Research about my grandfather

[tayrich]

I've recently started trying to find out more about my grandfather. His name was Thomas Edward Hoban, born 1892.
He served his country with distinction in WW1 withthe Royal Engineers, being awarded the Croix de Guerre medal. He was one of the lucky ones who came home, but sadly 10 years later he died of cancer at the age of 36.
With the help of some knowledgeable people on this forum, I have a location for his grave at Witton cemetery.
I was sad to learn he is buried in a communal / paupers grave. He had a wife and 6 children, and obviously life was a struggle. I will be visiting the grave soon, but I doubt there will be any marker.
He died in Dudley Road hospital, which makes me wonder, in those pre NHS days, how did the poor manage to get treatment?

 

[Alberta]

Some people paid a small amount of money each week to a fund which would pay any medical needs and some hospitals were kept going by donations from wealthy people.

 

[Astoness]

just to follow on from albertas info if your grandfather had to treated in a hospital it could well have been the hospital attached to the workhouse..it would depend on his means at the time....it could be an idea to buy his death certificate which as you know would give you a lot of info including place of death..it must have been very difficult for his wife being left alone with 6 children..very sad made more so knowing that he served his country so well..very much like my own grandad

lyn

 

[Dinger]

As Alberta said, most large hospitals were paid for by charity. It was a very different dynamic than nowadays, Hospitals were seen to be places for poor people. The rich would be treated at home. Even minor surgery would be done at home. If they did go into hospital for major surgery the rich would be whisked home or to a posh convalescent home as soon as possible. Hospitals employed "Lady Almoners", whose job was to interrogate and investigate patients and their families to ensure they were poor enough to receive free treatment. Those on middling incomes would be expected to contribute towards their treatment. The role of Lady Almoners only went away with the establishment of the NHS in 1948.

An article on the role of the Almoner is on this website...

The Hospital Almoner : Great Ormond Street Hospital

Historic Hospital Admission Records Project (HHARP)

www.hharp.org