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# Lives of patients in Burntwood asylum to feature in history festival exhibition
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/lives-of-patients-in-burntwood-asylum-to-feature-in-history-festival-exhibition/
- Published: 2021-09-07T07:05:00.000Z
- Updated: 2021-09-07T07:20:16.000Z
- Description: A pop-up exhibition exploring the lives of patients at an asylum in Burntwood will form part of the Staffordshire History Festival programme.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Burntwood, Heritage, What's On, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:15, News

A pop-up exhibition exploring the lives of patients at an asylum in Burntwood will form part of the Staffordshire History Festival programme.

A Case for the Ordinary – Staffordshire Asylums will visit Burntwood Library on 20th September.

It is part of a programme of events in September and October, which also includes a number of online sessions.

The pop-up exhibition is based around [a research project](https://staffordshireasylumrecords.wordpress.com/?ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk) and will focus on the lives of patients at asylums in Burntwood, Stafford and Cheddleton using case records from the time.

> “The three asylums are a rich seedbed of historical interest, as they were founded during different phases of mental health provision in England.  
>  
> “Burntwood was constructed during the phase of compulsory provision after the 1845 Lunacy Act.  
>  
> “The records of these three institutions are remarkably consistent and well preserved. Their catchment area was large, and allows us to analyse how mental health provision interacted with farming, coal mining and heavily industrial areas.  
>  
> “The story of asylums, as Staffordshire shows, is not purely one of provision for paupers – the range of varied stories, classes and experiences held within the records shows that Staffordshire, while having its own character, can also be claimed to represent a case for the ordinary.”  
>  
> Exhibition spokesperson

More details about events taking place as part of the Staffordshire History Festival events are available on [the libraries service website](https://www.facebook.com/staffordshirelibraries/).

Cllr Victoria Wilson, from Staffordshire County Council, said:

> “Staffordshire is an amazing county steeped in history and our annual festival is a great opportunity to celebrate and share it.  
>  
> “For many people, the local library, along with our archives and museums service are the best gateways to learning more about family or local history.   
>  
> “Our teams have worked incredibly hard to pull together an inspiring programme for this year’s festival.   
>  
> “I would urge people to join in the celebrations, follow the activities on social media and enjoy the great content available.”  
>  
> Cllr Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council