Brownlow Hill infirmary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brownlow Hill infirmary |
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Brownlow Hill infirmary
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 Location in Merseyside
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| Geography | |
| Location | Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
| Coordinates | 53°24′18″N 2°58′08″W / 53.405°N 2.969°W |
| Organisation | |
| Hospital type | Public subscription |
| History | |
| Founded | 1772 |
| Closed | Late 1920s |
The Brownlow Hill Infirmary was a very large hospital that was part of a workhouse in Liverpool, England. It was special because it helped to start modern nurse training. The workhouse was taken down in 1931. Today, the Catholic cathedral of Liverpool stands on the same spot.
A Look Back: The Workhouse's Story
Building the Workhouse
The first part of the Brownlow Hill workhouse was finished in May 1772. A workhouse was a place where poor people who couldn't support themselves could live and work. It was meant to help them, but conditions were often very tough.
Over the years, the workhouse grew much bigger. More buildings were added in 1777. In 1780, a public dispensary was built. This was like a clinic where people could get medicine.
Growing Bigger and Helping More People
Later, in 1786, a hospital was added for people who were poor and sick. A special building for people with mental health issues was built in 1787. In 1801, a ward for people with fevers was also added.
By the 1790s, more than 1,000 people lived at the workhouse. More parts were built in 1792 and 1796 to make space for everyone.
Many People Needed Help
An important report in 1805 showed how many people needed help. Out of 1,600 poor people living there, only 20 strong men could work. Many others were too sick or weak to earn money.
The workhouse was made even larger in the 1840s. It was almost completely rebuilt. A chapel was added in 1855. In 1863, a new hospital section was built for people with contagious diseases.
At its busiest, Brownlow Hill was one of the biggest workhouses in the UK. It could officially hold over 3,000 people. Sometimes, as many as 5,000 people lived there.
Training Nurses: A New Beginning
A Hospital for the Sick
The workhouse also had one of the largest hospitals in the country. It cared for 1,200 sick people who were living in the workhouse.
In 1864, a kind person from Liverpool named William Rathbone V wanted to make things better. He got permission to bring trained nurses to the workhouse hospital. He even paid for them himself for three years!
Agnes Jones and the Nightingale Nurses
William Rathbone invited Agnes Jones to be the first trained Nursing Superintendent. She had trained at a hospital in London. Agnes Jones arrived in 1865.
When she got there, the hospital was in a lot of "disorder." It was not well organized. Soon after she arrived, Agnes Jones brought 12 trained nurses with her. She also brought seven new nurses who were still learning. These nurses had all trained at the famous Nightingale School of Nursing in London.
Paving the Way for Nurse Training
More new nurses joined them later. Also, 54 women who lived in the workhouse and were able to work were paid a small amount to help. This was the very first time nurses were formally trained in a workhouse hospital.
This important step helped other workhouses across the UK start their own nurse training programs. A social reformer named Eva McLaren was one of the people who trained as a nurse there.
The End of an Era
Closing Down
As time went on, fewer people needed the workhouse and its hospital. This happened in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The institution finally closed in the late 1920s.
The land was put up for sale in 1930. The Roman Catholic church bought the site.
A New Landmark Appears
The old workhouse was torn down in 1931. Today, the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral stands proudly where the workhouse once was.
