Bancrofts Hospital Records

[KiwiHugh]

Does anyone know where any records from Bancrofts Hospital of Mile End Road might be held? It is also known as Bancrofts School.  From records the Drapers Company Archivist sent me William Heywood was living in the "pensioner" section in March 1824. I have asked the Drapers Company Arcivist if they hold records for the institution as there was a very close association between them but the turn around time is aprox a month cf Rootchatters who respond in minutes to hours. So has anyone ever gone looking for and found records for Bancrofts Hospital?

[nanny jan]

Hi,

Is this the place?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=387-me&cid=0#0

Wrong one; too modern.... 



Nanny Jan

[KGarrad]

Try this one:
http://www.londonancestor.com/schools/bancrofts-hospital.htm

But can't find any records?

Maybe London Metropolitan Archives?

[GrahamSimons]

Have a look at the school's website. They are having a great anniversary celebration so they may well have someone at work on their archives.... worth writing a letter or an email?

[KiwiHugh]

Thanks for your ideas everyone. Yes nannyjan I got a bit confused as Google was throwing up both institutions on my search. Quirky the way the names are a mirror of each other. Will give the school a bash. Should have thought of them. In searching, others were citing the years their ancestors lived there, so there must be some somewhere. One chap was living there for 14 years so it was  not regarded as "hospice" accomodation

[KGarrad]

Bancroft's School was founded as Bancroft's Hospital!

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancroft%27s_School

Bancroft's began in the Mile End Road in London's East End as a small charitable day school for boys, with an attached almshouse for 24 elderly gentlemen.

[KiwiHugh]

The name "hospital" gets me. It was a school and almhouses. LMA have pictures of the almhouses and Chapel, but earliest records were 1884. Tossed up lots of people insuring "across the road" from the almhouses . Have not found any mention of any form of hospital at the site

[KGarrad]

Are you perhaps thinking of a modern definition of hospital?

During the Middle Ages hospitals served different functions to modern institutions, being almshouses for the poor, hostels for pilgrims, or hospital schools. The word hospital comes from the Latin hospes, signifying a stranger or foreigner, hence a guest.

The same Latin root gives us "Hospitality".

[janan]

Nice picture of the hospital here

http://www.bancroftians.net/cgi-bin/bancms3.pl?dn=banhis01

Jan