George Marshall Medical Museum

12/06/2026

Thank you to Sandra who has been researching the life of Elizabeth Cooper, who was admitted to the asylum on 30th November, 1872. Sandra is just one of our remote volunteers working on the histories of those admitted to Powick Asylum from its opening in 1852 until the turn of the 20th century.

Sandra's research found there are two possible women with the same married name who match the inpatient Elizabeth Cooper, were born about the same time and who married inn/beerhouse keepers. Elizabeth nee Price (who married Richard Cooper) and Elizabeth nee Griffin/Stone who married Edward Cooper (18 – 1870). Although definitive evidence to verify which person was the correct patient could not be found there are some clues that strongly suggest Elizabeth nee Price is correct.

Can you help George Marshall Medical Museum with a spot of family history research to find out about some people who were admitted to the Worcester City and County Lunatic Asylum in the 19th century?

09/06/2026

We are so very pleased that this beautiful garden will come to the Charles Hastings Education Centre.

Joint funding from The Charles Hastings Education Centre Charity, in partnership with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity, will enable this incredible garden to be carefully relocated to the site following the Royal Three Counties Show.

The garden will include a traditional physic garden, creating opportunities to educate on the historic use of plants and herbs in medicine. We are currently building a volunteer team, so if you would like to get involved in caring for this garden in the future, please get in touch with Louise Price at [email protected].

We are delighted to announce that a feature garden from this year’s Royal Three Counties Show and RHS Malvern Spring Festival will find a permanent new home at The Charles Hastings Education Centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The garden, called “Clay: the super soil,” showcases the use of clay materials in a contemporary styled garden, with a nod to traditional artisan crafts. The garden has been designed and created by multi-award-winning garden designer, Martyn Wilson, Director of Wilson Associates Garden Design.

Joint funding from The Charles Hastings Education Centre Charity, in partnership with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity, will enable this incredible garden to be carefully relocated to Worcestershire Royal Hospital following the festival.

The raw materials and structures will be thoughtfully re-interpreted to create a beautiful, accessible green space for staff, patients and visitors. Featuring a covered space and seating area to support private conversations, alongside raised planting beds, the new garden will transform the existing outdoor space into a calm and restorative place that supports people’s wellbeing.

“Clay: the super soil” can be viewed alongside other new and inspiring gardens at the Royal Three Counties Show from 12 to 14 June 2026, before opening to visitors at The Charles Hastings Education Centre later this summer.

08/06/2026

Thank you to PhD student Maddie, and Sarah and Anthony of Explore The Past for sharing your knowledge this evening in our free public talks. A lively Q&A followed (as always when Powick asylum is up for discussion!!).

We hope you all enjoyed the talks.

05/06/2026

A few photographs of the former Powick Mental Hospital site. We don't know who took these, but it's lovely to see the view of the hills from the building, including a rare photo of the covered walkway from pavement level. If you'd like to find out more about the people who were admitted to the hospital, and the hospital's record in the archives, check out our event on Monday 8 June from 6:00pm.

Edit: the covered walkway is not the one in this photograph (those hills are far too close! Thanks Kerry)

https://medicalmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/2026/6/8/free-public-talks-powick-hospital

04/06/2026

Our in-house volunteers have given 601 hours of their time since June 2025. This doesn't include all of the remote volunteers working on research from the comfort of their own homes or in our local libraries/archives.

You're all amazing.

Volunteers' Week

02/06/2026

William Henry Gray lived in both the High Street and Britannia Square, Worcester, and was admitted to the asylum with dementia. Thank you to Vanessa for researching William's life and for writing this up for us. With thanks to volunteers we have now researched and published the histories of 66 people who were at one time admitted to the asylum.

Can you help George Marshall Medical Museum with a spot of family history research to find out about some people who were admitted to the Worcester City and County Lunatic Asylum in the 19th century?

02/06/2026

It's Volunteers' Week and we'd like to say a huge thank you to all current and former volunteers who have given so much to the museum.

Our schools and community groups leave happier with your added expertise, our events run better, our office is brighter, the biscuit tin is fuller, and we know so much more about our collections than we would do without your help.

THANK YOU.

01/06/2026

Cathy has researched and written up the history of Paul Augustus Taylor who was a patient at the asylum from the age of 18 in 1893. His admission notes read "He has been [...] in the habit of smoking & standing at street corners."

Thank you, Cathy.

To find out more about the asylum and the people admitted there, come along to our free public talks next Monday 8 June.

On first reading Taylor’s case notes, one wonders why he was admitted to Powick Lunatic Asylum. Aged only 18 on admission on 3 January 1893, his admission notes read ‘This is his first attack of four weeks duration the supposed cause being unknown. He has been idiotic in his conduct for four yea...