Strange occupation

[Davran]

I'm at it again! 1861 Ramsgate RG9/536 fol131 p30.

William Nicholson's occupation appears to be Barrister at Law Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy! At first I thought it was Surrey, but the transcriber has put Lunacy and I'm inclined to agree. In either case, what on earth did the man do? :confused:

[busyglen]

Just a guess, which is probably totally wrong, but possibly someone who visits Asylums on behalf of the Chancellor to ascertain matters relating to a `lunatic'. I don't know whether they had any rights in those times?

Glenys

[Karen Newman]

If you google 'Visitor In Lunacy', there are quite a few references, to some quite eminent people. Some sort of role advising on mental health (still in its infancy then I would guess).

[busyglen]

I've just done that, and tried to post the ulr, but I'm always losing it before I paste it!!
But as Karen says, if you google it, there is quite a bit about it.

Glenys

[Davran]

Thank you, so I'm not going mad after all ...:D

[ChrisKelly]

There's some information here: http://www.mdx.ac.uk/WWW/STUDY/5_4.htm

"Masters in Lunacy" - I love it!

[SBSFamilyhistory]

http://www.mdx.ac.uk/WWW/STUDY/5_4.htm

try this for information

looks as though I beaten too it... why did the phone have to ring.......

[Davran]

How fascinating! I've saved the URL for a proper look later. I didn't realise that the asylums were so well regulated - I imagined that people were just bunged in there and forgotten. :o

[*bunty*]

I would think they were regulated because the medical profession relied on them to conduct experiments and the like on patients. That is how we discovered so much about the human brain.