Windsor Hospital There are a few references to Windsor (aka Hawkesbury) Hospital in general Hawkesbury history books such as "Macquarie Country by D. G. Bowd; Early Days of Windsor by J. Steele & Hawkesbury 1794-1994 by J. Barkley & M. Nichols. Over the years I have done a few articles about the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society and hospital, so check the the mailing list archives at http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AUS-NSW-HILLS-HAWKESBURY-HUNTER-VALLEY The following is one....plus a few other sites that may help? A little bit of info re the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society........I have cut & pasted it from a research essay I did for a uni assignment a few years ago.....so hope it makes sense.....The Hawkesbury Benevolent Society was responsible for running the Hospital (variously named Windsor/Hawkesbury Hospital/Asylum which was located in Macquarie Street, Windsor. The building which was renovated in 1911 was used as the main Hawkesbury Hospital until the early 1990s when a new building was built opposite. The Old hospital & site was purchased by Hawkesbury City Council and was extensively renovated in 2002. It is is now leased as office space.The new Hawkesbury library is estabished on the land adjoining the old hospital. At a meeting which took place on the 31 December 1818, the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society was established with the "sole object of which shall be the support and relief by voluntary contributions of all real objects of charity within the districts of Windsor, Richmond, Wilberforce, Portland Head and Pitt Town". On the 11 January 1819 the first committee were elected consisting of William Cox, Reverend Robert Cartwright, James Mileham, John Brabyn, Archibald Bell, John Jones, Henry Baldwin, Thomas Pitt & George Hall. The Committee was appointed to conduct business consisting of members of the clergy, magistrates of the said districts and four landholders from each district. Formal rules and regulations were drawn up and the committee was to meet monthly. "Feeling the necessity of forming some permanent relief in aid of the poor, aged & infirm" the committee resolved an annual subscription plus a voluntary subscription of horned cattle commence. The Society hoped to assist families distressed from floods and poor persons identified from the district. Land was granted by Governor Macquarie, a kindly benefactor, for cattle pasturage& additionoal land was granted including 500 acres at Currency Creek; ten acres each at Wilberforce and Windsor. These lands were used to raise & sell cattle, the profits going to the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society projects. In 1836 the society built an ASYLUM located in Brabyn Street, Windsor to house the local infirm and paupers. This building was demolished in 1914 when a new building was built adjacent. After a number of years of discussion the abolition of transportation of convicts occurred in 1840. With the termination of convicts to the eastern coast of Australia, a myriad of questions presented themselves to the government including the impending closure of convict and military barracks plus convict hospitals that still existed at Windsor, Bathurst and Goulburn. The Governor was keen for these establishments to be substituted for Hospitals to be run by voluntary organisations similar to those in England. He particularly mentioned Windsor & the existence of the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society. The society took over the running if the hospital but it was not made official until 1844. When the hospital was given to the Society it was decided to house the asylum inmates from Brabyn Street and the hospital patients in the one building providing charity to the poor and sick on the one site, thus saving on running costs. The inmates were moved to the hospital and the old building was rented out. At one stage it was used as a school and later a hotel. **If you are interested check the mailing list archives as I did an article on the 06 Apr 2002 re the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society Annual Reports. Deerubbin Centre opening 2005 brochure (includes very brief history and some images) http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AUS-NSW-HILLS-HAWKESBURY-HUNTER-VALLEY Report - Convict Heritage Uncovered at old Hospital site & pictures http://www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/about/1003/1010.html Hawkesbury hospital article by Rex Stubbs http://www.hawkesburyhistory.org.au/stubbs/hospital.html Cheers Michelle Nichols
Michelle, In one of the reference items at the foot of your email, Rex Stubbs writes "in 1823, after Macquarie's departure from the colony, the convict barrack at Windsor was converted into a convict hospital. The building still stands, forming the main walls of the old Hawkesbury Hospital." I would be very interested to know if any records, particularly inmate records exist for the time.. I am searching for detail re Edward Markham (Arr 1822 'Mangles'), listed in the Windsor District Constable's notebook as resident in the district in 1823. Markham was still a convict at the time but I do not know to whom he was assigned.(He later moved to John McHenry at Evan (Penrith) on 21 October 1824 until freedom later in the decade.) The Constable's list (pre census census?) was signed off by Cox JP. Regards Frank M. Canberra ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michelle Nichols" <> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 7:22 PM Subject: [HHHV] Windsor Hospital > Windsor Hospital > There are a few references to Windsor (aka Hawkesbury) Hospital in general > Hawkesbury history books such as "Macquarie Country by D. G. Bowd; Early > Days of Windsor by J. Steele & Hawkesbury 1794-1994 by J. Barkley & M. > Nichols. > > Over the years I have done a few articles about the Hawkesbury Benevolent > Society and hospital, so check the the mailing list archives at > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AUS-NSW-HILLS-HAWKESBURY-HUNTER-VALLEY > The following is one....plus a few other sites that may help? > > > > A little bit of info re the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society........I have > cut > & pasted it from a research essay I did for a uni assignment a few years > ago.....so hope it makes sense.....The Hawkesbury Benevolent Society was > responsible for running the Hospital (variously named Windsor/Hawkesbury > Hospital/Asylum which was located in Macquarie Street, Windsor. The > building > which was renovated in 1911 was used as the main Hawkesbury Hospital until > the early 1990s when a new building was built opposite. The Old hospital & > site > was purchased by Hawkesbury City Council and was extensively renovated in > 2002. > It is is now leased as office space.The new Hawkesbury library is > estabished on the land adjoining the old hospital. > > At a meeting which took place on the 31 December 1818, the Hawkesbury > Benevolent Society was established with the "sole object of which shall be > the support and relief by voluntary contributions of all real objects of > charity within the districts of Windsor, Richmond, Wilberforce, Portland > Head and Pitt Town". On the 11 January 1819 the first committee were > elected > consisting of William Cox, Reverend Robert Cartwright, James Mileham, John > Brabyn, Archibald Bell, John Jones, Henry Baldwin, Thomas Pitt & George > Hall. The Committee was appointed to conduct business consisting of > members > of the clergy, magistrates of the said districts and four landholders from > each district. Formal rules and regulations were drawn up and the > committee > was to meet monthly. "Feeling the necessity of forming some permanent > relief > in aid of the poor, aged & infirm" the committee resolved an annual > subscription plus a voluntary subscription of horned cattle commence. The > Society hoped to assist families distressed from floods and poor persons > identified from the district. > > Land was granted by Governor Macquarie, a kindly benefactor, for cattle > pasturage& additionoal land was granted including 500 acres at Currency > Creek; ten acres each at Wilberforce and Windsor. These lands were used to > raise & sell cattle, the profits going to the Hawkesbury Benevolent > Society > projects. > > In 1836 the society built an ASYLUM located in Brabyn Street, Windsor to > house the local infirm and paupers. This building was demolished in 1914 > when a new building was built adjacent. After a number of years of > discussion the abolition of transportation of convicts occurred in 1840. > With the termination of convicts to the eastern coast of Australia, a > myriad > of questions presented themselves to the government including the > impending > closure of convict and military barracks plus convict hospitals that still > existed at Windsor, Bathurst and Goulburn. The Governor was keen for these > establishments to be substituted for Hospitals to be run by voluntary > organisations similar to those in England. He particularly mentioned > Windsor > & the existence of the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society. The society took > over > the running if the hospital but it was not made official until 1844. When > the hospital was given to the Society it was decided to house the asylum > inmates from Brabyn Street and the hospital patients in the one building > providing charity to the poor and sick on the one site, thus saving on > running costs. The inmates were moved to the hospital and the old building > was rented out. At one stage it was used as a school and later a hotel. > > **If you are interested check the mailing list archives as I did an > article > on the 06 Apr 2002 re the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society Annual Reports. > > Deerubbin Centre opening 2005 brochure (includes very brief history and > some > images) > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/?list=AUS-NSW-HILLS-HAWKESBURY-HUNTER-VALLEY > > Report - Convict Heritage Uncovered at old Hospital site & pictures > http://www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/about/1003/1010.html > > Hawkesbury hospital article by Rex Stubbs > http://www.hawkesburyhistory.org.au/stubbs/hospital.html > > Cheers > Michelle Nichols > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the > message >