• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Lying-in Hospital Islington

A

AnnieH

Guest
I have a birth certificate from 1862 which says that the mother and child are 'lying in hospital, Islington, Birmingham'. Does anyone have any idea which hospital this was?
 
Thank you.:) I had not realised lying-in hospitals existed, but now I know I have been able to find out a little more about the one in Birmingham. Something of the history is given at https://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=2358827&blobtype=pdf

Interestingly, I have also found out that Birmingham Children's Hospital did move into the premises of the lying-in hospital (which closed in 1868), hence the reason it shows the Children's Hospital on the map in your link .

Thanks again
Ann
 
This picture of the hospital appears on Birmingham City Council's website, with the following (slightly incorrect) caption -
"The building began its life as the Children's Hospital in 1862, it was later renamed as the Orthopedic Hospital. In the 1990s the character of Broad Street was changing and the outpatients service was moved from there to Woodlands Hospital, Northfield, in 1993. After the closure, the building saw new life and a change of occupation, becoming the Old Orleans Restaurant, an American style restaurant"
 
I would think the certificate should have Islington Row which was the address of the old Childrens hospital.
 
"Islington" is the old name of the district around that area, between Ladywood and Lea Bank. Later it became parts of them and Edgbaston.

Here's a nice coloured postcard of the children's hospital, before it moved to a new larger building in nearby Ladywood Road in 1917.
 
That's a great picture Lloyd - thank you :).
Does anyone know if the building is still there?
Ann
 
Annie
Yes it is. This is from google street view, and, other than the trees, it could almost have been taken the same day
mike
 
I spent many days as an out-patient at the hospital when it was the Orthopaedic Hospital... They were trying to make me grow... Had all sort of treatment to my legs and ankles... but remain 4ft.11.1/2 inches to this day LOL:)
 
Just this morning I received a birth cert` with `Lying In Hospital, Islington`, (1865), as place of birth, and I was puzzled by the fact that the registration district is given as Ladywood. Thanks to all who posted on B.H., I now have the answer, cheers everyone.
 
29.7.1862

The lying in hospital nearly completed


Lying_in_hospital_nearly_complete.jpg
 
Last edited:
30.11.1867
Trouble at the lying in hospital at Broad St. They seem to have had problems finding patients

Trouble at lying in hospital, Broad St.jpg
 
Does anyone know if there are admission records available for the Lying in Hospital in Islington Birmingham for 1857. Does anyone know anything about it. My ancestor was a wife of a soldier.
Gemma
 
I believe "Lying in" is an old term for childbirth. Birmingham lying-in hospital had its second annual meeting 1844 and was devoted solely to the relief of the diseases of women and children.
 
It was a charity before 1911, after that it became a branch of Birmingham Women's Hospital. Viv

Source: British Newspaper Archive
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20230723_075733_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20230723_075733_Chrome.jpg
    156.8 KB · Views: 8
Does anyone know if there are admission records available for the Lying in Hospital in Islington Birmingham for 1857. Does anyone know anything about it. My ancestor was a wife of a soldier.
Gemma
There was a visit to a former "Lying in Hospital" by Chris Ramsey during last week's "Who Do You Think You Are". ‘Lying-in’ was a Victorian term for childbirth and the bed-rest that was prescribed afterwards.

Chris Ramsey's 5x great grandfather Gabriel Davies was a footguard at the Tower of London in the 18th century, whose wife gave birth to their first child, at the British Lying-In Hospital. The hospital was set up “to relieve the pregnant wives or widows of soldiers, sailors, and of the laborious and industrious poor”. Women who gave birth at the hospital received much better maternity care than women who gave birth at home at the time. To get his wife in, Gabriel Davies received the recommendation of his commanding officer, who was a patron of the hospital and his wife then needed to pass an interview to prove that she was of respectable character, and she needed to enter in a lottery where women who drew white balls were admitted to the hospital and women who drew red ones weren’t.
 
It was on the corner of BroadStreet and Sheepcote Street
1868 entry
1690122835854.png

So on 1885 map it must be what is marked as "Children's Hospital". Broad Street labelled and Sheepcote Street marked n yellow
1690122989581.png

1883 Kelly's entry
1690123208093.png
 
There were quite a number of articles but mainly reports of meetings. They were quite long so I didn't post them.
 
I believe that this is the Birmingham & Midland Counties Lying in Hospital. More recently it was the Orthopaedic Hospital situated @ 80 Broad Street (photographed below in 1960). It was built in 1814 as Islington House, became the Lying in Hospital in 1842 and in 1870 the Birmingham & Midland Hospital for Sick Children:

1690130793875.png
 
Back
Top