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Borocourt Hospital—A History

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Borocourt Hospital—A History Borocourt Hospital—A History Spring 2010 took a further 2-3 years to complete be- fore the arrival of the first residents in Little was understood about mental illness water or electricity services – water be- May 1933. The hospital provided care for before the 20th century and sufferers were ing obtained from a 200 foot deep well all patients from children to adults and for either sent into an asylum or left to roam and lighting from lamps burning acety- those suffering from other afflictions in the streets. In the early 1900s significant lene gas - generated in a separate build- addition to their sub-normality – primarily advancements were made in the under- ing known as the Gas House. Despite his tuberculosis and epilepsy. Society at this standing and treatment of these mental wealth and success, Edward Hermon had time placed a great deal of emphasis on patients and mental illness was split into only a few years in which to enjoy the the qualities of respectability and various categories, including sub- morality. Unfortunately, occasions normality. Sub-normality was deemed arose where the term ‘sub-normality’ a separate entity requiring a different was applied to some of those seen as approach combined with different ‘having brought shame upon the fam- investigations and ways of manage- ily’. It is recorded that at least one ment. This identified a need for the young lady, then aged 15 and with provision of special long stay institu- some degree of learning difficulty, tions for their care. Accordingly, in was committed to Borocourt ‘to pro- 1930 and under the auspices of the tect her chastity’ - she remained for Mental Deficiency Act 1913, Wyfold over 30 years. Others, primarily Court mansion and its 264 acre estate young girls ‘from good backgrounds’ was purchased for the sum of £18,000 having a child born out of wedlock, (approx £5.5 million in today’s terms) were also institutionalised, their con- by the then Buckinghamshire, Oxford- dition conveniently being seen as shire, Reading and Oxford local au- Wyfold Court Mansion ‘evidence’ of mental sub-normality. thorities - the name ‘Borocourt’ being derived from the incorporation of the ini- property, dropping dead in the House of At first the mansion and old stable block tial letters of these authorities. Commons in 1881. What Mr Herman were used to house patients, supple- mented in the late 30s by the building of Originally built between 1872 and 1878, would have thought about the later rede- four more wards. Binny Cox who worked Wyfold Court had been designed by the velopment of Wyfold Court into a men- as a nurse at the hospital at various times notable architect George Somers Clarke tal institution cannot be known although over a period of 40 years, recalls them as for Edward Hermon, a wealthy Lancas- his wife Emily herself developed a seri- being used to accommodate the male pa- trian industrialist, MP for Preston and a ous mental condition that required her to tients whilst the females were accommo- lavish patron of the arts. Built in the ex- be ‘committed for lunacy’ in 1869. dated in the mansion, the upper floors of tremely ornate Gothic Style, it attracted Originally named as Borocourt Certified which were initially used as dormitories – much acclaim being considered as one of Institution for Mental Defectives (a ‘one containing some 80 beds with hardly the finest examples of its type - later de- small improvement to the ‘Institution for enough room to squeeze in-between’. scribed by Pevsner as: ‘A Nightmare Ab- Lunatics’ terminology previously used) bey in spirit, French Flamboyant Gothic Wyfold Court had stood empty for some Initially a Joint Board ran Borocourt Insti- with a touch of Scottish baronial in style’. years. The repair, updating and conver- tution with the nursing staff being super- At that time the property had no mains sion of the mansion and other buildings Continued overleaf formation already, including a copy of Peppard News is a community newspaper published Editorial by Rotherfield Peppard PCC with financial support Peppard Hospital - a Short History by from Peppard Parish Council, and is distributed free At last we have the early signs of spring; Esther and Henry Carling the to almost all households in the ecclesiastical and it doesn’t seem long since we were strug- ‘originators’ of the Hospital. If you civil parishes of Peppard. Views expressed are not gling through the heavy snow. have memories, photographs and infor- necessarily those of the PCC or RPPC unless stated as such. Now, down to business! Thanks go to our mation that would be useful to us in Guest Writer Malcolm Butler for his two writing this article, again we ask you to Peppard News is also available by e-mail. very interesting articles: The Elephant in please send these to us. Issues: March, June, September & December the Woods and Borocourt Hospital. I am Are you an aspiring Journalist? Do you Editor: Susan Carter, sure many of you will have memories Well Cottage, Kingwood Common, RG9 5NB. enjoy talking to people? Do you enjoy e-mail: Peppard [email protected] stirred as you read about Borocourt. writing? If so and you would be inter- www.Peppard ews.co.uk Would you like to share these with our ested in researching/writing the occa- readers? If so, do send them to us. Contributions accepted via e-mail or post to Penny sional article for Peppard ews, please Harvey, 12 Shiplake Bottom, Peppard, RG9 5HL In our next issue we shall have a History make contact with us Advertising: Ian Fraser - phone: 01491 629631 of Peppard Hospital. We have some in- Printed by Trinity Creative Resources Susan Carter, Editor Earley RG6 7RH Page 2 Our Schools vised by Matron Gill. Binny recalls Ma- came to use the training and occupa- Peppard C of E Primary tron Gill as being a respected but some- tional therapy centres. School what formidable lady of Yorkshire extrac- Despite the advancements, the hospital tion who ‘enjoyed an argument’. Binny Peppard Common RG9 5JU did not escape criticism. In 1981, a TV Phone: 01491 628354 also recalls that the patients were of child- documentary on the care of the mentally Headteacher - Tina Nowell ish minds even when of adult age, were handicapped caused much concern normally very pleasant and rarely caused amongst the public, press and the De- Chairman of the Governors difficulties, although childish tricks such partment of Health. It included scenes David Sell as climbing out of windows were not un- from Borocourt showing patients suffer- common. From the outset the hospital ing from self-harm and neglect, appar- Peppard School employed a form of ‘occupational ther- ently due to nursing staff being over- This has been a busy term for Peppard apy’ with able-bodied patients being whelmed by low staffing levels and School, with my arrival as the new Head- trained to do simple domestic work tasks overwork. Somewhat ahead of its time teacher and plenty of snow to keep us on or working with animals and crops on the (and government thinking) the documen- our toes! The school closed for several farm which, until about 1958, formed part tary emphasised the view that large hos- days when the roads were impassable. of the hospital estate. In many ways Boro- pitals were bad for patients and that the Since then, we have made up for lost time court was largely self-sufficient. answer lay with the creation of small with plenty of learning and the odd bit of It was taken over by the NHS in 1948 and care units. Similarly in January 1983 an sunshine to remind us that spring is on the in 1950 Dr Gerald O’Gorman became extract from Hansard reads as follows: way. We have lots of plans for improving Physician Superintendent. Described as ‘Conditions on a locked ward at Boro- our environment and our ‘Friends of Pep- being ‘full of vigour and unashamedly court Hospital near Peppard have been pard School’ are working hard to raise paternalistic in his approach to the care of described in a government report as funds for our Playground ideas. Recent the mentally handicapped’, he brought “quite appalling”.’ Another ward was successful events have included a Quiz about some of the most significant slammed as ‘one of the worst members Night and a Valentine Disco. of the visiting team had seen in a hospi- changes. Dr O’Gorman championed the On Tuesday, 9th February, the whole tal for the mentally handicapped. ...The patients and their need for occupation and school paid a very successful visit to the staff seemed to feel that they were at the self-respect. He pioneered many changes Science Museum in London. The children end of the line,’ reported the inspectors. in the hospital – including developing a had great fun and are now back in school large occupational therapy department, a The concept of providing treatment by continuing their learning about things they factory where the patients could work and the creation of small care units began to saw. One class is even studying female earn money, and opening a range of out- be developed, finally resulting in the pilots after their comments in the museum lying hostels and a school. He organised introduction of the Care In The Commu- that, ‘Girls can’t be pilots’! sports teams and dances and relaxed hos- nity programme. Following the resettle- pital rules, giving patients the freedom to ment of the last remaining patients and go to local shops and take jobs in the com- staff in 1993, the hospital finally closed. munity.
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