A priory for the Order of the Star of Bethlehem, built in 1247 on Bishopsgate at Liverpool Street, started admitting mental patients in 1357. This was probably the world's first institution to specialise in mental illness. It developed into a horrible place, known as Bedlam, dedicated to the commitment of the insane. In 1676 it moved to the London Wall site and it was this building that was adorned with the Cibber statues of Raving and Melancholy Madness. In 1815 Bedlam moved to the St George's Fields site (at that time owned by the City of London) in Southwark and, when in 1930 it moved out to a site near Beckenham, the Southwark buildings became the Imperial War Museum.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Bethlehem Hospital 1&2
Commemorated ati
Bethlehem Hospital - first
Site of the first Bethlehem Hospital 1247 - 1676. The Corporation of the City...
Bethlehem Hospital - second
Site of the second Bethlehem Hospital, 1676 -1815. The Corporation of the Cit...
Gift from Lord Rothermere
This plaque was unveiled a second time, during the 75th anniversary celebrati...
Harmsworth - IWM
In 1926 Harold Harmsworth, the first Viscount Rothermere, bought the grounds ...
Other Subjects
Inez May Davies, SRN
A nurse, victim of a flying bomb on Kingston Hospital on 5 July 1944. We thank Mike Coleman who drew our attention to this lady on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. Further research ...
War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
C. Alan Palmer
Corps Officer in the St John Ambulance Brigade, Metropolitan Corps, 1887-1895, 1915-1921. Serving Brother in the Order of St John.
Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration
1 memorial
Chelsea Physic Garden
Originally established in 1673 as The Apothecaries Garden. The word ‘physic’ in this context means ‘healing’. In 1983 the garden became a registered charity and opened to the public for the first t...
1 memorial
King George Hospital, HMSO, Stamford Street
From the Survey of London and Ezitis (excellent) we learn that the five storey Cornwall House, built as warehouse for H.M. Stationery Office, was completed in the middle of WW1 and so was used unti...
1 memorial
Willesden Maternity Hospital
Also known as the Kingsbury Hospital. In 1972 it was refurbished as the Kingsbury Community Hospital, a specialist resource for mentally handicapped people.
1 memorial
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