Memorial stone for former patients

8:25am Wednesday 24th May 2006

FORMER patients of Prestwich Hospital can finally be laid to rest on Sunday with the installation of a memorial stone.

Over the period of 1851 to 1968, around 5,000 patients of what used to be Prestwich Asylum were buried in St Mary's graveyard without any form of a headstone.

Church members began a campaign to remedy what they believed to be an injustice and raised money for a fitting tribute to forgotten patients.

With help from Prestwich area board and Salford, Trafford and Bolton NHS Mental Health Trust, which is repsonsible for the hospital, a slate headstone was designed and will be blessed by the Bishop of Bolton.

The five-feet high headstone is made of a special and rare ruby grey Welsi slate and is inscribed with a Celtic cross.

The aim is for the memorial to echo the tombstones of the rich and influential buried in the churchyard.

The blessing will follow a service in church on Sunday afternoon conducted by St Mary's rector Rev Bryan Hackett.

Rev Hackett said: "Eventually we want to have a book of remembrance for them all. We have got a long way to go with the list but are estimating about 5,000 patients at the moment."