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Shillingthorpe Hall
Dr Francis Willis, who successfully
treated King George III during one of his periods of madness, ran a
private asylum at the 16th century Greatford Hall which he had opened in
1776. He was one of the most celebrated
doctors of his time, specialising in the treatment of "persons of
distinction and respectability" and the King was his most illustrious
patient.
The asylum later moved to nearby Shillingthorpe Hall, built for his son
John circa 1796, a country house
which had a succession of noble occupants but their circumstances were not
those of the usual residents of such establishments. William Marrat (1772-1852),
who mapped and made several topographical surveys of Lincolnshire between
1814 and 1817, wrote in his History of
Lincolnshire, published in 1816, that it was "a very fine mansion
built about 20 years ago."
He added: "The gardens, which are extensive, are
laid out with taste, and are walled round. This place is also
appropriated to the accommodation of patients who are insane, the same as
the house at Greatford. Both houses are very pleasantly situated.
Additions were made to Shillingthorpe for Dr John Willis in 1833 by the
architect Sir Robert Smirke."
Dr Willis was born in 1718 and began his professional life as a clergyman
but changed to practising medicine, specialising in mental
disorders, and was made a Doctor of Medicine by the University
of Oxford in 1759, using his own house in London to receive "wrongheads"
as those suffering from mental disorders were known. He moved to Greatford
in 1776 to open the hall as a madhouse and in 1788, he and his eldest son,
Dr John Willis, treated George III at Kew and were rewarded with £1,000 a year
for 21 years while John was given £650 a year for the rest of his life.
The following description of Greatford was
recorded by a French visitor in 1796:
As the unprepared traveller approached
the town (sic), he was astonished to find almost all the surrounding
ploughmen, gardeners, threshers, thatchers and other labourers attired in
black coats, white waistcoats, black silk breeches and stockings, and the
head of each bien poudre, frise, et arrange. These were the
doctor's patients, and dress, neatness of person, and exercise being the
principle feature of his admirable system, health and cheerfulness
conjoined to aid recovery of every person attached to that most valuable
asylum.*
In 1801, John Willis and his younger
brother, Robert Darling Willis (died 1821), again treated the king and
from 1810, Robert remained in charge of his treatment and it is believed
that he actually stayed for a time under his care in a wing of
Shillingthorpe Hall which had been opened in 1816 to accommodate further
patients who had been attracted by the treatment of the royal patron.
Dr Willis lived to be 90 and died in
December 1807 and is commemorated in the village church at Greatford with
a sculpture by Nollekens. Greatford Hall closed as a madhouse in 1838 and all
treatment was concentrated at Shillingthorpe Hall which remained in the ownership of
Francis Willis until he died in 1859 by which time he had become Lord of
the Manor and principal landowner. Robert Gardiner Hill then became
proprietor to continue the work similar to his own. He had previously been
at Lincoln Asylum but went into general practice for a few years before
opening a private mental hospital in Lincoln where he was so popular that
he was elected mayor in 185l. He then moved to Brentford to run a private
mental home and then in 1860 became proprietor of Shillingthorpe Hall but
this closed as a madhouse in 1863 and he returned to London.
An Act of Parliament in 1832 required mental asylums
to be registered with the Quarter Sessions and inspected by visitors As a
result, Shillingthorpe was licensed to Francis Willis (1792-1859), nephew
of John Willis, on 18th October 1841 "for the reception of lunatics".
The house was then situated within a walled
garden and outside the village and the plans which survive indicate that
it was a secure building although it was also recorded that some of the
inmates had been there so long that
no one knew who had committed them or when, the "guest list" comprising a
number of titled people including a marquis, several honourables as well as
a sprinkling of clergymen and doctors.
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THE WILLIS MEMORIAL
The memorial
sculpture of Dr Francis Willis can be found in Greatford church, the work of Joseph Nollekens
(1737-1823) who was considered to be the finest British sculptor of
the late 18th century and who was also a founder member of the Royal
Academy in 1768. |
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White' History, Directory and Gazetteer of
Lincolnshire for 1872 lists the hall as
being occupied by Charles Philips with Dr Francis Willis the younger (born
1834) living at nearby Braceborough Spa where
he had built a bath house which became renowned for the treatment of skin
diseases. In 1881, Shillingthorpe Hall was unoccupied, and in 1892 a Mrs
Mary Mapelton was living there. By 1900 the house belonged to Lord
Kesteven (the former Sir John Trollope) and by 1913 it was again
unoccupied. The third Lord Kesteven died during the Great War in 1915 when
his estates passed to his sister, the Honorable Miss Dorothy Nesta
Trollope, who lived at nearby Casewick Hall, while Shillingthorpe was
occupied by her mother, Lady Kesteven, who died in 1934. During her tenancy,
the grounds were made available for various charitable functions and in
the summer of 1931, for instance, she invited the committee of the
Butterfield Hospital at Bourne to hold a fete there to raise funds.
It is possible that part of the
institutional section of the house was demolished before the building was
taken over as a house by Lord Kesteven, making it more manageable in
size. A surviving photograph of the house has an inscription on the back
saying "Army Cadet Force Camp 1944" which suggested that it had a military
use during the Second World War but it was subsequently demolished in
1949.
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William Marrat in his History of Lincolnshire
tells a story about
Dr Willis and his patients
THE MAGICIAN - A TALE
THE FOLLOWING most extraordinary event happened, in the autumn of
1807, and may be relied on as an absolute fact. The violence of a
fall deprived Sir Henry F of his faculties and he lay entranced
several hours. At length, his recollection returned. He faintly
exclaimed: "Where am I?" and looking up, found himself in the arms
of a venerable old man to whose kind offices Sir H was probably
indebted for his life. "You revive," said the venerable old man.
"Fear not, yonder house is mine. I will support you to it. There you
shall be comforted." Sir H expressed his gratitude and they walked
gently to the house. The friendly assistance of the venerable old
man and his servants restored Sir H to his reason. His bewildered
faculties were reorganized. At length, he suffered no inconvenience,
except that occasioned but the bruise he received in the fall.
Dinner was announced and the good old man entreated Sir H to join
the party. He accepted the invitation and was shown into a large
hall where he found sixteen covers. The party consisted of as many
persons. No ladies were present. The old man took the head of the
table. An excellent dinner was served and rational conversation gave
a zest to the repast.
The gentleman on the left hand of Sir H asked him to drink a glass
of wine when the old man in a dignified and authoritative tone, at
the same time extending his hand, said: "No!" Sir H was astonished
at the singularity of the check yet unwilling to offend, remained
silent. The instant dinner was over, the old man left the room when
one of the company addressed him in the following words: "By what
misfortune, sir, have you been unhappily trepanned by that unfeeling
man who has quitted the room? 0 sir! You will have ample cause to
curse the fatal hour that put you in his power for you have no
prospect in this world but misery and oppression. Perpetually
subject to the capricious humour of the old man, you will remain in
this mansion for the rest of your days. Your life, as mine is, will
become burdensome, and, driven to despair, your days will glide on
with regret and melancholy in one cold and miserable meanness. This,
alas, has been my lot for fifteen years and not mine only but the
lot of everyone you see here since their arrival at this cursed
abode."
The pathetic manner that accompanied this cheerless narrative and
the singular behaviour of the old man at dinner, awoke in Sir H's
breast sentiments of horror and he was lost in stupor some minutes.
When recovering he said: "By what authority can any man detain me
against my will? I will not submit. I will oppose him by force, if
necessary." Ah, sir," exclaimed a second gentleman, "your argument
is just but your threats are vain. The old man is a magician. We
know it by fatal experience. Do not be rash, sir. Your attempt would
prove futile and your punishment would be dreadful."
"I will endeavour to escape," said Sir H. "Your hopes are
groundless," rejoined a third gentleman, "for it was but six months
ago that in an attempt to escape, I broke my leg." Another said he
had broken his arm and that many had been killed by falls in their
endeavours to escape. Others had suddenly disappeared and never been
heard of. Sir H was about to reply when a servant entered the room
and said his master wished to see him: "Do not go." The servant told
Sir H he had nothing to fear and begged he would follow him to his
master. He did and found the old man seated at a table covered with
a dessert and wine. He arose when Sir H entered the room and asked
pardon for the apparent rudeness he was under the necessity of
committing at dinner. "For," said he, "I am Dr Willis. You must have
heard of me. I confine my practice entirely to cases of insanity and
as I board and lodge insane patients, mine is vulgarly called a
madhouse. The persons you dined with are madmen. I was unwilling to
tell you of this before dinner, fearing it would make you uneasy.
For although I know them to be perfectly harmless, you very
naturally might have had apprehensions."
The surprise of Sir H on hearing this, but his fears subsiding, the
doctor and he passed the evening rationally and agreeably together. |
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FROM THE ARCHIVES |
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The Parts of KESTEVEN, in the County of
Lincoln. In compliance with an Act of Parliament passed on the
eleventh day of August 1832, instituted "An Act for regulating for
three years, and from thence to the end of the next session of
Parliament, the care and treatment of Insane Persons in England",
and with several Acts of Parliament since passed for continuing the
same, her Majesty's Justices of the Peace do hereby certify that, at
the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace holden at Bourne in and
for the said Parts, this 18th day of October, 1841, FRANCIS WILLIS,
Esq., M D, hath been licensed under the said Act, to keep a House
for the Reception of Insane Persons at SHILLINGTHORPE, in the parish
of Braceborough, in these parts of the county, and that Visitors of
the said House and their Clerk have been appointed by the Court as
follows:-
Visitors - Sir John Trollope, Baronet, William Augustus Johnson,
Esq., and the Rev William Hillyard, Clerk.
Physician - Dr Arnold, Stamford.
Clerk - Mr Forbes, Stamford.
By the 46th section of the Act, it is enacted that no person (except
he be a Guardian or Relative who does not derive profit from the
Charge, or a Committee appointed by the Lord Chancellor, or other
the person or persons for the time being entrusted with the care and
commitment of the person and estate of Lunatics.) shall, under pain
of being deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, receive to board or lodge
in any house not licensed under the said Act, or to take care or
charge of, an Insane Person, without an order under the hand of the
person by whose direction such Insane Person is sent, (such order to
be according to the form specified in a schedule to the said Act
assessed.) nor without a medical certificate of two physicians,
surgeons or apothecaries, in the manner directed by the said Act. -
W Forbes, Clerk of the Peace. Sessions-house, Bourne, 18th October,
1841.
- public notice from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 22nd October
1841. |
*Détails sur
l'éstablishment du docteur Willis, pour le guérison des
aliénés, Bibliothèque Britanninque (Littérature) 1796.
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