ROYAL ALBERT ASYLUM At the Town Hall, Kendal, on Tuesday afternoon, a public meeting was held in connection with the election of 25 patients, belonging to the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Westmorland, Cumberland, Durham, and Northumberland, as inmates of the Royal Albert Idiot Asylum at Lancaster. The chair was occupied by MR. W. H. WAKEFIELD, chairman of the Westmorland committee. The CHAIRMAN briefly opened the proceedings, and called upon MR. JAMES DIGGONS, the secretary, who read the following list of names of successful candidates. LANCASHIRE, eight entries: ELIZABETH ANN BAILEY, Rusholme WILLIAM BRIGGS, Clitheroe WASHINGTON CAMPBELL, Constance-street, Liverpool ELLEN DAVIES, Bedord Leigh JANE LEES, Miles Platting, Manchester JAMES RAFFERTY, Higher Broughton, Manchester ELIZABETH SMITH, Parker-street, Preston ELIZABETH THOMPSON, Astley, Manchester. YORKSHIRE, eight vacancies: MARY ANN ECCLES, Saltaire THOMAS HARTLEY, Halifax LIZZIE LAWTON, Huddersfield HARRY NORTH, Thororganby, York WALTER WALKER, Penistone Road, Sheffield WALTER WARING, Barkerend Road, Bradford ADA WHEELHOUSE, Hebdenbridge HERBERT WOOD, Blackman Lane, Leeds CHESHIRE, one vacancy: WM. SMITH, Sussex-street, Birkenhead WESTMORLAND, one vacancy: JOSEPH LEAK, Orrest Head Farm, Windermere CUMBERLAND, three vacancies: SKELTON, Harrington, Carlisle ROBERT SKELTON and Wm. SKELTON and WM. SKELTON, brothers of the same place. DURHAM; four vacancies: MARY ANN CRAVEN, Brandon, Durham ALFD. SHIELDS, Stockton-on-Tees BENJN. HERDIMAN, Durham EDWARD LYNNE, Albert Street, West Hartlepool. Addresses were delivered by several gentlemen. - MR. LAWRENCE stated that the institution continued to prosper, though there were still 177 vacancies which they were unable as yet to provide for. The cost of patients per head had been about £35, and the total cost of patients about £15,400, which could be raised, if the asylum were filled, to £22,000. Looking at the various sources of income, he thought that another £3,000 a year from subscribers would perhaps enable them to fill the institution to the extent of its accommodation. A resolution was passed in which the meeting pledged itself to use every means with a view to increasing the maintenance fund as required. Other resolutions were carried appointing the committee and acknowledging the efficient services of the officers. A vote of thanks to the Chairman brought the proceedings to a close.

*With kind permission of the original sender, Ruth Borrowdale, some added information about the Royal Albert Asylum* _________________________________________________ Hi Barb you may be interested to know that the Royal Albert Hospital (as it became known) only closed a few years ago when the big thing was care in the community. A lot of the land was sold and has now been built on but the main building was converted into a Muslim Girls Boarding School and attracts girls from all over the world. It used to provide quite a large number of jobs which of course went when it closed. One of my friends trained as a nurse there and worked there for several years. Ruth Borrowdale (Swinton) _______________________________________________________