In 2021 I became involved in researching two Yorkshire asylums for a project which had been established by the Family and Community Historical Research Society (FACHRS). My involvement in the project grew, and working with a fellow researcher, it became clear that, as the number of paupers requiring accommodation in public asylums increased, overcrowding became a serious concern.[1] Responses to it could involve the repurposing of buildings in the asylum, new accommodation being built and the development of new asylums. In addition, patients were moved to other institutions, including workhouses, and sometimes sent back to the care of their friends and family.

From the data collected for the project, seven case studies, highlighting the movement of patients, have been included in a recently published book called ‘British County Pauper Lunatics Asylums 1861-1901 Patients on the Move’. One of the case studies focuses on the opening of the East Riding of Yorkshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum, and the transfer of patients from the North Riding Asylum at Clifton near York. If you are interested in the project and purchasing the book you can do that through the FACHRS website.

[1] A pauper is defined as a person with no visible means of support.