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DEAF AND DUMB, INSTITUTIONS FOR THE. 



DEAF AND DUMB, INSTITUTIONS FOR THE. 431 



8 in Belgium and Holland; 4 in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway; 2 in 

 Russia and Poland ; and 1 in the United States. The actual number 

 of institutions for the deaf and dumb in England, Wales, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, is 20, of each of which we shall give some particulars. 



The public establishments for the reception and education of the 

 deaf and dumb of England are situated respectively at London, Bir- 

 mingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Exeter, Uoncaster, Newcastle on 

 Tyne, Bristol, Brighton, and Bath ; one for Wales, at Swansea ; those 

 of Scotland at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee ; and those 

 of Ireland at Dublin, Belfast, and Strabane. The asylum at London, 

 situated in the Kent Road, was opened in 1792 ; it was the first asylum 

 in the kingdom for extending to the indigent deaf and dumb the benefit 

 of education, and, from its establishment to the present time, 2889 

 pupils have been received and educated there. A bust of the Rev. 

 John Townsend, which is placed in the committee-room, perpetuates 

 his memory as the founder of the institution. Three hundred children 

 from all parts of the kingdom reside in the asylum, which receives 

 ample support from the wealthy ; indeed it possesses, besides its annual 

 receipts from subscriptions, donations, and legacies, a funded property 

 of probably not less than 160,000?., by which its permanent income is 

 greatly increased. The instructor of the asylum is the Rev. James 

 W. Watson, a grandson of the late Dr. Watson ; he is assisted by male 

 and female teachers. The whole it under the management of a com- 

 mittee. The cost per head of each pupil is under 251. a year ; its 

 annual ineome is little short of 10,000, more or less, depending in 

 some measure on the amount received each year in legacies ; this sum 

 in 1858 was 21501., the dividends from stock about 50001., subscriptions 

 1500?., and from other sources about 1000/. was received. 



The second institution which came into operation in this kingdom 

 was that of Edinburgh, which was established in 1810, and at first 

 placed under the care of Mr. Braidwood ; he was succeeded by Mr. 

 Kinniburgh, since deceased. The number of children at present under 

 instruction is 58. The number of instructors, including the principal, 

 3, and a sewing mistress. The income is stated by the secretary to be 

 about 700?. a-year from subscriptions, and 400?. to 500?. from payments 

 of pupils. The admission of deaf and dumb children into Donaldson's 

 Hospital has circumscribed the operations of this institution. 



The general institution for the deaf and dumb at Edgbaston, near 

 Birmingham, was commenced in 1812. It was formed in consequence 

 of a lecture on the subject which was read by the late Dr. de Lys 

 before the philosophical institution of Birmingham. This gentleman, 

 and Dr. Alexander Blair, late professor of English literature in the 

 university of London, are to be regarded as the first promoters of the 

 institution. It was placed under the superintendence of Mr. Thomas 

 Braidwood, one of the sons of Mr. Braidwood of Hackney. The insti- 

 tution has no provincial limits. It contains 92 pupils; the present 

 master is Mr. Arthur Hopper, who has six assistants. The manage- 

 ment of the domestic department is superintended by a matron. For 

 many years this establishment was confined in its means ; but its 

 buildings have been recently enlarged, so as to admit of a great increase 

 of pupils, and their sanitary condition has received every improvement 

 that could be introduced. These alterations have involved an outlay 

 exceeding 2000/. The funds of the institution arise from subscriptions, 

 donations, legacies, interest of money invested, and payments on behalf 

 of the pupils. Nearly a fourth of the income is derived from annual 

 sulmcriptions, and more than a fourth from pupils' payments. The 

 cost of each pupil is stated at about 251. annually. 



The national institution for the deaf and dumb of Ireland is situated 

 at Claremont, near Dublin. It owes its origin and progress to the 

 strenuous and unwearying exertions of Dr. Charles Orpen. Soon after 

 its commencement in 1816, it was placed under the care of Mr. Joseph 

 Humphreys, who continued to be the principal till 1841, since which 

 time several others have occupied that post. The present master is 

 Mr. E. J. Chidley, formerly an assistant at the London Asylum, Kent 

 Road. About the year 1846, a great change took place in the affairs of 

 the institution. Its original operations included the whole of Ireland ; 

 but the extension of that established at Belfast to the entire province of 

 Ulster, deprived the national institution of a certain number of pupils, 

 and of funds derived from that province. The parent institution is now 

 limited in its operations to Leinster, Munster, and Connaught. About 

 the same time a Roman Catholic institution was established in Dublin, 

 which again reduced its number of pupils very considerably. The 

 number reported this year is 56. The accommodation is sufficient for 

 150 pupils ; there are consequently heavy establishment charges, which 

 make the average annual cost for each pupil very high : these, however, 

 are in process of reduction. A few years ago, a deputation from the 

 managing committee visited the principal institutions in the kingdom, 

 with the view of re-modelling their own by introducing such improve- 

 ments in every department as were found feasible and suited to the 

 altered condition of the establishment. 



The Glasgow Institution, formed in 1819, chiefly for the west of 

 Scotland, has had several teachers. Mr. Duncan Anderson, whose 

 persevering efforts have raised it to a high degree of prosperity both as 

 to rank and character, has been its principal for more than thirty years. 

 It .contains 82 pupils. It has no fund more permanent than that 

 derived from payments of pupils, donations, legacies and annual sub- 

 scriptions : the cost per pupil is about 201. annually. Mr. Anderson 

 has four assistants. The domestic arrangements are superintended by 



ARTS ASD SCT. DIV. VOL. III. 



the matron. A workmistress has charge of the girls in their sewing 

 and household employments. 



The institution at Aberdeen was commenced in 1819 ; its pupils are 

 chiefly from the north of the Dee, but it has no prescribed limits. 

 About a third of its income arises from subscriptions and donations, a 

 fourth from pupils' payments, and the deficiency is made up from 

 certain funds which are applied to charitable purposes by their trustees. 

 There are 30 pupils, whose cost per annum is about 20?, a head. 



The school for the deaf and dumb at Manchester was opened in 

 1823 ; in 1839 it was removed to a very commodious building, erected 

 by subscription at Old Trafford, on a uniform plan with that for 

 Henshaw's Blind Asylum, the two establishments being in exact archi- 

 tectural correspondence with a chapel between them for the inmates of 

 both and the neighbouring residents. The funds of the institution 

 are derived from subscriptions, about two-thirds'; children's payments, 

 one-third. There are 103 pupils whose average cost is 21?. each per 

 annum. For the last eighteen years the Manchester Institution has 

 been under the charge of Mr. Patterson, as principal, who is assisted 

 by five junior teachers. In the report of the institution for 1857, the 

 examining committee suggest a novel addition to their institution, 

 namely, an " Infant School," for the reception " at the earliest age 

 practicable of the deaf-mute; " and in the report for 1858, the neces- 

 sity of extended accommodation for ordinary pupils is urged, and a 

 bazaar proposed as the means of raising the requisite funds for both 

 objects. This bazaar was held in May, 1859, and was so successful 

 that the proposed extensions are now in course of progress. It would 

 perhaps be premature to condemn the project of an infant school for 

 the deaf and dumb, but we must confess we would rather have added 

 a year of gratuitous education to all ordinary pupils whose parents 

 would accept the boon, than have incurred the annual expense of sup- 

 porting the deaf and dumb at the public charge, probably nine years 

 instead of six. 



The Liverpool School owes its origin to Mr. William Comer of that 

 town : it was opened in 1825, and commenced as a day-school, but its 

 original plan has undergone some modifications, and its pupils are of 

 the mixed character of boarders, day-boarders, and day-pupils. Several 

 changes have taken place in its mastership ; the present headmaster is 

 Mr. Buxton, formerly an assistant at the London Asylum. This school 

 contains 85 pupils, 33 day-scholars and 52 boarders. Nearly a third 

 of its income is obtained from subscriptions, and rather more than a 

 third from children's payments; the other portion is derived from 

 donations, legacies, and interest of investments. There are three 

 assistant teachers and a sewing mistress. 



The West of England Institution for the deaf and dumb was esta- 

 blished in 1827. It is situated at Exeter. Its especial object is the 

 " instruction of the deaf and dumb resident in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, 

 and Somerset." Like the others it is supported by subscriptions, 

 donations, legacies, and by payments on behalf of the children ; the 

 payments from pupils amount to about one-third of the expenditure. 

 At present it contains 42 pupils. Its head-master is Dr. Scott, who 

 has three assistants, including the workmistress. 



The Yorkshire Institution for the deaf 'and dumb, situated at Don- 

 caster, was commenced in 1829. Throughout its whole course it has 

 been prosperous. Its funds have gradually increased, and it has been 

 enabled to admit every applicant : and for several years a portion of 

 its income has been set aside towards the establishment of a permanent 

 fund ; these accumulations form the capital from which the dividends 

 mentioned below are derived. There are upwards of 100 pupils under 

 instruction, 562 have been received since its establishment. The aver- 

 age cost of each pupil is 20?. per annum. The funds are derived from 

 annual subscriptions, about 900?. ; payments on behalf of pupils, 800?.; 

 interest from investments, 150?. a year. Donations make up the defi- 

 ciency. As a rule legacies are funded, but there have been a few 

 exceptions. Mr. Baker, the head-master, has six assistants ; the girls, 

 out of school hours, are under the charge of a work-mistress for sewing 

 and domestic work. 



The Ulster Institution for the deaf and dumb and blind, situated at 

 Belfast, was first established in 1831 ; it confines its operations in the 

 collection of funds and the admission of free pupils to the province of 

 Ulster ; but paying pupils from other districts have occasionally been 

 received. It is sustained by donations, subscriptions, congregational 

 collections, and legacies. In 1858 about 1650?. was raised by collecting 

 cards through the medium of district auxiliaries. The entire income 

 exceeds 2000?. a year; about 90?. was received by pupils' payments in 

 1858. The ordinary expenses make the cost of each pupil about 18?. 

 per annum. The number of deaf and dumb pupils is 94 ; of blind, 23. 

 The Rev. J. Kinghan is the principal ; he has five assistants for the 

 deaf and dumb pupils, and one for the blind. Under the management 

 of the present head-master this institution is assuming a favourable posi- 

 tion, and winning from the public a large amount of regard and support. 



The Northern Counties Institution for the deaf and dumb, at 

 Newcastle upon Tyne, comprehends the counties of Northumberland, 

 Durham, Cumberland, and Westmoreland, and the town of Berwick 

 upon Tweed. It was established in 1839. It is supported by sub- 

 scriptions, donations, legacies, and payments from pupils. One-third 

 of its income is derived from subscriptions, and about one half from, 

 pupils' payments. The average cost of the pupils during the last five 

 years has been 17?. 15j. There are 62 pupils in a house calculated for 



