Genealogy Chat

Thanks everyone, will print off the reply's and try to digest - would love to be able to try and piece together some of my grandad's life and try to understand him a little better. Many thanks Looby

you might want to try these St Andrew's, Northampton, Northamptonshire Originally: Pauper and Private Asylum for Northampton Built: 1836-38 Architect: Wallett Size: 70 patients Status: Run as a trust/largest hospital for mentally ill in the UK. Location: Multimap Link Web Site: http://www.stah.org/en/1/abt.html St Crispins, Duston, Northamtonshire Originally: Northampton County Lunatic Asylum (also called Berrywood Asylum) Built: 1873-1876 Architect: Robert Grffiths Size: Unknown Status: Derelict and fenced off during visit in 2000. Asbestos removal started late 2003, being converted into a hotel. Location: Multimap Link Web Site: http://www.duston.org.uk/stcrispin.htm Web Site: urbex | uk

I think it was more likey to be in kettering than northampton - which would have been about 3/4 hour bus ride from Broughton. kettering would have been about 15 mins. Apparently The best asociation that the county has with WW2 and planes is the BROOKLAND Aviation (factory) who made parts for Lancaster bombers. That was Kettering side of Northampton though

Looby, When you locate the right place, you should be able to look at the records. I went yesterday to do just that. I was unlucky, as there were some missing records in the period I was searching...hense I didn't find who I was looking for. Hopefully you'll be luckier! Mandy

Not of much help, but the main mental hospital for Northamptonshire was Berrywood, renamed 'St Crispins' , at Duston on the outskirts of Northampton. This facility was closed down a few years ago.It was a HUGE building, set in its own grounds. St Andrews hospital in Northampton is still thriving, but is an expensive private facility. Again, set in its own grounds - a complex of smaller buildings, but to arrive by bus you would definitely know that you were going to a town. So if there was one at Broughton, that sounds more likely, from your description. Would it be worth your while writing or e-mailing Northampton Central library and asking if they can help with possible locations? ( I am just wondering if special facilites were set up during the war - most big houses were taken over for one purpose or another, be it convalescence, army billets etc) Jay

nudge, in the hope that someone might be able to help!!

Hi Valerie thank you so much - will have a look Dennis Unfortunately Castle Bromwich is much too far away, but it is possible that the wings they made were then shipped somewhere else for assembly. thanks to both Looby

Hi There was a huge 'shadow factory' making Spitfires at Castle Bromwich near Birmingham. There were all sorts of facilities all over the UK turned over to producing aircraft components for final assembly elsewhere. That may be what someone was thinking of, but Castle Bromwich seems the likely answer. Denis

and this The National Archives | Search other Archives | Accessions to ...Broughton Hospital: consultation papers rel to proposed closure 1993-94 ... Asylums under the Lunacy Act 1890 and Mental Deficiency Act 1913: Visitors' ... (www.)nationalarchives.gov.(uk)/ accessions/2001/01digests/medic.htm - 51k - Cached - Similar pages

Found this googling History of Northampton Northampton Asylum (now St.Andrew’s Hospital). ... 1940, Rationing introduced. 1941, British Timken (international ... (www.)northampton.org.(uk)/history/history.htm - 80k - Cached - Similar pages remove brackets

Apologies if this is long, and you have tried to help before, but am giving this another try - I am desperate for some information - Valerie, i know you helped last time and thank you very much, but can anyone throw any more light on this? I am looking for records for my Grandfather EDWARD BUTT – I have his birth, marriage and death and know where he lived for most of his life – but there is a period that I would love to know more about, and unfortunately because both my parents have passed on I have no-one I can ask. A first cousin, once removed, who was aged approx.12 at the time, has given me some information, but I am struggling to find any more and wonder if anyone can help and point me in the right direction. My grandfather worked during the war building Spitfire’s at a factory just outside Kettering in Northamptonshire. In order to get to work he was given a lift on a motorbike and sidecar – unfortunately one morning they ‘parted company’ on a bridge, there was an accident and my grandfather suffered very serious head injuries. I have been told that he almost died, and was in hospital for several months. After this he was transferred to a ‘mental asylum’ where he stayed for a time (up to a year) before my grandmother decided that she could leave him there no longer and had him home. All I know about the ‘asylum’ is that it was within a bus ride of Broughton in Northamptonshire, it was a large house in grounds, and – the memory of a 12 year old - it had ‘huge wooden doors that swung open’ onto a large hallway. There was a ‘grille’ placed across the width of the hallway and the ‘inmates’ were locked behind it. My cousin remembers visiting with my grandmother, father and his mother on a Sunday. I would dearly love to try and find out what really happened to my grandad, it probably explains why all I remember of him is this very introvert ‘old man’ – and it has probably coloured my view of him my whole life – my cousin tells me that he was always the ‘life and soul of the party’ when he was younger and before the war, but this bears no resemblance to the man I remember. So – what I am asking is this: 1) Does anyone know where I might find a list of ‘asylums’ in Northamptonshire circa 1940 – or if you live in the area do you know where they were? 2) Where was the Spitfire factory at Kettering? 3) If I find the asylum am I likely to be able to find any records for it? Many thanks for anyone that can give me any help at all on this. Thank you Looby

see below in a mo