Long time no post - I wonder if anyone can help me find the location of Erdington Hospital presumably in Erdington. My grandmother died here in 1920 but I cannot find where it was. I had presumed that it was the old name for Highcroft Hospital but really have no idea. Can anyone out there help? Jayceevee
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Erdington Hospital early1920
- Thread starter jayceevee
- Start date
ColinB
gone but not forgotten
Highcroft Hospital was known as Erdington House between 1912 and 1948.
My website https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/HIGHCROFTHALLHOSPITAL.htm
Colin
My website https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/HIGHCROFTHALLHOSPITAL.htm
Colin
Thank you Colin for the information on Erdington House. The book I am writing covers the war years in that area, which is why I previously asked for information on the Plaza cinema, and I would have got this wrong because I never heard of Highcroft Hospital being called anything different. Was it a General Hospital then I wonder, I bet someone knows.
ColinB
gone but not forgotten
There is a very good book, Highcroft: from Workhouse to Modern Mental Health Service by Mike Hinson available from the Highcroft History group, it includes a small piece on the war period. I have IM'd you with contact telephone no. for the group.
There are a number of threads on the forum already regarding Highcroft, try the search facility top right hand side
Colin
There are a number of threads on the forum already regarding Highcroft, try the search facility top right hand side
Colin
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Shortie
master brummie
No, it was a mental hospital. Unfortunately, in the early years it also had a lot of patients who were not even mentally sick. My gt grandfather used to beat his children, especially around the head it appears. His one daughter (he had 13 children) suffered as a result with epilepsy. My gt grandmother died in 1911, when this girl was about 16. Her father obviously got fed up with a daughter who could not work, he wanted go to London to live, so he dumped her in Erdington House and went off to London - this was about 1913. She never saw him again. She used to visit my grandfather on occasions, she used to sit there silently, doing the most beautiful embroidery. This poor lady lost contact with most of the family except her one niece, and did not die until 1976/77. Very sad. if we all had known the truth, I feel her life in later years may have been much better, but none of us knew much if anything at all. She obviously became mentally ill later, being surrounded by ill people, but she was not at the time of her incarceration.
Shortie
Shortie
Emmie Germishuys
knowlegable brummie
Dear Shorty, so sorry to read your story.... I feel that I must tell you my family story as well. First, I have just researched and found that Highcroft was origanally founded in 1836 and was formally known as the Aston Union Infirmary, later it became known as Erdington House. My late grandfather was Leonard Horace Smith ( the Birmingham Boxer Len "Tiger" Smith in the late 1920's to in the 1940's) and he was married to Grandmother Lillian Harris in 1934 in Birmingham. They had a daughter (my mother Mary Elizabeth Smith born 12 April 1935. During the year 1937 Len was to leave for South Africa and took my Mother with him as well as a lady by the name of Mona Meddins Primrose Jones.
After some time, my Mother found out that Mona was not her biological mother, but not a word was said about her biological mother Lillian Smith. Mona and Len had a son Graham Jones Smith, born here in South Africa where they then lived in Cape Town area. In the early 1950's, my Mother insisted that she wanted to know who her Mother was and Mona, with Graham and my mother set off to the UK to look for Lillian (Len did not go with for some reason). Now Mona knew all Len's family - and she took Mom from the one to the other in search of information as to Lillian's whereabouts to no avail.
In 1972 both Mona and their son Graham died and as my Mother had herself married and had 6 children, Len decided to return to the UK and we never heard from him ever again, nor did we know or met any of the family in the UK - no contact whatsoever!
For many many years (before internet) my brother started searching for Len and found out that Len died in Erdington in 1977 - This was a great shock to my mother and I remember her saying that she suspected he may have died, but the confirmation of his death was a great shock.
So we had no contact person to find out about Lillian and the search continued for many years and with the internet's help, we made contact with many of Len's family (Len had 4 sisters) but not one of his family members "knew" what happened to Lillian - even some of Lillian's own family members was made contact with, but to no avail. I had the most wonderful people in the UK who tried to help me as my Mother will be 79 on ther next birthday in April, time became a factor and we (myself and my siblings also needed to know Lillian's story.
This week Len's daughter-in-law unravelled the whole thing that nobody could inform us of.... Lillian Smith (nee Harris) must have been taken to Erdington Highcroft hopital in 1937 when Len had to leave for SA. Nowhere could we find any Marriage Certificate for Len and Mona, nor can any Devorce Certificate for Len and Lillian be found.....
My Grandmother was robbed of her daughter and taken to Highcroft for fighting to retain her child.... they do call that "mad" and so will most of us get mad if someone took our babies from us.... so now Len and Mona could take my Mom with them and start a new life in SA without any problem. When Len went back to the UK after Mona and Graham's death in 1972, he lived opposite Highcroft Hospital (to see the wife he dumped in 1937?) and I hope he had lots of photos of my Mom and all us 6 children that made her the happiest Mommy and Grandmommy in the whole wide world - she must have been so proud of us!!! If only we had known, she would have had a wonderful life WITH us and she would have seen her first 3 Great-grandchildren before her death! This Monday it is going to be a very emotional day for me as, AT LAST my precious Mommy will find out about her precious Mommy and she will have the closure she needed since she was a small little girl! HOPE EVERYONE WHO READS THIS WILL BE THINKING OF ME ON MONDAY WHEN I GIVE MOM THE NEWS
Emmie Germishuys
After some time, my Mother found out that Mona was not her biological mother, but not a word was said about her biological mother Lillian Smith. Mona and Len had a son Graham Jones Smith, born here in South Africa where they then lived in Cape Town area. In the early 1950's, my Mother insisted that she wanted to know who her Mother was and Mona, with Graham and my mother set off to the UK to look for Lillian (Len did not go with for some reason). Now Mona knew all Len's family - and she took Mom from the one to the other in search of information as to Lillian's whereabouts to no avail.
In 1972 both Mona and their son Graham died and as my Mother had herself married and had 6 children, Len decided to return to the UK and we never heard from him ever again, nor did we know or met any of the family in the UK - no contact whatsoever!
For many many years (before internet) my brother started searching for Len and found out that Len died in Erdington in 1977 - This was a great shock to my mother and I remember her saying that she suspected he may have died, but the confirmation of his death was a great shock.
So we had no contact person to find out about Lillian and the search continued for many years and with the internet's help, we made contact with many of Len's family (Len had 4 sisters) but not one of his family members "knew" what happened to Lillian - even some of Lillian's own family members was made contact with, but to no avail. I had the most wonderful people in the UK who tried to help me as my Mother will be 79 on ther next birthday in April, time became a factor and we (myself and my siblings also needed to know Lillian's story.
This week Len's daughter-in-law unravelled the whole thing that nobody could inform us of.... Lillian Smith (nee Harris) must have been taken to Erdington Highcroft hopital in 1937 when Len had to leave for SA. Nowhere could we find any Marriage Certificate for Len and Mona, nor can any Devorce Certificate for Len and Lillian be found.....
My Grandmother was robbed of her daughter and taken to Highcroft for fighting to retain her child.... they do call that "mad" and so will most of us get mad if someone took our babies from us.... so now Len and Mona could take my Mom with them and start a new life in SA without any problem. When Len went back to the UK after Mona and Graham's death in 1972, he lived opposite Highcroft Hospital (to see the wife he dumped in 1937?) and I hope he had lots of photos of my Mom and all us 6 children that made her the happiest Mommy and Grandmommy in the whole wide world - she must have been so proud of us!!! If only we had known, she would have had a wonderful life WITH us and she would have seen her first 3 Great-grandchildren before her death! This Monday it is going to be a very emotional day for me as, AT LAST my precious Mommy will find out about her precious Mommy and she will have the closure she needed since she was a small little girl! HOPE EVERYONE WHO READS THIS WILL BE THINKING OF ME ON MONDAY WHEN I GIVE MOM THE NEWS
Emmie Germishuys
Emmie Germishuys
knowlegable brummie
Sorry, also just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to BIRMINGHAMHISTORY as it was right here where I found the WONDERFUL people who helped me locate may Grandmother's whereabouts - You are AWESOME PEOPLE! XXXX
My Father Frederick Albert Darby died in Highcroft in 1968, he spent the last years of his life there suffering from Huntingdons. Visited many times, very sad place.
There was one old boy in the same ward as my Dad, suffering from the effects of the Great War, he was always under his bed shouting to his mates.
There was one old boy in the same ward as my Dad, suffering from the effects of the Great War, he was always under his bed shouting to his mates.
hi colin..wonder if you clear something up for me please..i have read up on highcroft hall hospital and the book says that after the introduction of the national health service in 1948 this is when it became known as highcroft hall hospital...thing is i have a family birth cert here saying date of birth 3.8.1947..where born 18 highcroft road at highcroft hall hospital so it was called that before 1948..the mother lived a stones throw from dudley road hospital so is it possable that at this time she was suffering from mental health problems...and i am right in thinking it used to be a workhouse...i have done a street walk and i think that highcroft hall hospital is still there??
thanks for any help
lyn
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