Money, Sex and Madness: The story of corruption at Hanover Park Asylum

On December 14th, 1816, a trial opened at the Court of Common Pleas in Dublin. The action, brought by one Mr. J. Hinds, alleged that Dr. Philip Middleton had engaged in “criminal conversation” with his wife, Hester Hinds. The consequence of the “conversation” was that Hester Hinds had delivered a baby. Mr. Hinds sought damages in the sum of £5000.

The trial laid bare the scandalous activities that surrounded the newly opened lunatic asylum and the extraordinary career of Philip Middleton.

Here is what we know.

Clay, Delahoyde, and Monprevan.

Three men, two English and one French, got together with a view to establishing a lunatic asylum in Carlow, not far from Dublin. They may have had some access to funds before they started but not sufficient for their aims. They sought additional investment as well as a medical man to run the establishment. Philip Middleton was at that time living in Ireland and provided £1000 investment and agreed to be the main medical supervisor.

The group then opened Hanover Park Asylum, which received some patients who had been residing at small facility named Elm Villa where Delahoyde had already been in charge as the Surgeon. They advertised for fee-paying patients. There was evidently no shortage of ambition on the part of these entrepreneurs: They attempted to alter the structure of the ancient Carlow Castle in order to expand their asylum buildings…