Abstract
The Northampton General Lunatic Asylum opened in 1836 and was funded through local subscriptions. Unlike many other subscription asylums, it did not become a county asylum after the 1845 Lunacy Acts, but was registered as a charitable hospital. This article explores the dynamics that resulted in the Northamptonshire authorities' successfully evading their responsibility to build a county asylum. The loopholes in the supposedly mandatory legislation are examined, with the implications this had for the relationship between the Commissioners in Lunacy and the NGLA governors, as well as the conflict between the local magistrates and the NGLA governors that eventually forced Northamptonshire to conform and build its own specific county asylum in 1876.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
