Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1872-1993 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
13.27 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The oldest part of Kensington Workhouse, later known as Stone Hall, was built in 1847. A separate infirmary was built on the same site in 1871. Until 1875 the main dining hall behind the workhouse was used for chapel services. A legacy of two thousand five hundred pounds from Eliza France, wife of one of the Kensington Guardians, then made it possible to build a chapel to serve both the workhouse and the infirmary. The chapel was designed by A.W. Blomfield in the Early English style and was dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. The chapel was demolished in 1974 and was replaced by a modern chapel dedicated by the Bishop of Kensington in an ecumenical service on 8 June 1977.
Kensington Infirmary and Kensington Workhouse were administered by the Kensington Board of Guardians until 1930. Kensington Workhouse became known as Kensington Institution in 1912 and Kensington Infirmary became Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital in 1923. In 1930 when the London County Council took over the two hospitals, Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital was designated a type A hospital for the acute sick, and Kensington Institution became a type B hospital for the chronic sick. In 1931 on the retirement of the Master of Kensington Institution, the hospital was placed under the charge of a Medical Superintendent as a first stage in integrating the two hospitals. This was carried a step further in 1933 when the Institution was renamed Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (Institution).
From 1938 Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital became Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (I) and Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (Institution) became Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (II), until 17 June 1944 when Hospital (II) was closed due to enemy action. The two hospitals were eventually united formally in 1948 when they were taken in to the National Health Service.
In 1948 Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital was assigned to the Fulham and Kensington Hospital Management Committee of the South West Metropolitan Region. On 1 October 1960 the Fulham and Kensington Hospital Management Committee was amalgamated with the Chelsea Hospital Management Committee to form the Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management Committee which administered the hospital until 1974. At that date it became part of the Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster Area Health Authority, within the North West Thames Regional Health Authority. In 1982 the hospital became part of the Victoria Health Authority, and in 1986 it is part of the Riverside Health Authority.
From 1948 to 1955 the hospital was a general hospital with approximately 400 beds. From 1955 to 1972 it was designated an acute hospital. From 1972 to 1984 it specialised in Ear, Nose and Throat cases, geriatrics and psychiatrics, with geriatric and psychiatric day hospitals from 1978. During this period the number of beds at the hospital was 230 approximately. From 1984 the hospital has been designated a long-stay hospital. The hospital closed in 1992 on the opening of the new Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on the site of Saint Stephen's Hospital, Fulham Road.
Repository
Archival history
H17/SMA 1872-1993 subfonds 13.27 linear metres Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital , 1948-1992 x Kensington Infirmary , 1848-1923 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital , 1923-1938 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (1) , 1938-1948
Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital , 1948-1992 x Kensington Workhouse x Kensington Institution , 1912-1933 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (Institution) , 1933-1938 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (2) , 1938-1944
The oldest part of Kensington Workhouse, later known as Stone Hall, was built in 1847. A separate infirmary was built on the same site in 1871. Until 1875 the main dining hall behind the workhouse was used for chapel services. A legacy of two thousand five hundred pounds from Eliza France, wife of one of the Kensington Guardians, then made it possible to build a chapel to serve both the workhouse and the infirmary. The chapel was designed by A.W. Blomfield in the Early English style and was dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. The chapel was demolished in 1974 and was replaced by a modern chapel dedicated by the Bishop of Kensington in an ecumenical service on 8 June 1977.
Kensington Infirmary and Kensington Workhouse were administered by the Kensington Board of Guardians until 1930. Kensington Workhouse became known as Kensington Institution in 1912 and Kensington Infirmary became Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital in 1923. In 1930 when the London County Council took over the two hospitals, Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital was designated a type A hospital for the acute sick, and Kensington Institution became a type B hospital for the chronic sick. In 1931 on the retirement of the Master of Kensington Institution, the hospital was placed under the charge of a Medical Superintendent as a first stage in integrating the two hospitals. This was carried a step further in 1933 when the Institution was renamed Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (Institution).
From 1938 Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital became Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (I) and Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (Institution) became Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (II), until 17 June 1944 when Hospital (II) was closed due to enemy action. The two hospitals were eventually united formally in 1948 when they were taken in to the National Health Service.
In 1948 Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital was assigned to the Fulham and Kensington Hospital Management Committee of the South West Metropolitan Region. On 1 October 1960 the Fulham and Kensington Hospital Management Committee was amalgamated with the Chelsea Hospital Management Committee to form the Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management Committee which administered the hospital until 1974. At that date it became part of the Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster Area Health Authority, within the North West Thames Regional Health Authority. In 1982 the hospital became part of the Victoria Health Authority, and in 1986 it is part of the Riverside Health Authority.
From 1948 to 1955 the hospital was a general hospital with approximately 400 beds. From 1955 to 1972 it was designated an acute hospital. From 1972 to 1984 it specialised in Ear, Nose and Throat cases, geriatrics and psychiatrics, with geriatric and psychiatric day hospitals from 1978. During this period the number of beds at the hospital was 230 approximately. From 1984 the hospital has been designated a long-stay hospital. The hospital closed in 1992 on the opening of the new Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on the site of Saint Stephen's Hospital, Fulham Road.
Acc/2145, Acc/2152/2, Acc/3219
Records of St Mary Abbot's Hospital, Kensington, including instructions to gate porters, 1931-1944; inventories and stock lists, 1909-1968; admission and discharge registers, 1926-1950; premature discharge book, 1930-1936; index registers of patients, 1937-1948; creed registers, 1875-1933; maternity registers and related records, 1930-1944; registers of births, 1872-1952; registers of deaths, 1886-1937; mortuary register, 1942-1954; post mortem examination books, 1930-1938; register of bodies removed to school of anatomy, 1920-1946; registers of operations; 1951-1958; medical examinations of lunatics, 1932-1937; vaccinator's registers, 1929-1946 and notifications of admission and discharge of tuberculosis patients, 1936-1938.
Registers of officers at the Infirmary, 1887-1948; register of officers at the Workhouse, 1923-1932; nursing staff registers, 1891-1970; records of service and conduct, 1930-1950; nurses' monthly reports, 1904-1935; testimonial book, 1908-1932; financial records, 1930-1945; registers of baptisms, 1877-1920; registers of services, 1896-1977; chaplain's journals, 1928-1942?; From Workhouse to Hospital. The Story of St Mary Abbots Hospital, Kensington by Bernard Hughes, Hospital Chaplain, 1991 and brief biographies of Thomas Allom, architect of Kensington Workhouse, by Diana Brooks, and of William Glasby, designer of 1st World War Memorial Window for chapel, by Donald J.R. Green, 1993.
The records are arranged as follows: A - Administration, B - Patient's Records, C - Staff Records, D - Financial Records, G - Chaplain's Records, Y - Related Documentation.
These records are open to public inspection, although under section 5(4) of the 1958 Public Records Act administrative records are closed for 30 years and patient records for 100 years.
Copyright: Depositor
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
For a more detailed history of the hospital see Survey of London Volume XLII: Southern Kensington, pages 343-362, and the Hospitals and Health Service Year Books.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. February 2009 Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital , 1948-1992 x Kensington Workhouse x Kensington Institution , 1912-1933 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (Institution) , 1933-1938 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (2) , 1938-1944 Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital , 1948-1992 x Kensington Infirmary , 1848-1923 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital , 1923-1938 x Saint Mary Abbot's Hospital (1) , 1938-1948 Allom , Thomas , 1804-1872 , architect and artist Glasby , William , 1863-1941 , artist and stained glass painter History of medicine History Medical institutions Personal history Medical history Health services Hospitals Hospital administration People People by roles Hospital patients Architecture Buildings Workhouses Europe Kensington London England UK Western Europe Kensington and Chelsea
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Acc/2145, Acc/2152/2, Acc/3219
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of St Mary Abbot's Hospital, Kensington, including instructions to gate porters, 1931-1944; inventories and stock lists, 1909-1968; admission and discharge registers, 1926-1950; premature discharge book, 1930-1936; index registers of patients, 1937-1948; creed registers, 1875-1933; maternity registers and related records, 1930-1944; registers of births, 1872-1952; registers of deaths, 1886-1937; mortuary register, 1942-1954; post mortem examination books, 1930-1938; register of bodies removed to school of anatomy, 1920-1946; registers of operations; 1951-1958; medical examinations of lunatics, 1932-1937; vaccinator's registers, 1929-1946 and notifications of admission and discharge of tuberculosis patients, 1936-1938.
Registers of officers at the Infirmary, 1887-1948; register of officers at the Workhouse, 1923-1932; nursing staff registers, 1891-1970; records of service and conduct, 1930-1950; nurses' monthly reports, 1904-1935; testimonial book, 1908-1932; financial records, 1930-1945; registers of baptisms, 1877-1920; registers of services, 1896-1977; chaplain's journals, 1928-1942?; From Workhouse to Hospital. The Story of St Mary Abbots Hospital, Kensington by Bernard Hughes, Hospital Chaplain, 1991 and brief biographies of Thomas Allom, architect of Kensington Workhouse, by Diana Brooks, and of William Glasby, designer of 1st World War Memorial Window for chapel, by Donald J.R. Green, 1993.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
The records are arranged as follows: A - Administration, B - Patient's Records, C - Staff Records, D - Financial Records, G - Chaplain's Records, Y - Related Documentation.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are open to public inspection, although under section 5(4) of the 1958 Public Records Act administrative records are closed for 30 years and patient records for 100 years.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright: Depositor
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English