Wilfred Cottage Hospital
for Children
for Children
St Paul's Infant Nursery, Wellclose Square, E1 8HY
Medical
dates:
Medical
character:
Acute
On 30th June 1870 St Paul's School 'for the children of seamen' in Wellclose Square was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
In 1874 St Paul's Church for Seamen built a Mission Room adjacent to the School. It was opened officially by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. An Infant Nursery was established within the building on 15th February 1875 to help mothers who had to work to supplement their husbands' incomes. Parents paid 3d (1p) a day, including food, for a place.
In 1880 a Mrs Graham provided funds for a hospital to be set up within the Mission Room building for children who needed hospital care and treatment (at that time voluntary hospitals did not admit children) and who were otherwise in danger of being left alone at home because both parents had to work.
The Wilfred Cottage Hospital for Children was established in the roof of the building, which had been divided into three rooms. The Hospital initially had 5 beds but the intention was that another bed would be added, if sufficient funds could be found. The children admitted were aged from 1 month to 3 years.
It is not known when the Hospital closed, possibly at the beginning of WW1 in 1914. The Day Nursery continued to run until at least the 1930s.
In 1874 St Paul's Church for Seamen built a Mission Room adjacent to the School. It was opened officially by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. An Infant Nursery was established within the building on 15th February 1875 to help mothers who had to work to supplement their husbands' incomes. Parents paid 3d (1p) a day, including food, for a place.
In 1880 a Mrs Graham provided funds for a hospital to be set up within the Mission Room building for children who needed hospital care and treatment (at that time voluntary hospitals did not admit children) and who were otherwise in danger of being left alone at home because both parents had to work.
The Wilfred Cottage Hospital for Children was established in the roof of the building, which had been divided into three rooms. The Hospital initially had 5 beds but the intention was that another bed would be added, if sufficient funds could be found. The children admitted were aged from 1 month to 3 years.
It is not known when the Hospital closed, possibly at the beginning of WW1 in 1914. The Day Nursery continued to run until at least the 1930s.
Present status (May 2009)
The Grade II listed building is currently vacant, awaiting redevelopment.
St Paul's Mission Hall and Infant Nursery was built in 1874 in the Gothic style. As well as staff rooms, the ground floor contained a hall, which was used for women's meetings, dressmaking classes and lectures. The kitchen and the Day Nursery for babies and children were on the first floor.
The building from the northeast. St Paul's School is in the background on the left of the image.
Two plaques remain on the front of the building (above and below).
The north side of Wellclose Square, with the Mission Room seen on the left of the image.
The Mission Room, seen from the southeast, across the grounds of St Paul's School.
The south side of Wellclose Square as seen from the west (above) and from the east (below).
The east side of Wellclose Square.
St Paul's Whitechapel CE Primary School is no longer solely 'for the children of seamen'.
N.B. Photographs obtained in July 2016
The building remains much the same (above and below).
Cherry B, O'Brien C, Pevsner N 2005 London: East. London, Yale University Press.
http://wellcomelibrary.org
https://historicengland.org.uk (1)
https://historicengland.org.uk (2)
https://tigergrowl.wordpress.com
www.flickr.com (1)
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www.geograph.org.uk
www.portcities.org.uk
www.stgite.org.uk (1)
www.stgite.org.uk (2)
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
www.victorianlondon.org
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