Manchester University Press
6 Workhouses and the mentally ill
Abstract
This chapter assesses the interactions between workhouses and asylums when dealing with the mentally ill. It demonstrates that workhouse lunatic wards expanded the 'institutional market-place' in asylum districts, though in contrast to England poor law unions did not enter formal contracts with private or public asylums. Asylums and workhouses were financed through separate forms of taxation thereby inhibiting the integration of asylum and workhouse relief. The conversion of workhouses into auxiliary asylums for chronic patients, was recommended at various points during the nineteenth century. In the absence of a clearly defined integrated system that adequately responded to the pressures, the movement of people between institutions was managed and negotiated locally. To explore these issues, the chapter draws on Carlow, Enniscorthy, Athy and Naas poor law union records, in addition to Carlow and Enniscorthy asylum records. The poor law was introduced to Ireland in 1838, twenty years after the asylum system.
Abstract
This chapter assesses the interactions between workhouses and asylums when dealing with the mentally ill. It demonstrates that workhouse lunatic wards expanded the 'institutional market-place' in asylum districts, though in contrast to England poor law unions did not enter formal contracts with private or public asylums. Asylums and workhouses were financed through separate forms of taxation thereby inhibiting the integration of asylum and workhouse relief. The conversion of workhouses into auxiliary asylums for chronic patients, was recommended at various points during the nineteenth century. In the absence of a clearly defined integrated system that adequately responded to the pressures, the movement of people between institutions was managed and negotiated locally. To explore these issues, the chapter draws on Carlow, Enniscorthy, Athy and Naas poor law union records, in addition to Carlow and Enniscorthy asylum records. The poor law was introduced to Ireland in 1838, twenty years after the asylum system.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vi
- List of tables viii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Abbreviations x
- Introduction xi
- 1 Shaping the Irish asylum system 1
- 2 Expansion and demand 34
- 3 Routes into the asylums 73
- 4 Insanity on display 97
- 5 Households and institutionalisation 133
- 6 Workhouses and the mentally ill 169
- 7 Inside the asylums 195
- 8 Conclusion 240
- Select bibliography 245
- Index 267
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vi
- List of tables viii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Abbreviations x
- Introduction xi
- 1 Shaping the Irish asylum system 1
- 2 Expansion and demand 34
- 3 Routes into the asylums 73
- 4 Insanity on display 97
- 5 Households and institutionalisation 133
- 6 Workhouses and the mentally ill 169
- 7 Inside the asylums 195
- 8 Conclusion 240
- Select bibliography 245
- Index 267
