Queen Charlotte's Hospital records - what do they give?

[josey]

Has anyone accessed the Queen Charlotte's records at LMA? What information can be gained?

I have the death certificate of a Mary Williams aged 25 governess cause of death apoplexy 6 hours on 11 Jul 1867 at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Marylebone. I am trying to identify if it is the death of a Mary Williams born 1841 in St Lukes, Chelsea daughter of William Williams & Johanna nee Frawley. Both her parents [and her younger sister aged 5] died in Feb & Mar 1855 in Marylebone Workhouse Infirmary when Mary was 13. Mary's brother John George born 1848 was taken by a philanthropist to Bruges to be educated. The family were Roman Catholic. I have not yet found 'my' Mary for sure in the 1861 census.

I have narrowed down the LMA records to H27/QC/B/01/004 In Patient Registers for 1866 - 1872. Will any extant admission record give address and any other details? If Mary was in QCH, does that necessarily mean she had been pregnant? If a baby had been born & breathed, would the baptism records be there if the mother died at the birth?

Sadly Mary Williams is a very common name. Also not sure whether my Williams family [labourer + laundress] would have produced a governess...

Thanks for any help.

Josey

[Bookbox]

Has anyone accessed the Queen Charlotte's records at LMA? What information can be gained?

Though a bit later than your enquiry, the admission register H27/QC/B/01/006 (1882-1885) has the following column headings:

No.
Name
Residence (address)
Age
Married or single
No. of previous pregnancies
Date of admission/Hour of day
Date of delivery/Hour of day
Presentation
Midwife
How delivered
Date of leaving hospital
State of mother on leaving
Child's sex
Born alive or dead
If dead, condition of child
Apparent age
Condition on leaving
Weight
Length

If Mary was in QCH, does that necessarily mean she had been pregnant?

Yes, unless she was on the staff.

If a baby had been born & breathed, would the baptism records be there if the mother died at the birth

Not necessarily. Some babies born at QCH were baptised at Marylebone churches (especially St Mark), or at churches local to where the parents lived.

[josey]

Thank you very much Bookbox, all that may prove useful. I should be able to get to the LMA in the next month or so.

Josey

[Hyphae]

I have an ancestor who gave birth at Queen Charlotte's hospital in 1884. Later, the baby girl was successfully petitioned into the Foundling hospital and baptised again (?) and renamed. Do the Queen Charlotte hospital records show given name of baby- and what was the likely place an unmarried mother had their baby baptised if born at Queen Charlotte's? I cannot find any records via Ancestry searches. I also cannot find any registration for the baby. Any ideas gratefully received!

[Bookbox]

The information given in the admission register for Queen Charlotte's at this sort of period is shown above (reply #1). It doesn't normally include the child's forename.

Many babies born there to Anglican parents were baptised at the hospital by the clergy of St Mark, Marylebone Road, and the baptisms were recorded in their parish registers.

The register covering the 1880s (P89/MRK1/001, Oct 1872 - Oct 1889) is supposedly on Ancestry, but I haven't been able to find it there as yet.* You may have to track it down at LMA in person (on film X097/394).

Births of babies in institutions such as hospitals and infirmaries tended to be duly registered. So it may be that the registration is under an unexpected name. If you want to post more details, people here might be able to help you search?

     * not to be confused with St Mark, Hamilton Terrace, which Ancestry calls 'St Mark, St Marylebone' - a different church.

[Hyphae]

Thanks for the quick response. I thought I was going mad searching through the Ancestry card cat. to no avail! I have come across a few of these- it seems they batch update records and we have to wait until they get around to them. Indexing is somewhat poor on Ancestry also, so I always find using other search facilities useful (eg, familysearch)

The mother was Jane Holden, and the daughter would have been born on Oct 7th, 1884 at Queen Charlotte's hospital. She was unwed (father was James Smith). I am travelling to London after Easter and will visit the Metro. Archives, so have noted the references thank you

[Bookbox]

I’ve finally found the baptism register online – Ancestry have unhelpfully called it ‘St John’s Wood St Mark’.

Amelia, born 7 October 1884, Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, baptised 9 October, mother Jane Holden (no father)

Probable birth registration:
Dec Qtr 1884
HOLDEN Amelia (no mother’s maiden name given in the index)
Marylebone 1a 563

[Hyphae]

You are a star 

That saves me a train fare!