Records of the Isle of Mans Rolls Office: Asylum Town Registers

Two hardback volumes listing valuations of properties in Douglas and Castletown, in accordance with the Lunatic Asylum Act. Each book lists the purpose, value, occupants and owners of each property in the town, street by street.

An Act to provide an Asylum for Lunatics and Insane Persons (The Lunatic Asylum Act 1860) was passed by Tynwald Court on 29 May 1860, received Royal Assent on 26 October 1860 and Promulgated on 13 November 1860.

Prior to the building of an Asylum, lunatics were kept in Castle Rushen. However, it had become necessary to provide a suitable site for the reception of criminal and other classes of lunatics and insane persons. Her Majesty's Treasury had agreed to pay one half of the cost of the purchase of the site and for the erection and furnishing of the Asylum. The Treasury also agreed to provide the whole of the cost and expense of the maintenance of all criminal lunatics therein.

Unlike the Tithe Commutation Act, where the valuers were chosen from amongst the landowners by agents of the parishes, the Lunatic Asylum Act gave the Lieutenant Governor powers to directly appoint competent persons to value the land. The Lunatic Asylum Act made provisions for three valuers for the countryside and two valuers for the towns. As with the earlier Tithe valuation, the valuers had certain powers awarded to them to assist them in the delivery of their duties, including the right to enter land and the right to call upon people for inquiries. In addition, the two valuers given responsibility for gathering the necessary information from the towns also possessed an additional right not awarded to the valuers for the countryside, or to their predecessors: the right to appoint an umpire to help settle disputes if they arose.

According to the Act, all landowners were required to furnish the valuers with a map, plan or survey of the extent, contents and bounds of any lands under their consideration. The valuers issued a number to every map, plan or survey they received.

As with the earlier Tithe valuation, Asylum valuations were entered into volumes. The valuers were to refer to the maps, plans and surveys used by the Tithe valuers in 1841. If the valuers thought the maps, plans or surveys were inaccurate or where no map, plan or survey existed they had the power to require new maps, plans and surveys to be undertaken. After completion, these volumes, accompanied by the maps, plans and surveys were deposited in the Rolls Office for inspection. A period of three calendar months was granted for objections to the valuations. In such a case a petition of appeal was lodged before the Deemster, whose decision was final. The valuation volumes were deposited in the Rolls Office on 30 April 1864.

The Temporary Lunatic Asylum Act 1864 was passed by Tynwald on 31 May 1864, gained Royal Assent on 10 June 1864 and promulgated on 5 July 1864. The Act of 1864 acknowledged the considerable time it would take to complete the Asylum. Therefore on 2 December 1864 a temporary asylum was opened at Oaklands, in the parish of Kirk Santon. The new Asylum (Ballamona) at the Strang, Kirk Braddan, was completed on 25 May 1868 and opened on 2 June 1868.

Entries within each valuation register are arranged as follows:

S108/1 - Houses and Premises in Douglas: Valuation of Douglas under the Lunatic Asylum Act - comprises handwritten entries arranged by street;
S108/2 - Houses and Premises in Castletown: Valuation of the Town of Castletown under the Lunatic Asylum Act - comprises handwritten entries arranged by street name and house number.

This series is open. For information on visiting the Isle of Man Public Record Office please see our website: www.gov.im/pro .

Please see our website for catalogues: www.gov.im/pro .

Series level description created by James Holmes, UCM Intern, in May 2019 under supervision by Gavin Rowan, Records & Archive Officer.

Record selected for permanent preservation by Angela Haighton, Public Records Officer, in Sep 2015.

Records comprising this series were originally consigned on 25 Jan 1997 at the Record Office under Section 3(8) of the Public Record Act 1999. Records were fully transferred on 10 Sep 2015, under Section 3(4) of the Public Record Act 1999.

No further accruals expected.

Also held at the Isle of Man Public Record Office:

• S4 – Records of the Isle of Mans Rolls Office: Asylum Plans;
• S109 – Records of the Isle of Man Rolls Office: Asylum Parish Registers;
• S110 – Records of the Isle of Man Rolls Office: Asylum Valuation Index.