Genealogy Chat

sometimes people's sense of humour is obscure as well!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Maureen - especially after today in parliament :-)

I know there are records of people who took the exam covering 1891-1951 in the archives of the Royal of College of Pyschiatrists but you have to be a member or have a paid appointment and I have zilch chance of getting there.

Hi George, With further research into your question, my friend has searched the national archive database and found that many of the records are sealed for 30 years. She will however try to find out for you as they have kept all the original records of where she works so she may come up with something. Diannexx

Maureen & Keith, Jokes are funny things (Ha!Ha!) on these boards: sometimes, if people are in the mood, the joke is followed through by several like-minded comments and sometimes they are met with withering scorn regarding their inappropriateness in a serious discussion! And sometimes they are noted in passing but otherwise ignored. It would be naive to assume that a joke has been 'missed', the people on these boards are trained in every nuance of 'reading between the lines' and sometimes 'outside the box' when it comes to posts. Don't be dismayed if no-one responds and don't assume we all missed the joke, we might all have had a quiet chuckle...and moved on!...J. (or maybe we think Tony Blair is no laughing matter;-)))

Hi George My friend who is a Psychiatric Nurse is visiting me this morning so she knew just what to look up for you. Here are some addresses she found for you. The first address has a list of staff at Winterton in 1920. http://www(.)institutions(.)org(.)uk/asylums/england/DUR/county_durham_asylums(.)htp http://www(.)mdx(.)ac(.)uk/www/study/4_13_TA(.)htm#winterton http://www(.)durham(.)gov(.)uk/durhamcc/usp(.)nsf/web/pages/durham+record+office+homepages Also google Workhouses and Institutions there should be more info available to you. Hope this little lot helps!! Dianne xx

MP---S Member of the Pharmaceutical------Society, Could he have been qualified to adminster drugs?or make drugs up? Kay.

Keith I thought your message was funny even if no-one else picked up on it!! maureen

From what I can gather the book is'nt being published any more so might be hard to get hold of. George

There is this book that you might find interesting, as I'm sure Sedgefield Asylum and Winterton Hospital are one and the same:- Behind the Wall: The life and times of Winterton Hospital Description At one time in the hospital's life, which spans nearly 140 years, Winterton Hospital, near Sedgefield, Co. Durham, was one of the largest mental institutions in this country, if not in Europe. This book sets out to document the history of the hospital and its staff since 1858 in the practice and development of care and treatment for the mentally ill. Author Adam Lamb & Jack Turton Content Photographs & Text Publisher County Durham Books ISBN 1897585292 Price £5.50 Postage UK £1.50 Postage outside UK £3.00 Kath. x p.s. I think Jude will be right about the qualification.

If it were a Medical Practitioner it would likely say Doctor or Attending Physician rather than attendant. This is less than 100% certain, but an attendant at an asylum is likely to be a nurse with a Mental-Psychiatric Certificate (such certification courses still exist). We know how in those days they liked to split college courses into first, second and final certificates, hence a nurse with Mental-Psychiatric Certificate Final....J.

If it was an MP from the Sedgefield Asylum well, we know who that is!!

I suspect it could be Medical Practitioner Certificate But was hoping there might be someone familiar with old medical qualifications who could confirm it.

One of my rellies who worked as an attendant in the Sedgefield Asylum from 1903-1927 was listed on his staff register record as being a holder of the MP Certificate Final. Any ideas what this stands for? George