Blackrock Hospital. Co.Dublin

[Bairbre]

I am researching the life of the author Winifred M. Letts who, according to her obituary, trained as a masseuse and worked in Manchester and Blackrock (Co. Dublin, Ireland) Hospitals during WW1. She is also described as being a VAD. Does anyone know where exactly Blackrock Hospital was (given that it does not exist any longer) - was it Linden Convalescent Home?

Thanks.

[BJanman]

Hi

I have these hospitals listed with reference to Blackrock and Dublin

Dublin; King George Vth (Central) Hospital

Affiliated Hospitals:-

Blackrock Military Orthopoedic Hospital School Premises

Blackrock, Linden Aux Hospital

Blackrock, Temple Hill Hosptial for limbless cases

Red Cross Aux Hospitals under Joint War Committee. VAD's Ireland County of Dublin

Lindon House, Blackrock 56 Beds

I am guessing it is the Red Cross hospital but as it is only a guess I thought it best to list them all.

I hope this helps

[Bairbre]

Thank you so much - I knew of Linden (which would have been opposite her home) and Blackrock Orthopaedic (about a 10 min. walk from her home). I was not aware of the Temple Hill one. Having read some of the posts on this site, I have written to the British Red Cross at Moorfields to see if they have any further information about her. Would you know of any other sources which I should try (at your convenience, of course)? Many thanks again.

[BJanman]

They may have information at the AMS museum. Pete Starling would be able to advise you there, other than that I don't know.

Barbara

[Bairbre]

Unfortunately the AMS had no relevant information. The British Red Cross sent me service details of her elder sister Mary F S Letts (served 11.6.1915 - still serving March 1919) and of Winifred Letts (1.9.15 - 30.6.16).

Re Mary, it gives her detachment as Leinster, Munster, Connaught. Have people come across this grouping before and is there a way of breaking it down further? She was in Blackrock.

Re Winifred, the details for Detachment are Co. Dublin and her rank is given as Special Nurse, which the lady in the BRC says she has not seen before but that she definitely was a VAD. I wonder is that term anything to do with being qualified as a masseuse? She was in 2nd West General Hospital, Manchester (and I had believed in Blackrock also).

Any thoughts?

[Bairbre]

I discovered this week that I have been passing Blackrock Hospital all my life and never knew its origins. For those who are interested, it was originally the Meath Industrial School for boys and that name is still perfectly clear on the cut stone building. Sadly much of the building is now derelict. It is in the Avondale Business Park on Carysfort Avenue, directly opposite the Smurfit Business School. Some of the adjacent houses on Prince Edward Tce were used to accommodate the nursing sisters. I also discovered that my aunts (and probably my late father) used to play tennis in the grounds and were allowed to use the hall for their 'tennis hops'. That would have been in the early 1940s.

[Bairbre]

I have found a reference in one of W M Letts' books to 'scenes and sayings (which were) distinctly Irish - ... different from the sayings and doings of C3 in the Base Hospital in Manchester, or from those of the Massage Room in Alnwick Camp.'

I know from Red Cross records that W M Letts was in 2nd West General Hospital, Manchester - is that the same as Base Hospital or is Base Hospital just a generic name? Would C3 be a ward?

Has anyone any information on the Massage Room in Alnwick Camp?

Thanks in anticipation

Bairbre

[Bairbre]

For Sue Light - apologies, I have only just (15th Jan 2007) found your PM message of June 2006 - I don't remember ever seeing notification of a PM! Yes, W M Letts' father died early 1904 so she would have been returning home on holidays from, Alexandra College, Dublin up to then, when her family moved to Dublin permanently.

Thanks for the offer, but a kind website reader on another site has already sent an image of that census.

I employed a researcher to go to the Wellcome Library (and other places) for me and she has found her in the 1920-1921 Register of Members of the Chartered Soc. of Massage & Medical Gymnastics. I still have not been able to find proof of her being in Blackrock Hospital, but have found references to a Louise Despard, who wrote a very important massage textbook, being on the staff of the Massage Dept in Blackrock.

I have also discovered that Winifred was the grand-daughter of Thomas Letts and the niece of Charles Letts of (the two branches of ) Letts Diaries.

Thanks for your offer again - I really enjoy this website.

Bairbre