James was born in 1835 in London. He could not speak and was deaf. He was able to communicate through gestures and lip reading. No school wanted him.
In 1850 he was placed in Essex Hall, in Colchester. The lease for Essex Hall was purchased when the original asylum, Park House, was becoming overcrowded. James had to wait for two years before he was elected to be admitted there. He was then one of the first to move into the Earlswood Asylum when it first opened in 1855. The asylums were run by Dr Andrew Reed under a charity known as the Asylum for “Idiots” (a term used in the 1800s but it feels totally wrong now).
James’ brother, William, later followed him to Earlswood. William showed talent as a carpenter but trained in printing and once an adult, he left the Asylum to work elsewhere. He returned to Earlswood at the age of 27 but died at the age of 38 due to cancer.
Those who were elected to live at the Earlswood Asylum were expected to learn crafts as forms of employment. James built on his childhood love of carving small ships out of firewood and became a gifted carpenter and artist.
He was able to make bed
frames for use in the asylum and created models including a 10-foot-long
ship, a replica of the SS Great Eastern which took seven years to build.
He also made puzzle boxes which he sold.
James visited dockyards to learn more about ships. There were ex-sailors who worked at the Asylum as attendants who gave him information as well.
James’ skills were spotted by the Prince Consort when he opened the Earlswood Asylum. James gave the prince a painting for Queen Victoria which she hung in her private apartments at Windsor Castle. Additionally, the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, sent him elephant tusks so that he could use the ivory for his models.
In 1867, the Board were
informed that Dr Down, the Medical Superintendent, had made arrangements
for James’ models to be sent to the international exhibition in Paris.
The Board challenged Dr Down as to how long he would be absent from the
Asylum for the exhibition and raised concerns about his expenses. In the
end, Dr Down was refused permission to attend with the display.
Nevertheless, James’ work was a success, and he won a bronze medal at the Paris exhibition. This seemed to win the attention of the Board and what an asset James was for advertising the Asylum. In 1869, one of James’ ships was placed in a display case.
James was very focused in his
work and independent in his ways. He had his own room as a workshop,
known as Pullen’s room. He enjoyed going out and was in the habit of
visiting the pubs between Earlswood and Redhill, starting at the New
Inn.
At the pubs he would sell some of his items and have a drink. It was at one of these pubs where he met a woman and wanted to marry her. He told the Asylum that he would be leaving there. This led to the Board at Earlswood Asylum having to find a way of preventing him from leaving. They gave him an Admiral’s uniform. They told him that being an Admiral would mean he could not marry. James accepted this and loved wearing the uniform. He remained at the Asylum for the remainder of his life.
He died in 1916 and was buried at St Mary’s churchyard in Reigate.
Royal Earlswood: A History, Anne Lea (2005)
James Henry Pullen Collection (a resident of Earlswood) – Langdon Down Museum
Model of the SS Great Eastern
Model of a Fantasy State Barge exhibited at the Paris Exhibition, 1867
Photograph of James Pullen in his admiral’s uniform aged 73 years