was I born in Limehouse?

[dgoult]

I was born 28/03/48 in the East End Maternity Hospital, 396 Commercial Road, London E1. My birth certificate has it "Birth in the sub-district of Limehouse" & "Registration District: Stepney".
Although born in the East End, I never lived there or hardly ever visited so I have no local knowledge of it. However, I have always used "Limehouse, Stepney, London" in the place of birth box when filling in forms. Having researched my ancestors as far as I wanted, I have belatedly turned to look at my myself, & Googled both "East End Maternity Hospital" & "Limehouse"...
"Limehouse is bounded to the west by Limehouse Basin" (Wikipedia)- BUT the maternity hospital (now Steels Lane Health Centre) lies a further half a mile beyond (to the west of) Limehouse Basin. I cannot imagine this 21st century definition arises from boundary changes (either formal, or general informal usage) since 1948.
So, I think I am right in in my place of birth being Stepney, but, within Stepney, was I born in Limehouse ?

[Olde Crone Holden]

Well, according to your birth certificate, you WERE born in Limehouse, otherwise the subdistrict would say something else!

OC

[Richard]

396 Commerical Road is in the old parish of St Thomas Stepney, which is in the wider Stepney reg district. I'm suprised it came under the Limehouse sub district. I wouldn't have thought of it as being in Limehouse either. It's seperated from the Limehouse parishes by Ratcliffe for a start, so way out, but how they drew up the sub registration districts is anyone's guess!

[Olde Crone Holden]

But registration districts aren't made up out of parishes, they are made up out of Urban or rural districts, which aren't always the same area as a parish. A parish is an ecclesiastical measure of land, an Urban or rural district is a civil administrative area of land.

OC

[Tralena]

Is this peace of information any use to you.

Present name East End Maternity Hospital
Previous name(s)
Mothers' Lying-In Home (1884 - 1902)
East End Mothers' Home (1902 - 1903)
East End Mothers' Lying-In Home (1903 - 1926)

Address: 384 - 398 Commercial Road Stepney London E1
Previous location: 394 - 396 Commercial Road, Glanis Road, Shadwell

Reference code(s): GB 0387 EM comprising registers of admissions, 1884-1968; registers of local bookings, recording name and trade of patients' husbands and date of marriage, 1949-1957, 1964-1968; registers of operations, 1948-1968; Midwives register of cases, 1939-1968; mothers' books, recording treatment and drugs given to patients, 1967; Night Superintendant's report books, 1963-1968. :
Held at : Royal London Hospital -
Full title : East End Maternity Hospital

The East End Maternity Hospital was founded in 1884 as the Mother's Lying-in Hospital in Glamis Road, Shadwell. Its name was changed in 1928. In 1930 it had about 60 beds. During the Second World War the Hospital occupied premises at Hill Hall, Essex, and Tyringham House. With the advent of the National Health Service in 1948 it became part of the Stepney Group of Hospitals, which was merged in 1966 to form the East London Group. The Hospital was closed in 1968.

Info taken from AIM25 Collection


Regards Tralena

[Richard]

But registration districts aren't made up out of parishes, they are made up out of Urban or rural districts, which aren't always the same area as a parish. A parish is an ecclesiastical measure of land, an Urban or rural district is a civil administrative area of land.

OC

Oh yes I realise that of course O.C, have spent many years getting my head round the changing borders of London. To answer his question simply though, as a Londoner no I'd not say he was born in Limehouse. He was born in Stepney. But technically I suppose he was, that's what the certificate says!

[dgoult]

Thank you OC, Tralena, & Richard for your contributions.
(i) Is it possible that the birth certificate is, in fact, wrong?
(ii) No doubt there were thousands of births at 396 Commercial Rd, & any of those reading this now might like to advise me on their own birth certificate sub-district.

[JudithM]

OC is of course right that civil and church parishes don't necessarily cover the same area but you might find the map of the boundary of Limehouse CofE parish useful http://www.rcdow.org.uk/fileupload/s...2201044114.jpg It seems to show that part of Commercial Road is in the parish, dont know whether the hospital is on that part of the road though.

UPDATE
I ought to be doing h*******k but this was more interesting. In 1911 the hospital was in Mile End Old Town South Western sub district, which after 1926 is listed as a sub district of Stepney, separate from the Limehouse sub district http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/d...s/stepney.html so it does seem odd that your birth was listed as Limehouse.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I would doubt very much that the birth cert is wrong. The Registrar of all people would know what the sub district was, even if no one else did, because he would be working from that office!

You could try phoning the local registrar. You might catch them in a bored moment.

OC

[dgoult]

Judith - thanks, the map illustrates my point: 396 lies some way off the map to the left (west)
OC - thanks, I assumed that one than one sub-district was administered from the same office & there was the possibility that the registrar picked up the wrong ("Limehouse") rubber stamp!? Your suggestion of contacting the registrar is a good one & also obvious (should have thought of it for myself).