St. James Hospital
| St. James Hospital | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Opened | 1879 |
| Current Status | Active |
| Building Style | Corridor Plan |
| Architect(s) | George Rake |
| Alternate Names |
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History
75 acres of land was purchased by Portsmouth Council in the area between Velder Creek and Eastney Lake. Velder Creek has since been filled in and a housing estate built on it. The newly built Borough of Portsmouth Asylum (now St. James' Hospital) in Asylum Road (now Locksway Road) was opened on the 30th September 1879. The asylum was built on was rough land, but this provided a good opportunity for its cultivation by the patients as part of their occupational therapy and rehabilitation. The community would be as self sufficient as possible, having its own farm and growing its own crops. The land cost £14,000 and the buildings £120,000. The first Medical Superintendent was Dr. W.C. Bland who was succeeded in 1895 by Dr. B.H. Mumby
There were workshops for tailoring, shoemaking, brewing, carpentry and laundry work. Gardeners and farmworkers were catered for as well as bakers and cooks. There was also plenty of work for women to do sewing at all grades of ability. Among the 450 patients listed in 1880 were 16 private patients. In 1910, the private patients (also called `gentlemen`) paid one and a half guineas per week - this entitled them to a more delicate diet and they had their own quarters. This brought in a good profit for the Borough.
In 1883 a sanitorium was built to house infectious diseases and by 1884 two new infirmaries were built in the grounds, one for males and one for females taking 22 patients each. These faced the chapel and were named Dickens and Brunel Villas. In 1885 a list of patients` occupations was made and this shows there were Artists, Bakers, Bricklayers, Butchers, Bootmakers, Tailors, Stockmen, Swordmaker, Horse Clipper, French Polisher, Coal Porter, Clerk in Holy Orders and Stockbroker. The reasons for their illness were also noted, e.g. Jealousy, overwork, anxiety, domestic trouble, poverty, fright, religion, excitement and disappointment in love. As Molly Gange writes, "It all sounds very familiar and perhaps little has changed in the last 100 years".
By 1886 all the female wards had pianos and the male wards had both a bagatelle and a billiard table each. Picnics took place once a year at such places as Uppark near Harting and South Farm, Forestside near Rowlands Castle. In latter years, trips to the Coliseum, the Empire Theatre and the Theatre Royal were arranged from time to time so patients were able to extend their experience of living outside. There was also a cricket team and a band was formed to play at dances. By 1893 the hospital was overcrowded and a further 14 acres of land was bought.
In 1896 electricity was installed at the hospital. Years later a film projector was purchased for the recreation hall and silent films were viewed by the patients. By the 1930s patients were able to view 'talkies' every week in the recreation hall and by the 1950s each ward had a television set.
