Memories of St Catherines Hospital Tranmere

St Catherine’s Hospital – A few personal reflections

Prior to l86l, Birkenhead formed part of the Wirral Union of Workhouses. After that date a separate authority was formed, administered by the ‘Guardians of the Poor of the Birkenhead Union,’ comprising the parishes of Birkenhead, Bidston-cum-Ford, Noctorum and the whole of what later became the County Borough of Wallasey, but excluding Moreton.

One of the new Union's duties, as with all Unions of Parishes, was the erection of a workhouse and for this purpose, the existing site in Church Road, boundaried by Elm Road and Derby Road (then Yolk of Egg Lane) was purchased. It is of interest to note that the purchase also included what is now the site of St. Catherine's Church, but shortly afterwards this was sold to the Ecclesiastical Authorities.

When the new workhouse was practically completed, but before the official opening, an ‘immigrant ship’ sailed into the Birkenhead Docks with an outbreak of cholera on board. The infected cases were removed to the Livingstone St. (later Birkenhead General) Hospital, and the rest of the crew and passengers, all of whom were contacts, were removed to the new workhouse buildings in Tranmere.

The Birkenhead Union Workhouse was officially opened in 1865 after ( it is hoped) thorough disinfection. Some few years later a new nurse was required on the staff. Hitherto it had always been the practice to appoint some able bodied trusted “inmate” of the workhouse to a vacancy of this kind, but this time a heated argument arose at the Board of Guardians' Meeting as to whether a certain woman should be appointed, or whether one of those "new fangled" Nightingale trained nurses" from Liverpool should succeed to the vacancy. After a very narrow victory the first properly trained nurse was appointed at a very small salary, but plus one of the usual emoluments of those times "one pint of beer per diem".

A very large part of the “education” afforded in the workhouse consisted of boot and shoe making for the boys and domestic work and laundry work. for the girls. The large dining room in the Annex doubled as a workroom and a classroom. The Royal Coat of Arms had its place over the fireplace and the school master's stood at the other end of the room. The Workhouse School continued in operation until at least 1908. At that time many changes

were being made, the children were being removed to “Children's Scattered Homes”, usually consisting of a dozen or so children together with a foster mother, in houses throughout Birkenhead and Wallasey. Children who were members of the Church of England would then attend ordinary elementary schools near their house of residence, whereas Roman Catholic girls were sent to St. Clare's Convent, Pantasph, Holywell, and Roman Catholic boys to various other residential Catholic homes.

In 1911, the Boarding Out Order became operative, permitting children to live with private foster parents, similar to the practice of today. As a consequence of the removal of the children and the closing of the Workhouse School, it became possible to re-organize the accommodation. Further new buildings were erected on the Elm Road side of the site, and in 1911, the final separation from the Union Infirmary was completed, and placed under the separate administration of a Steward. The Workhouse Master was then completely in charge of what became St. Catherine's Annexe. This latter portion of the buildings then contained the ordinary accommodation for “the indigent poor, the able-bodied, the chronic sick, the nursery for children under three years of age, and

mental cases”.

“Tramp wards” were also maintained, these having now been converted into workshops for such people. They consisted of a long, one-storied building along Derby Road with sleeping cells on one side of the corridor, and work cells on the other, separated by a metal grill. The “inmates” were provided with a block of granite, a stool, a sledgehammer and a small hammer. When the granite block had been reduced to the necessary small dimensions, and all passed through the grill, the male tramp's task was completed, the reward was shelter and a meal. Those not of a sufficient physique were engaged in making bundles of firewood, and the women put to work ward cleaning and in the laundry.

The Annex consisted of the original Workhouse School, which became the “mental block”. Other buildings were gradually added, incorporating all the front entrance and the wards to the left of the Office, with the Master's quarters above. It can still be seen that there is a round piece of stone in the small tower facing the entrance lodge which was intended to contain a clock.

During the 19l4-19l8 War, considerable use was made of the workhouse for general hospital patients, as a considerable portion of the Birkenhead Union Infirmary was placed at the disposal of the War Office, for the treatment of wounded soldiers. The ambulances were kept in the garages, near the Nurses Home, until the nineteen thirties. The first motor ambulance (as opposed to horse-drawn) was purchased in 1914. It was a “Minerva" - a Belgian make, and was reputed to be the last chassis to leave as the Germans entered Antwerp.

In 1928 the approximate accommodation in the Birkenhead Institution consisted of 635 beds, and that of the adjoining Birkenhead Infirmary 550 beds. The Board of Guardians, always in the forefront of ‘enlightened opinion’, decided that the aged able-bodied inmates should not ,spend their declining years in workhouse surroundings, and purchased "Eastham House", Eastham, a country mansion in 48 or so acres of farm and parklands, and transferred eighty of the aged to these delightful surroundings, with freedom to enter and leave as they wished – an unusual relaxing of restrictions which had applied in the very mixed institution from which they came.

By the passing of the Local Government Act in 1929, the Birkenhead Union Institution and the Birkenhead Union Infirmary, together with all other property of the Birkenhead Board of Guardians, was transferred to the Birkenhead Council for administration. In 1936 a group of the new State Registered Nurses was recruited to complement the existing group of assistant nurses and nursing assistants. The practice of hygiene was rudimentary by modern standards. Sterilization of such items as syringes and small instruments was carried out on a small old fashioned gas stove situated in what was known as the "serving room", so named because all meals were delivered to this focal point of the building. Ward kitchens did not exist. Until the provision of ward trolleys, which were made by the hospital joiners and were said to resemble Chieftain tanks, all food was transported to the wards manually, up and down flights of steps in urns, pans and on trays.

During the last War, the kitchens at the Birkenhead Institution were used for the preparation of meals for Emergency Rest Centres, as well as continuing to provide catering for the patients. These kitchens were severely damaged by enemy action, as were other parts of the buildings. For the disposal of swill, ‘pig bins’ were situated close to the tennis courts until about 1956 when this kind of waste was taken to Eastham House Farm.

The entire wartime staff of every grade were dedicated. Sixteen continual hours of duty was commonplace. During prolonged air-raids, night nurses were prevented from reporting for duty, so day staff remained until relief came. Bereavement and loss of homes affected many of the staff too, but their dedication persisted. When war broke out, among other precautionary measures taken, was the provision of a very large storage tank for fresh water in case of the interruption of the main supply. This was achieved by the providential finding of a huge rainwater tank, under the square outside the laundry buildings. This had apparently been made and used a good century ago for the main supply, when a piped water supply was not available.

In 1952, the administration of the Infirmary was undertaken by the Health Committee but administration of the Birkenhead Institution continued to be undertaken by the Public Assistance Committee. In 1948 all Hospitals were transferred to the Regional Hospitals Board, and thus removed from municipal control, by the National Health Service Act.