U3A Research

U3A Research Projects

Research conducted by members of the University of the Third Age (U3A).

2019/20 | Normansfield and the Written Word: Correspondence and Newspapers.

Project to start Autumn 2019

2018/19 | Local suppliers to Normansfield – 1868 to the 1930s

Research covered the following: the farm, electric lighting, the laundry, musical instruments, weaving, photography and kitchen supplies.

2017 | The Staff who worked at Normansfield, 1868 – 1997

This project researched a series life stories of staff who worked at Normansfield. Staff duties were very wide-ranging and included chaplains, governesses, medical/care staff, farm workers, maintenance staff and teachers.

2016 | The History of Normansfield’s Buildings

A research project that explored the history of Normansfield’s buildings and the development of the site from 1868.

2014 | Long stay Institutions for People with Learning Disabilities

Where were long stay institutions and asylums for people with learning disabilities in the 19th and 20th centuries located in London and the Home Counties? How were they founded? How did they compare with each other and with Normansfield? How did living conditions and quality of care compare?

2013 | Normansfield: The Early Years 1868 to 1913

IntroductionMental Deficiency and Treatment at Normansfield Patients’ StatisticsFees and ChargesStaffTeaching

Case Studies: Ida Penelope PageRobert Belchamber