Case notes Crook v. Attorney General.

Reference Number: 0059/2/3/1
Level of Description: Item
Title: Case notes Crook v. Attorney General.
Date: 1833-1836
Extent: Extent: 1 bundle
Description: This was the case regarding the Hospital of Saint Mary Magdalene for 'idiots or lunatic people' at Widcombe. The Reverend Charles Crook was Master of the Hospital from 1823 until his death in 1838. From 1827 there was only one inmate, Mary Phillips, and the family residing there reportedly used her as a domestic help. The Hospital was closed in 1833 and Crook was taken to court shortly after. Although the case was found in favour of Crook, he did have to justify the accounts, and was forced to draw up a scheme for admission of two child inmates. Nobody else was admitted and Mary Phillips was the sole inmate until she died in 1855.