Middlewood Hospital

[Guest Trefcon]

Try this -

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/8fe6cdc8-fac0-4f83-a822-6b2aad0b46c9#0

[Guest Susan Reid nee Hague]

my mam was a patient there because she had epileptic fits her stories where not good ones to be heard sadly she died in there I was 15 and just left school in 1963 so middlewood has no great memories for me R.I.P mam xxxx

[ukelele lady]

my mam was a patient there because she had epileptic fits her stories where not good ones to be heard sadly she died in there I was 15 and just left school in 1963 so middlewood has no great memories for me R.I.P mam xxxx

Sorry to hear that Susan. Many people were put in there for silly reason in the past, even for being an

unmarried mother and then they stayed there for the rest of their lives.

Let's think ourselves fortunate that times have changed

PS Wecome to the site, keep making more posts. :)

[Guest sand]

im new to this website and i need some information.

Can someone please tell me if they ever knew my grandmother Olive Thompson,she moved into west riding mental hospital (middlewood) on the 21/4/1937 at the very young age of 36.

She, from what i know lived in there up until she died at the age of 96.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

sand

[Guest Rustysphotography]

Here is a shot i took of the Annex a few months ago .

If anyone is interested in using my work please contact me first.

[DaveH]

Here is a shot i took of the Annex a few months ago .

If anyone is interested in using my work please contact me first.

Welcome to Sheffield History Rustysphotography.

A great picture, we like pictures in the posts on here to Sheffield as it was and as it is.

Hope this will be the first of many such pictures.

Hopefully, judging by your usename. ;-)

[Guest plain talker]

Received this by email

Hello,

I am doing some research and trying to trace the background to Wharncliffe War Hospital during the Second World War.

My father-in-law who was injured on the second day of the D-Day landings eventually ended up in Wharncliffe, having lost a leg. He was subsequently nursed back to health and lead a happy healthy family life.

I'm sorry, I don't know too much about the hospital or the area but from what I've read so far Wharncliffe seems to be associated with Wadsley and/or Middlewood. My area of interest is June 1944 onwards.

If you have any information or contacts it would be greatly appreciated.

Regards Stuart Roberts.

I think I am correct in thinking that Middlewood Hospital was known as Wharncliffe Hospital during both World Wars.

Does anybody know any information about the WW2 period.

Wharncliffe hospital was a medical hospital, rather than a psychiatric hospital, and was situated at the side of Middlewood Hospital. I remember visiting my grandpa, at Wharncliffe in what was probably the September of 1966 (It was a lovely warm day, I remember, and it had to be dated after August bank holiday weekend, because my mum gave birth to my sister that bank holiday weekend.) Grandpa had Pneumonia, and was taken in to hospital to recuperate.

Middlewood was known as "Wadsley Asylum" originally. I believe Wharncliffe hospital was called "Wharncliffe War hospital" for a time.

[Guest MauriceM]

Hello

Does anyone know anything of the history of the Midlewood site before it became an asylum / hospital?

I am researching my GGG grandfather , Mark Maugham, and he was a draper in Angel St Sheffield up until he died accidentally in 1848. He owned an estate which he purchased in 1836 from Lord Wharncliffe and it was sold by his executors after his death. I found a reference in an old book about Sheffield (A Life at One Living by Alfred Gatty) that suggests the estate was sold a couple of times and eventually purchased by the authorities and used for the "West Riding Lunatic Asylum" (at Wadsley). It also suggests that the mansion house on the estate (Wadsley Park House) was initially used as a hospital for the asylum patients.

[Guest Rustysphotography]

Welcome to Sheffield History Rustysphotography.

A great picture, we like pictures in the posts on here to Sheffield as it was and as it is.

Hope this will be the first of many such pictures.

Hopefully, judging by your usename.

Thanks Dave ,anything i take that may interest any one on here i will be more than glad to post up :D

[RichardB]

Here is a shot i took of the Annex a few months ago .

If anyone is interested in using my work please contact me first.

[RichardB]

Quality work, Thank you.

[Guest Rustysphotography]

Quality work, Thank you.

Its a pleasure to help out :D

[Guest porsche91120]

I was a nurse at Middlewood, eventually nursing officer and finally nurse tutor up to my retirement. A number of years ago I wrote to the late Desmond Wilcox and asked for his help in obtaining a video of the film he produced for `Man Alive` BBC, I was fortunate by being able to get a copy which I still have in my possession. The film was shown in 1974 lasting 45 minutes. Many Middlewood characters are depicted in the film which centered mainly on the Kingswood block, ward 12, ward 13 and ward 9. Both doctors Gittleson and Dr. Myers are interviewed along with many of the nursing staff. Also a number of the patients at that time gave a little talk, Stanley Buttons etc. Also clearly shown is the charcter ` Pond Sreet Nora` who is seen busy working in the OT. This film is of historical value being over thirty years ago and shows many of the buildings as they were both inside and out.

I also have other film footage on video related to old Middlewood and one final video we took of the death and end of the old place. We started by taking the camera to the top of Jaw Bone hill and zoomed in to Kingswood in the far distance, eventually filmed inside the old wards long since emptied and parts of the grounds before it was destroyed by the builders.

When I initially started at the hospital during 1969 the grounds then were spectacular with well cared for flower beds, lawns and towering trees, the gardens were cared for mainly by the patients under the leadership of nurses( the gardening gang) as they were known at that time.

A sad day when it closed for ever, and sad for many of the patients who were safe within the full meaning of the word asylum, a place of safety.

hi there my mum is noras daughter whom was taken off of nora at about11 years old i have been trying for weeks to get a copy of the man alive copy please please could you get a copy of it to me please it would be really good to get a copy for my mum if you go on sheffield forrum theres a thread on there about pondstreet nora for more info thanx

[ukelele lady]

hi there my mum is noras daughter whom was taken off of nora at about11 years old i have been trying for weeks to get a copy of the man alive copy please please could you get a copy of it to me please it would be really good to get a copy for my mum if you go on sheffield forrum theres a thread on there about pondstreet nora for more info thanx

Welcome porche91120, this must be fascinating for you to find your grandmother was

such a well known charactor . I'm sure there's more on the site about " Pond Street Nora "

I hope you are able to gather up more snippets here and there, good luck. :)

[Guest porsche91120]

Welcome porche91120, this must be fascinating for you to find your grandmother was

such a well known charactor . I'm sure there's more on the site about " Pond Street Nora "

I hope you are able to gather up more snippets here and there, good luck.

hi to all

yea its been a right eye opener for me and my mum

im just after a copy of the tape that newbie 65 had hopefully she,ll read this and contact me..........................

[Guest porsche91120]

hi can anyone help me to get a copy of manalive 1974 the one with middlewood in pleeeeeeeeese i would be most gratefull cheers

[SteveHB]

hi can anyone help me to get a copy of manalive 1974 the one with middlewood in pleeeeeeeeese i would be most gratefull cheers

Hi porsche91120,

have you tried sending a PM to member ' newbie65' ?

[Guest porsche91120]

Hi porsche91120,

have you tried sending a PM to member ' newbie65' ?

hi there yea i did but it said message blocked so i dont know what to do now but thanx for trying to help...................porsche91120.........

[RichardB]

hi there yea i did but it said message blocked so i dont know what to do now but thanx for trying to help...................porsche91120.........

You could send your message to sheffieldhistory@gmail.com by email if you wish. I own the address, Stuart0742 maintains it (because he's good with email and I'm spectacularly bad at checking email) and can send your message on.

Stuart and me are well trusted individuals here, he has a better haircut and annoyingly, more hair.. Just an option for you.

Regards

RichardB.

[Guest porsche91120]

You could send your message to sheffieldhistory@gmail.com by email if you wish. I own the address, Stuart0742 maintains it (because he's good with email and I'm spectacularly bad at checking email) and can send your message on.

Stuart and me are well trusted individuals here, he has a better haircut and annoyingly, more hair.. Just an option for you.

Regards

RichardB.

thanx ill try that cheers porsche91120

[Guest SuzyC]

I remember visiting the hospital when I was around 5 or 6 years old as my grandma was addmitted after being prescribed some medication that we found out latershe was allergic to. It wasn't a very nice place to vist for a youngster and I remember being scared of some of the other patients. Having said that she did make a really good friend while there who still lives in our local area. Your pictures are great and bring back memories. although it wasn't the best place on earth for anyone to be sent to I do feel that it was a shame it was let go to a state of disrepare after closing. The building itself should have been looked after. I really am interested in old buildings like the old hospital, shame it couldn't have been kept as a reminder of how people were treated in the past.

I can add to this as my Nana was given the fun treatment of ECT when she "went a bit *****" after her husband had died. Today I expect it would be called depression As a child I couldn´t understand how this was allowed to happen (and still cannot today). My family were all intelligent people yet they blindly followed the medical recommendations, as I expect everyone did in those days. I remember the only time I accompanied them on a visit, was left in the car as it wasn´t considered suitable for me to go into the hospital and I was sooooo scared, locked all the doors and hid in the door well in case a "loony" came to get me, it´s a wonder I wasn´t a casualty there after 20 minutes. The casual cruelty of parents in the 50´s eh? and they would have been shocked to realise it Probably because we were tougher then and didn´t "create" One bonus when my Nana came out, she had always had very thin hair, but where they had shaved the hair off it grew back beautifully thick and curly and she was very proud of it, despite the hollow place in her head. I really think this is one of the most unpleasant memories of my childhood. When I saw One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest I was profoundly reminded and touched by it all. Have since battlled dementia with my much beloved Mum and things haven´t changed very much, I´m afraid to report.

[Guest porsche91120]

thanx ill try that cheers porsche91120

thanx for trying to help me but as i went into my emails to email you i found that newbie had contacted me.................................ive been given his phone number which i tryed but got no reply as yet but am sure i will get a copy of manalive very soon ....................thanx again for your help.................ill let you know when i get it..................porsche91120.................x.............

[Guest kenowl]

hi all

new to this site,i've been doing a lot of research on midlewood hospital, this site and one or two more have been very helpful,i worked at middlewood when most of the hospital was closed, i then worked on the transition of moving patients back into care homes. i then went into working with the elderly.

I am hoping to look further into middlewood and have spoken to quite a few people who have worked there.

I am also trying to locate a the centenary book from middlewood and also a copy of 'man alive' if anyone can help.

Cheers

Kenowl

[Guest porsche91120]

hi all

new to this site,i've been doing a lot of research on midlewood hospital, this site and one or two more have been very helpful,i worked at middlewood when most of the hospital was closed, i then worked on the transition of moving patients back into care homes. i then went into working with the elderly.

I am hoping to look further into middlewood and have spoken to quite a few people who have worked there.

I am also trying to locate a the centenary book from middlewood and also a copy of 'man alive' if anyone can help.

Cheers

Kenowl

hi ive not been on here for ages i tryed and tryed to phone newbie65 with no luck so my search goes on for a copy of manalive if anyone can help please get in touch with me thanx porsche91120

[jamesh2o]

I wonder if anyone knows of my Uncle - Charles (Charlie) Scarborough who was living at Middlewood sadly all my life and i didn't realise that he was still there in the 1990's.

I have found a few stories and that he was known as the Gentle Giant - so any stories about his life there - his friends if any - what he was like etc etc, would be recieved with GREAT thanks.

Sincerely - James