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Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, Hackney Road, Bethnal Green

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  • Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, Hackney Road, Bethnal Green

    I am trying to establish whether Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, Hackney Rd., Bethnal Green had a maternity department circa 1887-9. Maybe called "Lying in"at that time? I have tried googling but that turned up 4000+ hits, and the first of them concentrate on the children's aspect, although originally it was a facility for women and children.

    The reason I am interested is that I seem to have the same family in 1891 and 1901, but both the head and his wife have different first names and ages in the two census. Heads' occupation is the same (bricklayer).

    The chilren's ages match up (allowing for the ten year's between census) but 1891 shows one child born Bethnal Green and the other two Hackney Rd, while the 1901 has them all born Bethnal Green, with others born since 1891. All the children in both cases were described as sons or daughters of the head. The hospital is right on the boundary of Bethnal Green with Haggerston., so perhaps in 1891 they weren't quite sure and covered their bets?

    Not my own family, so am reluctant to post surname or buy certs, but thought that perhaps someone on here might have a cert for a child born at the hospital around the end of the 1880s?

    Can anyone help please?

  • #2
    I think it was still unusual for babies to be born anywhere but at home at that time. I would assume that if birthplace is given as Hackney Road it would mean either at an address on that road, or maybe an alley running off it or in the general area. As you say, Hackney Road is next door to Bethnal Green.
    ~ with love from Little Nell~
    Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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    • #3
      Googling seems to show that the hospital was for children. In all its name changes it is called **** Hospital for Children". No reference to antenatal, maternity or postnatal services at all.

      Last edited by Little Nell; 18-08-08, 11:46.
      ~ with love from Little Nell~
      Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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      • #4
        Thank you Nell, that's what I found googling. Just wondered if there was any provision for difficult births, as at the very beginning the hospital was a dispensary for women and children.

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        • #5
          Was it definitely called Queen Elizabeth's Hospital in those days? I've looked through the "Hospitals" section of the London Directories for 1884 and 1895 on the Historical Directories website, but I couldn't see a hospital of that name on there. I didn't look at the street address of every hospital as there are pages and pages of them (under "Hospitals" in the alphabetical section of part 4 - Trades and Professional Directory" if you want to look through them).

          Historical Directories: Find by Keywords
          KiteRunner

          Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
          (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

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          • #6
            Dispensary just meant they were able to provide medicines. I very much doubt it was ever a maternity hospital myself.
            ~ with love from Little Nell~
            Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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            • #7
              Thanks, Kite, a very good point. Seems from further googling that the name was granted by our present Queen, hospital formerly known as "North-Eastern Hospital and Dispensary" from 1868:o

              I have found the hospital on historical directories 1882, located in Goldsmiths' Row, which is a turning off Hackney Road. It does seem to be for children only.

              Both of the families I found lived very close to this location.

              There were lying in hospitals at that date, but unfortunately this doesn't seem to have been one of them.

              Thanks again Nell, was off googling when you posted

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