RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => London & Middlesex Lookup Requests => London and Middlesex => England => London & Middlesex Completed Lookup Requests => Topic started by: loo on Friday 20 January 06 22:12 GMT (UK)
-
Can anyone tell me if there were any TB hospitals operating in London, especially that would serve north / northwest / northcentral London, in about 1910? I'm looking for a death, and I can't find him. I know he died of TB, so I'm wondering if he was in some hospital in another district. Because his name is common, I might have missed him.
thanks
-
I expect there were several, but the London Chest Hospital which was in the city may be worth a look. I believe that was founded for the treatment of TB. I guess there were others. The London Chest was still open in the 1980s but I am not sure about today.
-
I recall seeing a programme on TV which said that many were sent to the seaside (and indeed abroad - there was a film of some in Switzerland) to recouperate. May have to cast your net a bit wider...
sorry!
meles
-
I suppose it depends how well off they were as to weather they went abroad or not. It was usual for them to go to the coast though for the sea air.
-
There was also the Brompton.
-
I believe Grove Park Hospital, near Catford, specialised in TB
-
They were people of very modest means as far as I can determine. Father was a tradesman employee with, I think, a steady job. An interesting question as to whether they would have been able to afford the seaside; I'm sure they would not have been in a position to go out of country.
Thank you for your suggestions. If there are anymore, they would be welcome as well.
Can anyone tell me where the Brompton is/was?
Maybe I'll just have to trawl for anyone who was of the correct age and see what comes up.
thanks again.
-
I think the Brompton hospital is in west London so it may be a bit far away from where your family lived. There is quite a lot on the history of the hospital if you just Google Brompton Hospital and its on British History Online.
-
Ah, so it's still there; thank you.
So, I need to be able to match up these hospitals with Registration Districts.
Can you suggest which would be the corresponding Registration Districts?
Brompton - Kensington? (SW3)
London Chest Hospital - Holborn? (E2)
Grove Park - SE12 would Catford be a Reg'n District?
I found this list of current hospitals:
http://www.medinet.co.uk/phlonhos.htm
Several are termed "Chest Clinics". e.g. Edgware, Edmonton, Islington, in the areas that concern me. Does anyone know if they would they likely have been TB hospitals?
-
Could you give us the persons name and last known address, London was quite a big place, so there are many possible hospitals. One would assume he would have gone to the nearest possible one.
Regards, Sarah.
-
How far from London would you imagine, some people, as has already been mentioned went overseas.In England I do know that there was a Sanitarium on Ilkley moor because my Mother was there in the 50s.
If you are doing a search remember that tuberculosis was also known as the consumption.
Denn
-
I seem to recall the Brompton was called "The Royal Brompton" if that helps...
meles
-
Just been chatting to my 86-year old Mum. "Oh, your Auntie Eileen" (who?! must explore that line...) "had TB. She went to Switzerland. The NHS was good in those days..." So maybe wealth was not the reason one went abroad necessarily.
Now, who on earth in Auntie Eileen...?
meles
-
I just wanted to make a comment!
Most people with TB - didn't die of TB ..... They died of pneumonia !-
"fresh air treatment" was all they had - so beds would be wheeled out on to balconies of hospitals and covered with tarpaulins ..... rain hail and snow!
plus the dreaded "consumption" was a terrifying disease - and it was not talked about .... So death certificates didn't usually give TB as cause of death -
Annie :)
-
You'r right Annie,
Anyone who knows Ilkley moor will attestto the foulness of the weather, and I remember well my Mum telling us about how all the windows were always left wide open irrespective of the weather - and how they often were awoke in the early hours with snow on the beds.
Denn
-
For any of you who like to browse in second hand book stores:
"The Plague and I" by Betty MacDonald.
I think it was published in the fifties and was an account of a stay in a TB San. told with realism and humour.
It will help you to understand some of the social implications of the disease in the early 20th century.
Beth
-
Thank you for all your thoughts; sounds like an interesting book.
I don't know about Auntie Eileen, but I don't think the NHS existed ca. 1910.
The problem is not diagnosing what he died of exactly, or how it was phrased. At the moment I simply can't find a suitable death certificate to order.
In looking for his data to give you, I see that I never found his exact birth information either! Oops.
I know he existed because I have a photo of him.
So, it appears that all I have is that he was born about 1890 in Kentish Town, and died at the age of about 20, living in same area, of TB.
On the 1901 census he is 10 years old, b. Pancras. His name is Harry William WEST.
-
How far from London would you imagine, some people, as has already been mentioned went overseas.In England I do know that there was a Sanitarium on Ilkley moor because my Mother was there in the 50s.
If you are doing a search remember that tuberculosis was also known as the consumption.
Denn
Another alias for TB is "phthisis" which was the cause of death for a few of my Irish rellies.
(Curiously my grandmother was terrified of TB all her life but she didn't have the faintest inkling that her own father, grandmother and aunt died as a result of it.)
Kath :'(
-
I know of a hospital near me that is well known to have been used for TB cases and its right on the seaside (not sure what dates so you may need to research it a bit)
The Royal Sea Bathing Hospital
Margate
Kent
It closed down in the last few years, but if I remember correctly the building still stands. (i moved away 5 years ago)
to look for death here the district would possibly be Thanet District.
maybe worth a look?
-
Hi Loo
Just an idea, but there is a hospital in Frimley Surrey which has been referred to as the 'Country branch of The Brompton'.
I know it was a T.B. hospital and that the pine trees around Surrey Heath were supposed to be theraputic.
Perhaps your rellie may have been in there?
Regards
-
thank you all, I am taking heed of all your answers.
-
plus the dreaded "consumption" was a terrifying disease - and it was not talked about .... So death certificates didn't usually give TB as cause of death -
not so sure of that -TB accounted for around 25% of deaths in London in the 1800s. It was a common cause of death in my family and given on the death certificates as either consumption or phithisis
-
Finally found him!
It turns out, after some laborious searching, that he died at home of "pulmonary tuberculosis" and "exhaustion".
Thank you all for putting your heads together on this one for me; I hope the ideas will be useful to someone else as well.