Booth Hall Infirmary

  1. Type

    Hospital

  2. History

    Booth Hall in Blackley was built during the early 17th century by Humphrey Booth, a Salford man noted for his philanthropy. The original hall building was demolished in 1907 and the site, off Charlestown Road, was acquired by Prestwich Poor Law Union for the construction of a new general-purpose infirmary in 1908.
    The Manchester Poor Law Union was created when Manchester, Chorlton and Prestwich Unions amalgamated in 1915. The Prestwich infirmary was designated a children's hospital. As such it became part of the Union's services for the care of children, alongside Styal Cottage Homes, designed to remove children from the workhouse environment, Swinton Home and Schools for the 'mentally defective', and Dr Rhodes Memorial Home, a reception home for healthy children.

    Booth Hall continued to expand as a children's hospital through the major local government reorganisations: the Local Government Act of 1929 which dismantled the poor law unions; the creation of the National Health Service in 1948.

    Under the NHS, Booth Hall was united with Monsall Hospital and the Duchess of York Babies Hospital to form the Manchester Babies and Children Hospital Management Committee. One of the Committee's initial concerns was to halt the admission of healthy children to the hospital; that is abandoned infants awaiting adoption; also older children who had been evacuated from London during the war and had no one or nowhere to return to.

  3. What's available

    We hold records for 1909 to 1966, including these patient records:

    • admission registers, 1938 to 1955
    • creed registers, 1909 to 1945
    • mortuary register, 1942 to 1948
    • operation registers, 1909 to 1956 (restricted access)
    • post mortem books, 1926 to 1947
    • dental patients register, 1939 to 1944 (restricted access)
    •  

    Central Manchester University Hospitals Heritage Archive also holds minute books of Booth Hall Children's Hospital.

  4. How to access

    Resources are available in the search room, please make an appointment.

  5. Related information

    For a history of the hospital see Raymond Hargreaves, The Story of Booth Hall Hospital: curing and caring for northern children (Ross Anderson, 1987) which we hold (q 362.11HA).

  6. Location of the site

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