Mental Deficiency Colonies

The Mental Defectives Act of 1913 placed the responsibilty of accomodating of persons with Mental Disabilities onto on County and County Boroughs of England and Wales. Previously many of these cases had been admitted to Poor Law Institutions or specialised Private or Subscription Asylums. Following World War I progress was finally made with the development of the new County Mental Defective Colonies. Between 1920 and 1930 both Poor Law Unions and the Counties and County Borough authorities provided accomodation, however in 1930 the Poor Law was abolished and their premises passed over to the relevent County or Borough. This move lead to development of former Workhouses as Mental Defective Colonies.

Reflecting the development in Mental Illness Hospitals to greater fragmentation of structure, the larger colonies were composed of Male and Female villa type ward blocks. The areas appropriated to each gender were bisected by the services and administration blocks of the hospital. Sites chosen for these Colonies were often large country estates where Mansions could be adapted as administration blocks or staff housing and the villas constructed within ample, landscaped grounds.

Counties or Boroughs could have just one, or a number of sites dependent on geographical size of the area, population or existing facilities at their disposal.

Care of idiot and Imbecile patients had been within the remit of Poor Law Unions (ie. Workhouses) until the Mental Defectives Act 1913, following which the Counties were to provide their own. Some, such as Warwickshire and Worcestershire had already been doing so for many years, however for most it mean provision of an entirely new institutions. The priciples of segregation of sexes, classes and types of patient were incorporated into the Colony Layout which became typical of this type of Hospital. Limited development of Mental Deficiency Colonies took place prior due to World War One and its aftermath. A few Counties took the initiative towards the end of the twenties, however it was the Act of 1930, causing the abolition of the Poor Law Unions which gave the movement its impetus. Some former workhouses were to take on new roles of accoodation specifically for Mental Defectives, such as those at Bedminster in Somerset, Easingwold in North Riding of Yorkshire and Eastry in Kent.