The Kingsland Road premises bought in 1885.

This institution began life in 1836 as the Metropolitan Free Hospital. It was founded for the treatment of patients 'whose only recommendations are poverty, destitution and disease’. This meant that anyone would be treated, unlike at many other hospitals at that time, where a letter of recommendation was required in order to be admitted.

Unfortunately, despite people’s generosity, the Hospital suffered acute financial difficulties during its first few years. It could not always pay tradesmen’s bills or the rent on the building it occupied.  At one point it could not even afford to treat inpatients.  However in 1885, after moving premises and selling property to the Great Eastern Railway Company, the Hospital was finally able to purchase a freehold site on Kingsland Road, where it remained until it closed in 1977.

The Hospital was able to resolve its financial problems by bringing in a subscription scheme. However, this meant the ‘Free’ had to be dropped from the name and it became known simply as the Metropolitan Hospital

As with many hospitals in the nineteenth century, the Metropolitan had a set of rules by which the Hospital was governed, as well as several that the patients had to abide by. You can see pictures of some of these below. They included such regulations as only being admitted at certain times on certain days; punctually observing the direction of the Officers of the Hospital; and not being allowed visitors who brought in any drugs, liquors or provisions of any description. 

The Governors were responsible for setting the rules and qualified for that position according to how much money they gave to the Hospital. This is in contrast to other institutions where governorship was often bestowed on those felt worthy of it, not just those who gave enough money; the Metropolitan could not afford to have such scruples. Donors of £500 were entitled to name a cot in the Children’s Ward; donors of £1000 were entitled to name a bed in any ward.

For approximately 50 years after it opened, the Metropolitan had trouble keeping reliable nursing staff, as there was a shortage of suitable applicants. This problem was solved in 1888 by making a working arrangement with an Anglican Nursing Order, the Order of All Saints, who provided the nursing staff of the Hospital until 1895. This was a similar arrangement to one in place at the German Hospital, whereby Deaconesses from the Kaiserwerth Institute in Germany came to nurse there. Eventually the Metropolitan was able to recruit lay staff, such as the matron Miss Bennett shown here, who worked at the Hospital from 1898 to 1922.

Over the years specialist departments for gynaecology and ear, nose and throat treatments were set up, along with a tuberculosis dispensary. In 1948, the Metropolitan joined the National Health Service and was administered by the Central Group Hospital Management Committee. In the 1970s it had 146 beds. The hospital was finally closed in 1977.

To read the text in the images below, click on the relevant PDF document

Download PDF of image 2 - The rules of the Hospital. Cover from the 1880 set and some examples from 1921.

Download PDF of image 3 - The rules of the Hospital. Cover from the 1880 set and some examples from 1921.