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now at least before they too are redeveloped: the blocks where Oxford, Dadd and Minor stayed; the blocks from which all those escapes were launched so many years ago. And then before you have digested that fact there is the Terrace, sweeping wide and down before you, and it is glorious. Imagine the most fantastic view of landscape that it is possible to have in South East England, for this must be a contender. Can you imagine such a place being built with such a view today? The designer of that view was not afraid of tabloid censure. Where is the punishment in that view, where is the retribution?

The first time I visited, a colleague and I were there to scout out the archive, which at the time was stored in the old Medical Superintendent’s office in the original admin block. Here was the room where Meyer, Orange and Nicolson sat, writing their draft reports and letters to pass to the clerks to send to the Home Office. Here is where Meyer received the warrant discharging Edward Oxford. Here is where Nicolson presumably entertained Sir James Murray before leading him off to Block 2 to see Minor. Here is probably not where Orange sat while Dadd painted his portrait – Orange looks too young to be the Superintendent in that artwork – though it is certainly the room where Orange edited his and William Gull’s report on Christiana Edmunds. All the furniture has gone from the room, of course, but the panelling is still there, as well as the view out onto the Terrace. Then along the corridor is the central hall, which Dadd certainly painted in situ, and up from that is the chapel, where Meyer was downed by John Hughes. The chapel is as calm and spiritual a Victorian church as you might expect to find in any nineteenth century parish. It offers a helping hand to tranquillity, if you wish to take it.

That first visit was seven years ago. Back then, I had only heard of Dadd and Minor, and had not met any of the other characters in this book. My curiosity was really so much fraud, as I was ignorant of the privilege afforded me. I was just another voyeur who was passing through, as so many have done before. What I have tried to do since is repay the place by focusing on its humanity. My perception of it, and my respect for it has only grown over time, as I have found out more about it. It seems inevitable to me that this process will continue. The more I read, the more I realise how little I know about Broadmoor and its inhabitants. I think that it will always be that way.

Sources

A Note on the Broadmoor archive at the Berkshire Record Office

Some of the sources listed here are still closed, as they contain records of patients who lived well on into the twentieth century. In these circumstances, the Hospital will allow Record Office staff to extract information on otherwise ‘open’ patient histories. There is a detailed access protocol that BRO has agreed with the Hospital, which can be seen at: http://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/albums/broadmoor/.

All references given in this section are from the Berkshire Record Office catalogue of Broadmoor archives.

Books about Broadmoor

The principal history of Broadmoor was published in 1953. It is by Ralph Partridge, and is entitled Broadmoor: A History of Criminal Lunacy and its Problems. It is not always accurate, but is very readable. There is a ‘sequel’, by D A Black, called Broadmoor Interacts, though it is a different read to Partridge.

Later in 2011, Harvey Gordon’s Broadmoor: An Inside Story will be published. This is set to become the new standard history of the Hospital.

Edward Oxford

Notes about Oxford at Broadmoor were taken from the relevant case book (D/H14/D2/1/1/1), and his case file (D/H14/D2/2/1/96) at the Berkshire Record Office. The correspondence about Oxford’s discharge can be found in D/H14/A1/2/4/1. Haydon’s letter to Nicolson is within a file of newspaper cuttings D/H14/A5/1/3.

You can read the transcript of Oxford’s trial on the Old Bailey website at http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=def1-1877-18400706&div=t18400706-1877#highlight.