Lying in Hospital, Holborn

[Iain Shaw]

Afternoon all,

I am puzzled (but it is friday afternoon and it doesn't take much).

I have a relative who appears (according to familysearch site) to have
been christened in 1787 at the Lying In Hospital Endell Street,
Holborn, London, England. This relative appears to come from a
Birmingham family (with other siblings being born in Birmnigham). On
the 1841 census for Birmingham, they are listed as being born in the
county (ie warwickshire). In the 1851 census they are listed as being
born in London. They are dead by 1861. The parents were both from
the birmingham/kidderminster area.

Does anyone know details of this hospital. Would it have been possible
at that time that someone would be transported from Birmingham to
London to have a baby or is it more likely the person was in London
and went into labour. There is vague possibility that there is a link
with London at the time.

Also, does anyone know if this hospital exists still in any shape or
form.

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to do some solving here.

Iain

[S***@aol.com]

In a message dated 04/03/2005 16:28:30 GMT Standard Time,
***@nuigalway.ie writes:
Lying In Hospital
See
http://www.institutions.org.uk/hospitals/england/lon/london_lying_in_hospital.htm

Regards Stan Mapstone
www.mapstone.org

[Eve McLaughlin]

Post by Iain Shaw
Afternoon all,
I am puzzled (but it is friday afternoon and it doesn't take much).
I have a relative who appears (according to familysearch site) to have
been christened in 1787 at the Lying In Hospital Endell Street,
Holborn, London, England. This relative appears to come from a
Birmingham family
Does anyone know details of this hospital. Would it have been possible
at that time that someone would be transported from Birmingham

It didn't work like that. The Lying In Hospital was for respectable
(married) persons who were in London and temporarily in a position
where they had no premises suitable for the birth of a child. Someone
who had brought his pregnant wife to London with him on business, a
soldier (officer especially), a tradesman working in London, building or
whatever, a gentleman's servant in London for the season - anyone
staying in rented accommodation where the landlady didn't hold with
babies, or a hotel and taken short, provided they could find a patron
and get a recommendation.ticket to use the facilities.

[Jeff]

Post by Eve McLaughlin
It didn't work like that. The Lying In Hospital was for

respectable

Post by Eve McLaughlin
(married) persons who were in London and temporarily in a

position

Post by Eve McLaughlin
where they had no premises suitable for the birth of a

child. Someone

Post by Eve McLaughlin
who had brought his pregnant wife to London with him on

business, a

Post by Eve McLaughlin
soldier (officer especially), a tradesman working in

London, building or

Post by Eve McLaughlin
whatever, a gentleman's servant in London for the season -

anyone

Post by Eve McLaughlin
staying in rented accommodation where the landlady didn't

hold with

Post by Eve McLaughlin
babies, or a hotel and taken short, provided they could

find a patron

Post by Eve McLaughlin
and get a recommendation.ticket to use the facilities.

I know I read in a Genealogy Reference book that a
significant portion of patients in that hospital were not
from London. I think it even gave the prportion but I just
can't remember which book.

[joey]

Eve wrote;
"It didn't work like that. The Lying In Hospital was for respectable
(married) persons who were in London and temporarily in a position
where they had no premises suitable for the birth of a child".

Was it solely for "respectable (married) persons"? as I have a birth to an
unmarried mother who did indeed marry the father two years later.
Joey

[Marion]

Post by joey
Was it solely for "respectable (married) persons"? as I have a birth to an
unmarried mother who did indeed marry the father two years later.
Joey

Sounds like she lied to the Lying In hospital!

Marion

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by joey
Eve wrote;
"It didn't work like that. The Lying In Hospital was for respectable
(married) persons who were in London and temporarily in a position
where they had no premises suitable for the birth of a child".
Was it solely for "respectable (married) persons"? as I have a birth to an
unmarried mother who did indeed marry the father two years later.

Judging by the site Stan mentioned earlier, it depended on which lying
in hospital she was in. Some of them were only for married women,
while others catered for both married and unmarried women.

Of course, it's also likely that some women lied to the hospital and
claimed to be married without actually being so.

[Eve McLaughlin]

Post by joey
Eve wrote;
"It didn't work like that. The Lying In Hospital was for respectable
(married) persons who were in London and temporarily in a position
where they had no premises suitable for the birth of a child".
Was it solely for "respectable (married) persons"? as I have a birth to an
unmarried mother who did indeed marry the father two years later.

Interesting - the access to the Hospital was through a nomination from
apatron - usually Lord This or Lady That. So if the girl was involved
with the important family, maybe that is how she got im. ((You are
referring to the Lying In Hosp, not the Foundling Hospital, of course.?)

[S***@aol.com]

In a message dated 05/03/2005 02:58:22 GMT Standard Time,
Jo.boy@*drop.this*bigpond.com writes:
Was it solely for "respectable (married) persons"? as I have a birth to an
unmarried mother who did indeed marry the father two years later.
LYING IN HOSPITALS IN LONDON
Lying In Hospitals were principally intended for the Wives of poor
industrious Tradesmen, and Soldiers and Sailors.
Women were not usually admitted to Hospital in Childbirth, although the
Medical Students and Staff from the Hospitals delivered Women in their own Homes.
There are records of four Lying In Hospitals at London Metropolitan Archives
(LMA).

British Lying In Hospital
Endell Street, Holborn.
Originally founded in 1749 in Brownlow Street, but was moved to an
Elizabethan Structure erected with all improvements in 1849. It was solely for
affording medical and surgical treatment to married Women, who were either admitted
to the hospital or attended in their own homes.
http://www.institutions.org.uk/hospitals/england/lon/london_lying_in_hospital.
htm

Regards Stan Mapstone
www.mapstone.org