Hailey Tran
London's oldest hospitals, St Bartholomew's in West Smithfield and St Thomas's in Southwark, were founded in the 12th and 13th centuries by Augustinian monks. However, the first purpose-built hospital in London was The London Hospital, which opened in 1757. The hospital was originally opened in 1740 in Moorfields to serve the sick and injured poor of the East End, particularly manufacturers and seamen and their families.
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What You'll Learn
St Bartholomew's Hospital, founded in 1123
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 by Rahere, a courtiers of King Henry I, and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust.
The hospital has existed on the same site since its founding in the 12th century, surviving both the Great Fire of London and the Blitz. The only medieval building now remaining is the tower of the Church of St Bartholomew the Less, which was a chapel that was part of the hospital during medieval times. When the hospital was first established, it was part of an Augustinian Priory, able to accommodate a hospital master, eight brothers, four sisters, and a few dozen patients. Augustinian canons took care of the patients in the hospital.
St Bartholomew's Hospital served many purposes other than caring for the sick. For example, unmarried mothers were able to work at the hospital for a time after giving birth. The hospital also provided care for patients in their homes before admitting them.
The dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s did not affect the running of the hospital, but it did remove its source of income. The hospital was refounded by Henry VIII in December 1546 and became legally styled as the "House of the Poore in Farringdon in the suburbs of the City of London of Henry VIII's Foundation". The first superintendent of the hospital was Thomas Vicary, sergeant-surgeon to King Henry and an early writer on anatomy.
St Bartholomew's Hospital has a long history of innovation in medicine and nursing. It is associated with several important medical figures, including William Harvey, who conducted research on the circulatory system in the 17th century, and Percivall Pott and John Abernethy, who developed important principles of modern surgery in the 18th century. A School of Nursing was founded at the hospital in 1877, and the hospital became part of the National Health Service in 1948. Today, St Bartholomew's Hospital is a specialist cardiac and cancer care centre, reflecting its continuing innovation in these fields.
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The London Hospital, opened in 1757
The Royal London Hospital, which opened in 1757, was established to fill a void in London's healthcare system. At the time, there were no hospitals east of the City of London, leaving the rapidly growing and comparatively impoverished population of Spitalfields and Whitechapel without adequate medical care.
The institution that became The Royal London Hospital was founded on September 23, 1740, when seven gentlemen met in the Feathers Tavern in Cheapside to discuss the formation of a new infirmary. On November 3, The London Infirmary opened in a house on Featherstone Street, Moorfields, with a staff of one surgeon, one physician, and one apothecary. The hospital was funded by charitable subscription fees, and patients were not charged for treatment.
The hospital moved to Prescot Street in 1741, but by 1744, the houses there were deemed unfit for use. A fund was opened for a new building, and a site was acquired at Whitechapel Mount (now Whitechapel Road). However, funds were slow to come in, and construction did not begin until 1751. The new hospital, designed by Boulton Mainwaring, opened in September 1757.
The London Hospital has always been a general hospital, and by the early 20th century, it was the largest voluntary general hospital in the United Kingdom, with over 1,000 beds. It was granted a Royal title by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 to celebrate its 250th anniversary and became known as The Royal London Hospital.
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The Lock Hospital, for venereal disease
London's oldest hospitals are St Bartholomew's in West Smithfield and St Thomas's in Southwark, both founded by Augustinian monks in the 12th and 13th centuries. Eighteenth-century London was an unhealthy place to live, but there was growing institutional provision for curing the sick and the lame. By 1800, Londoners had access to almost twenty general or specialist hospitals. Most of these hospitals were founded in the eighteenth century as a result of the growth of associational charities.
The London Lock Hospital is mentioned in the first verse of the traditional British folk song, The Unfortunate Lad, a warning against venereal disease, dating from the late 18th century. The song refers to the "salts and pills of white mercury" that might have saved the unfortunate youth's life.
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The Middlesex Infirmary, for the sick, lame, and cancer patients
The Middlesex Infirmary, later known as the Middlesex Hospital, was established in 1745 on Windmill Street in the Fitzrovia area of London. It was founded to provide medical treatment for the poor, with 15 beds and funding from subscribers. The hospital catered to the sick, lame, and cancer patients, and in 1747, it became the first in England to add lying-in or maternity beds. The wards were founded with money donated anonymously by Samuel Whitbread.
The hospital was named after the county of Middlesex and was first opened as an infirmary before becoming a teaching hospital. The medical school associated with the hospital, the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, traced its origins to 1746, a year after the hospital's founding. Students were "walking the wards" and learning from members of the medical staff. In 1757, the hospital moved to Mortimer Street, where it remained until its closure in 2005.
The chapel of the Middlesex Hospital, built between 1891 and 1892, is the only surviving building of the original hospital complex. Designed by John Loughborough Pearson, it features a mix of Italian Gothic and Romanesque styles in its interior decoration. The chapel was structurally complete by the mid-1920s, and the surrounding hospital was demolished and rebuilt around it between 1928 and 1929.
The Middlesex Hospital played a significant role in the advancement of medicine and the training of medical professionals. The medical school merged with the medical school of University College London in 1987, forming the University College and Middlesex School of Medicine. Notable figures associated with the hospital include Edward Hulme, an apprentice at Middlesex Hospital who later became a surgeon and hospital administrator in New Zealand, and Dame Alicia Lloyd Still, a matron at Middlesex Hospital who was a founding member of the Royal College of Nursing.
The Middlesex Infirmary was part of the growing institutional provision for curing the sick and lame in eighteenth-century London. It contributed to the improvement in living standards for Londoners, providing valuable medical care for those who could not afford other options.
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Lying-in hospitals, assisting women in childbirth
London's oldest hospitals are St Bartholomew's in West Smithfield and St Thomas's in Southwark, both founded by Augustinian monks in the 12th and 13th centuries. St Bartholomew's, also known as Barts, was founded in 1123 by Rahere, a courtier of King Henry I. It was refounded by Henry VIII in 1546. The hospital's basic constitution remained the same until the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948.
Most of London's hospitals, however, were founded in the 18th century. The London Hospital, for instance, was founded in 1740 in Moorfields for the sick and injured poor of the East End. The hospital, which became known as The Royal London Hospital, moved to Whitechapel in 1757. The Lock Hospital, which treated venereal disease, was opened in 1747 by William Bromfield. The Middlesex Infirmary opened its doors in 1754, and the Magdalen Hospital for Penitent Prostitutes was founded in 1758.
In addition to these, several lying-in hospitals were established to assist women in giving birth. The first of these was the Lying-in Hospital for Married Mothers (later the British Lying-in Hospital), founded in 1749. Most of these hospitals restricted entry to married women. The criteria for admission to these hospitals varied, but it was never automatic. Hospitals rarely admitted those with contagious diseases, and many prevented entry to those with venereal disease or charged them higher fees.
By 1800, London hospitals catered to between 20,000 and 30,000 patients a year. These hospitals contributed to the improvement in Londoners' living standards in the second half of the 18th century. By the early 20th century, The London Hospital had become the largest voluntary (charitably funded) general hospital in the United Kingdom, with over 1,000 beds.
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Frequently asked questions
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 by Rahere, a favourite courtier of King Henry I.
The hospital was dissolved during the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s and then refounded by royal charter under the government of the City of London. In 1546, King Henry VIII granted the hospital to the City of London, and the following year, he endowed it with property to provide an income. The hospital became legally styled as the "House of the Poore in Farringdon in the suburbs of the City of London of Henry VIII's Foundation".
St Bartholomew's Hospital is the oldest hospital in London and is still operational today. It has maintained its reputation for excellence in medical care, teaching, and research.
In addition to St Bartholomew's, London's oldest hospitals include St Thomas's in Southwark, founded by Augustinian monks in the 12th and 13th centuries. The London Hospital, now known as The Royal London Hospital, opened in 1757. The Lock Hospital was opened in 1747 by William Bromfield for the treatment of venereal disease. The Middlesex Infirmary was founded in 1754 for the sick, lame, and cancer patients.
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