1898 Rare Letters About the Fate of a Hamilton Ontario Asylum Patient

Fascinating pair of vintage Canadian letters written by Robert Christie, Inspector of Asylums and Prisons for the province of Ontario, regarding the case (and fate) of David C. Browning, a patient in the Hamilton Asylum.

The letters are addressed to Messrs Wright & Brown, Solicitors, of Carlisle, England. The first letter is dated May 30, 1898. It is a typed carbon copy of a letter that had been sent and presumed lost (and thus, sent again). It details financial arrangements for the maintenance of Browning.

“I received your letter of the 14th January last with enclosures, also yours of May 10th last. Upon receipt of the former I transferred the case to the Toronto General Trust Co as my Agents” (May 30, 1898).

The second letter, dated September 23, 1898, is a follow-up to the first. It confirms the contents of the first letter, suggesting the original had gone astray. In it, Christie hints at his responsibilities:

“I may say that in consequence of the volume of business under my charge as statutory committee of the persons and estates of all lunatics” (September 23, 1898).

Ontario businessman and political figure Robert Christie was born in 1826 and passed away in 1914. As a businessman, he was active in the financial and insurance industries. He served as vice-president of the Canadian Mutual Fire Insurance Company and was a director of the Canada West Farmers’ Mutual and Stock Insurance Company.

He entered politics and served in the first Ontario Legislature when Canada was established as an independent country. At his death, he was the last surviving member of that first legislature. He was named Inspector of Asylums and Prisons when he left politics.

Christie’s letters hint at the manner in which individuals with mental health concerns were treated over a century ago, and give insight into Christie’s role as Inspector.