VISITORS REPORT BOOKS

Provision was made by the Managers for the visitation of the Retreat. The Committee and Directors sent representatives to inspect the establishment, and female visitors were also appointed. The visitors entered a dated record of their visits into report books, separate books being kept for the committee visitors and for the female visitors. In addition to these official visitations, the Retreat was visited from its early days by many who wished to see its operation and the methods employed. A separate series of report books was kept for the general visitors, which records the names of visitors and (in the earlier years) their comments. Another separate set of visitors books records the inspections of representatives of the Commissioners in Lunacy (later the Board of Control); later books cover inspections under the 1959 Mental Health Act. For Visitors Books for Retreat branches: Millfield, Gainsborough House and Throxenby Hall, see RET 7/2/1 and RET 7/3/3. For Visitors Books for other asylums, non-Retreat, see RET 8/2/1/1 and RET 8/2/2/1.

1798-1989

5 boxes

Access to some visitors books is restricted under Data Protection Act 1998. Restricted items are at RET 1/4/1/3, RET 1/4/5/3, RET 1/4/6/1 and RET 1/4/6/2.