Thomas Warburton Madhouse Keeper

Elaine Hopper introduced me to Thomas Warburton, an infamous madhouse keeper, via a chapter in Hackney History Volume 8. The chapter is The Madhouse-Keepers of Hackney by Elaine Murphy. It describes the gory details of his establishments, how he was hauled before a Parliamentary Standing Committee, and how his son John turned the Bethnal Green asylum into ‘a most remarkable institution’ that had a whole Chapter of the 1847 Special Report of the Commissioners in Lunacy.

Elaine had also uncovered Thomas’s will, a rather tortuous document which reveals the riches he accumulated from his nefarious businesses, and how he bestowed them on his 3 surviving children. I was inspired to transcribe key sections of the will, and to generate a family tree of Thomas’s descendants, which can be found on the Clans page as a Hackney Family.

Thomas had 2 establishments, at Whitmore House near Hoxton, and at Bethnal Green. The treatment of the inmates of these establishments was appalling, and the subject of two Parliamentary Select Committee Enquiries in 1815 and 1827. However conditions don’t seem to have improved until Thomas passed on the business to his son John.

Thomas’s origins are unknown. One story is he was from the country, and formerly a butcher’s apprentice. He worked his way up from gate porter at Whitmore House until he finally owned the establishment (possibly because his wife was the daughter of the previous owner). By the time he wrote his will in 1832 he had a considerable fortune to give to his three surviving children. His residence was at Exmouth Place, Hackney and his will refers to properties around Mare Street. These, as well as his businesses, were left to his younger son John, who was a Doctor of Medicine, and who seems to have transformed his businesses.

Close to the location of his properties there is still today a Warburton Street and Warburton Road.

Thomas was buried aged 79, suggesting he was born in 1756 or early 1757. I have found 3 baptisms on-line from that period. One in Bromborough, Cheshire was rapidly followed by a burial, and one in Bowdon, Cheshire is of a known member of the Warburton Village Clan.

This leaves a Thomas son of Thomas, who was baptised at Haslingden, St James on July 7th 1756. It is only recorded in the Bishop’s Transcripts, mothers name is missing, and the abode is cut off in the image.  It is possibly the last and late child of Thomas and Mary nee Warburton who married in 1730 and had several children baptised between 1737 and 1752.  However, as one of those children was also a Thomas whose death hasn’t been found, the second Thomas is probably from an unknown family new to the area. Even then it is possible that the madhouse keeper’s age at death was not exact, or his baptism was not recorded.

Thomas’s will included bequests for his 3 living children, Sarah, Henry, and John. Sarah married William Dansey at St John, Hackney on 28th May 1818. William was Rector of St Andrew, Donhead from 1820 until his death in 1856. William and Sarah are living at the Rectory House in Donhead, Wiltshire in the 1841 and 1851 censuses. In 1851 William is occupying 74 acres and employing 9 outdoor labourers and servants. Three servants (a cook, a housemaid and a nurse) are also living with them. Two sons and five daughters are listed in 1841.

Thomas’s will stated:

“I give and devise unto my daughter Sarah, the wife of the Reverend William Dansey, Rector of Donhead, St Andrew in the county of Wilts … but if she should die in my lifetime then unto the said William Dansey … all the messuages, lands and Hereditaments ….in the Parish of Donhead, St Andrew … and the adjoining parish of Donhead, St Mary …… 

“I give and bequeath to my said daughter Sarah….the sum of Seven Hundred pounds…..whereas I committed a grave error in [persuading] my said son in law William Dansey to quit the Medical Profession, to which he was bred, and by the practice of which he probably might have made a provision for his family, and in as much as the Rectory of Donhead, Saint Andrew aforesaid, the Advowson in fee of which I purchased and gave to the said William Dansey has deteriorated one third in value since I purchased … 

“to the said William Dansey and my said daughter Sarah ….I give and bequeath to the Trustee or Trustees of the Settlement made previously to the marriage of the said William Dansey and Sarah his wife the sum of two thousand three hundred pounds three pound per cent Consolidated Annuities To be held by the Trustees and Trustee for the time being of the said Settlement “. 

Thomas’s son Henry was also a cleric. The baptisms of his children place him as a Curate in Chieveley, Berkshire from 1819 to 1821, but by September 1822 he had taken a position as Rector of Sible Hedingham in Essex.

One curiosity is that both his sister Sarah, and his brother John were married by Henry Warburton, Rector of Peatling, Leicestershire at Hackney in 1818 and 1821 respectively, at a time when Henry was in Chieveley. Either when Henry was working as a Curate in Chieveley, he had, or used the title of a Rector in Leicestershire to marry his siblings, or they were married by another person, probably a family member, called Henry. I have not identified a Henry in Leicestershire at that time.

Henry’s father Thomas made complex provision in his will for Henry and his heirs to hold the living at Sible Hedingham: 

“I give and devise unto Thomas Poynder Esquire, Treasurer of Christ’s Hospital, and Thomas Watson of Henrietta Street Cavendish Square in the said County of Middlesex, Doctor in Medicine, all that the perpetual advowson, right of patronage, and presentation of and to the Rectory and Parish Church of Sible Hedingham in the County of Essex (of which my son the Reverend Henry Warburton is the present Incumbent) …..and also all those several pieces or parcels of freehold land lying near to the Rectory House, and which were purchased by me….. on part of which there has since [been] erected a barn, stabling, and other outbuildings … now in the occupation of my said son Henry Warburton….To hold the same .. for ever on  the Trusts hereinafter expressed…that is to say ….to permit and suffer my said son Henry Warburton … to hold and enjoy the same so long as he shall continue the Incumbent of the said Rectory, and from and after the death or resignation of the said Henry Warburton….to present such son of my said son Henry Warburton to the said Rectory as the said Henry Warburton shall by any deed…. direct or appoint……….I give and bequeath to the said Thomas Poynder and Thomas Watson….the sum of twenty thousand pounds, three pounds per cent, Consolidated Annuities …Upon Trust to pay the dividends, interest, and annual income of the same from time to time to become due during the natural life of my said son Henry Warburton… and from and after the decease of my said son Henry Warburton, then upon trust for the wife of the said Henry Warburton…if she shall so long continue his widow and unmarried”.

The Rectory at Sible Hedingham was a considerable building, having 23 rooms in the 1911 census.

There is currently a tour of the Rectory at Sible Hedingham on Savills’ website. It was built in 1714.

Henry did not long outlive his father, dying in 1837. Maybe the complex will was necessitated by his already failing health. He was eventually succeeded as Rector by his son, also Henry, who died in 1904, and by his grandson Welby Russell Warburton, who died unmarried in 1918.

Henry had 10 children in all, 6 daughters and 4 sons. Census and registration records are patchy, so maybe some of them spent time abroad. Only one daughter, Charlotte Russell Warburton definitely married, to Cloudesly Hughes-D’Aeth. They had one son.

One of Henry’s sons died an infant, but the other three married and had children. However all the male lines of descent end in childlessness, or an absence of obvious records.

Thomas’s main residence and businesses were bequeathed to his son John. The will includes the following:

“And I give devise and bequeath to my said son John Warburton …  the freehold, Copyhold, and Leasehold manors, messuages, lands, tenements, and Hereditaments of in or to which. either in my own right or as an heir at Law, or otherwise howsoever I am seized, possessed, interested in, or in anywise entitled either as Mortgagee for my own benefit, or for the benefit of any other person or persons whomsoever or as a Trustee for any purposes whatsoever. To the end and intent that the said John Warburton …. may have a complete power of conveying and transferring ….and may also [be] enabled to perform the trusts [that] are held by me, and receive … the sum or sums of money [that] shall become due to me on the security of the same Manors, messuages, lands, tenements, and Heredits…..and also such other sums of money … as … shall be receivable under or by virtue of the Trusts on which I hold any of the said Manors messuages lands tenements and Hereditaments….  I order and direct that all conveyances which shall be made, and all receipts and discharges for money due and to become due, ……which shall be given by the said John Warburton….. shall be as good, valid, and effectual to all intents and purposes as if the same …. had been given by me in my lifetime.

And I give devise and bequeath ……to my  said son John Warburton ….. all my said messuages, lands, and Heredits, called Exmouth Place, subject and without prejudice to the …annuities [of] One Hundred pounds and fifty pounds hereinbefore charged thereon.  And all other real Estates whatsoever whether of freehold, copyhold, Customary, or Leasehold tenure and situate in the several Parishes of Saint James, Westminster, Saint John, Hackney, and Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green all in the said County of Middlesex, or in any other part of England which are my property and subject to my disposition or appointment. And all the Rest, Residue, and Remainder of my Goods and Chattels rights and credits, and the benefit of the business I now carry on in my Houses of Business in the parish of  Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green aforesaid, and Whitmore House in the Parish of Saint John, Hackney, and also all my money, stocks, funds, and securities, personal Estate and Effects whatsoever, and wheresoever or of what nature kind or quality soever.“

John was also appointed executor, and he proved the will on March 10th 1836.

The Hackney History refers to John as follows:

“John Warburton was in his 30s when he took over his inheritance, already making a name for himself as physician to St Luke’s. He moved in highly respectable circles within his profession, having married the daughter of Abernethy, the flamboyant Barts surgeon. Over the next 15 years, the new national Commissioners in Lunacy believed, Bethnal Green Asylum was transformed into a most remarkable institution, the best in the metropolis. So impressed were they with the transformation that a whole chapter was given over in their Special Report of 1847 to documenting the process of change.”

John died in 1845 and was buried in Highgate Cemetery. As he only lived 9 years after his father’s death, and was already 44 when his father died, it would seem he may have taken over the running of the madhouses before his father died.

Despite his success in turning around the madhouses, John and his descendants seem to have been cursed. He was only about 54 when he died, his notorious father having reached 79. John only had one son, John Abernethy, who reach adulthood, and he died aged 25, leaving his own complicated will. His only son, Thomas Frederick died before his 30th birthday, closely followed by his wife Mabel, who seems to have died in childbirth, having their daughter Mabel Clarrise. A son, Thomas Frederick had already been born, but although he lived to the age of 68, he never married. He did however leave an estate of £88,058 7s 7d.