Paddington: Past and Present

by William Robins

“Annual subscribers of two guineas, or donors of twenty guineas in one sum, may recommend two in-patients annually, and twelve out-patients.

“Annual subscribers of one guinea, or donors of ten guineas in one sum to the maternity fund, may recommend three patients annually to that department; and three additional patients for each guinea annually subscribed, or each donation of ten guineas in one sum.”

But, although great sums have been already subscribed, and although these inducements to subscribe have been held out to the charitable, the Hospital is already in debt; and the advertisements declare that “to maintain the present number of in-patients, and to supply medicine for a very large number of out-patients, the amount of annual subscriptions is quite inadequate.”

From what has been seen in the previous part of this Work, it may have been thought that the site of this Hospital, with the whole of its enclosed ground, was the gift of the Bishop of London and the trustees of the Paddington Estate; but from a printed statement, dated the tenth of July, 1846, I find that this is not the case. The ground which was to be given up, according to the provisions of the 7th and 8th Vic. chap. 30, as a site for this Hospital, is said to consist “of upwards of three quarters of an acre;” “its value was stated to have been estimated at £3,885;” but “the trustees of the Hospital were required to pay £1,000, as an indemnity to the Grand Junction Water Works Company, to whom the ground had been leased.” Further, the Committee “deemed it expedient to purchase, at an expense of £2,000 two adjoining pieces of ground, in order that the future governors of the institution should not be restricted in their operations for want of space.”

These pieces together, made “an acre and a quarter of land, being nearly half an acre more than the present site of St. George’s Hospital.”

Within a few yards of this large building, there is another charitable medical Institution, called the “Paddington Free Dispensary, for the Diseases of women and children.” This Institution, also, is supported by voluntary contributions; and a consulting physician; a consulting surgeon; two physicians; a surgeon; a dentist; and a secretary; give their gratuitous services to this charity. The report of 1851, states that 5,280 patients had been “admitted during the last year;” the expenditure of the whole establishment being but £218 18s. 0d.

In the same street—Market-street,—there is a “Refuge for the Destitute” supported by voluntary contributions. Here the houseless poor, to the number of 100, may obtain a bed and breakfast during the winter months; and here, winter and summer, the manager and his wife have been maintained for some years in very easy circumstances. [174a]

For the regular poor of the parish, a very excellent house has been built, at a cost of £11,431 9s. 11d., on a portion of five and a quarter acres of “the Upper Readings,” purchased of the Bishop of London and the trustees of the Paddington Estate for £5,168 15s. 0d. [174b]—By an “extract from the statistical and financial statements of accounts of the Board of Guardians,” I find that for the half year ending Michaelmas, 1851, the total number of paupers relieved was 1,054, viz.—in-door, 88 males; 126 females; 117 children. Out-door, 122 males; 289 females; 312 children. The collective number of days being 37,171. I also find, from the same official document, that there was an increase of 36 in-door, and a decrease of 160 out-door paupers as compared with the corresponding half of the previous year; that the total expenditure for the relief of the poor, amounted to £2,995 16s. 0½d.; that the sum of £1,130 10s. 8d. was repaid for “workhouse loan and interest;” and that the whole cost of the establishment for this half-year was £4,237 16s. 8½d.—£4,500 having been called for to meet the expenditure. The financial account closed with a balance in hand of £1,154 10s. 1d.

From the same kind of printed document, for the half-year ending lady-day, 1852, I find the total number of paupers relieved, was 1,070; viz., in-door, 70 males; 139 females; 101 children; out-door, 135 males; 290 females; 335 children; being a decrease of 120 out, and 26 in-door paupers, as compared with the corresponding half of the previous year; the collective number of days, being 36,738. The in-maintenance and clothing for this half-year, amounted to £892 16s. 9d.; the “establishment and common charges,” to £830 6s. 2½d.; the out-relief to 1,056 7s. 10¾d.; the lunatic charges to £315 14s. 7d.; and the extra medical fees to £27 4s. 0d., making the total expenditure for the relief of the poor this half-year £3,122 9s. 5d. Payment of interest, registration fees, &c., increased this sum to £3,474 18s. 11d. The amount called for this half-year was £2,700 0s. 0d., and £410 2s. 1d., was the amount of balance in hand.

The Lock Hospital, which adjoins the Work-house, was removed from Grosvenor-place to its present site, in 1842. This institution was founded in 1737, and no less than 60,502 patients have been treated at this Hospital since that date. The number of in-patients for 1851, was 388; of these 193 were females, and 195 males; during the same period 785 persons were attended to, as out-patients. Attached to this charity, and indeed forming an important portion of it, is “the Asylum.”