General Chat

In the latter stages of workhouses, hospitals were built next to/near them, known as Union Infirmaries. These were free. My great grandmother had all her children In a Union Infirmary, essentially 'in the Workhouse',
My mother (born 1930) was also born (free of charge) at the same hospital, in Southampton.

Southampton Union Infirmary (or Union Infirmary Shirley Warren) was built separate from the main workhouse, but with enough room to build a new, larger workhouse if needed.
This was opened in 1902 - just in time for great gran's eldest son to be born there!!
However the infirmary had a euphemistic address for use on birth certificates of 1a Chilworth Road - rather 'The Union'.

In 1930, following the abolition of the workhouse system, the infirmary was appropriated by the Southampton Borough Council and was renamed the Borough Hospital. It joined the new National Health Service in 1948 and continues to operate as Southampton General Hospital.

Thanks Maggie.

The hospital had been a workhouse and then became Howbeck Infirmary (or Howbeck House) and later Hartlepool General Hospital.

I suppose I hadn't really thought about it before and had assumed you would have paid before the NHS came into being - but I don't know why I assumed this as I knew about the workhouse infirmaries and that lots of people had children there. Senior moment I think!!

Kath. x

I suppose once the Workhouse system was abolished, the Union Infirmaries had to be free, or it would have been a step backwards for the poor.

That was a time when Governments thought about consequences!!!

If only they thought about consequences today!!!

Kath. x

"Karen, you were the 5,376,299th baby welcomed into the world by our NHS.
In all likelihood, the first person you ever saw was a member of NHS staff."


Maybe it's me, maybe it's not... I made up a postcode . Don't see what postcode has to do with it quite honestly.

...if you look further on, it's so they can send you information!!

Ah, thanks Maggie, I couldn't be bothered to read all the way down.
Oh well, whoever gets my info (I made up a postcode) I hope they enjoy the read :-D

The number is estimated....so it says......so it wouldn't be ones real Number.......I wonder if it is a ploy to get details.

This is doing the rounds on FB & I posted a warning on there yesterday after many friends used the app.

Its a ploy from the Labour Party to harvest email addresses to try to gain support for the party. Most people on FB think they are just using a fun app & are clueless to the fact their details are being used.

The baby number is rubbish, I put in completely made up info, including post code & got a number back.

I GOT AN EMAIL TOO
WENT STRAIGHT TO JUNK MAIL

Can I add to this old thread? I had an uncle born at 1a Chilworth Road Southampton, and thanks to this thread had confirmation was the Union/Workhouse address.

My mother (Sister of the above) was listed as born in Jan 1925 at Ashfield Romsey, and no other address details. Would I be right in thinking this could have been the Romsey Workhouse in Winchester Rd.

Ohhhh, it's an oldie. I thought there'd been a mass lurking this afternoon. :-0

Alex - see if this helps
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Romsey/

There's a link further down the page stating that Hampshire Records office hold the register of births 1925-1931.
They could likely check the register to see if she is listed. They may charge a fee & possibly want proof of death or your authority to act on her behalf

Alex,

I think Romsey Local History group would be delighted to help you.

Ashfield itself lies to the south of Romsey.

http://www.ltvas.org.uk/contact-us-ciyz

I did it for my son (hadn't noticed the old date!) and thought I would message it to him for fun - but highly as I esteem the NHS when I saw the wording included a political message I opted out!

and I find I instantly had a reaction email - with a political logo on it - asking me to forward the address and save the NHS!

493277
So I must be quite old :-(

I put my forename, birthdate and the postcode for the street where I was born.

I'm apparently the 4,989,391st baby born on the NHS.

That discounts me then :-S
But then I know where and when I was born. ;-)