Child Insanity in England, 1845-1907 PDF
Preview Child Insanity in England, 1845-1907
PALGRAVE STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD CHILD INSANITY IN ENGLAND, 1845–1907 STEVEN J. TAYLOR Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood Series Editors: George Rousseau University of Oxford, UK Laurence Brockliss University of Oxford, UK Aims of the Series Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood is the fi rst of its kind to historicise childhood in the English-speaking world; at present no histori- cal series on children/childhood exists, despite burgeoning areas within Child Studies. The series aims to act both as a forum for publishing works in the history of childhood and a mechanism for consolidating the identity and attraction of the new discipline. More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/14586 Steven J. Taylor Child Insanity in England, 1845–1907 Steven J. Taylor University of Leicester Leicester, United Kingdom Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood ISBN 978-1-137-60026-4 ISBN 978-1-137-60027-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-137-60027-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016956877 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2 017 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identifi ed as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: Cover image © The Keasbury-Gordon Photograph Archive/ Alamy Stock Photo Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London The registered company address is: The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW, United Kingdom For The Boys A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS The intellectual premise for this piece of work was conceived while work- ing as a teacher of history at a secondary school in Northamptonshire. However, it did not become a reality until a meeting with Professor Steven King at the University of Leicester on a snowy December day in 2010. Steve listened to my ideas and helped refi ne some of my, what were then lofty, goals. His knowledge, wit, and good humour guided me successfully through the PhD process and this work would never have reached the point of publication without him. The research is better developed and more lucid for Steve’s input than I imagined it could ever be. His toler- ance of my writing habits and style, so different from his own, knew no bounds. I am truly appreciative of his supervision and friendship and hope to be able to work with him again in the future. The analysis itself was completed following an extensive period of archi- val research. During this time I spent countless hours talking to archivists and asking questions that, no matter how banal, they answered dutifully. These individuals deserve a special thank you. As historians we rely on their archival expertise and without them our work would be impossible. It saddens me that many of them are no longer in post as a result of bud- get cuts, most of which politically imposed, following the fi nancial crisis of 2008. Not only was their subject knowledge of great benefi t, but their physical strength, hauling around the large leather-bound casebooks that have survived from asylums, was also appreciated. With hindsight, their good humour and tolerance for my demands was above and beyond the call of duty. To all of the archivists that helped me along the way—I owe you a huge debt. vii viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I also need to offer my gratitude to those who have commented or asked questions about my work at conferences, seminars, and workshops where I have presented. While too numerous to name individually they have helped to mould my thinking and conclusions, and for this they deserve a special mention. For reading drafts of this research I would like to thank Elizabeth Hurren, Rob Ellis, Keith Snell and Peter Bartlett for their time and invaluable feedback on my work. Additionally, the com- ments from Hilary Marland, who examined my PhD, have been instru- mental in shaping the argument and direction of the analysis that follows. I owe Annmarie Valdes more chocolate cake than one can imagine! She has dutifully read chapters and offered advice throughout the writing stages of this book and without her motivational tweets from across the pond I may never have fi nished. Also I must thank Emily Russell and Rowan Milligan at Palgrave Macmillan for their tolerance, help, and support, and Laurence Brockliss and George Rousseau, the series editors for their input and guid- ance. For the shortcomings that remain, I alone am responsible. On a personal level there are a numerous people that I need to acknowledge. Family members have been a constant source of enthusiasm and guidance. My parents, Mag and Rob, have been supportive through- out and have acted as sounding boards, fi nancial consultants, and child- minders on numerous occasions. Similarly Bec and Gareth have often stepped in when the need for childcare has been at its most urgent and I hope to now return the favour as the pitter patter of tiny feet are immi- nent. It is also important that I pay tribute to those who were here at the beginning of this journey but sadly did not see its conclusion. To Mick and, my grandmother, Sheila, you are missed every day and your encour- agement and support is appreciated. Without Lou this book would never have happened and I would most likely still be stuck away in a secondary school classroom somewhere—to her I owe a giant thank you and probably an even bigger apology! Lastly, I turn to the constant sources of energy and distraction in my life—t he boys . Their good humour has helped me to focus and unwind after periods of archival fatigue and writer’s block. At times they have acted as research assistants (only semi-effective) and I have fond memories of teaching them to read using numerous scholarly texts (again, only semi-effective). They are my inspiration and motivation and it is to them that this work is dedicated. C ONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 ‘Much Below Insects, and so Little Above Sensitive Plants’: Constructing the Insane Child 2 3 3 Networks of Care: Asylum Children, Typology, and Experience 67 4 Looking Out from the Asylum: Deathbeds, Distribution, and Diversity 1 05 5 Beyond the Asylum: Dealing with Insane Children 1 39 6 Conclusion 1 73 Index 185 ix
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