County Asylums Act 1808
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act for the better Care and Maintenance of Lunaticks, being Paupers or Criminals in England. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 48 Geo. 3. c. 96 |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 23 June 1808 |
| Commencement | 23 June 1808[a] |
| Repealed | 15 July 1828 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by |
|
| Repealed by | County Asylums Act 1828 |
| Relates to | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The County Asylums Act 1808 (48 Geo. 3. c. 96), also known as the Lunatic Paupers or Criminals Act 1808 or Wynn's Act, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom formed mental health law in England and Wales from 1808 to 1828. The act was replaced by the County Asylums Act 1828 (9 Geo. 4. c. 40), which formed mental health law in England and Wales until 1845. Notably, the act established public mental asylums in Britain that could be operated by the county government.[1] It permitted, but did not compel, justices of the peace to provide establishments for the care of pauper lunatics, so that they could be removed from workhouses and prisons.[2]
The act is also known as Mr. Wynn's Act, after Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn, a Welsh member of parliament for Montgomeryshire, who promoted the act.[3]
Subsequent developments
The whole act was repealed by section 1 of the County Asylums Act 1828 (9 Geo. 4. c. 40).
See also
Notes
References
- ^ Roberts, Andrew. "Mental Health History Timeline". studymore.org.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ Ayers, Gwendoline (1971). England's First State Hospitals. London: Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Thorne, R. G. (1986). "WILLIAMS WYNN, Charles Watkin (1775-1850), of Langedwyn, Denb". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 5 June 2017.