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Thread: Bignold Cottage Hospital

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2005
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    Glasgow, Scotland
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    Default Bignold Cottage Hospital

    One of my relatives died in this hospital in 1921 and I note that the records have a 100 year closure on them. Does anyone know the history of this place, when it closed and perhaps have a postcard or photo of it.

    Thanks Marion

  2. #2
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    Oct 2005
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    Thurso
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    142

    Default Bignold

    The Bignold hospital, I would think closed about15-20 years ago, it was ultimately replaced by Caithness general hospital, it was on North side of Wick as you leave the town heading out past the now closed down Caithness glass factory on the road to John o Groats. On the site of the hospital is now private houses also called Bignold court. Hope this helps a little.

    Jim

  3. #3
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    Nov 2004
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    wick
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    Default

    I worked in the Bignold Hospital until the day they closed the doors.I have some snaps taken of the building on its last day. Can pm them to you if wanted.?
    Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.

  4. #4

    Thumbs up

    Or you could post them on here if you wished

    I would love to see them!!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    My Hoose
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    Default

    i was a patient in the hospitial when it was closing down,last fracture case they dealt with(tree stump fell on me and broke my leg) while they were resetting my leg on the operating table, the joiners were in boarding up the windows. its possible some of the staff at the time might read this thread and if so a big thanks

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    wick
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    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by girnigoe View Post
    Or you could post them on here if you wished

    I would love to see them!!
    Would do so but haven't got a clue HOW to
    Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.

  7. #7
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    Apr 2006
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    wick
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dirdyweeker View Post
    Would do so but haven't got a clue HOW to
    scan them then post em to bill fernie & he will put them in the photo section

    I pass the Bignold every day. Often wonder why it was sold to local enterprise as i believe it was gifted to the town by Sir Arthur Bignold.
    same goe,s for the Henderson nursing home that to was gifted to the people of Wick, ok we needed a new hospital ,but to knock down a lovely historic building like that was just criminal. they surely could have built the cgh elsewhere

  8. #8
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    Edinburgh
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by johno View Post
    scan them then post em to bill fernie & he will put them in the photo section

    I pass the Bignold every day. Often wonder why it was sold to local enterprise as i believe it was gifted to the town by Sir Arthur Bignold.
    same goe,s for the Henderson nursing home that to was gifted to the people of Wick, ok we needed a new hospital ,but to knock down a lovely historic building like that was just criminal. they surely could have built the cgh elsewhere
    Was the Henderson the maternity home?

  9. #9
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    Jan 2003
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    1,940

    Default Henderson Nursing Home

    Happy New Year Angela, You're an early bird too !!

    Yes, I think it's called the Henderson Memorial Nursing Home.
    The House was left to the community by one of the Henderson family/women, and it was used as the Maternity Home for many years.
    It is just off the Cliff Road, near to where the Tennis Courts were/ are ?
    Behind the General Hospital today - I will be corrected if I'm wrong, I hope.

    Oddly enough I was not able to be born there as there was a BUG in the Nursing Home at the time and all births had to be at home!! So nothing is new.

    Trinkie

  10. #10
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    Happy New Year to you too!
    Thanks for the info - it confirms what I was thinking - I just hadn't thought about it for a very long time. My auntie told me when I was very young that "that's where ladies get their babies" and being rather puzzled!
    I remember the Bignold as well but only because the name's popped up. Strange how things come back to you!

  11. #11
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by trinkie View Post
    Happy New Year Angela, You're an early bird too !!

    Yes, I think it's called the Henderson Memorial Nursing Home.
    The House was left to the community by one of the Henderson family/women, and it was used as the Maternity Home for many years.
    It is just off the Cliff Road, near to where the Tennis Courts were/ are ?
    Behind the General Hospital today - I will be corrected if I'm wrong, I hope.

    Oddly enough I was not able to be born there as there was a BUG in the Nursing Home at the time and all births had to be at home!! So nothing is new.

    Trinkie
    the cgh is built on top of where the henderson home stood, it was closer to the war memorial side than it was to the tennis courts. that building had to be category A listed. was a beatiifull house/hospital. no one else would have got the go ahead to demolish it. A shame.

  12. #12

    Default

    My mother was born there in 1935, on her birth certificate it was down as Henderson Memorial Nursing Home, when I was born it was down as Henderson Memorial Hospital, and when my son was born he was born in the Henderson Wing of the Caithness General Hospital.

  13. #13
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    Default

    and...my next question is - who were the Hendersons?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Angela View Post
    and...my next question is - who were the Hendersons?
    The Hendersons are, it is said, a branch of the Gunn family, descendants of Henry Gunn who's father George was Clan Chief in the 15th century.

  15. #15
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    Default Bignold / Henderson Memorial Nursing Home, Wick

    You will find this interesting.
    I quote from ''Times gone By'' John O' Groat Journal. c.1927

    quote ---

    ''ROSEBANK HOUSE, WICK, LEFT AS A NURSING HOME.

    Miss Adelaine Florence Henderson of Rosebank, Wick, the last surviving member of the family of the late James Henderson Esq of Bilbster, died on 24th Oct last ( 1927 ? ) By her Will she left, among other bequests -

    To the Wick and Pulteneytown District Nursing Association her House and Grounds of Rosebank, with the buildings thereon, along with a legacy of £15,000 for the purpose of establishing, equipping and particulary endowing a Nursing Home in Wick to be known as The Henderson Memorial Nursing Home
    in memory of her sisters and herself.

    Miss Henderson expressed the desire that the Nursing Home be established for the treatment of patients usually resident within the county of Caithness who are willing to pay such charges for nursing and board as would, coupled with the help given by her, produce a revenue sufficient to meet the expenditure of the Nursing Home.

    Shortly before her death, Miss Henderson gifted to the Police Department of the County of Caithness a beautifully equipped motor ambulance, and by her will she left £2000, the revenue from which she desired should be applied toward the running expenses of the car.

    She expressed her wish that the car should continue to be housed in the garage she built for it at Rosebank.''

  16. #16
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    Default Bignold Cottage Hospital photos

    Took me a wee while to learn how to post photos but better late than never. Also have an Orger showing an interest in the photos which reminded me of my post, albeit a couple of years ago.
    Have also some history of the Bignold Hospital for you.

    Sometime in the 1880's a Mr Alexander Sinclair, corn merchant, Wick built a substantial stone house for himself and his family in an area north-west of the town called Gallowhill. He named his house Nethercote House and lived there 'til hisd death ion 24th Aopril, 1901.
    His widow Mrs Janet Sinclair sold it to Arthur Bignold for £1,850 not long after her husband's death.
    Mr Arthur Bignold gifted the house to the town of Wick and it was opened on 13th July 1903 as a Cottage Hospital, known thereafter as the Bignold Hospital.
    Miss Janet Sinclair, (one of Alexander and Janets 2 daughters) became the 1st Matron of the hospital that had originally been her home!




    Below is the Outpatient Department on the last day.





    Main entrance and vans ready to transfer to new CGH 1986. Unfortunately, quality is not good.
    Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.

  17. #17

    Thumbs up

    Great Photos!! Thanks for taking me down memory lane!!

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
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    wick
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    Default

    I live near the old Bignold hospital, it is good that it wasnt knocked down, just converted to flats/houses, so it still looks the same.
    I always thought the Henderson Nursing home was in northcote street and is used by nhs for offices.
    Live for today as tomorrow may never come

  19. #19
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    Thumbs down Bignold

    there was a time when after an operation you were sent over to the town and county to recuperate
    the home mentioned in norcote st was a residence where nurses stayed during the war i think the bignold moved to lybster as it was too near to the airport nevertheless it was the town and county that had a mishap and local fatalities occured tony

  20. #20
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    Thumbs down Nurshing home

    the old hendersons nurshing home was quite a prominent building and stood on the brae behind the war memorial in its latter days it catered for the elderly in one section and births upstairs all these things took place without all the planning and plaver of the present age tony

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