Dear List, Can someone help please? Why would someone resident in Hornsey (William Hensher a pipemaker) be in the London Hospital in Whitechapel where he dies in 1828? Would this be anything to do with Settlement? Was this one of only a few hospitals and did people have to pay to be admitted? I have discovered that no records survive for that period so if anyone can offer advice I would be grateful! Many thanks Bev

Hi Bev, ----- Original Message ----- From: "B Robertson" <hensher@aol.com> > Can someone help please? Why would someone resident in Hornsey (William Hensher a > pipemaker) be in the London Hospital in Whitechapel where he dies in 1828? My iniial thought would be: Why not? Rural Hornsey was not known as a centre of medical excellence in 1828 :-) BUT see further below >Would this be anything to do with Settlement? AFAIK the London Hospital, and others of this period, were independent, and thus independent of the parish relief system for the poor in its various manifestations sincethe 16th.cent. Other hospitals in London included Bart's, the Westminster, St.George's, Charlotte's, and St.Thomas's (south of the river). Which is not to say that some "the great & the good" serving as trustees of the hospitals were not also to be found involved in poor law administration. It was the nineteenth century which saw the rise of the great Union workhouses with infirmaries attached, the latter slowly transforming into general hospitals. >Was this one of only a few hospitals and did people have to pay to be admitted? I have discovered >that no records survive for that period so if anyone can offer advice I would be grateful! Where have you looked? A quick Google reveals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_London_Hospital a quick introduction to the London, and http://www.medicalmuseums.org/Royal-London-Hospital-Museum-and-Archives/ and http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/about-us/museums-and-archives/the-royal-london-archives/ scrolling down this last gives some idea of the holdings and how to search them. The London has extensive archives. Tho' individual patient records for the dates you need may not have survived, they should certainly be able to help with giving you a picture of admisson policies at the time. (IIRC, one way was on the recommendation of a Trustee or a benefactor of the hospital.) Kind regards, John Henley > Many thanks> Bev >