Correspondence
- Date:
- 1859-1948
- Reference:
- DGH1/2/4/2
- Part of:
- Records of Crichton Royal Hospital
- Archives and manuscripts
Collection contents
About this work
Description
Letters to and from members of the Board of Direction. Much of the material relates to issues regarding the appointment of a Roman Catholic Assistant Matron and disagreements over her suitability to succeed the post of Matron. Other correspondence relates to the appointment of Directors to the Board of Direction and the hosptial becoming part of the National Health Service.
Publication/Creation
1859-1948
Physical description
1 file
Biographical note
In 1858 an Assistant Matron was sought to aid and eventually succeed the Matron, Miss Softley, as she was suffering declining health and her retirement was anticipated. A successful candidate, Miss Thomson, was found, but prior to her taking up the post she informed Physician Superintendent, Dr J. Gilchrist, that she had changed her religion to become a Roman Catholic. There followed several months of disagreement between the Board of Trustees and Directors and those further afield. Miss Thomson entered into her duties as Assistant Matron but when the post of Matron became vacant a few months later she was not appointed. This resulted in two Directors resigning, Mr M. C. Maxwell and Colonel McMurdo. Mr M. C. Maxwell went on to publish a pamphlet, 'Religious Intolerance', in March 1859. Miss Thomson resigned from her post in April 1859. Mr M. C. Maxwell called for an official investigation into the whole affair, and on 21 July 1859 the Scottish Lunacy Commissioners held an Inquiry at the King's Arms Hotel in Dumfries. After testimonies were given the matter was drawn to a close.
Related material
Letter from Mrs Crichton to Mr Gladstone, DGH1/1/2/7
Copyright note
Enquiries for reproduction for commercial purposes should be directed to the Archivist, Dumfries and Galloway Archives and Local Studies
Terms of use
The papers are available at Dumfries and Galloway Archives subject to conditions of UK Data Protection Act 1998, Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and NHS Records Management Code of Practice 2012. Subject to these restrictions, this material is being digitised by the University of Glasgow as part of a Wellcome Trust funded project. Material that is digitised will be accessed freely online through the Wellcome Library catalogue.