Crichton Hall, Dumfries

Down in Dumfries today for meetings in Crichton Hall, previously, the Royal Crichton Asylum.

The last, and grandest, of Scotland's Royal asylums was founded in Dumfries in 1838 by Elizabeth Crichton of Friar's Carse (1779–1862), a wealthy local widow. She persuaded the phrenologist William A. F. Browne (1805-1885) to become medical superintendent and to implement his innovative ideas of occupational therapy and art therapy. Browne remained at the Crichton for almost twenty years (1838-1857) and made a decisive contribution to asylum psychiatry, setting benchmark standards in therapeutic administration. He also hoarded a vast collection of patient art. After his appointment as Medical Commissioner in Lunacy, Browne was succeeded by Dr James Gilchrist; Dr Charles Easterbrook and Dr Alan Tait were later superintendents.

The Crichton became widely known for its outstanding contributions to psychiatric research under the leadership of German Jewish émigrés, including Dr Willi Mayer-Gross. Elizabeth Crichton's initial intention to found a university in Dumfries was blocked by the existing Scottish universities. (For article on the 1838 "University of Dumfries" see this article in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society). The Crichton was the subject of an unusually detailed and extensive asylum history - The Chronicle of Crichton Royal (1833 - 1936) - written and edited by Charles Easterbrook, and published in 1940. Easterbrook wrote the book - in Edinburgh, at the Murrayfield private hotel - following his retirement as Physician Superintendent.
Psychotherapist Ursula Fleming was educated at the Crichton.

Among the people to have been treated there are artist Charles Altamont Doyle (father of Arthur Conan Doyle), Lydia Miller (widow of Hugh Miller) and feminist writer Dora Marsden. An unknown female patient of Dr James Gilchrist featured as an illustration (Figure 19) in Charles Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872).

The original hospital building, now Crichton Hall, was designed by William Burn and opened in 1839. The hospital was expanded in the late 19th century, when Sydney Mitchell & Wilson added various buildings including the Crichton Memorial Church. Further villas were constructed in 1910–1914, and 1923–1936. Crichton Hall and Crichton Memorial Church are category A listed buildings, with many of the other buildings listed at category B or category C.

A very interesting building to have a meeting in.

Back home now and chilling. Hope you have all had a good day.