Bethlem Hospital

1247-2006
Past, Present and Future
 Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem

Opened by Simon Fitzmary in 1247

outside Bishopsgate (now site of Liverpool
Street Station).

Became specialised in ‘care’ of mentally ill

from 1377, having nine inmates by 1403
rising to 31 inmates by early 16th century.
All that remains above
ground of where the
Priory of St Mary at
Bethlehem stood
Hospital of St Mary of
Bethlehem (Bedlam) at
Bishopsgate
Priory dissolved and granted
hospital charter by Henry
VIII , in 1547, remaining on
this site until 1673, when new
site secured. Only hospital in
country for the insane.
 Hospital of St Mary of
Bethlehem at Moorfields (now
Finsbury Circus).

1676-1815 designed by Robert

Hooke. Became one of Londons
must see tourist attractions being
featured in numerous guidebooks of
the time.
‘Raving and
Melancholy
Madness’
From the gates of
the 17th century
Bethlem Hospital
(Bedlam) all that
survives today.
By
Cains Gabriel Cibber
Scene of Bethlem Hospital from the final plate of
William Hogarth’s ‘A Rake’s Progress’
James Norris - unable to
manacle conventionally.
Discovered in 1814 in
iron harness, been
restrained like this since
1804.
 New Bethlem Hospital at St
George’s Fields
• Opened in 1815, for 200 patients, and remained
at this site until 1930, (now site of Imperial War
Museum).
• Criminally insane wings added in 1838 but
closed in 1864 and all criminal patients moved
to Broadmoor.
• Saw introduction of furnished accommodation
and nursing staff replacing ‘keepers’.
• Change in treatment policies (1850) led to
introduction of ‘occupational therapy’ and
Bethlem Royal Hospital in St George’s Fields 1830
Drawn by T H Shepherd
Jonathan Martin - confined to Bethlem from 1829 - until
his death in 1838, following his notorious attempt to
burn down York Minster.
The Lambton worm with a self portrait and other drawings -
drawn under considerable difficulty having 1 pound of iron on
each hand and 7 more bound to his loins.
This engraving shows the wards in the 1860’s after efforts to
make them more comfortable and cheerful. Patients were
segregated and this engraving shows one of the woman’s wards.
It was furnished with flowers, ornaments and bird cages.
A men’s ward in 1860
HJ a woman with acute mania, taken at Bethlem 1850’s
Final issue of the
hospital magazine
which had been
published since 1892
 Bethlem Royal Hospital at
Monks Orchard

In 1925 the governors bought

an old country estate in Kent as
it was felt that London was
becoming more and more
unhealthy to live in and
Southwark was not considered a
socially acceptable place for
educated ladies and gentlemen.
Present site opened by Queen Mary in
July 1930
Administration unit 1950’s - apart from
traffic barriers and signs , this view has
hardly changed.
A tutorial group outside the nurses home in 1956 - The lawn
is now a staff car park. Nurses uniforms were abandoned in
the early 1970,s
 In 1948 BRH merged with the Maudsley
Hospital and governed by the new National
 The Institute of Psychiatry - 1967, became
constituent body of the Postgraduate Medical
Federation, along with BRH and MH.
 Fascinating facts

• Bedlam- used to describe a place of uproar

and confusion. Derives from behaviour of
the inmates in the early centuries.
• Abraham men or “Tom O’Bedlam -
inmates allowed out to beg, ‘tagged’ with
a tin plate on their left arm.
• Specially designed metal key used to open
mouths of those who refused medication.
 Notable Patients of Bethlem
Hospital
• Hannah Chaplin, mother of Charlie
• Richard Dadd, artist who murdered father (1844-
64 in Bethlem)
• James Hadfield, would be assassain of King
George III (1816 - 1841 criminal dept)
• James Tilly Mathews, tea merchant (confined
1797)
• Daniel M’Maghten, catalyst for the creation of
the M’Naghten Rules after the attempted
murder of Prime Minister Robert Peel.
Richard Dadd
photographed at
Bethlem Hospital
1850’s

Richard Dadd was

committed to Bethlem in
1844 after being tried for
the murder of his father.
He spent 20 years at the
hospital and then a
further 22 in Broadmoor
Richard Dadd 1817 - 1886
Crazy Jane 1885
Painted whilst at Bethlem.
It illustrates a popular
ballad of the day which
told the story of a woman
driven mad by the
desertion of her lover.
Louis Wain (1860-1939)
‘The man who drew cats’
 The Maze
By Canadian
artist
William
Kurelek
1927-1977
painted in
the
Maudsley
Hospital
1953
The autographical painting depicts the inside of his own head
cut open to reveal scenes from his past and present life which
form the psychological maze in which he is trapped.
The South London &
Maudsley currently
treats people with
mental health and
substance misuse
problems. Services
also include specialist
units available for
people across the UK.
There are more than
1700 patients
admitted each year
and over 50% of the
patients are cured.
It has over 800
 Appreciation and References

• Museum & Archives at BRH

- open for arranged visits
• Bethlem Hospital 1247-1997
‘A Pictorial Record’ Patricia Allderidge
1997
• BBC Homepage
• Janet @ Drug Screening Lab BRH
It is the oldest psychiatric hospital in the world now being
governed by the South London and Maudsley Trust.