Whipps Cross first opened as a Poor Law Infirmary, to care for patients from the local workhouse. Below is a quote from Charles Ward, the Chair of Whipps Cross War Hospital Social Committee, about the experience of nurses at Whipps Cross:

 

“It has been the practice for years to regard the nurse trained under Poor Law as inferior in type, knowledge and experience to the nurse trained in the general or voluntary hospital. The standard aimed at is really decided by each individual school and standard varies largely according to the personnel of the training staff.”

 

 

Below Douglas recalls how someone he knew would take cigarettes to the soldiers staying in Whipps Cross during the War:

 

“Yes that’s right near Whipps Cross ...he would take them up there because they were always wounded erm injured soldiers that came back from the front and he would distribute these cigarettes amongst the soldiers.”

 

 

Brenda is a member of the Whipps Cross league of friends and has been involved in raising money for the hospital for the past 30 years:

 

“My husband and I joined the League of Friends thirty years ago, as it was advertised in the local for more volunteers. We used to do a fete in September, for us it was a three day event. This was when we had a committee of around 30 members. Since then, we can only raise money by our car boot sale which goes from March to November that we hold on the first Saturday of each month.”

 

 

Bernadette recalls her experiences working at Whipps Cross in 1947:

 

“I came to the East End to train as a nurse in 1947. Everybody was friendly and helpful. I was awestruck by the size of the hospital which had a thousand beds, and a straight corridor reputed to be a quarter of a mile long. We were all there for the Preliminary Training School which would be for three months.

Failing two of the weekly exams in succession, having an affair with a member of staff, smoking in uniform, and one of the patients in your care getting a bed sore, eliminated you from nursing there... Lectures were in the morning after prayers and practical work in the afternoons. We were driven as though there was no tomorrow, the working week was 48 hours, no pay for overtime or time off in lieu. The pay was three pounds a month, with full board and free training.”

 

 

James Gilman talks about remembering a soldier posted at the end of his street:

 

“Widowed grandmother and her 5 young children (one of whom was my mother) spent the First World War living at no. 6 Countess Road, Walthamstow (now North Countess Road), this house being 3 down from the junction of that road with Billet Road. The family name was Avery. Every night, apparently, there was a soldier posted on guard duty at the junction of these two roads. With all my family now long dead (I am 77 myself!), I have no-one left to ask; but there seems to be no record of what this soldier was guarding, of whether there was a similar soldier on guard duty on every street corner in Walthamstow, or even in London. I have consulted street maps of the area at this time, but there is no indication of there being any military barracks or other buildings in the area; yet this soldier must have been billeted somewhere in the area, and would hardly be likely to be the only soldier in Walthamstow at the time! My grandmother took pity on him, and every morning when he came off duty she would invite him into her house for a mug of cocoa. He came from Hastings, and after the war was over he wrote to my grandmother thanking her for her kindness, and in return said he'd like to offer a week's holiday in his home for one of her children. It was my mother, then a girl of 17, who was chosen for this holiday, and during her week in Hastings she met and immediately fell in love with my father, and some 3 years later they were married in Peking, China, where I was born in 1932. So without this soldier I would not be here, hence my interest in finding out more about him.”

 

 

Martin Wilcocks talks about his father serving in the TA:

 

"My father (Edmund William Willcocks) and his brother, Percy Squire Willcocks (ten years younger), both applied to join the British Army in 1915-16, and while Percy was admitted, my father was told he had a heart murmur and would not live very long, so he was rejected on medical grounds (but he died in 1961.)  Percy's Army records show that he fought in the Somme for 14 months under Brig. Gen. Ironside, who gave him a recommendation to leave the front and go for officer training in Wales, where he spent the rest of his service until 1921. I have since learned that the Territorial Army had a location close to the Whipps Cross hospital, and it is possible that he actually was stationed on the roof of that building rather than the hospital.  Both brothers had joined the TA. My father had told us that he was stationed on top of Whipps Cross Hospital and was using a Lewis gun to shoot at Zeppelins.  He also claimed to have invented an automatic reloading system for the gun, based on a cycloidal curve, but the Patent Office would not grant him a patent for it due to the war effort." 

 

 

Newspaper Extracts referring to Whipps Cross:

 

 

Extract from the British Journal of Nursing supplement, 1917:

 

"Louisa Alice White, Matron of the Christian Mission Maternity Home, Whipps Cross, certified midwife, was indicted, at the Central Criminal Court, for manslaughter of an infant, by alleged criminal neglect. Also for neglecting five other children. She was sentenced to six months hard labour."

 

 

Extract from the British Journal of Nursing, 1923:

 

"The West Ham Guardians and its Nursing School at Whipps Cross Infirmary have sustained a serious loss by the death of Miss E. E. Horlock, a devoted probationer nurse, who died on March 27th. She had just completed her three years’ training, and intended undertaking a missionary career in China. At a recent meeting the Chairman of the Board moved a vote of condolence with the deceased‘s father add mother, and mentioned the almost unique fact that although the Hospital had been open 20 years, and that during that time hundreds of nurses had passed through it, they had lost only three nurses and one doctor by death."

 

 

Extract from the British journal of Nursing, 1924:

 

"Mr. Edmund Harvey asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the action of the Guardians of the West Ham Union in informing the officers in their service, including the whole-time medical staff, matron, nurses and indentured probationer nurses of the Whipps Cross Hospital, that they desire them to become members of a trade union affiliated to the Trade Union Congress, and to the decision of the Board of Guardians to review the position with reference to existing officers at the expiration of two months from the adoption by the Board of this recommendation. Whether he has had any communication with the Board as to their action in this matter and whether, in view of the special difficulties that the action of the Guardians has caused to the medical and nursing staff, he will take steps to prevent the imposition of such a regulation by the Board of Guardians? 

 

Mr. Greenwood: My right hon. Friend is aware of the action of the Guardians, though he has not been in direct communication with them. The Guardians do not appear to be exceeding their legal powers, and my right hon. Friend does not see that the matter is one in which one could usefully take any action. 

 

Harvey: Does the Minister consider it right that a medical staff and nurses and probationers should have their careers injured if they do not join a trade union affiliated to Mr. Lansbury : Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in an adjoining borough this matter has been quite peacefully arranged between the employees and the authorities concerned, and that one of the Courts has upheld the right of the local authority to impose this condition? 

 

Major Moulton: Would the Minister also consider whether he would not be called on to interfere if the resolution of the Guardians excluded trade unionists? 

 

Mr. W. Thorne: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the men and women in question do not object to receiving trade union rates of pay from the Guardians?"

 

 

Extract from the British Journal of Nursing, 1917:

 

"The King and Queen have been busy paying Visits to military hospitals. Last week they were at the Whipps Cross War Hospital, formerly the West Ham Infirmary, where the Queen distributed medals and certificates to the nurses who were successful in their final examinations this year, and where Their Majesties received a very loyal welcome from the wounded soldiers and the Poor Law and military officials."

 

 

Extract from the British Journal of Nursing, 1935:

 

"On September 12th the Cape Hospital Board, at which there was a full attendance, presided over by Mr. W. James, unanimously, and without discussion, approved the appointment of Miss E. M. Pike as Matron of the Somerset Hospital. Mrs. Honvood, who presided over the Selection Committee and made the recommendation, was, as reported in The Case Times, able to announce that the choice of Miss Pike had the full concurrence of the Somerset Hospital Committee, and the Medical Advisory Committee. The recommendation will now be forwarded to the Administrator.

Miss Pike was trained at the Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, and on the outbreak of war in 1914 volunteered for service, and served throughout the war, being one of the first seven nurses to enter Mons. She served at clearing stations on the Somme, and on one occasion shared the experience of doctors and patients in being shelled out. She had also exciting experiences at La Panne, Arras, Bethune, Passchendaele and Cambrai.

On returning to London in 1919 she worked at the Chelsea Hospital for Women, and Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, and in 1922 went on a visit to South Africa, and decided when there to apply for a post as Ward and Theatre Sister at the Provincial Hospital, Port Elizabeth, of which she was ultimately promoted to the position of Matron, and during her term of office organised a Maternity Training School in connection with it.

Miss Pike is a certificated anaesthetist, and speaks Afrikaans, having passed the Laer Taalbond and obtained the Afrikaans “ B ” certificate.

Her experience of organisation should be of value to her in her new post when Cape Town’s new General Hospital at Groote Schuur replaces the Somerset Hospital."

 

 

Extract from the British Journal of Nursing, 1919: 

 

"The Ministry of Health have sanctioned the following salaries in respect of the nursing staff at the West Ham Union Infirmary, Whipps Cross:- Matron, £175 per annum, rising by £12 10s. annually to £200 per annum ; Assistant Matron, £135 per annum, rising by £s annually to £145 ; Tutor Sister, £125 pm annum, rising by £5 annually to £135; Home Sister, £IIO per annum, rising by As annually to £120; Office Sister, £IOO per annum, rising by £5 annually to £110; Night Superintendents, £85 per annum, rising by £5 annually to £95; Ward Sisters, £70 per annum, rising by £2 10s, annually to Ago ; Staff Nurses, £55 per annum, rising by £2 10s, annually to £60 ; Probationer Nurses, £20 first year, £25 second year, and £30 third year.

This is a great advance on the previous remuneration of the Nursing Staff, and with everything found in these expensive times, will no doubt thoroughly satisfy them. We could have wished to see the Matron’s arduous duties valued at a somewhat higher figure. In comparison with other head officials, especially young doctors, the scale is not generous. This infirmary contains some 750 beds, and we suggest that the Matron’s salary should not commence at less than £200 for 500 beds, and £250 for 750 beds. Few Guardians or members of the public realise the strain of the Matron’s Department in these days."

 

 

Article from The Builder, 1903:

 

INFIRMARY, LEYTONSTONE, N.E.

 

A NEW Infirmary for West Ham was opened by Mr. J. Lasham at Whipp's Cross, Leytonstone, N.E., recently. The estate comprises about forty-four acres of gardens, pleasure grounds, and meadow land, together with the mansion house (known as Forest House) and outbuildings, the lodge and cottage (since pulled down) in James-lane, and the cottage at the entrance to the estate in Whipp's Cross-road. The establishment is placed nearly parallel with the Whipp's Cross-road, the main entrance being reached by a roadway across a strip of forest land lying immediately to front of the boundary of the site. Generally, the plan is an administrative block centrally with two ward blocks right and left, connected by a covered corridor running from end to end of the building. Immediately in the rear of the administrative block is the boiler-house, laundry, and machinery building, and to the east of same are detached houses for the engineer and steward. On the south-west side of ward block D is the nurses' home, and near the Whipp's Cross-road entrance are the ambulance and stable buildings and the post-mortem room, mortuary, &c. The accommodation is as follows: — Ward A, six wards of twenty-four each, 144; twelve isolation wards of two each, twenty-four ; wards B, C, D, being exactly similar, 504; lunatic ward, two. The whole of the buildings are connected by a complete arrangement of fire-escape bridges, so that every ward has access to other blocks at each floor level, and these bridges are constructed by brick arching. In the administrative, right and left of the large entrance hall, are placed male and female receiving wards, each having attached a bathroom, and close by these wards are corridors connecting the medical superintendent's and assistant medical staff houses. Immediately behind the main corridor is the kitchen, and off this corridor, right and left, are the medical superintendent's office, stores, matron's rooms, workrooms, nurses' and probationers' rooms, dining-rooms, and behind the kitchen are sculleries and servants' hall. On the first floor in the rear are bedrooms for servants, and attached are bathrooms, &c. In the front is the chapel, accommodating 200, and off the main corridor, from this floor, storerooms and tanks in towers are reached.

 

The basement or lower ground floor of the ward blocks (for, owing to the fall of the land, the back portion is above ground) Is chiefly occupied by coal stores, but on the west side are steward's office, meat and milk stores, cellars, &c. Under the main corridor is a subway containing the steam, hot and cold-water pipes, hydrants, electric cables, &c, and the boiler-house is connected to the administrative block by means of a tunnel.

 

Each ward consists of a small central or administrative ward block, containing stairs, lifts, nurses' lavatories, &c., and from the main corridor at each floor level access to the large wards is gained by disconnecting lobbies or bridges. On entering one finds a dayroom, two isolation wards, a nurses' duty-room, and a linen store. In the tower annexes are the bathrooms and lavatories.

 

The nurses' home contains separate rooms for seventy - two nurses, superintendent's bed and sitting-rooms, whilst on the ground floor are recreation-rooms, for nurses and probationers, and these two rooms can be thrown into one, when required, for entertainments, &c. The laundry and boiler block consists of a self-contained laundry with washing, drying, and ironing-rooms, with separate provision for staff, clothing disinfecting chamfer, and inmates' clothes store, and attached are living-rooms for the head laundress. In line with the boiler-house is the machine-room, containing engines, dynamos. &c, and behind is storage for batteries, &c. At the end of this building there is a carpenter's and smith's shop. The mortuary block contains a post-mortem-room and dead-house, and attached is a small chapel, together with a waiting room, &c. Adjacent is a stable building.

 

Between ward block B and the administrative building is the boardroom, access to which is gained through an ante-room from the main corridor at ground-floor level, and adjoining is a lavatory. Immediately under the boardroom there is a room of similar size, which is intended to be used for the purpose of religious services. Next the boardroom and between it and the administrative building is a detached ward, providing accommodation for short-period lunatics, and containing a ward for two, bathroom, lavatory, attendant's-room, and, leading from this, a padded-room. On the opposite side of the administrative block and between it and D block is the dispensary, a detached building connected to the main corridor at ground-floor level ; this contains, in addition to the dispensary, an office, and the basement or lower ground floor is occupied by the drug store. Right and left of the entrance hall and chapel building are respectively the medical superintendent's house and the medical staff quarters. The former is a commodious residence for the medical officer, and is connected to the main entrance hall, though the building is detached, and the latter, connected in a similar manner, contains bed and sitting-rooms for three assistant medical officers, together with a common room for dining etc, and the remaining half of this house is occupied by a suite of rooms for the matron and two assistants. On each floor are two bathrooms and lavatories, &c. and on the ground floor a further lavatory in addition.

 

Externally the buildings are faced with red bricks, obtained locally, with Bath and Portland stone dressings, the roofs of the chapel, towers, and staff quarters being covered with green slates. The walls of bathrooms, kitchen, sculleries, dynamo-room, and some stores are faced with glazed bricks, the dayrooms having dados in salt-glazed bricks. The walls of wards are finished with Keene's cement painted, with skirting's in glazed bricks. The corridors are in all cases of fireproof materials, finished with terrazzo, or artificial stone. The buildings are warmed by radiators when necessary, as auxiliary heating to the open fireplaces. Each large ward has a double-fire descending flue stove, and the separation wards have warm-air grates. The electric lighting has been carried out by Messrs. F. A. Glover & Co., Ltd., of London. The lifts were provided and fitted-by Messrs. C. & A. Masker, Ltd., of Liverpool. There are eleven lifts in all, four, being one in each of the blocks, A, B, C, D, for patients, four in the same blocks are dinner-lifts, and the remaining three are service-lifts The kitchens have been fitted by Messrs. Benham & Sons, Ltd. The water supply to the institution is obtained either from the East London Water Co.'s mains, delivered direct to the steel storage tanks in the water towers; or the alternative provision (and the one to be most largely drawn upon) is from the artesian well sunk by Messrs. Isler & Co., to a depth of 400 ft., and which is expected will yield sufficient water to meet the demand of the institution.

 

Messrs. Shillitoe & Sons, of Bury St. Edmunds, have been the general contractors, Mr. H. Fawcet being the works manager, Mr. T. E. Edmunds has acted as clerk to the works, and Mr. John Buley, of Laurence Pountney Hill, Cannon-street, E.C., has superintended the engineering works for the Guardians, and Mr. A. T. Walmisley, M.Inst.C E., of Westminster, has acted as consulting engineer to the architect. The stoves and ranges have been supplied by Messrs Hendry &Pattisson, and Carter & Aynsley ; the glazed bricks by Brookes. of Halifax, and the red bricks by Cornish, of Shenfield. The stonework was by F. Mortimer, of Walthamstow; heating and hot-water work by Wontner, Smith, Gray, & Co. ; the hydrants by Shand, Mason, & Co. ; the road-making by H. V. Manders; the marble mosaic and terrazzo flooring by Pattesson & Co. of Manchester, and the Art Pavements and Decorations Co., Ltd. ; electric bells, Jackson Bros. ; glazing to chapels, Lowndes & Drury ; steel tanks, Steavenson & Co. ; covering to boilers, Dick's Asbestos Co. ; fencing, Bayliss, Jones, & Co., and E. C. White ; water softener, Stanhope Water Co.; floor polishing. Ronuk, Ltd. ; engineers for well pumps, J. Reedman & Co. Mr. Crow, of Stratford, supplied the clock and bells. The architect to the Guardians is Mr. Francis J Sturdy, of London. The amount of the building contract was 186,665l.