Falmouth Seamen's Hospital and records

[jonwicken]

I have also had this reply from National Maritime Museum Cornwall:

From the research I have undertaken, it is unclear where these records are located.

After being built in the late 1770s, No.3 Bank Place became the Royal Cornwall Sailors’ Home and Hospital in 1852. Previously it was a residential townhouse. The Royal Cornwall Sailors’ Home ran there for over a hundred years, from 1852 to 1956.The building in Bank Close was later turned into a YMCA and is now an apartment block. I have attached a report from the Falmouth Packet dated 18 January 2023 that explains the history of the building in more detail.

I have also been able to read up on the history of the British Sailors Society in Falmouth and, although they were not directly associated with the hospital, their chaplain did visit once a week. It is possible the records may have been transferred to the Seafarers Hospital Society. I have attached contact details in the link below.

https://seahospital.org.uk/contact-us/

It is also possible that the records may be held by Kresen Kernow] (formerly Cornwall Record Office). Their catalogue holds an entry for Cornish hospitals and contains a number of unidentified collections.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13530781

I have attached details in the link below.

Records of Cornish Hospitals: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/8272a99d-51b7-4cbc-a0a9-216f5f2a949b

There is also a brief reference to the hospital in the British Journal of Nursing from November 1906. https://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/volumes/37/Volume%2037%20Page%20359

An early edition of Kelly’s Directory covering Cornwall states the following ‘The Royal Cornwall Sailors' Home and Infirmary for Seamen of all Nations, at Falmouth, established May 17, 1852, is a large structure of brick, available for about 60 patients, Alfred Benjamin Duckham, supt. and sec’.

If you have not already done so, I suggest that you try and track down a copy of the recent book by Christopher Holwill, ‘The Royal Cornwall Sailors’ Home: Falmouth 1852 – 1956’ (Tothill Publications, 2014). It is possible that the author may have been given access to records or be aware of their location. I attach a link to the book below.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/royal-cornwall-sailors-home/christopher-holwill/christopher-holwill/9780957568310

[jonwicken]

I have now emailed the Seafarers Hospital Society.

I have asked if they do indeed know anything about the records for Falmouth.

I will let you know when I hear anything back.

Thank you for all the contributions and help along the way.

Jonny