View Full Version : 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
tenabowla
08-Mar-06, 19:31
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
dirdyweeker
26-Aug-06, 01:24
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.?
Or you could post them on here if you wished :grin:
I would love to see them!!
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):roll: 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:D
dirdyweeker
03-Sep-06, 21:45
Or you could post them on here if you wished :grin:
I would love to see them!!
Would do so but haven't got a clue HOW to
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
[disgust]
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
[disgust]
Was the Henderson the maternity 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
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!
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.
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.
and...my next question is - who were the Hendersons?
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.
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.''
dirdyweeker
08-Oct-08, 12:08
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!
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm163/dirdyweeker/BignoldCottageHospital.jpg
Below is the Outpatient Department on the last day.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm163/dirdyweeker/BignoldOPcolour.jpg
Main entrance and vans ready to transfer to new CGH 1986. Unfortunately, quality is not good.
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm163/dirdyweeker/OldBignoldcolour.jpg
:) Great Photos!! Thanks for taking me down memory lane!!
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.
Tighsonas4
09-Oct-08, 10:36
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
Tighsonas4
09-Oct-08, 10:45
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
dirdyweeker
09-Oct-08, 14:46
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.
Fran I think you are talking about the 'nurses Home' that was in Northcote Street. Now privately owned.
Hi
All of the above is very interesting, I can just about remember going to the Bignold when I was a little girl to see my Granny, who was a patient at the time, that was about 1975 I think...... Keep the info coming, love reading it...... Thanks :D
think that was where the district nurses used to live (can remember Nurse Dunbar living there) and had their offices - long time ago when I was young.
empty for a long time then used as offices for NHS staff
Sold as a private house probably about 15 years ago.
and...my next question is - who were the Hendersons?
They were the family of James Henderson, Distiller, Pulteneytown (Old Pultney) this family had owned the Rosebank House (Henderson Nursing Home since 1836.
Mosser
I remember when I was at a meeting of the planned new hospital years ago (the present Caithness General Hospital) when they were proposing the new ward names after the BIGNOLD Hospital,HENDERSON , and ROSEBANK. I asked that there be a hospital radio, but they hadnt planned for this. So, after discussion they agreed a radio room could be in the old pharmacy of the central hospital, next to the morgue, and I was the first presenter. Memories........................
dirdyweeker
10-Oct-08, 14:56
I remember when I was at a meeting of the planned new hospital years ago (the present Caithness General Hospital) when they were proposing the new ward names after the BIGNOLD Hospital,HENDERSON , and ROSEBANK. I asked that there be a hospital radio, but they hadnt planned for this. So, after discussion they agreed a radio room could be in the old pharmacy of the central hospital, next to the morgue, and I was the first presenter. Memories........................
Well Fran, it is still on the go and they are appealling for more presenters. There you go.....you have experience!
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
[disgust]
http://i459.photobucket.com/albums/qq313/axfr82/img004.jpg
Found this photo in a booklet about The Henderson Memorial Nursing Home. My mother was a nurse in it until they knocked it down.
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.
Fran, I may be wrong but it runs in my mind that the house in Northcote St was where the District Nurses lived. i believe that there was a bungalow just down from the Bignold that had a similar purpose. At my age I could be be wrong!!!
you are right Trinkie - or it is my memory too!
House on George Street was sold many years ago, house in Northcote Street sold think it was early 90s.
I remember when the district nurses used to cycle around, can also remeber Nurse Dunbar getting her little black car and whizzing around the streets of Wick.
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