General

Thomas Creevey was born in Liverpool in 1768, he trained first as a lawyer but went on to be an MP in the early 1800s. Known as a wit and a man about town, he was a fixture of the Regency social scene. After his death he passed into obscurity, but his copious diaries and writings survived and were published in 1903 to great acclaim and were a best seller. 

One of the reasons the publication of the creevey papers was such a success was due to the candour and wit of Creevey’s writings, this passage about the Bennets, Earl Tankerville is typical (the tankervilles title comes from Tancarville in Normandy but has been through many iterations and at one time the family seat was Chillingham Castle, in Northumberland)

• ^{“…Bennet has been here, and is now returned to Bath. He is most desirous to know you, and I promised I would write to you and mention him by way of introduction. He is most amiable, occasionally most boring, but at all times most upright and honorable. Make him introduce you to Lord and Lady Tankerville. The former is very fond of me; he is a haughty, honorable man- has lived at one time in the heart of political leaders…has been in office several times and is now a misanthrope, but very communicative and entertaining when he likes his man. His only remaining passion is for clever men, of which description he considers himself as one, tho‘ certainly unjustly. Lady Tankerville has perhaps as much merit as any woman in england. She is too, very clever, and has great wit; but she, like her Lord is depressed and unhappy. They compose together the most striking libel upon the blessing of fortune; they are rich much beyond their desires or expednisture, they have the most elevated rank of their country, I know of nothing to disturb their happpiness, and the are apparently the most miserable people I ever saw”} 

^{Creevey to Dr Currie May 11 1805} 

Another feature of Creevey’s writings that draws comment and is evidence of the ‘playful’ and irreverent nature that shines through his writing, is his use of nicknames. I’ve included a few here, although there are quite a few more, and it gives a sense of the familiarity with ‘high circles’. It’s unclear with some of them quite how freely he used them to people’s faces but I get the sense that he often did. You’ll notice that some people have a couple, this usually happened when they annoyed him, changing Henry Brougham’s (an MP and later Lord High Chancellor) to ‘Beelzebub’ is self explanatory…  

JG Lambton, later Lord Durham was called ‘King Jog’ because he could quite happily jog along on only £40,000 a year…. 

 Less clear are the origins of some of the others. Creevey does give one account in his writing of the origin of his nickname for George Tierney, an MP and at this time the leader of the opposition in the House of Commons 

• “^{The reason I call Tierney by the name of ‘Cole’ is this. It used to be his constant practice in making his speeches in Parliament to bear particular testimony to his own character – to his being a ‘plain man’ ‘an honest man’ or something of that kind. Having heard him at this work several times, it occurred to me that he had formed himself upon that distinguished model Mrs Cole, and old lady in one of Foote’s farces, who presided over a female establishment in convent garden who was always indulgin herself with flattering references to her own character….Brougham was for many years quite enamoured of the resemblance of the portrait. He christened Abercromby Young Cole and the shabby party ‘the Coles’ but he has become more prudent and respectful of late”} 

Creevey would need to be careful who he was calling what because in 1798 George Tierney had been accused of having a lack of patriotism by William Pitt the prime minister leading to a duel between the two on Putney heath. 

Increasingly over the last years of his life Creevey would have to turn to friends and supporters for financial support, and largely because of the esteem in which he was held it was often willingly given. But he doesn’t seem to have required much, as Charles Greville, the diarist, was to highlight in 1829 

^{“Old Creevey is a rather extraordinary character…he possesses nothing but his clothes; no property of any sort; he leads a vagrant life, visiting a number of people who are delighted to have him… He has no servant, no home, no creditors, he buys everything a he wants it at the place he is at; he has no ties upon him, and has his time entirely at his own disposal and that of his friends. He is certainly a living proof that a man may be perfectly happy and exceedingly poor…I think he is the only man I know in society who possesses nothing”} 

Not everyone was quite so keen on Creevey though, in 1824 he met John Hobhouse, another politician who had this to say about him 

• ^{“He seemed to me a very wag, and one who would let no principle of any kind stand in the way of his joke. When he had no jest to excite laughter he tried grimaces … Of Creevey’s superior abilities there can be no doubt… which might adorn a higher character than he had endeavoured to acquire.”} 

The feeling was mutual though, Creevey describing him as Odious. 

Thomas Creevey Died in 1838. The majority of his papers survived and were meticulously kept by his step daughter Elizabeth Ord, whereby they were eventually to pass to her eldest grandson, and then his wife, Mrs Blackett-Ord of Whitfield Hall, who arranged with Herbert Maxwell the publication of the Creevey Papers in 1903. They were to eventually be deposited at Northumberland Archives in the 1970s. 

The Northumberland County Lunatic Asylum first admitted patients on 16 March 1859. It was the duty of the Superintendent to issue an annual report where he would reflect on both the positive and negative aspects of the year. The first report was written by Superintendent Richard Wilson and was dated 1 January 1860. 

Mr Wilson stated that the report would embrace the conditions of the asylum and its inmates, their employment, means of recreation and their general state of health. He was happy to be able to speak favourably of the asylum considering that it was still not fully operational and that many of the attendants had yet to be taught their duties. At the time the report was written, 154 patients had been admitted. This consisted of 81 men and 73 women. Of these, 106 were transferred from other areas including asylums in Durham, Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Although there were some difficulties admitting the transfers due to the lack of a proper entrance road, there was minimum disruption to patients due to the professionalism of the staff. Most of the cases transferred were long stay patients and many of an advanced age. This concerned Mr Wilson as he believed it gave him little hope of doing any great good. He did however feel that he had achieved something in relation to the use of restraints as no restraints were used on patients during 1859. Some force was needed on occasions but only a small number of patients were placed in seclusion (forcibly placed in a locked room for a period of time). In general, the bodily health of the patients was classed as good.

As regards the general design of the building, it was found to be, with the exception of a few slight alterations, to answer satisfactorily. The Superintendent was rejoiced to find that the upper floors were devoted only to bedrooms, the patients living entirely below. This ensured much better supervision of patients during the day and more perfect ventilation of the dormitories. He was also pleased that open fireplaces were adopted giving a much more cheerful and homely aspect to the wards as well as affording more warmth than the old plan of heating by hot water would have done.

Mr Wilson was a strong advocate of employment as a mean of ‘cure-occupying’. He believed it gave patients a focus while at the same time, it was conducive to their bodily health. The men were chiefly engaged in agricultural pursuits and were also employed to assist with creating the approach road to the asylum. A few were also engaged in tailoring and shoemaking. Full employment was likewise given to the women in the washhouse, laundry, kitchen and sewing room. During the summer season they participated in hay making. Patients with suicidal tendencies were kept away from machinery but others were trusted and no accidents occurred. Patients who worked as mowers and reapers pursued their work with little or no supervision and would rise as early as early as 4am.

Considering that there was no boundary wall or protection of any kind to the grounds of the asylum (nearly 100 acres) escapes on the part of the patients very rarely occurred; and those who had escaped were quickly recaptured. One case noted was that of a man who in the past had been confined in the Morpeth County Gaol for poaching. One day he suddenly recollected that his gun was in pawn and that the time for it being redeemed was drawing near. He escaped in order to acquaint his brother with that fact and then returned to the asylum by himself the same day just in time for tea!  

The full service of the Church of England was performed twice every Sunday and the marked attention of the patients testified to their appreciation of the services of the Chaplain – Rev. Thomas Finch. Mr Wilson praised the Chaplain and claimed he seconded his endeavours in every way to improve the mental condition of the patients. The Matron kindly presided at the Harmonium so everybody could sing accompanied by music. The presence of friends and neighbours was also encouraged in the hope of overcoming any prejudices, as well as to remove any impression on the part of the patients, that the service was confined solely to themselves. 

In relation to recreation, cards, draughts, dominoes and quoits were provided together with a stock of useful and entertaining books. Various periodicals and newspapers were likewise freely distributed throughout the wards. Almost since the opening there was a weekly dance in which many of the inhabitants of the town also took part. Mr Wilson believed that this had been extremely beneficial to the patients. In addition to exercise it also acted as a means of control, a mode of bestowing reward or punishment by giving or withholding permission to attend it, according to their behaviour during the week. Yet again though, it allowed patients to mix freely with people who lived outside the asylum environment. 

QAL

Archibald Matthias Dunn has been described as being amongst the foremost Catholic architects in the north-east of England during the Victorian era.  Born in 1832 in Wylam, Northumberland, his father Matthias Dunn was a mining engineer and inspector in the region who worked with John Dobson drawing up an unsuccessful route for the railway from Newcastle to Dunbar. 

Archibald’s education was a religious-based one, attending Ushaw College in County Durham and Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, before becoming an apprentice architect with Charles Francis Hansom in Bristol.  Archibald went one to form a partnership with Hansom’s son, Edward Joseph Hansom opening a practice in Eldon Square, Newcastle in the 1850s.  The practice, and Dunn himself, were responsible for a number of architectural designs in Northumberland and beyond often reflecting his Catholic upbringing.  A small number of examples include St Andrew’s cemetery, Hexham (1858); Our Lady and St Wilifrid Roman Catholic Church, Blyth (1858); Mining Institute/Wood Memorial Hall, Newcastle (1868); and Castle Hill House, Wylam (1878) which Archibald kept as a private residence until it was sold in 1901.  Archibald also provided designs for the tower and spire of St Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle.  The Dunn family made a number of bequests towards the Cathedral, William Dunn was Secretary to the Committee for the erection of St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Newcastle.  The Dunn family are remembered in a number of the windows.  Papers between William Dunn as Secretary and Augustus Welby Pugin (architect of the Cathedral) are amongst the Dunn family papers [NRO 02988]. 

Archibald was also a keen watercolourist, sketching whilst travelling in Europe with this wife, author, Sara Armstrong.  In 1886 “Notes and Sketches of an Architect” was published.  At Northumberland Archives amongst general family papers are two sketches that Archibald did; one an unidentified building viewed from Newcastle Road and another showing the planned interior for a ‘new Catholic Church and Presbytery, Gateshead’, possibly St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Gateshead. 

Despite retiring in 1897, Archibald continued designing including an unsuccessful design for Westminster Cathedral in 1906.  Dunn “never sought professional qualification but was elected an honorary ARIBA in his retirement, which may be unique”.  Archibald’s death in Bournemouth in January 1917 was reported locally in the ‘Newcastle Daily Chronicle’ and ‘Shields Daily News’; he was remembered as “an architect of national reputation particularly of ecclesiastical architecture” as well as a “charming companion”.