HHARP, 19th century children’s hospital records Free to searh and view. Bromley Vaccinators' Registers, 1899-1930. Bexley, Kent Hospital-Indexing project of Minute books 1901-1939. St Alfege Hospital Greenwich, 1884. Stone House Hospital - Dartford Kent, founded 1862. Herb Garret of St Thomas Church, St Thomas Hospital-Oldest in Europe.

Health and our Ancestors.

Our ancestors health often seemed a matter of luck. Infectous diseases, high child mortality, poor living condition and diet were all part of the dangers they faced. To help them were comparitively sparse and poor medical help. Doctors costs were beyond many and the hospital facilities were not readily availbale to all. Where hospital care was available it often left a lot to be desired by our standards. The medical provision given by the Workhouses to the poor and destitute left even more to be desired. Mental Health was another problem for families and the care and help given was often very limited and more concerned with locking people up or keeping people away from the community.

It is almost certain that an ancestor or someone in the family suffered from disease or illhealth and that some of their children did not make it into adulthood. At the same time the hospitals provided work for many of our ancestors. Doctors, nurses, porters, gardeners, laboures and builders not forgetting those who provided food and materials for the hospitals.

HHARP, 19th century children’s hospital records.

The Database holds some 120,000 individual admision records of children between 1852 and 1914 at three London hospitals: the Hospital for Sick Children at Great Ormond Street, the Evelina Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital for Children with Hip Disease. The records include children from Kent.

The records are free to search and are free to view. If you wish to search for more than 5 names you will need to register, but registration is free and you can search the records with no limit on the number of searches. There is also a collection of articles on the early history of the hospitals, pen-portraits of personalities who inhabited them and a gallery of images.

The site has an expanding database and has grown to include the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow from 1883  to 1903.

The site can be found at  HHARP 19th Century Children's Hospital Records

Bromley Vaccinators' Registers.

The NWKFHS CD of Bromley Vaccinator's Registers is of interest if your ancestors lived in the Bromley, Kent area from 1899 to 1930. They or their children might appear in the six registers, ranging from 1899 to 1930. They contain the names & addresses of approximately 3000 persons of all ages vaccinated in the local Union building (not inmates).

Full details of the CD and how to order can be found at NWKFHS Miscellaneous Publications

Bexley, Kent Hospital.

The NWKFHS are in the process of Indexing Personal names extracted from the minute books 1901-39 of Bexley Hospital (which was closed some time ago and the site re-developed). The originals will be deposited at Bexley Local Studies. These are not patients records but of the staff and contractors employed by the hospital. There is a brief outline of the project at Hospital Records 

At Bexley Hospital there is a short history of Bexley (Kent) Mental Hospital (built 1898) which gives details of  a Victorian through to the 21st century Asylum. There are also photographs of the surviving buildings. At London County Asylums there are more photographs plus a link to an aerial photograph taken in the 1970's.

St Alfege Hospital Greenwich, 1884.

At St Alfege Hospital there is a also a short history and details of the Hospital which gives some interesting background to the hospital, especialy if one of your ancestors worked or was treated there.

Both of these pages are part of the Lost Hospitals of London site and give details and photograph of hospital not just within NW Kent but for the whole of London.

Stone House Hospital - Dartford Kent. Founded 1862. City of London Asylum.

At Stone House are details and photographs of this Asylum originaly built to receive Paupers.

Herb Garret of St Thomas Church, St Thomas Hospital-Oldest in Europe.

At Herb Garret St Thomas Church is a site which will give you a lot of information about what a hospital was like from the 1700's. Including  the surgical ward constructed in the 1820's.