Crossley Hospital, Ancoats, Manchester

[Sally Ann Major]

Dear funkyoap

For most of our former maternity homes (including Oakhill/Oak Hill) we do not hold any original records, and most of what we know about the women and girls who used these homes comes from a series of ledgers known as The Girls’ Statement Books.  In effect these were records of discharge, and they were held centrally at our Women’s’ Social Work headquarters in Mare Street, Hackney.

Because these books have survived we have two series (London and Country) running from 1886 for more than a century.  Unfortunately there is one major gap in the Country series, from March 1942 to March 1948 inclusive.  This means that we have no statement book entries for discharges between these dates.  Since these books record discharges and not births it does mean that births that took place a few months before this period may not be recorded, while conversely that births that took place in late 1947 or early 1948 may be.

As for the distances travelled to the homes, I recently completed a study of 30 girls who were in the home in 1933, but it still acts as a good illustration.  This is a compilation of the distances travelled to Oakhill for each of the thirty.

≤ 10 miles   x 17
≤ 50 miles   x 7
≤ 100 miles   x 4
> 100 miles   x 2

The greatest distances travelled where from North Shields (~120 miles) and Norwich (~168 miles).  Although the characteristics of a group obviously vary from home-to-home and also from one period of time to another, this is a not untypical distribution.

Regards

Kevin

Major Kevin Pooley
Social Historian
The Salvation Army
International Heritage Centre
William Booth College
Champion Park
London
SE5 8BQ

[3merrylads]

The Salvation Army in London have records for the Star Hall, I just emailed them and they were very helpful and then sent them a donation when they came up with all the information I required.

[Babling Brook]

Hi,  My mother in law..96 this year.. had a difficult time with her previous birth so it was suggested she  had the last one..1950.. at the Sally Army hospital,it having a great reputation for skill and care.She remembers the ground floor..street level..was mainly admin and the hall,she was on the first floor where they had to pay with the top floor being for mums who couldn't pay.

Apart from one "strict" nurse she says they really looked after her and took her baby (my Mrs) up to the girls on the top floor,something they did often, to help the young girls cope with the pain and fear.She remembers one of the Wards being called Edwina, the name being given to one happy couple's daughter !

[carolli]

 This is my first post(although I must have registered some time in the distant past,as I already had a user name).I have always wondered why my birth certificate has 15,Mitchell Street as the birth address
So browsing Mitchell Street on FindMyPast census 'address search',could not find no.15 but decided to google 'Star Hall' which brought me to Rootschat.com and the answer. I was born there in 1945 neither of my parents had links with SA but my Dad worked for Crossley Motors. I only know this as I recall two silver cup/trophies that had pride of place upon the mantle-piece at home. My Dad was the 'Crossley Works' Mens Singles Tennis Champion 1933-34 and 1935-36

[SHBowles]

Star Hall was a Mission Hall in Ancoats, Manchester, founded by Francis Crossley (of Crossley Engines, later Crossley Motors) to meet the spiritual needs of his factory workers. It included the Crossley Hospital, a Maternity hospital. The building was previously a dance hall. On his death in 1897, his daughter continued the mission until 1919. At this time the building and mission were handed over to the Salvation Army. Crossley had been a personal friend of William Booth, and had even been called the 'Paymaster General' of the SA. The building was demolished in 1985. Crossley Court, run by the Salvation Army Housing Association, now occupies the site.

[Stripelegs]

Well I have just found this site - I was looking for Crossley Nursing Home off Mitchell Street , Ancoats.

I was - supposedly born there in July 1941,- My mother was married to my dad(who was in the RAF)
at a church in Bexley Heath, Kent., in June 1940. The location (Kent) is interesting because my mother had Aunts in Plumstead and Gravesend, and my dad was stationed in camp in Hertfordshire. My grandmother was from Woolich .
My mother was born in Hulme in 1919 as her mother and father moved up to Manchester in early 1919.
Unfortunately , I do not have my birth certificate , and my mother died in 1992. It is amazing how much knowledge your parents had but as a child growing up, you never asked the questions that you now want answers too.
The only facts(?) I have is that my mother told me I was born at Crossley Nursing Home , off Mitchell Street, in Ancoats and I always thought that it was run by Catholic nurses , mainly because my dad was Catholic. About 10 years ago I drove down to Ancoats after seeing an old map of the area , I think ,  in the Manchester Evening News.
I could not find Crossley Nursing Home  - because it must have been demolished - but interestingly
I came accross a pub called The Mitchell Arms , and nearby was some apartments called
Crossley Court.
I do not know if it was a hospital in 1941 but I assume it had a maternity wing.
That's it .

[Viktoria]

No, not Catholic, although they did not differentiate as far as I know.It was open to all denominations.
It is a long interesting story , look up Frank Crossley and The Star Hall.
After Frank died The Salvation Army took over The Star Hall and   Crossley`s and carried on the work he started in a  very deprived area.
                                                         Viktoria.

[Redwine01]

Hi all, first posting here, I too was born in Crossley hospital, in September 1964, and was wondering why , as on my birth certificate, my parents address is in Offerton, Stockport, so any help understanding why, would be great , I can remember my dad having a business in canal st, Ancoats , and as a teenager visiting my dad's place of work, called Manchester Cutting Service, I would walk to Pollard St(?), and walk up , pass the coop factory, and down a road , passing a few shop, along a road passing Ancoats A&E, bk to main Road , and back to Canal Street, hope it can help other, to see where I came from, cheers ,

[anna marie]

I  have recently discovered that I was born in Crossley Hospital in April 1968 and was taken home by my birth mother to live with her and her married sister for 4 months after my birth before she gave me up for adoption. I think she was from Ireland, a Roman Catholic and wondered why this hospital?