Greno buildings, Grenoside

[ctrunfree]

Hi everyone

The death certificate for my great grandfather says he died in the Greno buildings, Grenoside in Ecclesfield in 1946.  I gather from a post on the Sheffield FHS site that these buildings were the old Wortley Union Workhouse and hospital on Salt Box Lane.  The excellent www.workhouses.org.uk notes that:

"From 1930, the site became Grenoside County Welfare Institution and provided accommodation for what were then termed 'mental defectives' . It was due to be closed in 1940, but with the onset of the Second World War was kept open with 44 beds. In 1949, the nearby infectious diseases hospital became an annexe to the Institution, and by 1956 the two sites could house a total of 182 patients".

As my great grandfather died of liver cancer, I doubt he was one of the infectious diseases group.  Does this mean he was likely to be "mentally defective", or were ordinary patients treated there as well?

[zetlander]

The nearby building you refer to sounds like Hallwood Hospital which was built for smallpox patients and then used as a convalescent hospital for scarlet fever patients.  It had 14 beds and 5 cots.
I think the connexion with Grenoside Hospital was that it was to be used for 'mentally defectives' who had T.B. - not sure if it was ever actually used for that purpose.
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'Mental defectives' didn't die from being 'mentally defective' they died from all sorts of physical conditions. So it sounds as if your g grandfather was 'mentally defective' and died from a liver problem.
The term 'mentally defective' covers a very wide range of conditions including those who were mentally handicapped  and mentally ill. 

[ctrunfree]

The nearby building you refer to sounds like Hallwood Hospital which was built for smallpox patients and then used as a convalescent hospital for scarlet fever patients.  It had 14 beds and 5 cots.
I think the connexion with Grenoside Hospital was that it was to be used for 'mentally defectives' who had T.B. - not sure if it was ever actually used for that purpose.
---------------
'Mental defectives' didn't die from being 'mentally defective' they died from all sorts of physical conditions. So it sounds as if your g grandfather was 'mentally defective' and died from a liver problem.
The term 'mentally defective' covers a very wide range of conditions including those who were mentally handicapped  and mentally ill.

Thanks Zetlander.  He was 76 when he died, and had previously being living with his married daughter.  I wonder if he had some form of dementia?