and the next;
Dr. Ward was a prime mover in the establishment of the next Blyth hospital to be mooted. This was designed to be a memorial to Thomas Knight, a self made Blyth business-man and ship-owner. Thomas Knight had started life as a seaman in 1818. By thrift and hard work he saved enough money to buy his own keel to work for the Sleekburn Coal Company. He then bought a schooner of good sailing qualities and invested in other ships, retiring as steam ships began to supersede sailing vessels. He died on 28 March, 1878, and his widow dying in April 1879, left in her will a legacy of £6000 to endow a hospital for 'the sick and lame poor of the townships of South Blyth, Newsham and Cowpen'. The hospital was to be named after Thomas Knight, and must be erected within ten years of her death, failing which the £6000 would be distributed among the next of kin.
None of Mrs. Knight's endowment might be used for the hospital building. This was to be the responsibility of the townspeople of Blyth, and was estimated as likely to cost £2500. Because of the depressed state of trade at this time there was little hope of raising such a sum (approximately £2,500,000 at 1982 values (£6.4 million as at 2012)), Dr. Ward, however, was able to persuade Sir Matthew White Ridley to donate the hospital site and a generous gift of money. Other contributions were received from the Duke of Northumberland, Lord Hastings, Sir W. G. Armstrong, Sir John Johnson, Mr. Edmund Watts, Mr. E. H. Watts and friends in London, the owners of the coal-pits at Cowpen, Bebside, Seaton Delaval, Washington, Pelaw, Burnhope and West Stanley, Messrs. Lambton bankers, and Messrs. Wood bankers. The ladies of the various churches in the town raised £251 by a bazaar. In all, over £2000 was raised, and the contract for the building was placed with J. & W. Simpson of Blyth, a firm which is still in business.
The Newcastle Daily Chronicle of Wednesday, 28 December, 1887, told readers; 'Thomas Knight was one of the leading and wealthiest of the Blyth shipowners.... a new hospital named after him is to be opened today .... the members of the hospital committee will receive Sir Matthew and Lady Ridley in the boardroom of the Mechanics Institute at 1:15 p.m. and walk in procession to the hospital. The subscribers and general public will follow. At the door of the new building Dr. Gilbert Ward (who has taken immense interest in the undertaking) will present the key to Lady Ridley and ask her to open the hospital. After Lady Ridley has declared it open a portion of scripture will be read by the Rev. Peter Peace and prayers will be offered by the Rev. W. Greenwell, Vicar of Horton. An inspection of the interior will follow and there will be a luncheon in the Lecture Hall of the Mechanics Institute. Up to the present the hospital requirements of Blyth have been met by a small cottage hospital close to Blyth links'.
At the opening ceremony Sir Matthew White Ridley praised the wisdom of Mrs. White in not providing the money for the building ---- he said it had been a stimulus for the townspeople and others to raise the money for the building so that they could earn the endowment. Mr. William Marlow Sidney, a solicitor, paid tribute to the work of Dr. Ward and said on him alone rested the honour of having erected the building.