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London Metropolitan Archives

SAINT BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): CLA/070

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: SAINT BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL

Date(s): 1436-1992

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 0.01 linear metres

Name of creator(s): Corporation of London

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Saint Bartholomew's Hospital was founded in 1123 but was closed during the dissolution of the monasteries. In 1544, following a petition from Londoners concerned that there was no longer any provision for the poor and sick, King Henry VIII re-established the hospital and placed it under the control of the City of London as one of the five 'Royal Hospitals'. The Common Council taxed the inhabitants of the City for the maintenance of the hospital. In addition, the City paid an annuity of 500 marks to the hospital, which was not discontinued until 1912. The hospital was legally called the 'House of the Poore in West Smithfield in the suburbs of the City of London of Henry VIII's Foundation' but has always been referred to as St Bartholomew's or 'Barts'. It officially became known as St. Bartholomew's Hospital on the foundation of the National Health Service in 1948. It is now part of the Barts and The London NHS Trust, having averted a Government attempt to close it in 1993-1994.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Administrative and legal records of Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, 1436-1992, including reports, staff lists, leases, charters, bequests and grants, financial papers, and papers relating to a case brought by the Solicitor General against the Governors and Treasurer of St. Bartholomew's Hospital concerning the powers of the Board of Governors to freely elect their own President and not to automatically elect the Lord Mayor to the post. In November 1863 the Court of Common Council instructed the General Purposes Committee to apply for a Writ of Mandamus to compel St. Bartholomew's Hospital to allow the Lord Mayor to take his seat as President of the Board of Governors. This launched the litigation which appears to have continued until c 1866 with the initial judgement against the Corporation being overturned on appeal by a final judgement which upheld the existing rights of the Corporation.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

In sections according to catalogue.

Conditions governing access:

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright City of London

Physical characteristics:

Fit

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Corporation of London Records Office

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

The records of St Bartholomew's are held by the Hospital Archivist (St Bartholomew's Hospital, Bart's and The London NHS Trust, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, telephone 020 7601 8152, fax 020 7606 4790).

For Corporation of London records relating to hospitals, almshouses and workhouses, see CLA/064: Almshouses and Hospitals, CLA/065: Bethlem Hospital, CLA/066: Bridewell Hospital, CLA/067: Christ's Hospital, CLA/068: Royal Hospitals, CLA/069: Saint Thomas' Hospital, CLA/070: Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, CLA/071: Emanuel Hospital, CLA/075: London Workhouse, COL/CC/EHC: Court of Common Council Emanuel Hospital Committee, COL/CC/LUC: Court of Common Council Lunatic Asylum Committee, COL/CC/RHC: Court of Common Council Royal Hospitals Committee, COL/CHD/IC: Chamberlain's Department: Institutions and Courts, COL/CT: Charities, and COL/PL, COL/PLD/PL, COL/SVD/PL and COL/TSD/AD for building plans. There are also various papers in the Corporation of London collection relating to public health. See the Hospital Records Database on The National Archives website for the locations of hospital records held in other repositories.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: February 2009


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Hospital administration | Hospitals | Health services
Personnel | People by occupation | People
Medical institutions

Personal names

Corporate names
St Bartholomews Hospital | Corporation of London

Places
City of London | London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe