Plymouth, Alexandra Maternity Hospital and the Alexandra Children's Home, Devonport

PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

ALEXANDRA MATERNITY HOSPITAL
and the ALEXANDRA CHILDREN'S HOME, DEVONPORT

The Alexandra Maternity Hospital was opened at Number 1 St Michael's Terrace, Trafalgar Road, Stoke, soon after the outbreak of the Great War.

Its aim was to serve a similar purpose for the Royal Navy as the Military Familles' Hospital did for the Army.

It was initially funded by the Admiralty, the King George's Fund for Sailors and by contributions from the men themselves. Much later, contributions from Plymouth City Council allowed civilian cases to be admitted. Canada also sent £2,500 towards the Hospital.

The Home was gradually enlarged as Numbers 2 and 3 St Michael's Terrace were taken over.

Because a large number of mothers had been unable to avail themselves of the facilities because they already had children that they could not leave on their own at home, a Children's Home was opened at Number 12 Collingwood Villas. This was formally opened on Wednesday November 21st 1917 by Lady Drury, the secretary of the Royal Naval Friendly Union of Sailors' Wives, in the presence of the Mayor of Devonport, Mr J P Brown. However, the Home was not restricted to sailor's wives: it also accepted children from serving soldiers.

Known in 1935 as the Alexandra Maternity Nursing Home for Soldiers', Sailors' and Air Force Families, with a Miss L A Jolliffe as the matron. She was also the Matron of the Soldiers', Sailors' and Air Force Children's Home, which by then was at Number 5 St Michael's Terrace.

In 1937 a new private ward of nine beds was opened.

The Alexandra Nursing Home, as it was more familiarly known, was closed on Friday September 27th 1985, when 21 patients were transferred to Freedom Fields Hospital. The buildings were converted into a mental health unit.