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CodeDS/UK/137
Dates1779-1862
Person NameCrichton; Elizabeth (1779-1862); hospital founder
SurnameCrichton
ForenamesElizabeth
Epithethospital founder
ActivityElizabeth Crichton, nee Grierson, was born in Rockhall, Dumfriesshire. She married Dr James Crichton (1763-1823) of Friars Carse, Dumfriesshire in 1810. The couple had no children, and on Dr Crichton's death in 1823, Elizabeth was named as one of the Trustees appointed by him to manage his estate and bequest. A sum of £100,000 was left to be used for a charitable purpose, the first proposal put forward was to endow a college in Dumfries, however after meeting with opposition and a delay of a several years, a second proposal to establish a lunatic asylum in Dumfries was agreed in 1833. Elizabeth Crichton was the driving force behind this proposal and played an active part in the establishment of the hospital. Crichton Royal Institution opened in 1839 and developed an international reputation for the treatment and care it offered to the mentally ill. Elizabeth actively served on the Board of Trustees and Directors until her death on 11 October 1862.
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