A Case for the Ordinary: Staffordshire’s Asylums and the Patient Experience

The word ‘asylum’ can often be associated with the large, imposing Victorian buildings which were constructed to house individuals with a mental illness.

Historically words such as madness or lunacy have been associated with asylums together with images of people being forcefully restrained or badly treated. However, the story of asylums also reflects the positive developments and innovations taking place in the provision of mental health care. Research into their documents and records has revealed a wider picture of the patient experience and that of the staff and families who lived in, worked in and visited the asylums.

Staffordshire was home to three County Asylums which opened during the 19^th century: Stafford (1818), Burntwood (1864) and Cheddleton (1899). In addition, Coton Hill asylum was opened in 1854 to house private patients from the County Asylum in Stafford.

The records of the three Staffordshire institutions are remarkably consistent and well preserved.  Letters, documents, photographs and objects from the Staffordshire Archive and Heritage Service collections have helped to explore the impact of the asylums on patients and their families and show how they changed and developed over time.

Bringing these items together, we have created our touring exhibition A Case for the Ordinary, which has been well received during display runs at the Museum of Cannock Chase, the Brampton Museum & Art Gallery (Newcastle-under-Lyme) and the Nicholson Institute (Leek).

This exhibition explores the treatments, daily routine, social life, staff and asylum buildings, to discover how the asylums were run and how effective they were in helping the people who were sent to them. Letters, documents, photographs and objects from the Staffordshire Archive and Heritage Service collections have helped to explore the impact of the asylums on patients and their families and show how they changed and developed over time.

The exhibition has been supported with funding from the Wellcome Trust and our partners at Keele University and the University of Birmingham. 

A Case for the Ordinary can currently be seen at the Ancient High House, Stafford, where the exhibition runs until Tuesday, 12th December 2023.