look after themselves (i.e. the poor or the insane)

TYPES OF ILLNESSES

Much hasn’t changed in the world of today compared to that of the last century in medical terms much of the information gathered to that of the modern day illness of the 21st century could only be described through the use of medical history books from a bygone era, the following is a short list of what is still in use to describe patients even today.

MANIA – Described as a mental disorder ‘with excitement’

MELANCHOLIA – Described as those with Depressive or Suicidal Tendencies.

DEMENTIA – This is described as those with loss or weakness of mental facilities (i.e. forgetting who you are, leaving a chip pan on becoming confused with oneself during questioning or speaking about a specific subject)

EPILEPSY – A deep convulsive seizure (Which can vary in intensity ranging from what is known as petite mals to the more dangerous grand mals seizure’s. little is known what causes epilepsy usually but a miss-firing of electrical signals to the brain(neurons) is usually to blame causing what can only be best described as an electric overload)

TREPHANING – This procedure is as crude and yet not uncommon practice even today it is the drilling of holes in the skull of the patient to relieve pressure on the brain but also advances in technology has also allowed for the use of chemotherapy or keyhole surgery.

GENERAL PARALYSIS OF THE INSANE - A deterioration of brain function and eventual dementia and paralysis of the legs.

In what can be best described as a written contract of employment I was able to obtain a copy of the nurses OBLIGATION.

This Obligation was for all members of staff to sign as a standard set of rules that they also had to follow basically to ensure the safety of not only themselves but those of the patients as well.

OBLIGATION

To be signed by each & every attendant before appointment.

I HERBY PROMISE to obey the Rules, Regulations and Orders of the Asylum: To promote as far as I am able it’s objects: to be careful of it’s property; to avoid gossiping about inmates or affairs; and to endeavor generally by my own good conduct and demeanor to sustain it’s respectability. I consider

myself to perform any duty assigned to me by the Superintendent. If anything improper and contrary to the Rules of the Asylum is done in my presence, or

comes within my knowledge, I pledge myself to report it to the superintendent. I understand my engagement to be monthly; and I agree to

give a months notice should I wish to leave my situation, or forfeit a months wages should I leave without giving notice, I also understand that a months

wages will be retained by and in the hands of the superintendent, which wages will be forfeited in the event of my giving up my appointment, or

leaving the Asylum without just cause. I acknowledge the rite of the superintendent to discharge me without warning, or fine me for acts of

unkindness or violence to patients, for impertinence, for disobedience of orders, or for any transgression of the Rules. Regulations and Orders: My

wages being forfeited if my conduct compromises the character of the institution.

INTERNAL LIVING QUARTERS

Unlike the long term stay wards of the Local Hospital that we have today, Kingseat Medical Hospital was uniquely self sufficient upon opening it was noted on the quiet peaceful surroundings as well as the wards themselves the following is an extract from the KINGSEAT HOSPITAL SPECIAL EDITION COMMEMORATIVE BOOK 1904 - 1975

…My most vivid memories are of the pine beds, five and a half feet long. The springs were tied with and this often snapped dumping the poor patient unceremoniously onto the floor. The mattresses were stuffed with horse hair and were about half an inch thick. The wooden floors were mainly uncovered

and one of the main duties of the nurses was to keep them highly polished. Ward furnishings were rudimentary and consisted of wooden chairs and benches. Windows were uncurtained; paintwork was invariably either dark brown or green. Toilets consisted of rows (unpainted) W.C’S were used by patients and staff alike. Patients clothing was issued to wards and remained the ward’s property. Hence if a patient was transferred to another ward on arrival he was stripped and clothing sent back to the original ward. The patient was then clothed by his new ward. In this way ward inventory was correct and everything was administratively tidy, even if the patient was not!

It may also be noted that it was said from the extract that conditions were Spartan and facilities poor at the time of this report.

THE WAR YEARS

Little is accessible in the way of historical records about Kingseat during the war years, but many people of Aberdeen will know that the Navy left its mark. The most dramatically nautical evidence today nearly 93 years later is the air raid siren carefully and strategically placed on the rooftop of the original Administration block, also in the recreation hall is the back wall of the stage is a mock painting of the fore deck of a battleship, complete with a huge grey gun turret.

FUTURE’S END

As time slipped quietly by at Kingseat many medical advancements in treatment were encouraged and used to teat the patients who were there, but sad news came in 1992 when the NHS decided that the site was surplus to requirements and by 1994 Kingseat closed and all patients were transferred to wards within Aberdeen Royal Infirmary grounds and the site became derelict.

Contracted security companies were on-site to provide 24 hour protection with 4 men on-site to cover the many now vandalized site which is where I myself come in.

MY STORY

I first came across Kingseat Lunatics Asylum in late autumn of 2001 when I was a serving officer for the then Initial Security Ltd, I was due to do another static site which we also provided security cover for in the Aberdeen district, when arriving for duty I was met by my then shift running manager Cliff Thomas who

briefed me on the fact that a colleague had gone sick and I would be providing cover for the evening, not questioning Cliff’s decision I jumped into the control car and we left Aberdeen and entered the Kingseat grounds where it was that misty and dark that we slowed down to a crawl as we passed along the road passed the security gatehouse, superintendent’s cottage and administration block.

As we traveled towards the now converted security port cabin that was once used as the Newmachar football teams changing rooms it was powered by a 5 litre petrol generator which was only capable of powering one item such as a kettle due to the high power consumption of having the lights on constant.

Most of my duty at Kingseat was mainly at night which was not only the best time of night but was also the spookiest.

Most of the buildings had due to their vandalism been open and as part of my duty I was authorized to check it out, which over the next few years in fact I did, most of the buildings were in a sorry state access to some of them were virtually impossible to due their flooring being risen in some places.

The nurses’ quarters for instance (no longer in existence) was a five floored building with the most beautiful circular staircase I had ever seen which I cautiously climbed to do a floor by floor walk through - all was well apart from the feelings of being watched.

That is when I decided upon the use of a light sensitive camera on my next visit to the site.

That opportunity arose when I was again asked to do the site as the new (but temporary) guard, which I must admit was the most coolest thing I ever did, so for the next few years I took a keen interest in not only the history but the paranormal goings on in the site after all I ran my own group in my spare time.

And as time progressed my interest in the site increased and I must admit to being slightly over zealous with the information gathering with the pictures, but as I now see it as worth it I must admit not complaining about it any longer.

In the following few year I left Initial Security Ltd through ill health and joined Apardion Property Management Ltd and was surprised to learn that the site had changed hands into this company and I was privileged enough to be back on the site after an absence of 4 years.

In the September of 2006 I returned and due to the nature of my group my equipment had grown slightly larger by the use of a flash cam and movie camera which has allowed me to place these pictures in my private collection, and I must stress to you reader that these will and are not being shared with no one else.

And as part of my history report in regards to the site below is most but not all of the pictures linked to the site…as a bit of fun why don’t you check the internet for the New Zealand copy of Kingseat hospital that actually served as a prison this version of our very own Kingseat featured in the very popular Ghosts Hunters series on sky which like my own group ascertains permission to film (on a more international scale than mine may I add) at haunted/reputed sites around New Zealand.

KINGSEAT JPGS

reconstruction of the Psychogeriatric ward in the heart of Kingseat

Most of these pictures were taken by myself as well as other persons who have a general interest in the history of The Kingseat Asylum itself.

Most of the new found pictures can be found in the public domain on various Urban Explorationists websites.

As I now draw this investigation to a close certain details have been omitted for personal reasons but it is worth mentioning that Kingseat has now been taken over by various housing developers but mainly Manor Kingdom who have re-vamped the entire site and villas into rather spacious and grand housing.

The memory of Kingseat lunatics asylum will remain in the hearts of those who not only lived there as patients but as those who also worked there including myself may the history of Kingseat never be forgotten and my best wishes remain with those who currently reside on the site and hope that they have many happy years there.

Information sourced from the 1975 special edition commemorative booklet on Kingseat Hospital as well as online records of Aberdeen’s district asylums.

James RoganKnightWatcher's Paranormal Society.