Reports of the superintendent and chaplain of Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, with statistical tables, for the year 1874.

  • Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports of the superintendent and chaplain of Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, with statistical tables, for the year 1874. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    class it is of importance to the peace and to the safety of the asylum that they should be encouraged as much as may be to occupy themselves with books which either instruct or amuse them. I have the satisfaction to report that the provision made by the Counci] of Supervision for replenishing the library has, with care in the selection of the books, been adequate to the requirements of the asylum. In superintending the library I have continued to be assisted by Mr. Thomas, the schoolmaster. The training of the patients who act as a choir and the music in the services of the chapel are also under his direction. The training of the asylum band and the management of entertainments for the patients are also undertaken by him. These duties, in addition to the teaching of patients willing to be instructed by him in elementary knowledge, have been discharged by Mr. Thomas with great regularity. I regret that I am not able to report a return to collective school teaching for patients. Peculiarities of character are found to render patients at this asylum averse to learning in classes, while a few of them are willing to avail themselves of instruction given individually. The school for the children of servants was examined on the 11th of November last. The average attendance during the school year had been 115. The number present on the day of examination was 102, of whom 46 were infants. The number qualified for examination in Standards was 63, of whom 56 were presented ; and of these all passed in reading, all in writing, and 46 passed in arithmetic. Twelve were examined and all passed in history. The grant to which the school was entitled by these results was 8 61. 18s., but the expenditure for the year had not exceeded 158/. 12s. 4d.} and the grant was reduced to 79/. 6s. 2d. I beg to submit, for the information of the Council of Supervision, the following extract from the summary of the Report of Her Majesty's Inspector transmitted to the managers by the Education Department:— “ The whole of the school work does great credit to the “ mistress and teachers. It is intelligent, thorough, and “ careful. The infants' first class is well taught and orderly ; “ and the other infants’ classes are very fairly taught also, but “ not quite steady enough in application.” In consequence of circumstances over which the managers had no control, Miss Wood, the mistress of the school, resigned her office at Christmas. The preceding Report of Her Majesty’s Inspector makes it unnecessary that I should state the high opinion entertained by the managers of Miss Wood’s qualification as a teacher.