General

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”. 

We have written quite a bit about the collection of Connie Leathart over the last few years.  Again, we are delving into her collection, but this time looking more at aviation rather than Connie herself. 

Whilst reading a book on Lady Lucy Houston DBE by Miles Macnair, my interest was piqued.  Lucy was a philanthropist and political activist, who developed an interest in aviation in the 1930s, when the British government withdrew support for the British entrants of the Schneider Trophy Race.  My mind started to whirr, and I wondered if the indomitable Lucy had ever crossed paths with our own Connie Leathart.  Lucy’s interest came at roughly the same time as Connie gained her pilot’s licence and began her career within that world.  

The Schneider Race was founded in 1912 by Jacques Schneider, a balloonist and keen aviator, and the International Sporting Club of France.  Schneider believed an international air race would speed up the development of aircraft engines and aeroplanes.  In later years, it became a contest focussed on speed, but it remained important in advancing aeroplane design, and heavily influenced many Second World War aircraft designs.  The races were tremendously popular in their day, sometimes attracting more than 200,000 spectators.     

Rules of the race included that it must take place over open sea, and that the distance must be at least 150 nautical miles around a triangular course.  The winning country would host the next event, and if a country ever won the race three times in a row, they would be crowned overall winners of the Trophy. 

Connie’s collection contains some fabulous photograph albums which cover the first few decades of her life.  After conducting a search on our catalogue, I found that there were references to the Schneider Trophy within the albums, mainly of the 1929 Schneider Race which took place at Calshot in Hampshire.  As these photographs are within Connie’s albums, it is reasonable to assume that she was there at the event.  The British Supermarine S.6 won the 1929 race, piloted by Flying Officer H.R. Waghorn.  This would be the second consecutive British win, as they had achieved first place in the 1927 Race in Venice. 

We also know that Connie must have been at the 1931 Schneider contest, as again there are photographs within her albums that show the event.  The Air Ministry refused to grant funds to the Royal Aero Club to enter the contest, R.A.F. involvement was vetoed in the Race and in the policing of the racecourse on the Solent, and the aircraft used in the 1929 Race were forbidden from being flown again. 

Lady Lucy gave a private donation of £100,000 to The Royal Aero Club to help finance the 1931 entry, the Supermarine.  The British team ended up flying the course alone, as the German, French and Italian teams failed to have their aircraft ready in time to compete.  The race, which took place on the 13 September, was therefore won by the British, and as this was the third time they had won the Race, they were overall winners of the Schneider Trophy. 

Without Lady Lucy Houston’s donation, the Supermarine Spitfire may never have been designed, or at least not in time to take the stage in the Second World War.  The Schneider Trophy seaplanes designed by R.J. Mitchell at Supermarine led to the development of the airframe which was the prototype for the Spitfire, not to mention the Merlin engine that was developed, and would power British fighter planes.  Planes that Connie would fly in her role as a Flight Captain in the Air Transport Auxiliary.  

Two extraordinary women, linked by a love of aviation and their country.