Statistical Notice of the Asylum for the Blind in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

                       By the Rev. Joseph M'Alsiter.

[Read before the Statistical Section of the British Association, 22d August, 1838.]

 

In the autumn of last year the attention of some benevolent individuals

was particularly directed to the condition of the indigent blind in this

town and in the adjacent countries.  Subscriptions to a considerable

amount were soon raised, suffcient to justify a committee in proceeding

to some practical plan for aiding that unfortunate portion of the com-

munity.  After the delays attendant on the drawing up for a code of laws

and regulations, the present Institution was opened for the reception of

inmates on the 28th of June last.

   The objects of the subscribers to the asylum are, to afford to the

indigent blind, religious, moral, and elementary instruction ; to give

employment to those who can work, and to teach the young such trades

as are found suitable to thier capacities.  The building, at present

occupied as an asylum, is situated in an enclosure in Spital, and answers

very well as a temporary residence; but it is in contemplation by the

public to have a more suitable building erected, as soon as a proper site

and plan can be obtained.  Upwards of L1100 have already been

collected for this purpose.

   The present master of the works at the asyum is Mr. Watson.

The mistress is Miss Gallon, who has studied the plan of education

pursued at  the Glasgow asylum.

   Number of blind entered on the books of the aslyum is as follows:-

   No. 1.-S. M., aged 55, a native of the country of Derry, Ireland;

was two years at an asylum in Belfast; has resided in this town and

neighbourhood for the last 20 years.  He lost his sight when about 2

years of age; was taught to read in childhood.  He weaves mats in the

asylum, and receives on an average 1s. per day, whenever he works;

he has also a little out-door employment.  The material of his work is

furnished, and the proceeds of his mats go the the funds of the establish-

ment.

   No. 2.-S. R., aged 34, a native of North Shields; born blind; was

4 years 9 months at Liverpool Asylum, where he learned to make

baskets; has some taste for literature; and occasionally preaches in

the Methodist connection.  He is an inmate of the asylum, and receives

13s. per week, as a workman and as a teacher of his trade; he would

like to hear readings form the periodicals; has never been instructed

to read.

   No. 3-J. W., aged 14, is the pupil of S. R. above-mentioned; is

learning to make baskets.  He lost one eye at an early age in the

measles; the other eye was destroyed by accident when 11 years old;

was born in Newcastle, but of Irish extraction, was never at any other

asylum; receives instruction daily in reading on Mr. Alston's improved

system; makes considerable progress; he remembers the form of the

alphabet easily, as he was taught to read before he became blind.

   No. 4.-A. W., aged 23, a native of Newcastle; lodges with his aunt;

comes to the asylum daily; lost his sight at 15 years of age; was

taught to read in childhood; was 4 years at the Edinburgh Asylum;

did not avail himself of the opportunity to learn Mr. Galt's system of

reading; he found the angular letters so different from what he re-

 

378

membered of his alphabet that he could make little of them.  He is at

present engaged in making mattresses, and can also make baskets, and

spin twine if occasion require.  The material, cocoa-nut fibre, is fur-

nished to him as mentioned above; he receives 8s. per week.  He is a

young man of good sense, and would like to have boods read to him

of an evening.  He has a pretty clear notion of geography and num-

bers.

   No. 5.-J. J., aged 15, born in Manchester; of Irish extraction; has

resided for some years with his father in this town; can distinguish

between light and darkness; but is exceedingly helpless, from the neg-

lect of his education; he turns the wheel for a twine-spinner, and re-

ceives for the present, 1s. per week.

   No. 6.-J. S., aged 9; born blind; a native of Newcastle; can do no

work; is a child of quick parts; the mistress has begun to give her

daily instructions in reading, &c.

   General Observations.- The Committee are making arrangements for

the reception of other applicants for admission as speedily as thier plans

can be matured.  The applications are numerous.  The exact number

of blind in this community has not been as yet ascertained by any

statistical society:  it is expected that this will become a subject of

enquiry at no distant time.  A private individual, who has devoted his

services very much in behalf of the blind, has ascertained for me that,

in one section of the suburbs, viz., the east district of the parish of All

Saints, containing a population of about 9000, there are 21 blind per-

sons.  This, I believe, is more than double the proportion of the latest

continental return.  It is to be observed, however, that this district is

the locality of the lodging-houses of many of the wandering blind.

   An important question with those who are directing attention to the

intellectual culture of the blind is, what is the best alphabetic system

which has been advanced for introducing this interesting class to the ad-

vantages of general literature.

   There are at present various systems before the public: the angular

characters of Mr. Galt of Edinburgh; the Roman characters improved

by Mr. Alston of Glasgow; the stenographic forms of the late Mr.

Lucas of Bristol; and two or three American modicications of Italics.

   The advantages of an alphabet for the blind, resembling as nearly as

possible the existing Roman letters, are beginning to be generally ap-

preciated.  It is to be desired that, ultimately, one uniform system of

typography will be adopted in all asylums.

   A respectable teacher in this town, Mr. D. Liddell, who was secretary

to the present committee of the asylum for the blind in its early history,

has been engaged for some time in giving the systems of Mr. Gall and

Mr. Alston a fair trial, with a young girl of St. Andrew's poor-house, of

promising talents.  She has been receiving instructions for about a year,

and can read pretty fluently according to either system.  Although she

was first introduced to Mr. Gall's angular characters, she found little

difficulty in learning afterwards the Roman letter of Mr. Alston.

   This is the system she may eventually pursue.  I examined this child

a few days ago, and was forcibly struck with the idea that, though it is

a very practicable thing to teach the blind to read, still it is an exceed-

ingly difficult task to teach them to think accordingly.  In every sen-

 

379

tence where a visible image is introduced, the meaning is more or less

vitiated to those born blind; and the integrity of the mind, by con-

statnly receiving what it cannot understand, is sadly endangered,

unless a wise and assisuous mental culture, peculiarly adapted to those

from whom knowledge at one entrance is "quite shout out," accom-

pany every reading in a  mixed literature.  As yet little philosophy has

been brought to bear practicaly on the education of the blind.  There are

some exceedingly valuable hints thrown out on this subject in chapter

devoted to "mutes and blinds", in the "Retrospect of Western Travel."

   If we should receive all that has been written on this subject by be-

nevolent persons it would appear that we have already a literature for

the blind, and the blind can now be taught to read and write in three or

four lessons.  It is much to be regretted that any exaggeration of this

kind has ever been mixed up with so good a cause.  Time is a necessary

element in the education of the blind; and the teacher must be an indi-

vidual well acquainted with the laws of the human mind.  As yet the

education of the blind is in the letter, the spirit is not developed.  When

we look at the admirable invention of raised tangible characters, we

must confess that the printer has done his work nobly; but the school-

master is not yet abroad among the blind.  Seeing men have created a

suitable literature for themsalves; but, for the blind, this literature con-

tains an element of excess which is fatal to intellectual unity.

   We may, however, look forward to the time when many splendid re-

sults may be expected from the special and philosophical education of

those faculties which the blind often possess in an eminent degree.

 

A Statement of the number of Seats in the several Churches and

   Chapels, distinguishing the several Religious Denomination to which

   they belong, within the Parish of All Saints, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,

   containing a Population of about 20,000 Inhabitants, in the Month

   of August, 1838.*

  [Read before the Statistical Section of the British Association, 22nd August, 1838.]

              Name.                          Denomination             No. of Seats.

All Saints                             Establishment                      1,400

St. Ann's                                     Do                                    500

Trinity Chapel (Seamen)             Do                                      90

Roman Catholic                   Roman Catholic                     1,500

Quakers, or                         Friends                                     500     500

Carliol Street                       Presbyterian                             700

Bethel                                         Do.                                     400

Wallkowll                                    Do.                                     500

Sandgate                             Independent                            200     200

St. Peter's Quay                   New Connections, Methodist   500                         8,750 seats

Ebenezer                                    Do.                      Do.          150     750

Silver Street                          Primitive Methodist                 1,100

Ballast Hills                                 Do.                       Do.          150                       1,250

Gibson Street                        Wesleyan Association             1, 200                     1,200

Forster Street                       Glassites                                     120

New Road                              Wesleyan Methodist               1,200

Stepney Bank                             Do.                                       200                          1,550

St. Lawrence                              Do.                         Do.         150

 

                                                                                              10,560

 

* This table was prepared in consequence of a discussion which arose in the

Section, respecting the means of religious worship existing in the parish to which

it relates.

 

   Format and Table structure replicated from original text

 

 

 

 

 

               Notes on the Text

 

 

 

Words/Ideas/Locations common in the 19th century

 

The Asylum for the Blind in Newcastle-upon-Tyne:  An institution, opened in 1767, that housed individuals who were blind or poor.  This asylum orginated as a Subscription Hosptital, one that relied on community funding, but was converted over to a private institution in 1824 and was financially provided for by the Newcastle Corporation.  This hospital housed up to eighty patients and recieved both male and female.

 

The Statistical Section fo the British Association:  The British Association was founded in 1831.  This association has an open membership available to all and promotes science.

 

Religious:  The common religious denominations of Newcastle during the 19th century were Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and the Glassites.

                Methodist- A faith whose origin date back to the 18th century and the teachings of John Wesley.  This religion believes in Proclamation, Eganvelism, Incorporation and

                 Servanthood.

                Presbyterian- A faith whose origin date back to the 16th century and the Catholic priest, John Knox.  This church is based primarily on the beliefs of John Calvin

                 and those who follow the doctrine practices a life of prayer and service under the guidence of the Holy Spirit.

                 Roman Catholic- A faith whose origins trace to Jesus and his twelve disciples.

                 Glassites- A faith founded around 1730 in Scotland, by John Glas.  This religion's beliefs were similar to those in early Christianity.  The Glassites came to be known as

                 Sandemanians, as they followed Glas's son-in-law, Robert Sandeman, into England.

 

Trades:  Common trades, or professions, of those who were blind were usually associated with craft work such as weaving (baskets or mats), twine spinning, or mattress construction.

 

Glasgow asylum:  The Glasgow Asylum for Lunatics (1814-1842).  This asylum also housed both male and female patients.  The architecture of this building was octogonal with four wings attached.  Patients were seperated into the wings by thier sex, degree of illness, ability to pay, and rank in society.  Photograph available at www.glasgowstory.com

 

Asylum in Belfast: Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.  This asylum was known for its overcrowding of patients.

 

North Shields:  This town is located eight miles east of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne aslyum, along the North Bank of the River Tyne.

 

Liverpool asylum:  A hospital with eighty beds that housed both the impaired and the poor.  Charged the poor (paupers) 12L a week, which would include their clothing.  This hospital was open from 1792 to 1889. 

 

Measles:  Small, red, pock-like marks that cover the body for several days.  The pocks, combined with dangerous high fevers, hard pulse, diarrohea, and shortness of breath could lead to such outcomes as blindness, bronchitis or swelling of the glands of the diseased.  The vaccine for this disease was not available until 1963.

 

Edinburgh asylum:  Began as twelve small rooms (cells) in the basement of the Edinburgh Infirmary and as an attachment to the city workhouse.  Later became the Edinburgh Royal in the 1840's.  Both asylums took in both poor and impaired.

 

A child of quick parts:  A term used for one who had little difficulty learning new, and often difficult skills.

 

The Parish of All Saints:  This church began construction in 1786 and was completed in 1796.  It was built to replace a medevil church previously on the site.  Fantastic photographs of this church are available at www.newcastlephotos.blogspot.com/2005/12/all-saints.html

 

St. Andrew's poor-house:  A facility established by St. Andrew's parish that would house those would could not live independent or without financial assistance.  Parishes, common to the 19th century, were subdivisions of the country that would offer support to those who were born within its borders.  

 

"Mutes and blind":  A sub chapter of Harriet Martineau's book, "Retrospect of Western Travel", pages 128-137. 

 

"Retrospect of Western Travel":  A book by Harriet Martineau, published in 1838.  This book is available to read online through Google Book Search.

 

 

 

Proper Names

 

Rev. Joeseph M'Alister:  Pastor of the Unitarion Church in Hanover-square chapel, Newcastle.

 

Mr. Watson:  Edward Watson was the Director of Music at the Liverpool School for the Blind before he created a Tutor in 1927 which was and is currently still, the offical school manual for the blind of the Empire.

 

Miss. Gallon:  Head mistress of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne asylum.

 

Editor not able to locate identities or records of S. M., S. R., J.W., A.W., J. J., and J.S.

 

Mr. Alston's improved system:  Alston, was treasurer of the Endiburgh Asylum. " He established a printing press, and published, inter alia, first the New Testament and then, in 1840, the complete Bible, in nineteen volumes, the first embossed Bible of any type. The books he published sold widely, here and in America. His types were cut in very sharp, thin faces in two sizes, Great Primer for ordinary use and Double Pica for learners and older readers whose fingers were insufficiently sensitive to cope with the smaller type." (Wagg )

 

Mr. Galt's system of reading:  No information was found for a Mr. Galt, however editor was able to locate information on a Mr. James. Gall of Scotland (1784-1874). This has editor believe that Gall's name is spelled incorrectly in the original text of Statistical Notice of the Asylum for the Blind in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  Mr. Gall invented a sytem of printing for the blind for those in the Edinburgh Asylum.  He published a series of books dedicated to instructing the blind to read:  1822 A historical sketch of the origin and progress of literature for the blind; 1827 First Book; 1834 A series of educational experiments in England, Ireland and Scotland for ascertaining the effects of the lesson system of teaching 1834 and A Practical enquiry into the philosophy of Education.  Gall is also credited with introducing embossed print into England.   He used Roman capital letter that were angular and had sharp edges.  Images of the different styles of embossed print can be viewed at www.rnib.org.uk.

 

Mr. Lucas of Bristol:   Invented a sternograhic alphabet for the blind.

 

Typography:   According to Dictionary.com typography is the general character or appearance of printed matter. 

 

Mr. D. Liddell:  A teacher at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne asylum.  Liddell also held post as secretary for the committe of the Blind Asylum.  Birth and death dates unattainable.

 

 

 

Monetary Clarifications

 

1L= 20 shillings

 

1 shilling = 12 pence

 

1 pound = 240 pence 

 

To gain a deeper appreciation for how little the patients of the asylum were receiving, I have included the cost of living for various items such as food, housing and clothing:

One pound of butter, which would usually last a week cost 3 shillings.

Bread cost one shilling.

Half a week of rent for a home housing the poor was 5 shillings.

Boots that would shoe three children cost 10 shillings.

 

For a more detailed description of currency and its worth, see HOW MUCH THINGS COST under the finance section of http://www.victorianlondon.org/.

 

L1100:  Would equal $109,562.25 in 2006.

 

1s: Would equal $4.95 in 2006.

 

13s:  Would equal  $64.74 in 2006.

 

8s:  Would equal $39.83 in 2006.

 

* All conversions above equal to the U.S. Dollar, not the Euro.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               Commentary on the Text

 

Kelly K. Waldschmidt  2008

 

I selected the text for this project initially for its title.  I have been interested in the genre of madness in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for quite some time and was hoping to read personal accounts of the patients of this asylum.  Of course, as I began the article I realized that the text was intended to inform the society of its general progression, rather than give intimate details of the asylum and its inner workings.  Although the text did not suit my original fancy, I chose to remain with it because I was puzzled at the different alphabetic systems described and wanted to know more about them.  Once I began to research terms and names to annotate, I was astonished at how much education and dedication was connected to those who were blind.  It was fascinating to view the time line and scholarship of how the blind were taught to read and the options of literature available to them.

 

I was impressed to find that in a century that had only recently considered those with learning disabilities such as blindness or deafness different from cognitive impairment or mental instability, so much effort was taken to improve not only their education, but way of living.  The information I gathered that I found most interesting was that there was a music school for the blind.  I feel that this was ahead of its time and it is a topic I plan to investigate further. 

 

 

 

Ryan Pavlica  2008

 

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this notice regards the importance of education - in particular the act of reading - being paid to the blind. We often look back in regret to those times in which those in unfortunate circumstances (though clearly no fault of their own, ie: physical and mental handicaps) were treated as lesser citizens - and at the worst of times, more like test subjects than people at all. It's surprising and supremely refreshing, then, to see some of the first steps towards rectifying the indescretions of the past. While the extremely helpful monetary conversions helps decipher how much those people of the asylum were really making - and thus showing us that, for many, it was next to nothing - how incredible it is that great strides were being taken to improve the education of the inmates. It reminds one of the old adage "catch a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats all his days." Though these people were obviously quite poor, at least partial attention was being paid to helping their educations, so that they may in the future help themselves.

 

It would be quite interesting to see a history of the modes of teaching the blind to read; when given the descriptions of Galt's and Alston's system, I couldn't help but think of the Braille system. It was devised in 1821 by Louis Braille, and so predates this notice by seventeen years. It would be fascinating to see when the Braille system caught steam and became the dominant device for teaching the blind to read.

 

 

 

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                Works Cited

 

 

Please be sure to cite reference works, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, scholarly articles, other 19th century sources, and other websites that you used in preparing this page.  In particular, it is extremely important to use quotation marks when copying material directly from another source, to provide a parenthetical citation to the source and relevant page number, and to include that source here.  If you do not know how/when to decide what to cite or how to format citations in MLA Style, please consult your instructor. [Please retain these directions.]

 

"Belfast."  Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia.  22 Feb. 2008.  24 Feb. 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/Belfast-266k

 

Higginbotham, Peter "The Workhouse"  12 Feb. 2008.  

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?NewcastleUponTyne/NewcastleUponTyne.shtml

 

Jackson, Lee.  The Victorian Dictionary.  25 Dec. 2007. 25. Feb. 2008.

http://victorianlondon.org/

 

 "Journal of the Royal Statistical Society."  Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia.  12 Dec. 2007.  12 Feb. 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journal_of_the_Royal_Statistical_Society-31k

 

Martineau, Harriet.  "Mutes and Blinds."  Retrospect of Western Travel. http://books.google.com/books?id=3eJEAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA128&dq=%22mutes+and+blind%22

 

"North Shields."  Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia.  12 Feb. 2008.  12 Feb. 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shields-61k

 

Officer, Lawerence H, Samual H. Williamson.  Measuring Worth.com.  2007.  25 Feb. 2008.

 

"Pathfinder Pack on Illness and Disease, 1800-1825."  Resources for Learning in Scotland. 12. Feb. 2008.

http://www.rls.org.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-001-410-L

 

"Photographs of Newcastle".  17 Feb. 2008.

http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.com/

 

Roberts, Andrew. "Asylums Index 2001." Index of Lunatic Asylums and Mental Hospitals.  Middlesex University Web, London.  12 Feb. 2008.

http://www.mdx.ac.uk///WWW/STUDY/4_13_TA.htm -765k

 

"Spital."  Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia.  9 Jan. 2008.  12 Feb. 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spital-17k

 

"The History of Reading Codes."  The New York Institute for Special Education.  22 Feb. 2008.

http://www.nyise.org/blind/barbier.htm

 

The Victorian Web. http://thevictorianweb.org. 12 Feb. 2008.

 

Wagg, Henry J.  "A Chronical survey of work for the blind."  Royal National Institute of Blind People.  21 Jan. 2008.  12 Feb. 2008.

http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/visugate/public_surwrkbl.hcsp

 

XE The World's Favorite Currency Site.  http://www.xe.com/.  25 Feb. 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

                For Additional Reading

 

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                Project Group Members

 

Member Name	University	Course
Kelly K. Waldschmidt	Eastern Michigan Univeristy	LITR 565

 

 

             

 

 

     Project Completed: Winter 2008

 

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