PRINCESS BEATRICE HOSPITAL

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: H04/PB
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: PRINCESS BEATRICE HOSPITAL
Date(s)	: 1842-1977
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 2.12 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: Princess Beatrice Hospital

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The hospital later known as The Princess Beatrice Hospital was founded in 1887 as a voluntary hospital called the Jubilee Hospital to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria. It was situated at the corner of Finborough Road and Old Brompton Road, then known as Richmond Road. There were 14 beds, this being increased later to 18 by the addition of a children's ward of 4 beds. The name "Jubilee" was at some time before 1910 changed to Fulham and Kensington General Hospital and in 1921 to The Kensington, Fulham and Chelsea General Hospital. In 1928 the number of beds was increased to 19. Work commenced on a new and bigger hospital in January 1930, and the foundation stone was laid by Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice. The name of the hospital was changed in 1931 to the Princess Beatrice Hospital. The new outpatient hall opened in December 1931, and the in-patient department in January 1932. In 1933 the Ladies Association was formed, with Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, as President, and the Marchionesses of Carisbrooke and Linlithgow as Vice Presidents. When the Health Service was inaugurated in 1948 the hospital was for two years attached to St George's Hospital, and on 1 August 1950 was transferred to the No.4 (Chelsea) Group Hospital Management Committee. The hospital was closed in July 1971 in order to convert it to an Obstetric Unit. It had been decided in the late 1960's that owing to the development of St Stephen's Hospital, the acute services at the Princess Beatrice Hospital would be transferred to St Stephen's Hospital as soon as the re-development of that hospital enabled this to happen. The hospital re-opened in 1972. With the re-organisation of the Health Service in 1974 it became part of the Kensington Chelsea and Westminster Area Health Authority, South District. The hospital was finally closed at the end of March 1978.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Princess Beatrice Hospital, including Board of Management minutes, 1932-1948; Finance Committee and House Committee minutes, 1912-1969; Medical Committee minutes, 1918-1978; minute book of a working party on the conversion of the hospital to a maternity unit, 1970-1972; booklet Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Kensington General Hospital, 1907; bye-laws of the Hospital, 1938; annual reports, 1910-1946; statistics, 1940-1948; offprint from The Architect's Journal on the construction of the Hospital, 1932; record book of maids employed by the Hospital, 1931-1955; financial papers relating to construction work at the Hospital, 1941-1947; register of investments, 1931-1940; register of deeds relating to land owned by the Hospital, 1842-1940; press cuttings and obituaries relating to the Hospital, 1957-1966 and histories of the Hospital, 1957 and 1977.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

These records are arranged according to a classification scheme for hospital records: General Hospital Administration (A), Patients' Administration (B), Finance Office (D), Endowments (E), Related Documentation (Y) and Prints and Photographs (PH).

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright Depositor

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

When the records were transferred no administrative records earlier than those listed could be traced. However, it would appear that there should be an earlier volume of the Board of Management Minutes since the volume is labelled "2" and the first entry refers to the minutes of a previous meeting. This would also seem to be true of the House Committee Minutes where the first volume is likewise labelled "2". In the House Committee Minutes there is also a gap between 1940 and 1948. Whether any volumes are missing is difficult to tell since the numbering appears to restart under a different system. Minutes of some meetings of the House Committee can be found the Board of Management Minutes during this period.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Ac.78.3IX

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
February 2009