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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Torbay Hospital - Torquay


Chris_B

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John Henry Storer (see my signature) was admitted to Torbay Hospital Torquay suffering from the effects of "White Gas" on 24.3.1918

My questions:

1. Was this a military Hospital for treatment of Gas victims or a civilian Hospital taking some military casualties?

2. Has anyone come across photos or records relating to Torbay Hospital?

ChrisB

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Chris

From my research into medical records there is little chance of finding them now. Mine were destroyed 25 years after my birth if you see what I mean. Other sources tell me that they may have existed up to 55 years, but then destroyed.

I cannot categorically say no you wouldnt find them but the odds seem to be stacked against the records existing.

Photos might in a local history section, such as a library though

John

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  • 18 years later...

J7960 Walter Barrett enlisted as a Boy on 27 April 1910. He served aboard HMS Caroline from 4 December 1914 to 19 January 1918.

On the 1911 Census, he is at: The Sanatorium, Newton Road, Torquay, Devon. To this day, there is a hospital at that location, postcode TQ2 7AA.

In the same manner that Haslar Hospital was a Naval institution, was the aforementioned - to which Barrett was admitted - a Naval hospital? It would appear there was a Naval hospital set up somewhere in Torquay in 1800.

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Googling "Torquay Hospital 1918" produces several Web references and photographs. Alex Potter, Torquay in the Great War, notes several wartime hospitals for officers and one for the rank and file at the town hall (where famously Agatha Christie was a nurse and where she is said to have picked up her knowledge of poisons). There's a photo of of the exterior of "Rawson Ward, Torquay War Hospital". He says little about "Torbay Hospital", which, I guess, was the peacetime establishment. Torbay, of course, embraces Torquay, Paignton and Brixham and we've recently mentioned the American hospital at Oldway in Paignton.

The naval hospital to which Keith refers catered for men from the Royal Navy ships that moored in Torbay in Napoleonic times. See here.

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So, it would appear it was a civilian establishment, if wikipedia is anything to go by, and the hospital magazine from 1912 does not indicate having links with the Senior Service at that time.

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From what I can recall there were a few medical establishments in the Bay area, either for treatment of the sick and wounded or convalescent facilities, including at least one in Brixham and at Oldway Mansion (home to the Singer sewing family) in Paignton. The below link might be of interest 

 

https://americanwomenswarhospital.com/

Edited by Petroc
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torbay_Hospital#:~:text=The hospital was founded as,wing being added in 1878.

Wikipedia mentions Major Kitson as purchasing a building for this. The Kitson family was a wealthy family living in the Shiphay area (where the current hospital is), they used to own a building next to the Girls Grammar school which became the sixth form block while I was there. The wikipedia page seems to be mainly concerned with car parking prices :-D.

https://www.devonheritage.org/stentiford/Issue_55/Article2/7Dec6art1.htm

this indicates that the modern site is probably not the one used in WW1- t was developed in the 20's. The original dispensary is given as being in the town centre (although no street address is given- most unhelpful!)

I would guess the Sanitorium from the 1911 census would be the isolation hospital? TB wards at a guess?

Edited by Madmeg
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12 hours ago, Madmeg said:

dispensary is given as being in the town centre (although no street address is given-

If you can track down a contemporary Kelly's Directory (I forget which university has a database - Reading??) that may assist in finding the location.

Failing that I'll try the BNA tomorrow.

 

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Hello. This is the old Torbay Hospital, Torquay built circa 1850 and was the main hospital before the new build in 1928 so maybe a contender.

A22AB4FD-5525-4802-9BC2-7B03D42B7229_4_5005_c.jpeg

Edited by Gunner 87
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6 hours ago, seaJane said:

If you can track down a contemporary Kelly's Directory (I forget which university has a database - Reading??) that may assist in finding the location.

Failing that I'll try the BNA tomorrow.

 

http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/search/searchterm/Devon/field/place/mode/exact/conn/and/order/nosort

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I'm pretty sure all local directorys and maps will be 1920's or later so can't help there.

 

But... https://www.discusmedia.com/maps/british_town_plans/4856/

Can't magnify very much but looks like c 1906 it was located in the Warberries- Lower Warberry road by the looks of it. Quite a way out of the town centre which doesn't match the devon heritage site but does look sufficiently greenfield to match the picture. 

This map https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152748634310 (get your magnifying glass out) from 1904 would seem to confirm that what was then the Hospital was located in the corner of Lower Warberry Road and what is now Alpine way. A street view on google shows an obviously older building here which doesn;t match at all - but a little further along the road Greycliffe Manor has possibilities.

Either either if your chap was in the sanitorium he was somewhere else- I would guess that it was somewhere around where the modern hospital is.

 

Edited by Madmeg
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I feel I should know (but didn't) with three children born in the modern Torbay Hospital at Lawe's Bridge.

Gunner 87 must have provided the correct building for a WWI 'Torbay Hospital'

Looking at the 1906 NLS six inch maps there is a Sanitary or Isolation Hospital at Brown's Bridge which is just along from Lawe's Bridge towards Newton Abbot. Top of linked map under the word Kingskerswell.

1906 25 Inch map shows 'Torbay Hospital' in Union Street, under the  of Tormoham.

Streetview shows this building is still present and looks like Gunner 87's image. Another view from Geograph.

In terms of records, Devon Heritage Centre has quite a catalogue under Torbay Hospital but you'll have to check which one they're referring to IE. the Union Street Building to c1928 or the later Lawes Bridge/Hengrave House buidling which was replaced on the same site in 1970s.

Unlikely I think to find any WWI related admissions etc.

TEW

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"Streetview shows this building is still present and looks like Gunner 87's image. Another view from Geograph."

And opposite there is a noticeboard on a green space dnated in 1897 by the people of Torquay for the use of Hospital patients :-)

A quick run down can be found here

http://www.southdevonandtorbay.info/media/1007/2011-dphar.pdf

"1848 - An infirmary was established in Teignmouth on Myrtle Hill,1849 - A hospital opened to serve Teignmouth and Dawlish 1850 - First Torbay Hospital’s built in Higher Union Street, Torquay (see picture right) 1871 - First hospital in Dawlish opened 1873 - Newton Abbot’s first hospital established 1875 - Ashburton Hospital established 1880 - New hospital built in Dawlish, at Luscombe Terrace 1882 - Torbay Hospital Annexe built as an isolation hospital 1887 - Building started on Ashburton Hospital 1887 - Dartmouth Hospital was opened as a permanent memorial to Queen Victoria’s Jubilee 1891 - Paignton Hospital completed History of the earliest hospitals 1891 - New hospital opened in Brixham 1894 - New hospital opened in Dartmouth 1898 - New hospital built in Newton Abbot on land donated by Robert Scratton 1900 - First Totnes Hospital built 1901 - Moretonhampstead Hospital opened 1911 - First hospital at Bovey Tracey opened 1928 - Official opening of the new Torbay Hospital, on the present site 1968 - First phase of major new development at Torbay Hospital 1985 - Torbay Hospital’s Maternity Unit was opened by HRH The Princess Anne"

So looks like the current annexe building would have been the iso hospital.

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi, i live in Torquay, and am researching the Kitson family.

They along with the land owners the Palks were instrumental in the construction of both Torbay Hospitals.

Yes, the first official medical facility were only 3 rooms for outpatients, however after the cholera outbreak and with the growing population, the first hospital was constructed in 1850.

When this became outdated the main hospital was built in 1928 i think. The isolation ward is a separate building some way from the main complex and i think was actually constructed around 100 years earlier, will find out.  

Oldway Mansion was certainly used for patient recovery, but i dont think any surgical operations were carried out here, i think the gentleman mentioned would of been admitted to the main Torbay hospital, if he had any infectious disease, then the separate isolation ward would of been used.

Hope this has helped.

Lee

 

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In reply to the Naval hospital mentioned, two Napoleonic forts were built to protect the Bay, these certainly held hundreds of troops. There was a small naval hospital in Torquay at the time, now a restaurant called The Inn on the Quay. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I went to Torquay girls grammar. Our 6th form building was the Manor ( now part of tbgs campus) which was apparently owned by the Kitsons. They were the subject of our huge and rambling sixth form play written by one of the English teachers to encompass the need to find roles for as many as possible of the 140 sixth form students that year 😀. Whether it bore any resemblance to their actual lives I couldn't tell you

 

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I was somewhere the other dY and saw a plaque taking about that. But I think it was roundham and goodrington not torquay. 

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