Find Ancestors in Historic Insane Asylum Records

Mental Institutions were once called Insane Asylums and those committed to them were deemed lunatics, idiots, imbeciles, crazy, and other terms we now consider derogatory. Many times people committed did not suffer from mental illness. Women were frequently admitted with what we now know was post-partum depression, or menopausal hormone changes. 

For the genealogist, these institutional records are full of information that is horrifying yet important in our genealogy research. Below are some links, both pay-to-view and free, leading you to various online databases of Insane Asylum records.

United States Insane Asylum Records

New York, U.S., Hebrew Infant Asylum Records, 1895-1927   
 

New York, U.S., Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society Records, 1884-1925   

New York, U.S., Home for Hebrew Infants Records, 1922-1937   
   
New York, U.S., Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum Records, 1878-1969   

New York, U.S., Hebrew Orphan Asylum Records, 1860-1934   
 

UK Insane Asylum Records

Annual return of lunatics: Guisborough Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Stocksley Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Richmond Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Thirsk Union 1844 Yorkshire England

Annual return of lunatics: Stockton Union, Yorkshire England 1869

Annual return of lunatics in the Stockton Union Yorkshire England 1870

Clifton Asylum, Yorkshire England Names of private lunatics in the Asylum at Clifton on 1 January 1869 

England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1843
   
Bodmin, Cornwall, England, Inmates at St. Lawrence's Asylum, 1840-1900   

Glamorganshire, Wales, Glamorgan County Ayslum Records, 1845-1920    Directories & Member Lists   
    
Fife, Scotland, Asylum Registers, 1866-1937   
      

Canada Insane Asylum Records

Toronto Insane Asylum 1841

Annual Report of the Medical Superintendent of the Provincial Hospital for the Insane, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Australia Insane Asylum Records

Victoria, Australia, Lunatic Estates and Register, 1867-1906

New South Wales, Australia, Registers for the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children, 1852 - 1915   
    
New South Wales, Australia, Hospital & Asylum Records, 1840-1913

Victoria, Australia, Asylum Records, 1853-1940    

Miscellaneous Insane Asylum Records

Olive Tree Genealogy Insane Asylum Records 

Blacksheep Ancestors Insane Asylum Records