MacBryans at Kingsdown House Dr Peter Carpenter December 2022
Ivy-clad Kingsdown House in MacBryan’s 1903 article (courtesy Jenny Hobbs and Bob Alderman)
We have all appreciated the articles by Dr Peter Carpenter about the Kingsdown House “Mad House”. The development of the property and the changing fortunes of its proprietors and patients is full of triumph and tragedy. But the most incredible story of all relates to the final proprietors of the Asylum, the MacBryan family.
Elizabeth Nash used a series of junior and aspiring doctors to run the Kingsdown House Asylum in the late Victorian period. Her penultimate choice in 1888 was Dr Edward Sadler Warrilow who looked after Kingsdown with his wife as matron. This did not go well with the commissioners, who complained about the excessive use of restraint. Warrilow’s wife twice filed for divorce on the grounds of violence. Eventually in 1892 they retired on the grounds of ill-health and he went off to become a ship’s surgeon whilst his wife Evelyn became proprietress of another private asylum in Alton, Hampshire.
Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan, 1855-1943
The Warrilows were replaced by Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan. Born in Dublin, the son of an army captain. He had attended college in Galway and studied medicine in Edinburgh, qualifying in 1878. He then spent 10 years working in county lunatic asylums before working in the private asylum, Tue Brook Villa, Liverpool. He married Evelyn Ada Truman (1870-1902), daughter of an East Indies merchant from Kensington, London, at West Derby, Liverpool, in 1891. They moved to Box where he became co-licensee of Kingsdown House with Elizabeth Nash in October 1892. Elizabeth died within a month and he continued with her executor as co-licensee, becoming the sole licensee and proprietor in 1896. However, the Nash family kept some sort of interest; he either initially leased the building or worked in a partnership. A business partnership between him and two children Clara Louisa Ramsay Nash and Charles Edward Joseph Nash was dissolved voluntarily in 1919.[1]
Henry MacBryan radically improved the place and turned it into a hospital for mental and nervous diseases. There is little evidence of the methods he used. These are unlikely to have involved an operating room for brain surgery or Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT) because these treatments only started to come into use in the 1930s. The place seems to have become more like a nursing home, licenced for 40 people. It had a fair turnover and 28 patients were admitted in 1908. The registers up to 1918 show a predominance of women aged over 40 and most were discharged after a few weeks. In 1939 there were only 30 female patients, and no males, with only 7 of these aged under 50. This has the feel that the hospital had become a women-only, elderly nursing home.
Henry MacBryan took part in national developments. He was a member of the Medico-Psychological Association and hosted the April 1916 meeting of its South West Division in Bath. The is evidence that PG Wodehouse visited Box when young and used him as the inspiration for Dr Sir Roderick Glossop in his novels.[2]
Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan, 1855-1943
The Warrilows were replaced by Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan. Born in Dublin, the son of an army captain. He had attended college in Galway and studied medicine in Edinburgh, qualifying in 1878. He then spent 10 years working in county lunatic asylums before working in the private asylum, Tue Brook Villa, Liverpool. He married Evelyn Ada Truman (1870-1902), daughter of an East Indies merchant from Kensington, London, at West Derby, Liverpool, in 1891. They moved to Box where he became co-licensee of Kingsdown House with Elizabeth Nash in October 1892. Elizabeth died within a month and he continued with her executor as co-licensee, becoming the sole licensee and proprietor in 1896. However, the Nash family kept some sort of interest; he either initially leased the building or worked in a partnership. A business partnership between him and two children Clara Louisa Ramsay Nash and Charles Edward Joseph Nash was dissolved voluntarily in 1919.[1]
Henry MacBryan radically improved the place and turned it into a hospital for mental and nervous diseases. There is little evidence of the methods he used. These are unlikely to have involved an operating room for brain surgery or Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT) because these treatments only started to come into use in the 1930s. The place seems to have become more like a nursing home, licenced for 40 people. It had a fair turnover and 28 patients were admitted in 1908. The registers up to 1918 show a predominance of women aged over 40 and most were discharged after a few weeks. In 1939 there were only 30 female patients, and no males, with only 7 of these aged under 50. This has the feel that the hospital had become a women-only, elderly nursing home.
Henry MacBryan took part in national developments. He was a member of the Medico-Psychological Association and hosted the April 1916 meeting of its South West Division in Bath. The is evidence that PG Wodehouse visited Box when young and used him as the inspiration for Dr Sir Roderick Glossop in his novels.[2]
The Ladies Lounge in the 1903 article (courtesy Bob Alderman and Jenny Hobbs)
Life in Kingsdown House
A local man, Victor Painter, gave us a marvellous description of the house in the Edwardian period:[3]
Kingsdown House became one of the very best nursing homes for the very rich people of the land that had mental trouble. In fact Kingsdown House was called an asylum and it was run by a Doctor Mac Bryant who had a large staff of high-class nurses of both male and female also doctors on hand, and of course, there were a very large staff of servant girls and the very best cooks and kitchen maids. There were so many that were employed at Kingsdown House. At 8 o'clock each evening the servant girls was always allowed out until 10 o'clock. Girls that had their homes near were able to have time at home with mother. But you may ask what did all those other girls do until it was time for them to be back in at 10pm sharp. Well the truth was there were more boys around than there were girls standing around by the letterbox that was always in the wall at the top of the well-known road Doctor's Hill. Those boys were mostly boys that really lived at Colerne and would find their way to Kingsdown House by walking the short cuts across the fields, wet or fine, these young men would be waiting for the young servant girls, and many over the many years did marry the young men of Colerne and made Colerne their home for life. …
Kingsdown House was Dr Mac Bryant's private home for him and his family and what a special looking house it was with such a grand entrance, a very large door that had special carvings that made the whole front of the house so very rich and very large windows on front of the building with a very large gold looking clock for every passerby to see the time of day. The house stood back off the road with high railings with entrance gates so nicely made and the whole front yard was of grand tiles all expertly laid like a royal palace. The road right in front of Kingsdown House was much wider than other roads of Kingsdown and across this wide stretch of road was a long strong built stone wall of six feet high and a fence of railings on the top of the wall also and behind the fence was planted shrubs of laurels to hide away a wagon and horse track.
This horse and wagon track was a right of way from Prospect Farm over to Gridiron Farm with loads of hay and corn at all times of any working day so the laurels were planted to hide away the passing farm wagons from Kingsdown House. No one passing Kingsdown House could see anything of all those massive buildings that was spread out on acres of fields that ran down behind Kingsdown House. A very high wall was built from Kingsdown House to follow the road on towards Prospect. There was one door in the wall that must have led to those large kitchens where all the meals were cooked for the masses of people that lived in these large buildings. This one and only door that was in the wall we often saw Mr. George Watts with the cans of milk waiting for someone from inside to come and unlock the door for Mr. Watts to carry the milk into the kitchen twice each day.
At the end of this long high wall was some lovely built stables and a coach house and stable yard. There was a very small window with iron bars but the only thing I remember seeing through that little window was a pet donkey all alone in this large stable eating hay. There were endless men that had jobs in maintaining all the many buildings. They say there were workshops in the grounds for carpenters and plumbers and builders and of course gardeners and groundsmen and even the sealed and locked mailbag was fetched from Box Post Office by a security man each morning. There must have been all sorts of offices. There was one cottage that was built that belonged to Kingsdown House and this cottage was built on the corner of the Down near to the Golf course but on private ground that belonged to Dr Mac Bryant that had an engine house that pumped spring water to Kingsdown House.
We can see many of these elements in the modern residential house by comparing a brochure of the inside of Kingsdown House with more recent images.
A local man, Victor Painter, gave us a marvellous description of the house in the Edwardian period:[3]
Kingsdown House became one of the very best nursing homes for the very rich people of the land that had mental trouble. In fact Kingsdown House was called an asylum and it was run by a Doctor Mac Bryant who had a large staff of high-class nurses of both male and female also doctors on hand, and of course, there were a very large staff of servant girls and the very best cooks and kitchen maids. There were so many that were employed at Kingsdown House. At 8 o'clock each evening the servant girls was always allowed out until 10 o'clock. Girls that had their homes near were able to have time at home with mother. But you may ask what did all those other girls do until it was time for them to be back in at 10pm sharp. Well the truth was there were more boys around than there were girls standing around by the letterbox that was always in the wall at the top of the well-known road Doctor's Hill. Those boys were mostly boys that really lived at Colerne and would find their way to Kingsdown House by walking the short cuts across the fields, wet or fine, these young men would be waiting for the young servant girls, and many over the many years did marry the young men of Colerne and made Colerne their home for life. …
Kingsdown House was Dr Mac Bryant's private home for him and his family and what a special looking house it was with such a grand entrance, a very large door that had special carvings that made the whole front of the house so very rich and very large windows on front of the building with a very large gold looking clock for every passerby to see the time of day. The house stood back off the road with high railings with entrance gates so nicely made and the whole front yard was of grand tiles all expertly laid like a royal palace. The road right in front of Kingsdown House was much wider than other roads of Kingsdown and across this wide stretch of road was a long strong built stone wall of six feet high and a fence of railings on the top of the wall also and behind the fence was planted shrubs of laurels to hide away a wagon and horse track.
This horse and wagon track was a right of way from Prospect Farm over to Gridiron Farm with loads of hay and corn at all times of any working day so the laurels were planted to hide away the passing farm wagons from Kingsdown House. No one passing Kingsdown House could see anything of all those massive buildings that was spread out on acres of fields that ran down behind Kingsdown House. A very high wall was built from Kingsdown House to follow the road on towards Prospect. There was one door in the wall that must have led to those large kitchens where all the meals were cooked for the masses of people that lived in these large buildings. This one and only door that was in the wall we often saw Mr. George Watts with the cans of milk waiting for someone from inside to come and unlock the door for Mr. Watts to carry the milk into the kitchen twice each day.
At the end of this long high wall was some lovely built stables and a coach house and stable yard. There was a very small window with iron bars but the only thing I remember seeing through that little window was a pet donkey all alone in this large stable eating hay. There were endless men that had jobs in maintaining all the many buildings. They say there were workshops in the grounds for carpenters and plumbers and builders and of course gardeners and groundsmen and even the sealed and locked mailbag was fetched from Box Post Office by a security man each morning. There must have been all sorts of offices. There was one cottage that was built that belonged to Kingsdown House and this cottage was built on the corner of the Down near to the Golf course but on private ground that belonged to Dr Mac Bryant that had an engine house that pumped spring water to Kingsdown House.
We can see many of these elements in the modern residential house by comparing a brochure of the inside of Kingsdown House with more recent images.
MacBryan’s Family
Henry MacBryan was devastated by events in the First and Second World Wars. He had six children by his first wife, Eveline - one daughter and five sons. The eldest son, John Crawford (Jack) MacBryan survived the war. He had trained in medicine but stopped when mobilised for the war. He was injured and captured by the Germans and did not return to Box until 1918. He remained in the RAF and became a notable sportsman – a Test Cricketer, international hockey player (and Olympic medal winner), and is named in Tatler as one of the golfing greats. He never married.
The second son, Edward Crozier MacBryan, was born in 1893 also played rugby and cricket and was in the Bath XV several times. He enlisted on 30 December 1914 into the Somerset Light Infantry and was appointed Lieutenant. He was wounded in the hip in May 1915 at Ypres and returned to England to recover. He returned to the Front in May 1916 and in July 1916 was reported missing presumed killed, aged 22. He was pronounced killed in action in January 1917.
The third, Reginald Rutherford MacBryan, was born in 1896 and graduated from Sandhurst in 1915 where he was captain of the Rugby XV, to be appointed second Lieutenant of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers in May. He was injured and brought to a military Hospital in Whitechapel – the papers note that his father was setting out to see Reginald when he got notice of Edward being missing in action. Reginald survived the war and seems to have stayed in the army, marrying and retiring as a Major in 1943.
Henry's wife Evelyn died a few days after the birth of his youngest son, Gerrard Truman Magill MacBryan, in 1902. Henry remarried two years later but had no further children. His only daughter, Ivy, married in 1923. It appears that Henry became less involved with Kingsdown after the First World War (he was now of retirement age) and he relied on a series of resident medical officers to operate the home. There is a sequence of junior doctors and Gerrard stated in the late 1930s that he helped run the asylum when he was back in the country. Henry apparently had a house in Weston-super Mare and was living there in 1939. He died in a nursing home in Bath in 1943 after a short illness. The home was then taken over by his youngest son Gerrard Truman Magill, who had served as a naval cadet during the war.
Henry MacBryan was devastated by events in the First and Second World Wars. He had six children by his first wife, Eveline - one daughter and five sons. The eldest son, John Crawford (Jack) MacBryan survived the war. He had trained in medicine but stopped when mobilised for the war. He was injured and captured by the Germans and did not return to Box until 1918. He remained in the RAF and became a notable sportsman – a Test Cricketer, international hockey player (and Olympic medal winner), and is named in Tatler as one of the golfing greats. He never married.
The second son, Edward Crozier MacBryan, was born in 1893 also played rugby and cricket and was in the Bath XV several times. He enlisted on 30 December 1914 into the Somerset Light Infantry and was appointed Lieutenant. He was wounded in the hip in May 1915 at Ypres and returned to England to recover. He returned to the Front in May 1916 and in July 1916 was reported missing presumed killed, aged 22. He was pronounced killed in action in January 1917.
The third, Reginald Rutherford MacBryan, was born in 1896 and graduated from Sandhurst in 1915 where he was captain of the Rugby XV, to be appointed second Lieutenant of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers in May. He was injured and brought to a military Hospital in Whitechapel – the papers note that his father was setting out to see Reginald when he got notice of Edward being missing in action. Reginald survived the war and seems to have stayed in the army, marrying and retiring as a Major in 1943.
Henry's wife Evelyn died a few days after the birth of his youngest son, Gerrard Truman Magill MacBryan, in 1902. Henry remarried two years later but had no further children. His only daughter, Ivy, married in 1923. It appears that Henry became less involved with Kingsdown after the First World War (he was now of retirement age) and he relied on a series of resident medical officers to operate the home. There is a sequence of junior doctors and Gerrard stated in the late 1930s that he helped run the asylum when he was back in the country. Henry apparently had a house in Weston-super Mare and was living there in 1939. He died in a nursing home in Bath in 1943 after a short illness. The home was then taken over by his youngest son Gerrard Truman Magill, who had served as a naval cadet during the war.
Sarawak on the north coast of Borneo is part of Malaysia (courtesy Wikipedia)
Gerrard Truman Magill MacBryan
Philip Eade has written a fascinating book on Sylvia Brooke of Sarawak, who worked with Gerrard MacBryan.[4] Gerrard had a close and turbulent relationship with her and her husband the Rajah of Sarawak. In his book Philip Eade gives several insights into the MacBryans. One of these is that when Jack MacBryan returned from Holland in 1918, where he had been a prisoner of war for four years, he found Kingsdown House in a dilapidated state, his father having succumbed to drink [presumably from the stress of having 3 sons all injured, missing or killed in the war] and failed to collect the fees from the families of his patients. Jack soon discovered that Gerrard had made his father believe that he (Jack) had been conspiring against him and, within a week of arriving home, he was thrown out of the house and was subsequently disinherited.
Eade describes how, after the First World War, Gerrard went to work in Sarawak. He thrived and his life became dominated by the power and politics there. He became enmeshed with Vyner Brooke, the ‘White Rajah’ of Sarawak and Sylvia, the Ran. He was useful to them as their problem-solver and administrator yet having a relationship that alternated between affection and rejection with his constant scheming in the background. He was seen as handsome and brilliant, but nervy and full up with superstition and, at times, clearly mad. Eade writes that Bertram recalled that in Kuching he could be heard at night hurling his bedroom furniture out of the window at imaginary assailants, accompanied by a torrent of invective. He was seen as the Svengali of Sarawak and disliked by the others in the civil service for his accumulation of power and distain of Europeans. He is said to have repeatedly attempted to become Vyner’s successor, including by courting Elizabeth his 14-year-old second daughter, though his advances were repelled. He was however well-liked by Vyner and Sylvia, gaining the nickname of Baron for his entertaining but Munchausen-like tall stories.
In 1930, Vyner dismissed him from his service. Philip Eade then notes that Gerrard drifted to Australia, where he unsuccessfully prospected for gold near Alice Springs, suffering a nervous breakdown and, in 1932 married an heiress, Eva Collins, who had taken pity on him. [Eva Irene Collins was the daughter of wealthy John Collins of Collinsville in South Australia who was the leading breeder of Merinos). The couple - whose marriage, by her account, was never consummated - returned to London [in September 1933] where MacBryan worked for his brother Jack as a stockbroker for a time before persuading his father to sign a deed of gift assigning to him possession of the Kingsdown House asylum in 1933. Eade then relates how in 1935 Gerrard married a second wife, Saerah Kadir. He converted to Islam, her religion, under the name of Abdul Rahman, and so was entitled to have more than one wife. He went on the 1936 Hajj from Sarawak with Saerah and had a book published on this experience under the name David Chale.
In 1939 he was recorded as proprietor and administrator of mental institution at Avondale House, Bathford (with his wife and a cook but no patients) but, mysteriously, the entry for Gerrard is crossed out. Philip Eade says Gerrard was called up for National Service in early 1940. He avoided this by going to Sarawak and reuniting with the Brooks. Sarawak was overrun by the Japanese whilst they were all in Sydney. MacBryan returned to Borneo in December 1942 and joined the attempt to recapture Sarawak. British intelligence claimed he planned to take Sarawak and come to an agreement with the Japanese that would make him the new Raj. The Dutch arrested him at the request of the British and he was imprisoned in Singapore. However, he was soon released for lack of concrete evidence, and joined the Raj in Australia.
They returned to England soon after his father died in 1943. Unfortunately for him he was dismissed from his job on arrival back in England, so he spent more time at Kingsdown House to look after it and avoid the London bombings, though he still kept contact with the Brookes. Eade writes that at this time he was making a profit of £7,000 a year from Kingsdown House and openly co-habiting with his own private secretary, a buxom blonde.
Gerrard seems to have been in England for the remainder of the Second World War, interacting with the Brookes who were in London whilst the Allies reconquered Sarawak. He then returned to Sarawak to negotiate and enable its transfer to British rule. After his return to England, Vyner then sent Gerrard back to Sarawak in October 1946 to wind up the Brookes’ affairs. At the same time MacBryan divorced Saerah.
Philip Eade has written a fascinating book on Sylvia Brooke of Sarawak, who worked with Gerrard MacBryan.[4] Gerrard had a close and turbulent relationship with her and her husband the Rajah of Sarawak. In his book Philip Eade gives several insights into the MacBryans. One of these is that when Jack MacBryan returned from Holland in 1918, where he had been a prisoner of war for four years, he found Kingsdown House in a dilapidated state, his father having succumbed to drink [presumably from the stress of having 3 sons all injured, missing or killed in the war] and failed to collect the fees from the families of his patients. Jack soon discovered that Gerrard had made his father believe that he (Jack) had been conspiring against him and, within a week of arriving home, he was thrown out of the house and was subsequently disinherited.
Eade describes how, after the First World War, Gerrard went to work in Sarawak. He thrived and his life became dominated by the power and politics there. He became enmeshed with Vyner Brooke, the ‘White Rajah’ of Sarawak and Sylvia, the Ran. He was useful to them as their problem-solver and administrator yet having a relationship that alternated between affection and rejection with his constant scheming in the background. He was seen as handsome and brilliant, but nervy and full up with superstition and, at times, clearly mad. Eade writes that Bertram recalled that in Kuching he could be heard at night hurling his bedroom furniture out of the window at imaginary assailants, accompanied by a torrent of invective. He was seen as the Svengali of Sarawak and disliked by the others in the civil service for his accumulation of power and distain of Europeans. He is said to have repeatedly attempted to become Vyner’s successor, including by courting Elizabeth his 14-year-old second daughter, though his advances were repelled. He was however well-liked by Vyner and Sylvia, gaining the nickname of Baron for his entertaining but Munchausen-like tall stories.
In 1930, Vyner dismissed him from his service. Philip Eade then notes that Gerrard drifted to Australia, where he unsuccessfully prospected for gold near Alice Springs, suffering a nervous breakdown and, in 1932 married an heiress, Eva Collins, who had taken pity on him. [Eva Irene Collins was the daughter of wealthy John Collins of Collinsville in South Australia who was the leading breeder of Merinos). The couple - whose marriage, by her account, was never consummated - returned to London [in September 1933] where MacBryan worked for his brother Jack as a stockbroker for a time before persuading his father to sign a deed of gift assigning to him possession of the Kingsdown House asylum in 1933. Eade then relates how in 1935 Gerrard married a second wife, Saerah Kadir. He converted to Islam, her religion, under the name of Abdul Rahman, and so was entitled to have more than one wife. He went on the 1936 Hajj from Sarawak with Saerah and had a book published on this experience under the name David Chale.
In 1939 he was recorded as proprietor and administrator of mental institution at Avondale House, Bathford (with his wife and a cook but no patients) but, mysteriously, the entry for Gerrard is crossed out. Philip Eade says Gerrard was called up for National Service in early 1940. He avoided this by going to Sarawak and reuniting with the Brooks. Sarawak was overrun by the Japanese whilst they were all in Sydney. MacBryan returned to Borneo in December 1942 and joined the attempt to recapture Sarawak. British intelligence claimed he planned to take Sarawak and come to an agreement with the Japanese that would make him the new Raj. The Dutch arrested him at the request of the British and he was imprisoned in Singapore. However, he was soon released for lack of concrete evidence, and joined the Raj in Australia.
They returned to England soon after his father died in 1943. Unfortunately for him he was dismissed from his job on arrival back in England, so he spent more time at Kingsdown House to look after it and avoid the London bombings, though he still kept contact with the Brookes. Eade writes that at this time he was making a profit of £7,000 a year from Kingsdown House and openly co-habiting with his own private secretary, a buxom blonde.
Gerrard seems to have been in England for the remainder of the Second World War, interacting with the Brookes who were in London whilst the Allies reconquered Sarawak. He then returned to Sarawak to negotiate and enable its transfer to British rule. After his return to England, Vyner then sent Gerrard back to Sarawak in October 1946 to wind up the Brookes’ affairs. At the same time MacBryan divorced Saerah.
End of the Asylum
Gerrard clearly intended to leave England (and probably live in South Africa) and he put Kingsdown up for sale at short notice in November 1946. The house was advertised as having 4 halls, 12 reception rooms, ballroom, 3 sun loungers, 36 bed and dressing rooms, 6 bathrooms, cloakrooms and ample domestic quarters. It had a complete system of central heating from gas-fired boilers and cesspool drainage. The outbuildings included four double garages and one single store house, large loose box with loft over, cowhouse to tie 3 cows. The gardens and grounds amounted to 21½ acres tennis court with pavilion and bowling green.
On the 5 December 1946 the house was sold and the contents followed later that month, including 2 cars, 2 upright pianos and a baby grand piano, 350 oz of modern silver, persian carpets and rugs. In 1947 planning permission was granted to convert the outbuilding to residential accommodation. Saerah later married a policeman, David Walford, and had a family by him and they worked in the colonial service in the Pacific. She died in Perth, Western Australia in 1979.
After the sale of Kingsdown, Gerrard appears to have not settled and become increasingly mentally unwell as his apparent dream to be a ruler in the Sarawak area evaporated. In September 1947 he married Frances Davies, a divorced air pilot, in Pretoria, when he stated he was a bachelor. Gerrard returned to England where he was arrested for stealing a peach (even though he had £410 in cash in his pocket) and assaulting a police officer and was then in an asylum in England during the end of 1948. Eade says Gerrard related that he was about to marry Princess Margaret. He then returned to South Africa, where he was in hospital in April 1949 and is erroneously documented to have died there. Eade says he was then back in London in spring 1950 and was readmitted for mental observation after telling everyone that he was controlled by a portable receiver around his body. He then returned to Sarawak but went on to work for the Sultan of Brunei, who nominated his 16-year-old daughter as his successor and appointed Gerrard as her guardian. This was frustrated when the Sultan died on 5 June 1950 and his brother was appointed. Gerrard refused to surrender some of the Brunei state Regalia and was eventually admitted to an asylum in Singapore though he appears again to have been discharged after a short time. He then was in Hong Kong where he was arrested for directing the traffic and is said to have lived like a down-and-out in a cheap hotel until he died there in 1953 in mysterious circumstances.
Gerrard clearly intended to leave England (and probably live in South Africa) and he put Kingsdown up for sale at short notice in November 1946. The house was advertised as having 4 halls, 12 reception rooms, ballroom, 3 sun loungers, 36 bed and dressing rooms, 6 bathrooms, cloakrooms and ample domestic quarters. It had a complete system of central heating from gas-fired boilers and cesspool drainage. The outbuildings included four double garages and one single store house, large loose box with loft over, cowhouse to tie 3 cows. The gardens and grounds amounted to 21½ acres tennis court with pavilion and bowling green.
On the 5 December 1946 the house was sold and the contents followed later that month, including 2 cars, 2 upright pianos and a baby grand piano, 350 oz of modern silver, persian carpets and rugs. In 1947 planning permission was granted to convert the outbuilding to residential accommodation. Saerah later married a policeman, David Walford, and had a family by him and they worked in the colonial service in the Pacific. She died in Perth, Western Australia in 1979.
After the sale of Kingsdown, Gerrard appears to have not settled and become increasingly mentally unwell as his apparent dream to be a ruler in the Sarawak area evaporated. In September 1947 he married Frances Davies, a divorced air pilot, in Pretoria, when he stated he was a bachelor. Gerrard returned to England where he was arrested for stealing a peach (even though he had £410 in cash in his pocket) and assaulting a police officer and was then in an asylum in England during the end of 1948. Eade says Gerrard related that he was about to marry Princess Margaret. He then returned to South Africa, where he was in hospital in April 1949 and is erroneously documented to have died there. Eade says he was then back in London in spring 1950 and was readmitted for mental observation after telling everyone that he was controlled by a portable receiver around his body. He then returned to Sarawak but went on to work for the Sultan of Brunei, who nominated his 16-year-old daughter as his successor and appointed Gerrard as her guardian. This was frustrated when the Sultan died on 5 June 1950 and his brother was appointed. Gerrard refused to surrender some of the Brunei state Regalia and was eventually admitted to an asylum in Singapore though he appears again to have been discharged after a short time. He then was in Hong Kong where he was arrested for directing the traffic and is said to have lived like a down-and-out in a cheap hotel until he died there in 1953 in mysterious circumstances.
Postscript
It is ironic that the man who closed Kingsdown Asylum was the proprietor who could have made most use of it. There were numerous references to mental ill-health in other proprietor’s families. Austen Langworthy went insane, and the Nashes had their eldest daughter in the care of a GP as a lunatic. As such it feels like all the dynasties that we know in detail who managed Kingsdown House had members who had bouts of insanity.
All Peter Carpenter's articles on the website have been kindly contributed and are extracted from his work as part of more extensive research on Box Asylum.
It is ironic that the man who closed Kingsdown Asylum was the proprietor who could have made most use of it. There were numerous references to mental ill-health in other proprietor’s families. Austen Langworthy went insane, and the Nashes had their eldest daughter in the care of a GP as a lunatic. As such it feels like all the dynasties that we know in detail who managed Kingsdown House had members who had bouts of insanity.
All Peter Carpenter's articles on the website have been kindly contributed and are extracted from his work as part of more extensive research on Box Asylum.
Sources
Philip Eade Op cit p148-9.
See for example, in addition to Philip Eade’s book and the autobiographies of Sylvia Brooke, newspaper items such as Gerard MacBryan, the most eccentric Sarawak officer during the Brooke dynasty by Patricia Hului 2018 [see online https://kajomag.com/gerard-macbryan-eccentric-sarawak-officer-brooke-dynasty/ accessed March 2021] or see Gloucestershire Echo 22 June 1950 for an asylum admission, [also noted in the Australian press] – there is a file on him and the Sarawak cession at the national Archives FCO141/12352
Eade Op cit p147
Eade Op cit p148
Eade Op cit p163
See Eade Op cit p163-165
Arrived London 14 Sept 1933, London, on the P&O ship ‘Balranald’ from Adelaide, Gerard and Eva MacBryan . She is aged 41 he is 31. The give their place of residence as Australia.
Eade op cit p177.
Eade op cit p286
Owen Rutter: Triumphant Pilgrimage. An English Muslim's [i.e. David Chale's] journey from Sarawak to Mecca ... With two portraits. [David Chale contributer] London: G Harrap & Co 1937.
National Archives Kew J77/3559/376 - It is unclear if divorce was finalised as there are no published announcements of the divorce. She sailed on the Blue Funnel Line ‘Ulysses” from Liverpool on 4 July 1936.
North Wiltshire Herald 17 February 1939
Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser 7 December 1946
Eade Op Cit p211
General record office index Jan – Mar 1940 – N W Surrey 2a1258
P&O Ship ‘Narkunda’ departure from Southampton on 1 June 1940 for China. Due to disembark at Singapore.
Philip Eade op cit p226 & 230
Eade Op cit p244
Bath Chronicle 8 May 1943.
Bath Chronicle 15 May 1943.
Eade Op cit p246-7
Eade Op cit p258
Eade Op cit p267-8
Eade op cit p258-60
Western Daily Press 30 November 1946
Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser 7 Dec 1946 has the long advert for the sale.
claimed without a reference, in P Dakin. ‘Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan aka Sir Roderick Glossop (PG Wodehouse’s ‘well known loony doctor’)’ J. Med. Biog. 2011 (19) 110
P&O Ship ‘Strathmore’ arrival at Southampton 12 May 1947, Saerah MacBryan, aet 34 proposed address 222 Hendon Way, London. Last lived Sarawak,
Based on their travels as shown in passenger lists.
30 Sept 1947 Pretoria, Transvaal – Gerard Truman Magill MacBryan, bachelor, Private secretary to His highness the Rajah of Sarawak, living in Johnannesburg, married Frances Davies, divorced airpilot. Living at same address.
Eade Op Cit p292-3.
Gerald Truman Magill Macbryan; died 1949 South Africa; ref 1266/49 Transvaal Estates Death Index. The file is online and shows the preprinted ‘Estate of the Late’ altered to read “Estate of the Mental Patient.” the 1950 newspaper item referenced above calls him a South African.
Eade Op Cit p293
Gloucester Chronicle 22 June 1950. The main story is in Sydney Sunday Herald (Australia) 25 June 1950. [online at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/1037730].
A lot has been written about Gerard. See https://kajomag.com/gerard-macbryan-eccentric-sarawak-officer-brooke-dynasty/ accessed 10 April 2020. Newspapers refer to him – for admission see Gloucestershire Echo 22 June 1950 – there is a file on him and the Sarawak cession at the national Archives FCO141/12352
Philip Eade Op cit p148-9.
See for example, in addition to Philip Eade’s book and the autobiographies of Sylvia Brooke, newspaper items such as Gerard MacBryan, the most eccentric Sarawak officer during the Brooke dynasty by Patricia Hului 2018 [see online https://kajomag.com/gerard-macbryan-eccentric-sarawak-officer-brooke-dynasty/ accessed March 2021] or see Gloucestershire Echo 22 June 1950 for an asylum admission, [also noted in the Australian press] – there is a file on him and the Sarawak cession at the national Archives FCO141/12352
Eade Op cit p147
Eade Op cit p148
Eade Op cit p163
See Eade Op cit p163-165
Arrived London 14 Sept 1933, London, on the P&O ship ‘Balranald’ from Adelaide, Gerard and Eva MacBryan . She is aged 41 he is 31. The give their place of residence as Australia.
Eade op cit p177.
Eade op cit p286
Owen Rutter: Triumphant Pilgrimage. An English Muslim's [i.e. David Chale's] journey from Sarawak to Mecca ... With two portraits. [David Chale contributer] London: G Harrap & Co 1937.
National Archives Kew J77/3559/376 - It is unclear if divorce was finalised as there are no published announcements of the divorce. She sailed on the Blue Funnel Line ‘Ulysses” from Liverpool on 4 July 1936.
North Wiltshire Herald 17 February 1939
Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser 7 December 1946
Eade Op Cit p211
General record office index Jan – Mar 1940 – N W Surrey 2a1258
P&O Ship ‘Narkunda’ departure from Southampton on 1 June 1940 for China. Due to disembark at Singapore.
Philip Eade op cit p226 & 230
Eade Op cit p244
Bath Chronicle 8 May 1943.
Bath Chronicle 15 May 1943.
Eade Op cit p246-7
Eade Op cit p258
Eade Op cit p267-8
Eade op cit p258-60
Western Daily Press 30 November 1946
Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser 7 Dec 1946 has the long advert for the sale.
claimed without a reference, in P Dakin. ‘Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan aka Sir Roderick Glossop (PG Wodehouse’s ‘well known loony doctor’)’ J. Med. Biog. 2011 (19) 110
P&O Ship ‘Strathmore’ arrival at Southampton 12 May 1947, Saerah MacBryan, aet 34 proposed address 222 Hendon Way, London. Last lived Sarawak,
Based on their travels as shown in passenger lists.
30 Sept 1947 Pretoria, Transvaal – Gerard Truman Magill MacBryan, bachelor, Private secretary to His highness the Rajah of Sarawak, living in Johnannesburg, married Frances Davies, divorced airpilot. Living at same address.
Eade Op Cit p292-3.
Gerald Truman Magill Macbryan; died 1949 South Africa; ref 1266/49 Transvaal Estates Death Index. The file is online and shows the preprinted ‘Estate of the Late’ altered to read “Estate of the Mental Patient.” the 1950 newspaper item referenced above calls him a South African.
Eade Op Cit p293
Gloucester Chronicle 22 June 1950. The main story is in Sydney Sunday Herald (Australia) 25 June 1950. [online at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/1037730].
A lot has been written about Gerard. See https://kajomag.com/gerard-macbryan-eccentric-sarawak-officer-brooke-dynasty/ accessed 10 April 2020. Newspapers refer to him – for admission see Gloucestershire Echo 22 June 1950 – there is a file on him and the Sarawak cession at the national Archives FCO141/12352
References
[1] Bath Chronicle & Western Gazette, 10 January 1920
[2] P Dakin, Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan aka Sir Roderick Glossop (PG Wodehouse’s ‘well known loony doctor’)’, J. Med. Biog. 2011 (19) 110 and NTP Murphy A Wodehouse handbook. Vol 1. London Popgood & Groolley, 2006
[3] Victor Painter, 1998, Kingsdown Memories from https://web.archive.org/web/20030304071403/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dhawkins6/VICTP8.htm accessed Mar 2021
[4] Philip Eade: Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters. London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 2007
[1] Bath Chronicle & Western Gazette, 10 January 1920
[2] P Dakin, Dr Henry Crawford MacBryan aka Sir Roderick Glossop (PG Wodehouse’s ‘well known loony doctor’)’, J. Med. Biog. 2011 (19) 110 and NTP Murphy A Wodehouse handbook. Vol 1. London Popgood & Groolley, 2006
[3] Victor Painter, 1998, Kingsdown Memories from https://web.archive.org/web/20030304071403/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dhawkins6/VICTP8.htm accessed Mar 2021
[4] Philip Eade: Sylvia, Queen of the Headhunters. London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 2007