Hospital in Witney, Oxfordshire

[janecavell]

From the Witney Gazette, 29 August 1914:

VOLUNTARY RELIEF HOSPITAL

The Rector and Churchwardens have kindly put the whole of the Church House at the disposal of the Red Cross Society to be used as the hospital. This will be equipped as fully as possible with beds for 22 wounded soldiers and sailors, on notice being sent from the War Office . . . Dr. Batt is the commandant, and Nurse Scudamore the lady superintendent of the detachment. The staff consists of 15 voluntary nurses, a housekeeper, cook, quartermaster and her assistant. It is hoped the medical men in the town will kindly be in attendance.

The War Office undertakes to pay all expenses of food and drugs. Other expenses such as the salary of a trained nurse (if one is necessary), cleaners, a supplementary cook, lighting, heating, etc., have to be met from a Voluntary Relief Fund . . .

The Quartermaster, Miss F. Jenkyn, Oriel House, has had most generous responses to her request for loans of equipment for the hospital, but is still in need of more loans or gifts, of which a list is added. She will be most grateful for further promises, and asks that all articles sent should bear the owner's name, and that all communications be marked "Red +"

16 pairs of sheets (single beds), 21 pairs of slippers, 18 egg cups, 16 plate covers, 6 round towels, 6 trays, 2 clothes brushes (woodbacks), 22 tooth brushes, 20 hairs brushes and combs, mackintosh sheets, large and small knives, sofa and cushions, 2 arm chairs, small chaff cushions, foot stools, 6 table cloths.

A photograph in the collection of Witney & District Museum may well show the staff and patients of the hospital, for they are gathered in front of the porch of St Mary's Church, Witney, only a few yards away from Church House:

I'd be grateful for any comments about the newspaper cutting and/or photo (any clues about the date of the latter?). Are there likely to be any records of this hospital, other than what is in the newspaper?

Thanks