Editing Bethlem Royal Hospital

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"Tom O' Bedlam" is the name of renown anonymous poem written in the 17th century about an inmate at Bethlem. It was first published in 1720 by Thomas d'Urfey in his 'Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy'.  
 
"Tom O' Bedlam" is the name of renown anonymous poem written in the 17th century about an inmate at Bethlem. It was first published in 1720 by Thomas d'Urfey in his 'Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy'.  
  
The term "Tom O' Bedlam" was used in Early Modern England, as well as following, to describe beggars and vagrants who had or feigned [[Insanity]] for alms. This practice is similar to that of the English [[Abraham-men]]. They claimed, or were assumed, to have been former inmates at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, who had been released and now composed the insane poor of the city. It was commonly thought that inmates were released with authority to make their way by begging, though this is probably untrue. If it happened at all the numbers were certainly small, though there were probably large numbers of mentally ill travelers who turned to begging, but had never been near Bedlam. It was adopted as a technique of begging, or a character. For example, Edgar in King Lear disguises himself as mad "Tom O'Bedlam".
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The term "Tom O' Bedlam" was used in Early Modern England, as well as following, to describe beggars and vagrants who had or feigned [[Insanity]] for alms. They claimed, or were assumed, to have been former inmates at the Bethlem Royal Hospital . It was commonly thought that inmates were released with authority to make their way by begging, though this is probably untrue. If it happened at all the numbers were certainly small, though there were probably large numbers of mentally ill travelers who turned to begging, but had never been near Bedlam. It was adopted as a technique of begging, or a character. For example, Edgar in King Lear disguises himself as mad "Tom O'Bedlam".
  
 
It was a popular enough ballad that another poem was written in reply, "Mad Maudlin's Search" or "Mad Maudlin's Search for Her Tom of Bedlam" (the same Maud who was mentioned in the verse "With a thought I took for Maudlin / And a cruise of cockle pottage / With a thing thus tall, Sky bless you all / I befell into this dotage." which apparently records Tom going mad, "dotage") or "Bedlam Boys" (from the chorus, "Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys / Bedlam boys are bonny / For they all go bare and they live by the air / And they want no drink or money.").
 
It was a popular enough ballad that another poem was written in reply, "Mad Maudlin's Search" or "Mad Maudlin's Search for Her Tom of Bedlam" (the same Maud who was mentioned in the verse "With a thought I took for Maudlin / And a cruise of cockle pottage / With a thing thus tall, Sky bless you all / I befell into this dotage." which apparently records Tom going mad, "dotage") or "Bedlam Boys" (from the chorus, "Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys / Bedlam boys are bonny / For they all go bare and they live by the air / And they want no drink or money.").

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