Under the Lunacy Statute of 1867, Lunacy Acts from 1880 to 1928 and Mental Hygiene Act of 1933, people could be admitted to the asylum by a number of means:
At the request of a friend, relative or acquaintance, with medical certificates written by two medical practitioners.
This method was amended by The Mental Health Act 1959 which stated a person could be admitted upon the recommendation of a medical practitioner who had examined the person.
As soon as possible after admission the superintendent of the hospital was required to examine the patient and either approve the recommended admission or discharge the patient.

Any (lunatic) person found wandering at large or not under proper care and control could be brought before two justices who could order the person's removal to an asylum.
The police were usually responsible for bringing the person before the two justices.

Any prisoner of the Crown thought to be a lunatic could be removed from a jail to an asylum by order of the Chief Secretary.

Voluntary Boarders were those who requested that they be admitted for a mutually agreed period of time (from 1915 onwards).

Until the end of World War I, there was little change in the admission process at Kew.
 Upon arriving, a variable amount of data was collected on the person being admitted.
These basic details included age, sex, marital status and former address (or name of the asylum/jail transferred from).
Other details requested included names of relatives or friends, the person's religion and occupation and whether others in the family have ever been classified as insane.
Other information recorded, where available, were dates of previous admissions, "form of mental disorder", bodily condition ("satisfactory", "unsatisfactory", "feeble", etc.)
and "duration of existing attack".
 From approximately 1900 onwards, photographs were usually taken on admission.
If the person was very restless, the photograph was omitted.
 Belongings, such as books and clothes, were often returned to friends or family.
 Inmates were required to dress in institutional clothes.
This was useful in a number of ways as it assisted the public in easily identifying escaped inmates; reduced the need to request clothes (or money for clothes) from the inmate's family or their estate; and minimised inmate conflict when inmates swapped or stole clothes from each other.
The property and estates of people who were deemed to be insane were controlled and administered by the Master-in-Equity, also known as the Master-in-Lunacy.
Under the Lunacy Statute of 1867, Lunacy Acts from 1880 to 1928 and Mental Hygiene Act of 1933, people could be admitted to the asylum by a number of means:
At the request of a friend, relative or acquaintance, with medical certificates written by two medical practitioners. This method was amended by The Mental Health Act 1959 which stated a person could be admitted upon the recommendation of a medical practitioner who had examined the person. As soon as possible after admission the superintendent of the hospital was required to examine the patient and either approve the recommended admission or discharge the patient.
Any (lunatic) person found wandering at large or not under proper care and control could be brought before two justices who could order the person's removal to an asylum. The police were usually responsible for bringing the person before the two justices.
Any prisoner of the Crown thought to be a lunatic could be removed from a jail to an asylum by order of the Chief Secretary.
Voluntary Boarders were those who requested that they be admitted for a mutually agreed period of time (from 1915 onwards).
Until the end of World War I, there was little change in the admission process at Kew.  Upon arriving, a variable amount of data was collected on the person being admitted. These basic details included age, sex, marital status and former address (or name of the asylum/jail transferred from). Other details requested included names of relatives or friends, the person's religion and occupation and whether others in the family have ever been classified as insane. Other information recorded, where available, were dates of previous admissions, "form of mental disorder", bodily condition ("satisfactory", "unsatisfactory", "feeble", etc.) and "duration of existing attack".  From approximately 1900 onwards, photographs were usually taken on admission. If the person was very restless, the photograph was omitted.  Belongings, such as books and clothes, were often returned to friends or family.  Inmates were required to dress in institutional clothes. This was useful in a number of ways as it assisted the public in easily identifying escaped inmates; reduced the need to request clothes (or money for clothes) from the inmate's family or their estate; and minimised inmate conflict when inmates swapped or stole clothes from each other. The property and estates of people who were deemed to be insane were controlled and administered by the Master-in-Equity, also known as the Master-in-Lunacy.
Kew Asylum