Medical dates:

Medical character:

In 1928 a rented bungalow at 69 Fyfield Road was converted into a cottage hospital.  It had 6 beds and a small operating theatre.

The Ongar and District Cottage Hospital had been established by Dr Henry Charles Coutts Hackney to provide medical care for the poor of Ongar and its surrounding regions.  It was mainly financed by annual subscribers, individual donations, various benevolent societies and the Hospitals Savings Association.

As the Hospital increased in popularity the neighbouring bungalow at No. 71 was also rented.  This provided an extra 8 beds, as well as nursing staff accommodation.

In 1930 another cottage, at No. 63 Fyfield Road, was rented for use as an Out-Patients Department and, in 1932, No. 65 was acquired as an annexe for in-patient accommodation.  The Hospital then had 20 beds and 2 cots.

The nearby Ongar War Memorial Hospital opened in 1932, but Dr Hackney had refused to become involved with it (his practice already provided care to most of the patients in the area).  In the event, he was imprisoned for 15 months for issuing forged cheques, and his Hospital closed in 1939.

 Dr Hackney, a chronic alcoholic, was struck off the Medical Register in May 1944, but his name was restored in December 1950.  In July 1951 he was again convicted of obtaining money under fraudulent pretences and imprisoned for nine months.  His name was again removed from the Register.

Present status (March 2011)

All the houses have reverted to residential dwellings.