Bedlam Insane Asylum
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Bedlam Insane Asylum
We all know the word bedlam refers to a state of utter madness but do you really know the origins of the word? Bedlam originally referred to the notorious insane asylum which opened its doors (as a priory, St. Mary of Bethlehem) in thirteenth century London. Without a doubt it was a place where chaos and madness were the norm. One can almost imagine the sound of clinking chains mixed in with the rants and raves of hopeless lunatics left to the devices of keepers ill prepared to provide the comfort and care we now know an individual clutched in the throws of mental illness requires. So bedlam meaning "a scene or state of uproar and confusion" (according to the online dictionary Dictionary.com) came into contemporary vernacular through a circuitous path whose origin lie in the mispronunciation of the word Bethlem..
Have You Gone Completely Mad?
To Bedlam Then
The Bethlehem Royal Hospital is recognized as the oldest and longest running establishment specializing in the treatment of the mentally ill. The first location for the asylum, Originally opened by Simon Fitzroy in 1247 as a priory for the sisters and brethren of the Order of the Star of Bethlehem, was located in Bishopsgate at what is now Liverpool Station in London England.
Gradually by 1403 the priory evolved into a full fledged insane asylum. By 1450 it was being called Bedlam (meaning uproar and confusion, derived from the name Bethlehem) and by the early sixteenth century thirty one patients shared a space built for twenty four. Since its inception, Bethlehem has been relocated twice. In 1675 the hospital was moved from its original location on Bishopsgate Street to the Moorfields. In 1815 it was moved to St. George's Field, Southwark then in 1930 Bethlehem Royal Hospital came to reside in its current location at Beckham in the London borough of Bromley.
According to Wikipedia:
"Although the hospital is now at the forefront of humane psychiatric treatment, for much of its history it was notorious for cruelty and inhumane treatment - the epitome of what the term "madhouse" connotes to the modern reader."
Gradually by 1403 the priory evolved into a full fledged insane asylum. By 1450 it was being called Bedlam (meaning uproar and confusion, derived from the name Bethlehem) and by the early sixteenth century thirty one patients shared a space built for twenty four. Since its inception, Bethlehem has been relocated twice. In 1675 the hospital was moved from its original location on Bishopsgate Street to the Moorfields. In 1815 it was moved to St. George's Field, Southwark then in 1930 Bethlehem Royal Hospital came to reside in its current location at Beckham in the London borough of Bromley.
According to Wikipedia:
"Although the hospital is now at the forefront of humane psychiatric treatment, for much of its history it was notorious for cruelty and inhumane treatment - the epitome of what the term "madhouse" connotes to the modern reader."
Resources for your research
- Wikipedia
- he Bethlem Royal Hospital of London is a psychiatric hospital at Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley. Although no longer in its original location and buildings, it is recognised as the world's first and oldest institution to specialise in the mentally ill. It has been variously known as St. Mary Bethlehem, Bethlem Hospital, Bethlehem Hospital and Bedlam.
- British History Online
- CHAPTER 9: BETHLEM HOSPITAL, NOW THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, IN LAMBETH ROAD
Bethlem Hospital, now the Imperial War Museum, though much truncated, is the largest remaining of the buildings originally erected in St. George's Fields. The institution for which it was built was the successor of the mediaeval hospital in the priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem in Bishopsgate Without (on the site of Liverpool Street Station) - Museum of London
- Bedlam: Custody Care and Cure 1247-1997 at the Museum of London until 15 March 1998. This exhibition tells the fascinating 750-year-old story of Bethlem Royal Hospital, popularly known as 'Bedlam'.
- Bethlehem Royal Hospital Archives & Museum
- Bethlem Royal Hospital is the original 'Bedlam', one of the world's oldest hospitals for the treatment of mental illness.
It was founded in 1247 as the priory of St Mary of Bethlehem; the site now covered by Liverpool Street station. By the fourteenth century it was already treating the insane.
Learn More about the history of Bedlam
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History of Mental Illness
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Brief History of Mental Illness
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Bedlam today on twitter
See how the word bedlam is being used today on Twitter.
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