Saint Olave's Hospital

The earlier records listed for Saint Olave's Hospital relate to Rotherhithe Workhouse which was situated on the site of the present Saint Olave's hospital. According to the Vestry minute book (held at Newington District Library) for Saint Mary's Rotherhithe the workhouse was in the course of erection in 1729. Rocque's map published in 1746 has an unmarked building in Deptford Lower Road (renamed Lower Road in 1888) and this same building is marked 'Workhouse' on Horwood's map of 1799. Rotherhithe workhouse was administered by Rotherhithe parish until 1836 and from 1836-1869 by Saint Mary Rotherhithe Board of Guardians. In 1869 it became part of Saint Olave's Union. There was a rearrangement of the workhouse accomodation of Saint Olave's Union in 1869-1870 and Rotherhithe Workhouse was appropriated for able-bodied males. In 1889 the Workhouse was described as 'dilapidated and disused' (Minutes of Saint Olave Board of Guardians, ref. BBG/56).

The majority of the records listed under Saint Olave's Hospital relate to Rotherhithe Infirmary, built in the early 1870's on ground adjoining Rotherhithe Workhouse on Deptford Lower Road. It became the Infirmary of Saint Olave's Union by Order of the Local Government Board on 31 August 1875. In the 1920s it was known as the Bermonsey and Rotherhithe Hospital. On 1 April 1930 the hospital was transferred from the Bermonsey Board of Guardians to the London County Council and renamed Saint Olave's Hospital. It was administered by the London County Council from 1930 until 5 July 1948 when the National Health Service came into being. From 1948 Saint Olave's was administered by the Bermondsey and Southwark Hospital Management Committee under the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, until 1966 when it became part of the Guy's Hospital Teaching Group. Following the National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973 St Olave's was administered by the South East Thames Regional Health Authority. Saint Olave's Hospital started to be restricted in 1970 and finally closed in 1984. All that now remains is Saint Olave's House, a nursing home which is part of the South London Family Housing Association Group.