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Springfield House Private Asylum

Springfield House Private Asylum, which opened in Kempston in 1837, was the only purpose built private asylum in Bedfordshire. It was built because the County Asylum in Ampthill Road, which took both pauper and private patients, was overcrowded. In 1835 the County Asylum was declared an institution "confined to pauper lunatics".  Work started on the asylum, which was situated on the north side of Elstow Road, Kempston, in the spring of 1836 and in 1837 the asylum was licensed to receive thirty patients, each of whom paid a guinea a week in fees. John Harris was resident surgeon and the owner of the asylum, which had cost him over 2,00 to build.

John Harris died in 1861 and was succeeded by his son as resident surgeon. Henry Harris died in 1878 and in the following years the Asylum was sold to Dr. David Bower who began making improvements including more dormitories and dayrooms and in 1912 a new dining room was added. Doctor Bowers died in 1929 and his son Cedric became Medical Superintendent.

By the late 1950s a combination of rising costs, falling applications and the problems of recruiting adequate staff led to the asylum being closed in August 1962 with the remaining patients being transferred to St.Andrews Hospital at Northampton. In 1963 the asylum was demolished to make way for the expansion of Kempston New Town. The roads Henderson Way, Fearnley Crescent and Whittingstall Avenue now occupy the site.

Sources:

• Kellys Directory of Bedfordshire 1885 - County Advertisements, page 25
• Springfield House Private Asylum, pamphlet produced by The Bedfordshire County Record Office c. 1970

Springfield House Private Asylum, by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2010

Page last updated: 30th January 2014