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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: julia.julibob on Thursday 15 May 08 22:08 BST (UK)
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I am researching my family tree, and have just received my Great Aunts death cert. She died of TB on 15 Jan 1944 at "42 Magpie Hall Road", Chatham, was the wife of a soldier, but actually lived in Charing, West Ashford!
The National Archives Hospital Records Database has confused me as it lists 42 Magpie Hall Road as "General Hospital" formerly "Fort Pitt", a military and general hospital which opened in 1805 and closed in 1948.
They also have 42 Magpie Hall Road listed on a different page as "All Saints Hospital" formerly "Medway Union Workhouse" founded c 1835.
How confusing!!!!
I was hoping that someone may have some more accurate information on the address and its purpose, and if it is still there.
Do you also know if my Great Aunt would have been buried in Chatham or whether she would have gone back to the village where she lived? The only other family she had (I assume her husband was still at war, he is on her death cert as a soldier, but unit and rank unknown) was her brother and grandad who lived in Paddock Wood.
Any help gratefully received.
Julia
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Hi Julia,
This my opinion only... if her next of kin was not available I think she would have been buried where she died . :-\
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Hi.
All Saints hospital is no long there!Houses have been built on the site.
Not sure when it was pulled down,all I know it would have been after 1975 as my daughter was born there then.When I worked there c 1967 as a nurse,there was a new part where the main wards were and offices were in the part which use to be the Medway workhouse.
Jean.
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Hi.
All Saints hospital is no long there!Houses have been built on the site.
Not sure when it was pulled down,all I know it would have been after 1975 as my daughter was born there then.When I worked there c 1967 as a nurse,there was a new part where the main wards were and offices were in the part which use to be the Medway workhouse.
Jean.
So, having worked there, and had you daughter there, was the address 42 Magpie Hall Lane? It is the confusion as to its name(s).
I cannot fathom why Ada would have been there unless it was a military hospital. He address on her death cert was "Barnfield Cottages" Charing, West Ashford Reg Dist. I am waiting her her sister's death cert, as she too died of TB in the following quarter of 1944 in the Chatham District. She too was a soldiers wife, and lived in the Sevenoaks area.
Can anyone think of any other reason why they would have been there? As the workhouse/hospital has been demolished, what about the cemetery? Would it still be there? I can see a reasonable size on-site cemetery at the workhouse on the 1896 map of Chatham. There was also a church (All Saints) up the road.
I am finding this all very frustrating.
Julia
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Hi again Julia.
My hubby was born at All Saints hospital also my son.Yes it was in Magpie Hall Road and All Saints church was just down the hill so I think the cemetery would be there.Never saw one when I work at the hospital.
The only military hospital I know was in the area at Gillingham but that was for the Navy.This is now the main hospital for the Medway Town.
Great pity I no longer live in the Medway towns I could have been more help.
Regards Jean.
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This is from the archives website, so you can see why I would be confused.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/03fp/
http://www.rootschat.com/links/03fq/
Julia
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There ia also a history of the workhouse->hospital on
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/
Type Medway Workhouse and Poor Law Union into seach box and it should be the first result.
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Just as a BTW, for anyone who perhaps isn't aware, Fort Pitt Grammar School for Girls now occupies the site of the former military hospital.
It has in its time, housed a fort, (from which it takes its name) and some parts of the ramparts are still visible. As a military hospital it was twice visited by Queen Victoria and it was the first Army Medical School established by Florence Nightingale in 1860. It was also used as a hospital and recuperation facility for servicemen injured in the two World Wars.
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Just as a BTW, for anyone who perhaps isn't aware, Fort Pitt Grammar School for Girls now occupies the site of the former military hospital.
It has in its time, housed a fort, (from which it takes its name) and some parts of the ramparts are still visible. As a military hospital it was twice visited by Queen Victoria and it was the first Army Medical School established by Florence Nightingale in 1860. It was also used as a hospital and recuperation facility for servicemen injured in the two World Wars.
My old school, although in my day it was the Technical High School for Girls. Definately nothing to do with All Saints Hospital.
Carole
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Hi All.
Just had a look at hubby's birth certificate born County Hospital Chatham June 1948.I think it went over to being called All Saints later that year when the National Health Service came in,I know that was late in 1948.
The site Bearcat gave us has links to All Saints with all the info on it and also some pics.I alway like to think Charles Dickens based his book Oliver Twist on the Medway Work House.
I was a nurse there in the late 60's and for a time my home as we had to live in then for the first year of our training and with out a late pass had to be in by 10:30pm!
Regards Jean.
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Julia,
As Magpie Hall Road is about a 10 minute drive from me would you like me to drive over and maybe take photos?
The hospital is definitely not there (pulled down in the early 90's) but the church still stands. There is a cemetary on Maidstone Road which may be worth checking for a grave, although many do seem to be missing headstones.
As to why they were in Medway as soldiers wives perhaps they were based at Brompton Barracks Gillingham.
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Most of the information you need seems to be covered, but there are issues about wartime and burials. (incidentally it cleared up a number of puzzles for me too)
I was born in All Saints Hospital before the start of the 1939-45 war, but when my sister was born, during the war, my mother was sent to Tunbridge Wells. I have always assumed that this was because the hospital was taken over for military purposes.
I think local burials were more likely to have been at Chatham Cemetery, which was quite close to the Hospital, at the top of the hill, and enclosed between Maidstone Road (as already stated) and Palmerston Road.
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Hi Julia,
I'm also trying to find information on the hospital as I'm the only one out of my siblings and I who was born there. I was born in All Saints Hospital, Chatham in 1994. As far as I know, the hospital was previously known as Medway Union Workhouse, but was renamed in 1932 to Medway Hospital, then to County Hospital in 1936. In 1948 it became part of the NHS and was renamed All Saints Hospital until its closure in 1999. It has since been demolished. Unfortunately, its become a housing estate.
Don't know if that's any help, but that's just about all i know about it.
Regards,
Josh
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Hi, Just Googled Magpie Hall Lane and hit this discussion.
I recently checked the 1911 census for the family of my mother in law who was born in 1910.
The only reference for a Mary Ann PHILLIPS born in 1910 was an institution - and no details of what institution. Both mother and baby were there. I was unable to find a definitive census entry for the father.
On the birth certificate the address of the mother, and the place of birth, are both 42 Magpie Hall Lane and they were both there the following year. The father's address on the certificate is different.
Reading this discussion I saw a reference to TB and wondered whether this hospital specialised in treating TB as that might go some way to explaining the length of the stay.
Any info/comments would be appreciated.
Simon
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Hi Simon
Not sure if this will help but my great grandfather was also in an 'institution' in 1911. I know for a fact he was in the Chatham workhouse (Magpie hall) as I have checked the workhouse admission records and he was definitely there at the time of the census. (He actually spent most of his life in and out of one workhouse or another :D)
Hope this helps
KPM
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Hi
I was looking at my grandfathers death certificate from 1943 which showed he died at 42 Magpie Hall Road which I now believe was All Saints Hospital. What I really would like to find out is where he is buried. Does anyone know of any burial grounds adjacent or close to the hospital.I have tried all the municipal cemeteries with no luck.I am sure that my grandmother would not have WASTED!! any money on a lavish funeral so he could well be buried in a pauper site. I am visiting Kent tomorrow to have a look around but any advice would be gratefully recieved
Regards
Elaine
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how did you get hold of the workhouse admissions data? i.m trying to find my grandmothers admission, as my father was born there in 1918, her name was alice whitelock, can you help?
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Welcome to Rootschat
The records you need will be at Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre, Strood. Holdings include: Guardians' minutes (1835-1930); Admissions and discharges (1867-1931); Births (1878-1914); Deaths (1877-1930); Creed registers (1878-1884, 1901-32); Deaths (1877-1930); Punishment books (1878-1913); etc.
Unfortunately these records are not online so you will need to visit, get somebody to visit on your behalf or at least contact them http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/
Casalguidi :)
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I’ve just been searching my one of my great uncles and it has taken me to this thread.
I have found out he died at 42 Magpie Hall Road, Chatham. He was only 11 years old.
I’m assuming this was a hospital?
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No, it was a workhouse.
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The Medway Union Infirmary at 42 Magpie Hall Road was renamed Medway Hospital 1932-6, then County Hospital 1936-48, then All Saints Hospital 1948-99.
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Thank you.
He died in 1939 there :'(