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Service for 'forgotten paupers' | Service for 'forgotten paupers' |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Thousands of former psychiatric patients could be buried in unmarked graves across Scotland, according to a Livingston MP. | Thousands of former psychiatric patients could be buried in unmarked graves across Scotland, according to a Livingston MP. |
Jim Devine called for an audit after it emerged that 831 patients of Bangour Village Hospital, West Lothian had been interred in cemeteries with no markers. | Jim Devine called for an audit after it emerged that 831 patients of Bangour Village Hospital, West Lothian had been interred in cemeteries with no markers. |
The MP said he would be writing to the health minister to request checks be made at other former hospital sites. | The MP said he would be writing to the health minister to request checks be made at other former hospital sites. |
A service of dedication will be held at Ecclesmachan Church on Friday. | |
Catherine Ferguson, a local woman who discovered the graves after carrying out research, said: "It's important to have a memorial service for people who were forgotten in life and whose bodies were unclaimed in death." | Catherine Ferguson, a local woman who discovered the graves after carrying out research, said: "It's important to have a memorial service for people who were forgotten in life and whose bodies were unclaimed in death." |
Local historian Sybil Cavanagh said the hospital catered for people with mental health problems who were dependent on the state. | Local historian Sybil Cavanagh said the hospital catered for people with mental health problems who were dependent on the state. |
The local council has now placed plaques in the three cemeteries | The local council has now placed plaques in the three cemeteries |
"It was an asylum built in the early 1900s for Edinburgh's lunatic paupers, as they were then known. | "It was an asylum built in the early 1900s for Edinburgh's lunatic paupers, as they were then known. |
"The Edinburgh Lunacy Board, which ran Bangour, also had responsibility for burying these patients in a very basic burial, with just the hospital chaplain and a hospital staff member there to see the patient into the grave. | "The Edinburgh Lunacy Board, which ran Bangour, also had responsibility for burying these patients in a very basic burial, with just the hospital chaplain and a hospital staff member there to see the patient into the grave. |
"In most cases the board buried the patient because there was no-one to claim the body, the fact that they were unmarked would be purely a matter of finance as it was fairly costly to have a gravestone." | "In most cases the board buried the patient because there was no-one to claim the body, the fact that they were unmarked would be purely a matter of finance as it was fairly costly to have a gravestone." |
Mr Devine, a Labour MP, welcomed the commemoration of the former patients but said wider questions still needed to be answered. | Mr Devine, a Labour MP, welcomed the commemoration of the former patients but said wider questions still needed to be answered. |
"I'm writing to the health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, asking her to find out how many former psychiatric patients are buried in unmarked graves in Scotland. | "I'm writing to the health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, asking her to find out how many former psychiatric patients are buried in unmarked graves in Scotland. |
"If we've had nearly 1,000 people from Bangour alone, given that we've had 40 major psychiatric hospitals in Scotland, we could be talking about tens of thousands of people." | "If we've had nearly 1,000 people from Bangour alone, given that we've had 40 major psychiatric hospitals in Scotland, we could be talking about tens of thousands of people." |
The bodies are buried at Ecclesmachan, Loaninghill and Uphall Old Cemetery. West Lothian Council have now placed plaques at the three locations. | The bodies are buried at Ecclesmachan, Loaninghill and Uphall Old Cemetery. West Lothian Council have now placed plaques at the three locations. |
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