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JAFFRAY Hospital ???

O

O.C.

Guest
Jaffray Hospital

The Jaffray Hospital Erdington was closed down in 1991 and demolished in 1996,named after one of its founders Mr Jaffray who was also one of the founders of the Children's Hospital (Broad St)and the Womens Hospital (Sparkhill) and a Governor of the General Hospital.
He built and furnished Jaffray Hospital at his own expense and in 1885 it was opened by the Prince of Wales
 
Re: Jaffray Hospital

The Prince of Wales opening Jaffray Hospital and the key he used
 
Re: Jaffray Hospital

Graham you've done it again,at the risk of sounding repetitive this was another hospital I worked at. During the mid 80's it was used as a convalescent/geriatric hospital for the General Hospital. I was involved with closing this hospital in the early 90's.The key was on display in the main entrance in a glass case on a red velvet cushion,just after the closure someone broke in and stole some items but was unable to remove the key in its case,before the police arrived.We had the job of securing the building that night ,and spent a week removing the remaining artifacts,including the key. The site I believe is now a housing estate,but that some of the buildings remain

Colin
 
Re: Jaffray Hospital

Nice one Colin, I love digging bits out that intrest folk, I have a few more pictures to put up about the Hospitals which other folk can help me with as a few things don't make sense and I need a clearer picture as I love facts not myths, glad I bought a few memories back
 
Re: Jaffray Hospital

Thanks Colin and Graham. My school was close to Jaffray Road in Erdington and our sports field was in Jaffray Road also. I remember going past the hospital which I believe was in Wood End Lane or close by as well. I can't say I remember anyone we knew going into Jaffray Hospital but then as Colin mentioned it was used as a Convalescent/Geriatric Hospital for the General Hospital in town and patients would have come from all over. We didn't have many grand buildings in Erdington over the years but when they pulled down the hospital and the Josiah Mason's Orphanage Erdington lost two very nice buildings. Glad that you were able to save the special key used by the Prince of Wales to open the hospital when it was new. Thieves seem to
always pick on places like Jaffray Hospital to break into after the announcement about them closing.
Very sad.
 
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Jennyann, nice photo of Jaffray Hospital
 
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I found this very interesting as I worked as a ward clerk at the General Hospital in the mid 60's and as you have said, we sent many of the patient there. As I lived in Handsworth I never knew what it looked like until now. Thanks O0
It was a lovely building sad it was demolished.
 
I have just received a death cert ,1915, and the chap died in JAFFRAY HOSPITAL. Does anyone have any info on this hospital at all ? He was living in Millward street, Small Heath.
Thanks,
Margaret.
 
Margaret, please put Jaffray Hospital into the "Search" at the top menu bar on this site and there is lots of info on Jaffray Hospital in the thread that comes up. Thanks.
 
Jaffray hospital as been gone for many years, their are houses on the site now.
It was on wood End Road between Deakin road and Rollason road Erdington.:rolleyes:
 
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Jaffray Hospital.

Hello again,
thanks for the advice on the search engine...loads of info there....I had NEVER heard of this hospital before !
Margaret
 
:angel: A good point for our new member's Cromwell, it's always a good idea to do a search from the blue band at the top of the page.
I think the confusion may have came about because, the 'Topic' was first put in 'History & Nostalgia' section of the forum and this one has been put in 'Hospitals' section.

It's all fixed I have now joined the two threads in to one :cool:
 
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I know this is an old thread I am pulling back up here.
I am just wondering if there are any of the original people that initially posted information still here.

Its the Jaffray key itself and its history I am interested in.

After the closure and demolition of the hospital - what happened to it ?
Where is it located now ?
Were other similar smaller keys made and if so who did they get presented too ?

Does anyone have any more info regarding the break in and what else was taken ?

I have a key that bears some resemblance to the one in the drawing shown here which I bought at auction a number of years back.
I have tried to research on and off without much success then seeing this here made me wonder if mine is any way connected to the hospital.
The design of it does bear some similarity although its not exactly the same.

Debbie
 
Debbie,
The key and the other items that were removed from the Jaffray, were first taken to Moseley Hall Hospital, (where I was based) for safe keeping. The items included the key and case, a large grandfather clock, a boardroom table ( which sat about 30) and a number of memorial plaques. We kept them for about 6 months until The General Hospital found out we had them and demanded their return. Not sure what happened to them after that, they may still be at the General (now Diana, Princess of Wales Children's Hospital), I know they have some General Hospital artifacts there.

Colin
 
Hi Colin

Thanks for that. Looking at the similartlies here I wonder if there were other key "s" made for the opening ceremony in 1885 - they may have been owned by individuals rather than the hospital itself ?
Here is my key - Ok I had better come clean and also tell you that this had diamond set initials when I first bought it - which I had removed although I do still have them - It bore the intials J H

Not sure if this will work - giving it a try.

3key.jpg


Just wondering if you have ever seen anything like this before ?
 
The heraldic enamelling on this I already had identified

Left:
The shield and prince's coronet of Albert, Prince of Wales until 22 January 1901 when he became Edward VII.

Right:
The shield and mural coronet used by Birmingham council before 3 April 1889 when arms were officially granted to Birmingham City Council.

I am assuming this to be the same as that on the Jaffray key ?

So six million dollar question - Who did this belong too ?
 
Colin

You are an absolute superstar
That is so so cool you found that.
Thank you so much

I wonder what normal protocol was on these occassions. Who commissioned the Keys ? to be made.
There are no marks on my key that give any clue as to its maker.
I suspect whoever made the Jaffray key probably also made this one

As a royal gift would it have been commission by the crown ?
or
Would it have been commissioned by the hospital and then simply presented by the Prince as part of the opening ceremony.
I am thinking chances are this was probably made somewhere in the jewellery quarter
 
Hello folks

Spent a few hours this evening after subscribing to a web site allowing you to look through 1800 - 1900 newspaper archives. Cost me £7 to buy a 24 hour pass to access the database but well worth it

I found an article from the Birmingham Post 12th Nov 1885 that describes the making of both these keys by Messrs Skinner & Co of Vittoria Street & High Street. They were made under the instruction of the General Hosital Comittee

I tried but cant get the article to post as it was taken from a pdf file

I want to express grateful thanks for helping me solve this mystery especially Colin who definitely put me on the right track
 
I took a photo of the PDF file print out

So here is the evidence that absolutely nails this.
I really could not have hoped to find anything better

keyinfo2.jpg

keyinfo.jpg
 
Glad I could help, thats what this forums all about. Nice to see you have managed to find provenance for your key, and thank you for a few more snippets I can add to my site
Stick around, you never know when you may be able to help someone else.
BTW. visited your website, very interesting.

Colin
 
Hello Colin

Yes - by all means if I can help anyone.
I cant promise but will try and pop back periodically

Colin can I ask one last Favour

The drawings you posted right at the begining of this thread of the Jaffray Key and the Prince opening the hospital
What is the source of them ?
Its a shame I cant find an image of the actual Jaffray Key as it was on show in the old hospital. Its probably under dusty wraps in a cupboard somewhere
 
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