On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 23:06:57 -0500, "Lynn Polgar" <LPOLGAR@comcast.net> wrote: >I am looking for information about the existence of Saughton Hall Asylum, which was in Edinburgh in the mid-1800's. > >The medical superintendent was Sir John Batty Tuke. > >I have TAIT ancestors who worked for Dr. Tuke. Did you get that from a Google search? I ask because a Google search for "Saughton Hall Asylum" comes up with just two websites. The one at http://www.1902-encyclopedia.com/A/APH/aphasia.html says: Sir John Batty Tuke, M.D., D.Sc., M.P., Medical Superintendent, Saughton Hall Asylum, Edinburgh The other, at http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/manuscripts/search/detailp.cfm?NID=11379&DID=37509&AID= says: Sir John Batty Tuke, 1835-1913. Medical Director, New Saughton Hall Asylum, Edinburgh. M.P., Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities. Note that there are references to him being involved with both Saughton Hall Asylum, and New Saughton Hall Asylum. Although it might be assumed that these referred to the same place, they were actually different establishments and many miles apart! Saughton Hall Asylum was originally a 17th century mansion called Saughton Hall, probably built for the wealthy merchant Robert Baird. It was sited in what is now Saughton Park Winter Gardens, which is bounded on three sides by Balgreen Road, Gorgie Road and Fords Road. See <http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=322033&y=671905&z=1&sv=322250,671750&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf> for a map, with an arrow pointing to where the house was. The entrance to the house was from Ford's Road. At the beginning of the 19th century it became a private mental asylum for "patients of the higher ranks", and by the middle of the 19th century boasted a botanic garden, airing courts for amusements and activities, baths, and airing galleries. The asylum came under the care of John Batty Tuke later in the century - Tuke himself came from a Yorkshire Quaker family noted for their humane treatment of the insane. Whilst "Batty" might be assumed to have just been a rather appropriate nickname for someone involved in his line of work, it is the name given in Who's Who, and his father was also called the same name. Tuke lived at Balgreen, which was then a mansion 1/4 mile north of Saughton Hall, and is now the site of Balgreen Primary School and Balgreen Public Library. Towards the end of the 19th century, Tuke expanded his interest in the insane and took over Mavisbank House, near Eskbank, which had been built in 1723. This also became a lunatic asylum, and rather confusingly, he called this New Saughton Hall! In 1900 The City Council became the owners of Saughton Hall and Balgreen House, and they turned the house and the grounds into a public gardens, which remain to this day. However the house was not maintained properly, and by the 1940s had become semi-derelict. It was demolished in 1952. Balgreen continued to be used by Sir John Tuke, who had been Knighted in 1898, until shortly before his death in 1913. After being used by the City as a children's home, it was demolished in 1932 to make way for the present-day school and library. New Saughton Hall (ie Mavisbank) continued as a medical institution after Sir John's death, but was ravaged by a fire in 1973. It has since been derelict, hoping that someone would come along and save it, and in 2003 it was one of the hopefuls put forward for the BBC TV series "Restoration", with an estimated repair bill of 7 million pounds. See http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst6413.html <http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/07_july/18/restoration_buildings_scot.pdf> Unfortunately for Mavisbank, it was beaten in the final by the Victorian Baths in Manchester. Forrest -- Forrest Anderson - British Military Genealogical Researcher. E-mail: forrest@military-researcher.com Website: www.military-researcher.com